Gates Receives NCAA Scholarships

Lincoln -- University of Nebraska volleyball player Amanda Gates was honored this week for her accomplishments on and off the court. She was selected as one of 13 winners of the NCAA’s Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship, as well as one of one of 29 female student-athletes to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

For the Women’s Enhancement Scholarship, Gates will receive a $6,000 scholarship that will be put to her first year of postgraduate studies in a sports administration or other program that will help her obtain a career in intercollegiate athletics, such as athletics administrator, coach, athletic trainer or other career that provides a direct service to intercollegiate athletics. 

The program was created to increase of the pool of candidates who wished to enter the athletic administration field and only 13 people were chosen from around the nation. The University of Nebraska had two student-athletes received the scholarship with  track and field performer Joslyn Dalton joining Gates on the list of honorees.

For the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, Gates will receive a one-time $7,500 scholarship to use for postgraduate studies.  The program was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.

Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.  Each sports season (fall, winter and spring), there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women.

Gates is the seventh Husker volleyball player to receive an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and the fifth under John Cook, joining Laura Pilakowski, Tracy Stalls, Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling.

Gates wrapped up her volleyball career in December, helping the Huskers to their third NCAA National Semifinal appearance in four years. A first-team Academic All-American, Gates averaged 1.78 kills and a team-high 1.14 blocks per set, as the Huskers posted a 31-3 record and won their fifth consecutive conference title. She is currently playing professionally in Spain.

Off the court, Gates, who carries a 3.96 GPA in communication studies, was a three-time first-team academic All-Big 12 pick and was honored for her contributions to the community with her selection to the Big 12 Good Works Team in 2008. Gates was an officer in the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee for the last two years and coordinated the Nebraska volleyball team’s community outreach efforts, helping the Huskers earn the Athletic Department’s Life Skills Award in each of the past two years.

 

--Huskers --