HPU Volleyball Earns APR Public Recognition Award

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team was honored by the NCAA with the Public Recognition Award for 2011-12, finishing among the top-10 percent nationally among all programs in the NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR).

This is the fourth-straight season that the HPU volleyball team has earned the Public Recognition Award, the most for any High Point program. HPU volleyball was one of 12 Big South Conference athletic programs among those honored.

“I am very proud of what our volleyball student-athletes have accomplished in the classroom,” said Athletic Director Craig Keilitz. “They display a great understanding of why they are at High Point University and a commitment to be great.”

The volleyball team posted a 3.24 GPA for the 2012-13 academic year, ranking in the top four behind women’s golf, women’s soccer and women’s track & field. Senior Molly Barlow was the Big South Conference Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. Barlow, a defensive specialist, is an elementary education major with a 3.98 GPA. She was named to the Capital One Academic All-District team this season. She was also named to the Big South All-Academic team in 2011. The volleyball team also had 15 players honored at Millis-Scholar Athletes.

Each year, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team through the annual scorecard of academic achievement, known as APR. The score honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR (the most recent APRs are based on scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years). This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams who demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. By measuring eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter, the APR provides a clear picture of academic performance in each sport.