Jan. 4, 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Following a season in which the squad laid its foundation for the future on the court, the UCF volleyball team also set a precedent for its expectations in the classroom during the fall semester. The Knights' posted an impressive 3.291 team GPA, which stands as its highest mark since 2005.
"A huge part of our `Championship Behavior' is anchored by our excellence in the classroom," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "We have set a standard in our volleyball program that we are students first and athletes next. I'm proud that our student-athletes have clearly embraced and internalized our program's philosophy. This is a major sign that we are ready to break through in so many areas of our program's development."
Even more impressive is the fact that two Knights, junior Brittanie Wallace (Austin, Texas) and freshman Tory McCutcheon (Milton, Ontario), each registered perfect marks of 4.0 for the semester.
Wallace, a transfer from Sam Houston State, is majoring in finance, while McCutcheon is pursuing a degree in biology.
"It is remarkable that Brittanie was able to achieve a perfect 4.0 while going through a serious knee reconstruction surgery and rehabilitation," Dagenais said. "This was a very time consuming and mentally exhausting endeavor for her. For Tory to accomplish a 4.0 as a freshman and full-time starter is nothing short of incredible."
Since Dagenais took over the volleyball squad in 2008, he has seen his squad earn 10 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll accolades, three C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medals, and placed a member on the C-USA All-Academic Team, the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team and the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team.
"I think it is really important that we thank our volleyball academic advisor Jennifer Alger, our academic mentor Kristen Smithers and UCF Director of Academic Services Mark Gumble for providing all of the tutoring, advising and mentoring services that we need to be successful as collegiate student-athletes. Without their commitment and the academic vision of the UCF Athletics Administration, it would be very difficult to compete with other academic institutions for high GPA recognition."
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
-UCF-