Volleyball Earns Public Recognition from NCAA for Multi-Year APR Success
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | Volleyball
The University of Florida volleyball team received public recognition from the NCAA on Wednesday as one of 49 Division-I women's volleyball teams to post multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the top-10 percent of all squads across the nation. This is the second consecutive year the Gator volleyball program has been lauded for its APR.
In addition to taking its place as one of fewer than 50 teams from around the country, Florida is one of only two Southeastern Conference volleyball teams to be honored by the NCAA (Alabama is the other).
"The APR recognition is a reflection of the high quality of student-athletes to have come through our program and the outstanding support provided by the Office of Student Life,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said.
The distinction follows a season in which the Gators earned a number of academic honors, including senior middle blocker Kelsey Bowers (Gainesville, Fla.) being named the Southeastern Conference's 2008 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Six Florida volleyball players were named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll this past year and the Gators earned two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selections. Bowers also was an ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic All-America honoree.
Florida's emphasis on academics has been evident since the volleyball program began in 1984. Since that time, Florida has had 116 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections, while seven players have earned 10 Academic All-America honors. Eight players also have earned 16 Academic All-District awards.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in its calculation, and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition awards, will be announced May 6. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years.
The University of Florida is home of the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Regionals. For more information on Gator Volleyball, log on to www.GatorZone.com.
END OF REPORT
