BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell's softball team continued to garner awards, even in the off-season, as nine members of the team were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athletes for the 2008-09 academic school year, the NFCA office announced recently. The team also earned national recognition and placed 46th nationally on the Girls Got Game/NFCA All-Academic Team.

To be named a NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, the selected individual student-athletes must achieve a 3.5 or better cumulative grade-point average (GPA).

Graduated first baseman Karlie Love was named for the fourth time in her career. This past season Love was also named to the ESPN The Magazine / Academic All-America Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and took home her fourth straight academic Atlantic Sun All-Conference honor following her outstanding senior season.

The Camels had five other players that are multiple year winners in seniors Robin Leathers (3), Brittany Stanley (3), Ashton Hardison (3) and Cassie Webb (2). Junior Lizzie Goldbach is also a multiple year winner for Campbell (2) and currently sports a cumulative GPA of 3.94 after four completed semesters on campus. Junior Keeli Michael was honored with her first selection this season as were graduated former Camels Ashley Jones and Hilary Wheatley. This is the second straight year that Campbell has had nine individual student-athletes honored by the NFCA.

Overall the Camels had a team GPA of 3.266 on the year, while setting a school record by placing 15 student-athletes on the A-Sun's Academic All-Conference list. Campbell's team GPA ranks the team 46th nationally among all Division I softball playing programs and earns the team a place on the Girls Got Game/NFCA All-Academic Team list. The Camels are one of only two schools from the Atlantic Sun Conference to earn the distinction (Stetson) and one of only 28 schools nationally to be on the list and also make the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Further, CU is one of seven schools from the state of North Carolina to earn the distinction (Western Carolina, East Carolina, Gardner-Webb, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington and North Carolina A&T).

"We are of course very proud of these nine young ladies," head coach Drew Peterson commented. "It takes incredible dedication and time management to maintain a GPA over 3.5, and to do that during the season while attending a strong university like Campbell is doubly impressive. I believe our ladies are from a "special cut" of society, and their parents should in turn be congratulated for the excellent young women they have become. I am so excited, and thank God for the opportunity to have them as a part of the softball family here at Campbell University. I believe their work ethic will continue to fuel our pursuit of another A-Sun title and further advancement in the NCAA tournament."

Since the award's inception in 1999, 31 Camels have been honored, some multiple times. In all, 58 NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards have been handed out to Campbell student-athletes, 52 under the guidance of Peterson.

The two-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Champion Camels (38-16 overall, 16-4 Atlantic Sun in 2009) will open the spring schedule on February 11, 2010 with a home doubleheader against UNC-Wilmington starting at 4 p.m. CU is looking for their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament after sweeping both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the A-Sun last season and winning the conference tournament title in 2008. A complete 2010 schedule release will come later in the fall.