Wingate’s Melissa DeLuca Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Wingate University senior volleyball standout Melissa DeLuca (Bahama, N.C.) adds another achievement to a long list of honors this week. DeLuca is an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient for excelling academically and athletically throughout her Wingate career.

The NCAA postgraduate scholarship is a one-time grant of $7,500 that is awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports every year. In each of the three seasons, there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women. The scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants. DeLuca will be continuing her education at her alma mater as a graduate student. An Elementary Education major, she holds a stellar 3.946 GPA

"This is our third volleyball student-athlete to receive this very prestigious scholarship award," Wingate head coach Shelton Collier says. "Lindsay Hinson received the award in 2004, Rebecca Brezovec earned the award in 2007 and now Melissa this year. We are very proud of our players for being selected for such an honor."

"Melissa will be attending graduate school at Wingate next year," Collier affirms. "She will be joining our volleyball staff as an assistant coach. I am certain she will be an excellent representative of the Wingate University graduate program as well as an exceptional influence on our volleyball program."

DeLuca is a 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® volleyball first team selection (college division). CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America) announces the teams each November. She is the only South Atlantic Conference student-athlete to earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® honors in volleyball this year.

On the court, DeLuca was named to the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honorable mention All-America volleyball team. She is the first Bulldog volleyball student-athlete to earn AVCA honorable mention All-America honors.

She was named to both the 2007 AVCA and DAKTRONICS All-South Region volleyball teams this season. Wingate compiled a 33-2 overall record in 2007, winning the SAC regular season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs posted the top winning percentage in the nation this year.

DeLuca led the SAC with 12.90 assists per game this season. She was 14th in the NCAA Division II in the same category. For the second straight year, DeLuca was the Most Valuable Player of the Food Lion SAC tournament. She is a three-time All-SAC selection.

In Wingate's final regular season match against Lincoln Memorial, DeLuca became Wingate's all-time leader in assists. Her 12.90 assists per game in 2007 is a school record, breaking her own record from last season.

In addition, DeLuca ranked third on the Wingate team with 2.82 digs per game. She helped the Bulldogs lead the conference with a .256 hitting percentage.

DeLuca is a member of Wingate University's Honor Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In addition, she is a sister in the Alpha Xi Delta sorority. DeLuca is an active volunteer through her sorority and SAAC involvement. She has also attended an NCAA leadership conference during her time as a Bulldog.

The student-athletes selected for the NCAA postgraduate scholarship must be enrolled at NCAA member institutions during their final year of eligibility. In addition, the student-athletes must have performed with distinction as members of varsity teams in the sport for which they were nominated.

NCAA postgraduate scholarship nominees must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 (based on a 4.0 scale), be nominated by the faculty athletics representative or designee and intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a part-time or full-time graduate student.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,041 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, faith development and career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, education, physical education and sport administration and the doctor of pharmacy degree.

In the spring of 2007, Wingate University awarded its first-ever doctor of pharmacy degrees. Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports.