INDIANAPOLIS - Missouri State University's volleyball team has received special recognition from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for excellence in its multi-year Academic Progress Report (APR), including perfect scores the past two years. The NCAA made the announcement today (Wednesday, May 12).

Coach Melissa Stokes' Bears have a four-year APR rate of 995 which ranks near the top among the nation's 330 Division I volleyball programs.

"We are very proud of the job Melissa and her staff have done on the court and in the classroom," said Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. "Our volleyball program is a great example of hard work, determination and class. We are honored that our team is in the national spotlight for academic performance."

Each year the NCAA honors selected, elite Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR. This announcement is part of the NCAA's overall Division I academic reform effort and provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester. The APR tracks a program's academic progress for each student-athlete on scholarship and accounts for eligibility and retention as a measure of each team's academic performance.

A total of 55 Division I programs received public recognition in women's volleyball, including five other institutions in the Missouri Valley Conference. 

The Bears will return five starters this fall from a 21-10 team that tied for second place in the MVC in 2009. The program has recorded 11 straight 20-win seasons, compiled a team GPA of 3.0 or better 14 straight seasons, and finished among the MVC's top two programs nine consecutive years.