By Drew Wilson, Sports Information Director
Averett University volleyball player Nicole Barringer was named the 2015 USA South Conference Woman of the Year, the league announced on Friday (June 5, 2015). Barringer, who was named the female recipient of the USA South’s prestigious Don Scalf Award on Thursday, became the third conference student-athlete to earn Woman of the Year and Scalf Award honors in the same season.
“I am honored to have received these awards the past two days and I am truly speechless,” Barringer said. “In addition to everyone at Averett, I want to thank my amazing, supportive parents for being there for me every step of the way.”
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. Barringer’s name and accolades will now be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee as the USA South’s nominee. The committee will choose the top 10 nominees in each division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. From those nine, the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year will be chosen.
Barringer, a setter from Landis, North Carolina, concluded her collegiate career this past fall when she was named an All-American Honorable Mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Additionally in 2014, Barringer collected a bevy of individual honors including AVCA All-South Region, USA South First Team All-Conference, USA South All-Tournament Team and Averett’s Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year. In her career, Barringer was a four-time all-conference honoree and was selected to the USA South All-Tournament team twice. In the classroom, Barringer compiled a 3.61 grade point average while majoring in criminal justice and was named Averett’s 2014-15 Most Outstanding Criminal Justice Student. She was a four-time member of the USA South All-Academic Team while making the Dean’s List three times and the President’s List three times. Barringer was the USA South’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President and represented the Conference on the NCAA Division III National SAAC. On campus, Barringer served as Averett’s SAAC President, was the student-athlete representative on the institution’s Strategic Planning Committee, helped rejuvenate Averett’s “Blue Crew” student fan club and organized several community service projects including a cancer awareness event. For her efforts, Barringer earned several service awards including the volleyball team’s service award, the 2014 Dr. Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award and the 2015 Curtis Bishop Award for Outstanding Service from Averett. Barringer became the third Averett volleyball player to be named a Scalf Award recipient — which is given to the conference’s top male and female student-athletes of the year — in the last four years and ninth Cougar selected overall. Barringer graduated in May and is returning to Averett to be a volleyball assistant coach while earning her master’s degree.
“I am incredibly proud of what Nicole has accomplished,” Averett volleyball coach Danny Miller said following Thursday’s announcement of Barringer’s selection as the Scalf Award winner. “Not just this year but how when given a chance for leadership roles she has embraced them and far exceeded what I think she could have even imagined. I am looking forward to having her on staff as my assistant next year. She will continue to help drive this program forward.”
“Our mission in Averett Athletics is to develop a well-rounded student-athlete who is outstanding in the classroom, in the community and on the field of play,” Averett Director of Athletics Meg Stevens said Thursday after Barringer was named the Scalf Award winner. “Nicole is a perfect example of a student-athlete who took advantage of the opportunities given to her and excelled.”
