March 20, 2004

- Indianapolis, Ind. - Loyola Marymount volleyball's Kealani Kimball has been awarded an NCAA Ethnic Minority Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics, the NCAA announced. Kimball, who led the Lions to a No. 17 final ranking this season, receives the scholarship for the 2004-05 academic year for graduate studies.

One of the highest honors for an NCAA student-athlete, the postgraduate scholarship may be used for the graduate program of Kimball's choice. The goal of the enhancement program is to increase the pool of and opportunities for qualified minority and female candidates in intercollegiate athletics through postgraduate scholarships at the NCAA national office.

Sixteen scholarships to ethnic minorities and sixteen scholarships to women are available annually to college graduates who will be entering into the first year of their initial postgraduate studies.

The scholarship recipient pursues a sports-administration or related program that will lead to a career in intercollegiate athletics, including areas such as athletics administrator, coach, athletic trainer or other career that provides a direct service to intercollegiate athletics.

Kimball intends to study sports management at a Southern California area graduate program beginning next fall.

"Receiving the scholarship is a really pleasant surprise and a great honor," Kimball said. "I have been blessed with the help to receive my education at LMU, and I am so grateful that the NCAA will now help me further my studies."

-GO LIONS-