Most student-athletes are content to leave college with an undergraduate degree.

Ali Mims, the starting goalie for NCAA Division I women's quarterfinalist Florida State, will leave Tallahassee with a bachelor's degree in business management and master's degree in business administration.

An undergraduate degree was always in Mims' plans, but she pursued a master's degree when she lost two seasons after fracturing her leg in a preseason scrimmage  in her sophomore year. She had to have 20 surgical procedures to recover from the break and the complications that followed.

"I was going to graduate in three-and-a-half years, work for a few years and then come back to school," said the sixth-year senior. "After my injury, I had to reevaluate that. I wanted to keep playing soccer so that led me into the master's program. It was a great problem to have because now I will have two degrees when I leave here. A lot of people don't ever have that opportunity."

Mims came back to start in 2005 and put together one of the best seasons ever by a Seminole keeper as Florida State advanced to the Women's College Cup after beating North Carolina in the quarterfinals. This year, the Noles have again reached the quarterfinals, where they host another ACC rival, Clemson, on Friday night. Mims has 11 shutouts in 24 games and a goals-against average of 0.58, bettering the FSU marks she set last year with eight shutouts and a 0.90 GAA.

Not bad for a player who was recruited out of Ponte Vedra, Fla, but had to walk on at FSU.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN

Quarterfinals
Nov. 24
No. 1 Notre Dame (23-0-1) vs. No. 2 Penn State (18-4-3)
No. 2 UCLA (20-3-0) vs. Portland (17-3-3)
No. 2 Florida State (17-3-4) vs. Clemson (11-7-5)
Nov. 25
No. 1 North Carolina (24-1-0) vs. No. 2 Texas A&M (17-5-2)