LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego men’s soccer standout Matt Davey earned another postseason award on Wednesday when he was one of 87 male student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions to be awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
“When I heard that I received the NCAA scholarship, I was overcome with a great sense of personal fulfillment, pride, and achievement,” said Davey. “I've been lucky enough to receive awards like the All-America team, but this was more fulfilling because of the award's prestige and criteria for selection. It was a very nice validation that all of my hard work had paid off and was worthwhile.”
UCSD student-athletes have earned 22 of these prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. Including Davey’s award this year, eight Tritons have garnered the accolade since moving to the Division II level in 2000. The NCAA awards 174 of these postgraduate scholarships (87 men, 87 women) on an annual basis across all three NCAA divisions, consisting of more than 1,200 member institutions and over 360,000 student-athletes.
Davey will graduate this summer with a degree from UCSD in Bio-Engineering. He is a 2-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America selection, possessing a 3.65 cumulative GPA. Following graduationg Davey plans to travel throughout Europe for two months before returning and volunteering in a biotech research lab and hospital, respectively.
He plans on enrolling in medical school the following fall and, following graduation, he hopes to specialize in Orthopedic Surgery or Cardiology. Topping the list of Medical Schools he is applying to are Columbia, UC San Francisco and UCLA.
The midfielder from Laguna Niguel was a 3-time NSCAA/adidas All-America honoree who finished his career on the La Jolla campus with 31 goals and 24 assists, totaling 86 points. All three of those figures rank him among the top-5 career leaders in UCSD soccer history. Additionally, Davey was a 3-time NSCAA/adidas All-Far West Region First Team honoree and a 3-time First Team All-CCAA recipient. He leaves the program as the most decorated male soccer player in school history.
Courtesy: Jimmy Gekas/Sideline Studios