Women's volleyball receives NCAA academic recognition

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s volleyball received a Public Recognition Award from the NCAA this week, honoring the team for posting scores in the top 10 percent of its most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rates (APR).

“NCAA student-athletes and schools continue to achieve unprecedented levels of academic success,” NCAA President Mark Emmer said. “We commend these programs for their commitment to academic excellence and dedication to preparing student-athletes for life after college.”

The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams. In addition to the Cougar women’s volleyball team, the NCAA recognized a total of 1,203 Division I teams for outstanding academic achievements: 746 women’s teams and 457 men’s teams or co-ed teams.

The total number of teams being recognized increased by 132 from a year ago, largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores. Scores for programs in the top 10 percent ranged from 984 to a perfect 1,000, with 1,090 teams earning a perfect score.

A total of 306 schools had teams recognized with Public Recognition Awards.

APR scores for all Division I teams will be released May 10. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport. All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.

The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.

In addition to BYU, two other women’s volleyball squads from the West Coast Conference were honored: San Diego and Pacific.

BYU women's volleyball was previously honored with an NCAA Public Recognition Award in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.