2 Liberty Athletics Programs Receive APR Recognition from the NCAA

The Liberty volleyball and women's cross country programs were both recognized by the NCAA on Tuesday afternoon for their Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores.

The two programs were both among the list of programs who posted an APR score among the top 10 percent in the country in their specific sport.

"Liberty student-athletes are thriving by every measure, and we are excited to celebrate these recent NCAA APR honors for volleyball and women's cross country," said Liberty Director of Athletics Ian McCaw.

The Liberty volleyball program has now been recognized for its APR scores in six straight years. The Lady Flames cross country team has now been honored for three straight years.

This year, 1,380 Division I programs are being recognized for their academic performance,  881 women's teams and 499 men's teams or co-ed teams.

The total number of teams being recognized increased by 52 from last year, largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores. Scores from programs in the top 10 percent ranged from 987 to a perfect 1,000. A total of 1,266 teams earned a perfect score, an increase of 52 teams from last year.

APR scores for all Division I teams will be released on May 19. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport.

All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for postseason competition and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.

The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years.