Indiana University Athletics
IU Women’s Soccer Rocks the Classroom
7/31/2020 8:47:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- To understand why Indiana Women's Soccer rocks the classroom -- a program-record 3.808 spring grade point average despite Covid-19 online challenges -- consider Avery Lockwood.
The sophomore midfielder represents the best of Hoosier athletic and academic standards. She's coming off a 4.0 spring semester grade point average. She's also a Big Ten preseason watch list standout with National Team aspirations.
Set a goal for her, says Danielle Pulliam, Assistant Director of Academic Services, and get out of the way.
"We challenged her to get a 4.0," Pulliam says, "and she blew it out of the water, on top of Covid-19 and having to transition to online. She does it at a high level and the right way."
Pulliam saw that from the moment Lockwood arrived on campus.
"She said, 'I want to play soccer' -- and she has shown she excels on the soccer field. She also said, 'I want to go in the medical field. How can we make both of those happen?'"
The short answer – effort.
"She makes it work," Pulliam says. "She finds a way to get both of those things done. She's not limiting herself. She's taking really tough classes, and has success in soccer. She's a good example to show it's possible to do both at a very high level."
That's true of the entire Hoosier program. A three-semester academic roll has IU among the best in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
That's by design. Directed by Pulliam, Head Coach Erwin van Bennekom and Associate Head Coach Sergio Gonzalez, the Hoosiers treat academics with the same goal-oriented, no-limit focus they do athletics.
"A big credit goes to our coaching staff in prioritizing the student before athlete," Pulliam says. "They have set the standard high, both in the classroom and on the field.
"For this team, there is no ceiling. There's none on the field and in the classroom and in their career goals."
Adds van Bennekom: "Some of the best players I've worked with were some of the best students. Those two go hand in hand."
A pause.
"We have good student athletes who are smart."
And driven.
"They are good at looking at the big picture," Pulliam says. "Not only do they want to do well in their classes, but do they want to go to medical school to be a doctor or be a physical therapist."
In other words, people who make a difference.
"They ask, 'How can I get internships that can really impact?'" Pulliam says. "They understand how their success in the classroom is correlated to their future success and goals."
For Pulliam, it can't get better than that.
"It makes my job very enjoyable. They have these big goals and dreams. For me, I get satisfaction in seeing them come in as freshmen and have these huge dreams and then narrow it down to what they're really passionate about.
"They might see something in the world, something missing, and decide they want to major in this so they can help this problem. I enjoy see them start to finish and recognize what they're passionate about."
In many ways, Pulliam seems more coach than academic adviser, a reflection of her college basketball days at Northern Illinois.
"We try to find unique ways to challenge Women's Soccer (academically)," she says. "We set a lot of goals so they can see that improvement.
"Can we always be in the top three of highest GPAs at Indiana. Then can we be the highest in the Big Ten and nationally?"
The Hoosiers are building to do that.
In the 2019 spring semester, the team GPA was 3.49 with nine players achieving a 4.0. Allison Jorden led the way by winning the Jack D. Tichenor Award, which goes to the woman with the athletic department's highest female accumulated GPA.
In the fall of 2019, it was a 3.5 team GPA with 12 academic All-Big Ten selections.
That set the stage for the record-breaking spring semester.
"The academic surge didn't come from major changes," van Bennekom says.
"We haven't done anything completely different. Our staff cultivates doing well in the classroom. We support that. But all the credit is on the student-athletes, Danielle and the professors. They've all been amazing, especially through this time."
"Amazing" isn't an accident. It comes in part by recruiting good students as well as players.
"In women's soccer, the profile is players are driven on the field and in the classroom," van Bennekom says. "If we recruit a player who is not motivated academically or who is not good enough in the classroom, it would be very hard to compete and do well on the field."
As the contact between the team, Pulliam and the coaching staff, Sergio Gonzales gets constant reinforcement in how big a role Pulliam plays.
"Danielle makes sure we're all on the same page in terms of what's going on with our players in their classes and how everybody is doing," he says.
"It's the structure she's put in place to keep players going in the right direction. She has such a personal connection with them. She knows what makes them tick and what they need to keep organized and be successful."
