HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College men's volleyball player Artur Cabral was named a 2016 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, the staff of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, announced today. Cabral was one of five men's volleyball players that earned the accolade.
To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities. The NCAA Office of Inclusion has partnered with Diverse to support this standout class of scholar-athletes. Approximately 1,000 male and female students from across the country were nominated.
On the volleyball court this season, Cabral played in 23 matches this season for the Navy and Gold, appearing in 80 sets. He compiled 239 kills and nearly a three kills per set average. He finished second in all NCAA DI/DII with a .60 service aces per set average, was a finalist for the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year and was named the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Player of the Month in February.
Off the court, the junior Maceio, Brazil native is a Coker student ambassador, a resident assistant at the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics and the president of the Computer Science Club, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year.
"Artur is an incredibly well-rounded and well-spoken student-athlete," said head men's volleyball coach Eric Snyder. "He has not only matured into one of the most talented men's volleyball players in the country, he has also set himself apart and diversified his leadership portfolio with active involvement in numerous campus organizations. Artur is the ideal representative of the men's volleyball program and Coker. I am proud of all he has accomplished and the man he has become. He is a remarkably talented student, athlete and person and I can't wait to see what his future holds."
He is a computer science major and the son of Wladia Bessa and Helio Cabral Jr.
About
In 1992, Black Issues In Higher Education magazine, now Diverse, established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr.
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.