Towson, MD – Piedmont College Volleyball Player Kaitlin Norman has been named to the Capital One Academic All-American team after leading the Lady Lions to the program’s 10th straight 20-win season ending the year with a 20-13 record and a trip to the USA South Conference Quarterfinals. Norman became the first-ever Piedmont student athlete to be awarded Academic All-American status twice by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) earning the honor in back-to-back years.
“Kaitlin Norman has been a model student-athlete during her career at Piedmont; a star both on the court and in the classroom,” said Piedmont Director of Intercollegiate Athletics John Dzik. “She epitomizes excellence in Division III athletics. Kaitlin has earned the respect and admiration of all who have had the good fortune to watch her perform.”
Norman attributes her accomplishments at Piedmont, both in the classroom and on the court, to the faculty and staff who have guided her along the way.
“By no means has my time at Piedmont been a walk in the park or my grades handed to me on a silver platter,” Norman said of her achievement. “All Piedmont professors have high expectations for their students, but unlike most universities, professors here are willing to work with students to help them achieve their goals. This intimate learning environment was and is the reason for my success.”
Norman is one of only 18 volleyball players from around the country to earn this prestigious honor in Division III being named as a first team selection as one of the top six players in the nation and the only USA South athlete to represent the conference.
This marks the seventh time a Piedmont student-athlete has earned this honor as Norman joins women’s soccer player Kelsey Schaffernoth as honorees in 2014-15 while four athletes earned this accolade during the 2013-14 seasons. In the fall of 2013, Norman and women’s soccer player Laura Goodwin were honored while in the spring semester, softball player Brittney Head and men’s tennis athlete Patrick Steck were named to the Academic All-American team.
“I would be lying if I did not say this was the best part about getting this award, being the first one ever to repeat,” Norman said on being Piedmont’s first two-time Capital One Academic All-American. “However, Piedmont is full of smart individuals, so I know it will not be long until I’m part of group of back-to-back All-Americans.”
She is one of only five players on this list to be named for the second straight season alongside players from some of the top Division III volleyball programs in the country such as Maggie Kamp of Calvin, the 2013 Division III National Champions.
Norman’s dominance did not come only at the net as she was a powerful force for the Lady Lions throughout her career but also in the classroom as the senior is recognized as one of the most intelligent minds in the science department, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while majoring in Biology.
“Perfection in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA and perfection on the volleyball court when she set a hitting record in her junior year is the definition of Kaitlin Norman,” Head Coach Sid Feldman said. “She is the epitome of a D-III experience and I am proud to have been her coach.”
The senior from Good Hope, Georgia has carried on a tradition of excellence as she was one of the brightest minds at Westminster Christian receiving either the Founder’s Award (highest grade in the class) or President’s Award (95 or better in a class) for every subject she took in high school. The star in the classroom was salutatorian of her graduating high school class and extended her remarkable legacy to the volleyball court as a three-time All-State selection and has had her jersey retired at Westminster following an esteemed career.
This season, Norman guided the Lady Lions to the USA South Quarterfinals and earned 1st team All-Conference selection and is now a three-time All-Conference honoree. The stellar hitter eclipsed 1,000 kills in her career totaling a team-high 244 in the 2014 season and ranked in the top ten in the USA South in kills per set, total kills, and hitting percentage.
“Kaitlin has been everything to our program,” Feldman said. “She is an aggressive player so we were able to run a ‘fast’ offense. She has also been a mentor and academic tutor to our younger players and brought a smile into the gym everyday. She led through example especially when it came to setting priorities.”
While Norman’s career on the court may be over, her academic pursuits have just begun. Norman plans to pursue her doctoral of physical therapy at the University of North Georgia.
“I owe huge thanks to all my relatives, who encourage and knock sense into me every time they see me; Coach Sid and my teammates for allowing me to miss practices and even a game to do senior research; My professors for all their help and support, and most importantly, God for granting me the ability and means to attend college,” Norman said.
To be eligible for Capital One Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. In addition, nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s matches at their respective positions.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.
