KariHonomichlEarnsAcademicMomentumAwardDecember7,2011byNiagaraUniversityPressReleaseNiagaravolleyballjunioroutsidehitterKariHonomichlwashonoredbytheTheScholarBaller®program,inconjunctionwiththeNationalConsortiumforAcademicsandSports(NCAS)bybeingoneof49student‐athletestoreceivetheAcademicMomentumAward.ThisisthefirstofsuchhonorsforHonomichl,whoalsoearnedherfirstAll‐MAACFirstTeamandMAACAll‐Academichonorsthisseason.Honomichlwasnamedtothesecondteam.Eighty‐ninenominationswerereceivedfrom55differentcollegesanduniversities.Topnominationswerecategorizedintothreeteamsbasedoneachstudent‐athlete’sacademicimprovementandtheimpacteachstudent‐athlete’sacademic

performancehadonhisorherclassmates,teammates,academicadvisors,andprofessors.Atotalof17maleandfemaleawardrecipientsfromNCASpartnerschoolswereselectedfortheFirstTeam,16recipientswerechosenfortheSecondTeam,and16recipientswereselectedfortheThirdTeam.Awardnominationsincludedstoriesof:workingwithalearningspecialisttoprogressacademically;perseveringonthequestfor

academicsuccesswhileinspiringpeersandteammatestoexcelintheclassroom,becomingthefirstintheirfamilytograduatewithadegreefromacollegeoruniversity;beinganinternationalstudentwhohadtoperseverethroughhardshipsbothacademicallyandeconomically;andorganizinglocalcommunityserviceinitiatives.TheNCASisanever‐growingorganizationofcollegesanduniversitiesthatprovidesopportunitiesforcurrentandformerstudent‐athletestocontinuetheirpursuitofhighereducation,whileworkinginthecommunitywithchildrentoaddresssocialissues.Establishedin1985,theoverallmissionoftheNCASis“tocreateabettersocietybyfocusingoneducationalattainmentandusingthepowerappealofsporttopositivelyaffectsocialchange.”Establishedin1995,theScholarBaller®movementevolvedinresponsetoconcernsthatthestudent‐athlete’sathleticsroleincreasinglysupersededthestudentrole.Inordertoaddressthisissue,thefoundingmembersofScholarBallerdevelopedagroundbreakingprogramtobridgethegapbetweeneducationandsportutilizingstudent‐athletes’passionforentertainmentandathletics.Asaresult,theScholar

Ballerprogramhasproducedunprecedentedoutcomesinstudentretentionandacademicachievement.Honomichl,the2011MAACTournamentMostOutstandingPlayer,hadacareerseasonwhileplacingsecondontheteamwith364killsandthirdwithher322digs.Honomichl’s47acesleadtheconferenceandher.41acespersetranked36thinthenation.