June 6, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - After winning 16 games on the court this fall, the East Carolina volleyball team duplicated that success in the classroom in the spring. The squad set a single-semester program record with a GPA of 3.521.

Senior Kelley Wernert was an integral part of the achievement as she followed up her selection to the 2007 Conference USA All-Academic team in the fall with a perfect 4.0 mark in the spring. Every member of the team earned recognition on the ECU honor roll, with seven of the 12 student-athletes selected to either the Chancellor's List (4.0 semester GPA) or the Dean's List (3.5 or higher). Additionally, the squad continues to maintain a cumulative mark of 3.390 with five players currently holding a cumulative GPA of 3.59 or higher, including a 4.0 showing by freshman Katie Koop.

"Our team goal since I've stepped foot on campus three years ago has always been to have a yearly team GPA above 3.3 and to have everyone above a 3.0 in a given semester," said head coach Chris Rushing. "Our team GPA has steadily risen since that day and this was the semester that eventually put us over the top. We shattered our goal this year with the high expectations these athletes have put on themselves. I am very proud of their efforts and dedication to the classroom, as well as their sport. They are true student-athletes."

The Pirates return 11 letterwinners and welcome five newcomers for the 2008 season, which begins in August.