(FAYETTEVILLE, NC) - The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. The USA South Athletic Conference's 2015 Woman of the Year and nominee for the NCAA award is Averett University senior volleyball student-athlete Nicole Barringer. The Conference honoree is chosen through a specific process outlined by the NCAA.

Barringer, a setter on the Cougar volleyball team, concluded her collegiate career this past fall when she was named an All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Additionally in 2014, Barringer collected a bevy of individual honors including AVCA All-South Region, USA South First Team All-Conference, USA South All-Tournament Team and Averett Female Student-Athlete of the Year. In her career, Barringer was a four-time All-Conference honoree and was selected to the USA South All-Tournament team twice.

In the classroom, Barringer compiled a 3.61 grade point average while majoring in criminal justice and was named Averett's 2014-15 Most Outstanding Criminal Justice Student. She was a four-time member of the USA South All-Academic Team while making the Dean's List three times and the President's List once. Barringer was the USA South's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President and represented the Conference on the NCAA Division III National SAAC. On campus, Barringer served as Averett's SAAC President, was the student-athlete representative on the institution's Strategic Planning Committee, helped rejuvenate Averett's "Blue Crew" fan club and organized several community service projects including a cancer awareness event. For her efforts, Barringer earned several service awards including the volleyball team's Service Award, the 2014 Dr. Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award and the 2015 Curtis Bishop Award for Outstanding Service.

Finally, Barringer was recently named the female recipient of the USA South's Don Scalf Award which is the Conference's most prestigious award. This honor is annually given to the League's top male and female student-athlete. Barringer becomes the third USA South student-athlete to earn both the Scalf and Woman of the Year awards in the same year.

Barringer's name and accolades will now be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The committee will choose the top ten nominees in each division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. From those nine, the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year will be chosen.

For more information on the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, click HERE.