CEDAR FALLS - Morgan Paulson has contributed her share of clutch hits and game-saving defensive plays to the University of Northern Iowa's turnaround softball season.

However, it's the attributes that don't show up in a boxscore that set the senior first baseman apart. Head coach Ryan Jacobs uses adjectives like consistency, leadership and positivity to describe the engaging senior, but most of all, Paulson is accountable, and that's a big reason the Panthers are a far better team today than they have been in recent history.

"You have to have kids who buy into what you're selling them," says Jacobs, in his second season as head coach. "She did that from the day I interviewed for the job when she was on the interview committee of players.

"She's just fit in really well and has grown as a player. She has grown a lot more than I even expected her to. She has such a consistent approach. She knows what she needs to do on a daily basis and does it without somebody asking her to or pushing her. And she's a great person off the field.

"She is what we would say is the prototypical kid in our program."

Paulson comes from an athletic family. Her father was a college athlete, and her sister played softball at Winona State. A cousin, Ben Lamaak, is an Iowa State football player. Several other relatives have also made it at the collegiate level.

So, it was no surprise that Paulson took a similar path. She also excelled at basketball and volleyball in high school, but softball was her true love. At UNI, her career has followed a path similar to that of the Panthers. She arrived as a highly touted, all-state shortstop from Fort Dodge High School and put together a solid freshman season. However, her next two years were largely unremarkable as she continued to make the transition to first base, Division I pitching and a change in coaches.

"Sophomore and junior years weren't my best, but I did what I could for the team," Paulson relates. "I finally feel comfortable. I feel at home at first base now. I just want to end my career on a positive note doing what I can for the team, whether it's getting hits or making plays. If I can help the team in any way, to me that's successful."

Actually, Paulson helps UNI in almost every way. At the plate, she's hitting .253 with five doubles, three home runs and 25 RBIs. In the field, she's made five errors in 464 chances, and given her infielders a sense of security with her glove work.

"The way she plays first base, with her athleticism and her glove, she makes up for a lot of mistakes her teammates make by picking bad throws and making plays coming off the base," says Jacobs.

"Last year, she had 300 chances without an error. When she's had one this year, we've all looked at each other like, 'Wow. She can make an error.' But even those have always been on tough plays."

Paulson has always recognized the value of strong defense.

"I feel that once you're on the field and plays are made and you get the job done, it adds motivation for the offense," she explains. "That's the best feeling … when you make a great play and then you're up to bat. You can use that to your advantage, and it can change the momentum of a game."

That Paulson's senior season is turning out to be her best is no coincidence. She has embraced her expanded role for a young team and positioned herself during the offseason to be the best player she could be.

"I lived in Cedar Falls the past two summers, and it was kind of hard because I was one of the only softball girls who lived here. My dad drove up probably about three times a week to pitch to me, and he would come hit ground balls to me. Otherwise, I worked out on my own a lot.

"I put a lot of time into it because I knew we had a lot of good players coming back and a lot of new players coming in, and I knew we had a chance to go far. I wanted to do my part."

Watching this year's team rise in the Missouri Valley Conference standings has been one of the most satisfying aspects of Paulson's career. The Panthers finish a Missouri Valley Conference series at Drake today, but they already know they've clinched a berth in the league's postseason tournament for the first time in the careers of Paulson and fellow four-year senior Kelly Papesh.

"Obviously, it's taken a lot to get where we are," says Paulson, whose favorite pro athlete is Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer. "I think we've hit every bump along the way."

What Paulson will ultimately take away from college softball is a never-say-die attitude.

"We were at the bottom of the conference," she explains. "When you're at that spot, you don't think you're ever gonna get to the top. But we believed in each other, and coach Jake and coach (Julie) Gerdes and the new coaching staff believed in us. They kept us open-minded and optimistic.

"It's been totally worth it, and there isn't a better way to end my career than making it to the conference tournament and, hopefully, beyond that. I think that shows a lot about our program and how far we've come."

Paulson also hopes the 2009 squad and its senior class has raised the bar for future teams.

"Kelly Papesh and I have been here for four years, so I think we've kind of taken on a leadership role," she notes. "The younger girls kind of respect what we've been through and they trust us as far as knowing the ropes.

"Hopefully, once our four seniors are gone (Brittney Balduf and Crystal Keiper are senior transfers), they'll continue to build this program in the right direction.

"If not, we know where they live."

Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com