WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The 2014 Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team, sophomore defensive specialist Kaili Simmons, El Dorado Springs, and sophomore setter Brianna Zebert, Pierce City, recently received academic honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

The team was named one of the NJCAA’s 2014-2015 All-Academic Teams, Simmons received the NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement, and Zebert received the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement.

“I am extremely proud of Kaili and Brianna,” said Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann.  “This is the culmination of a lot of work put in by these two players and everyone who supports their efforts as student-athletes.  Their leadership was evident both in the classroom and on the court.  They are a great example of good habits leading to good results.”

NJCAA officials recognize individual student-athletes for academic honors at three levels.  Those who have a perfect 4.0 GPA (grade point average) receive the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence; those with a 3.8 to 3.99 receive the NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement; and those with a 3.60 to 3.79 receive the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement.  Simmons’ GPA this past academic year was 3.95, and Zebert’s GPA was 3.69.  A total of 1,936 student-athletes met the requirements for individual academic honors this year, NJCAA officials said, adding that is a record.

To receive All-Academic Team honors, team members must have achieved a team cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  The Grizzlies had a GPA of 3.25 this past year.

“As a team, this group did a good job in the classroom,” Wiedemann said.  “This honor is the result of a lot of hard work put in by our players and everyone who supports their efforts as student-athletes.  Although awarded to the team, the honor is shared by our tremendous faculty who lead them, as well as the staff of the Advisement and Academic Coaching Center for Empowering Student Success (AACCESS) and the PAWS (Promoting Academic Success With Student-Athletes) Program, who work together with our players to make them the best students possible.  They do a fantastic job!”

Implemented in spring 2002, Missouri State-West Plains’ PAWS Program consists of a group of students, faculty and staff who are dedicated to helping student-athletes develop the skills they need to excel in the classroom and provides additional assistance to student-athletes during study hall periods.

Simmons and Zebert are the Grizzlies’ 17th and 18th individual academic award honorees, and the team earned its 11th academic team honor in 12 years with its combined grade point average this past year.

Simmons and Zebert both graduated from Missouri State-West Plains in May with an Associate of Arts in General Studies degrees.  Simmons is taking her talents to Western Illinois University in Macomb this fall, and Zebert has transferred to Missouri State University in Springfield, where she is pursuing a degree in speech pathology, Wiedemann said.