No team at any level of NCAA athletics gave back to its community during the spring 2019 semester like the Arkansas Tech University volleyball team.
The Golden Suns volunteered 555 hours of community service over a span of three-plus months to win the 2019 NCAA Helper Helper Team Service championship.
“It is so awesome to see our players grow together as a team and also show their true character beyond the court and the classroom,” said Kera Dukic, ATU head volleyball coach. “For them to put in so much effort giving back to the community is pretty neat.”
The ATU volleyball team emerged from a 64-team bracket to claim the title. It was announced on Friday, April 12, that the Golden Suns had eclipsed fellow finalist Emporia State University softball in the final round of competition.
The teams in the bracket represented NCAA Division I, II and III. Combined, NCAA student-athletes logged 127,556 hours of community service through the Helper Helper app from Jan. 1 through mid-April.
This marks the second time during the 2018-19 academic year that the ATU Department of Athletics has garnered national recognition for its commitment to community service.
The NCAA presented ATU with the 2018 NCAA Division II Team Works Helper Helper community service championship in February 2019. Amy Skiles from the NCAA national office staff in Indianapolis, Ind., traveled to Russellville and presented ATU President Dr. Robin E. Bowen with a trophy symbolizing the victory.
ATU student-athletes from all 10 of the university’s intercollegiate programs completed 3,535 hours of community work during the three months of the competition in fall 2018. Twenty-three local non-profit organizations benefited from the service of Wonder Boys and Golden Suns during the fall 2018 semester.