During the season Pulliam has weekly meetings with Gonzalez.
"We're in constant communication," Pulliam says. "I work closely with him to relay important information or concerns and challenges related to academics."
Add it up and you have a program on the rise in the classroom as well as the field.
"I have so much trust in Danielle," van Bennekom says. "I am so pleased she's part of our program."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- To understand why Indiana Women's Soccer rocks the classroom -- a program-record 3.808 spring grade point average despite Covid-19 online challenges -- consider Avery Lockwood.
The sophomore midfielder represents the best of Hoosier athletic and academic standards. She's coming off a 4.0 spring semester grade point average. She's also a Big Ten preseason watch list standout with National Team aspirations.
Set a goal for her, says Danielle Pulliam, Assistant Director of Academic Services, and get out of the way.
"We challenged her to get a 4.0," Pulliam says, "and she blew it out of the water, on top of Covid-19 and having to transition to online. She does it at a high level and the right way."
Pulliam saw that from the moment Lockwood arrived on campus.
"She said, 'I want to play soccer' -- and she has shown she excels on the soccer field. She also said, 'I want to go in the medical field. How can we make both of those happen?'"
The short answer – effort.
"She makes it work," Pulliam says. "She finds a way to get both of those things done. She's not limiting herself. She's taking really tough classes, and has success in soccer. She's a good example to show it's possible to do both at a very high level."
That's true of the entire Hoosier program. A three-semester academic roll has IU among the best in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
That's by design. Directed by Pulliam, Head Coach Erwin van Bennekom and Associate Head Coach Sergio Gonzalez, the Hoosiers treat academics with the same goal-oriented, no-limit focus they do athletics.
"A big credit goes to our coaching staff in prioritizing the student before athlete," Pulliam says. "They have set the standard high, both in the classroom and on the field.
"For this team, there is no ceiling. There's none on the field and in the classroom and in their career goals."
Adds van Bennekom: "Some of the best players I've worked with were some of the best students. Those two go hand in hand."
A pause.
"We have good student athletes who are smart."
And driven.
"They are good at looking at the big picture," Pulliam says. "Not only do they want to do well in their classes, but do they want to go to medical school to be a doctor or be a physical therapist."
In other words, people who make a difference.
"They ask, 'How can I get internships that can really impact?'" Pulliam says. "They understand how their success in the classroom is correlated to their future success and goals."
For Pulliam, it can't get better than that.
"It makes my job very enjoyable. They have these big goals and dreams. For me, I get satisfaction in seeing them come in as freshmen and have these huge dreams and then narrow it down to what they're really passionate about.
"They might see something in the world, something missing, and decide they want to major in this so they can help this problem. I enjoy see them start to finish and recognize what they're passionate about."
In many ways, Pulliam seems more coach than academic adviser, a reflection of her college basketball days at Northern Illinois.
"We try to find unique ways to challenge Women's Soccer (academically)," she says. "We set a lot of goals so they can see that improvement.
"Can we always be in the top three of highest GPAs at Indiana. Then can we be the highest in the Big Ten and nationally?"
The Hoosiers are building to do that.
In the 2019 spring semester, the team GPA was 3.49 with nine players achieving a 4.0. Allison Jorden led the way by winning the Jack D. Tichenor Award, which goes to the woman with the athletic department's highest female accumulated GPA.
In the fall of 2019, it was a 3.5 team GPA with 12 academic All-Big Ten selections.
That set the stage for the record-breaking spring semester.
"The academic surge didn't come from major changes," van Bennekom says.
"We haven't done anything completely different. Our staff cultivates doing well in the classroom. We support that. But all the credit is on the student-athletes, Danielle and the professors. They've all been amazing, especially through this time."
"Amazing" isn't an accident. It comes in part by recruiting good students as well as players.
"In women's soccer, the profile is players are driven on the field and in the classroom," van Bennekom says. "If we recruit a player who is not motivated academically or who is not good enough in the classroom, it would be very hard to compete and do well on the field."
As the contact between the team, Pulliam and the coaching staff, Sergio Gonzales gets constant reinforcement in how big a role Pulliam plays.
"Danielle makes sure we're all on the same page in terms of what's going on with our players in their classes and how everybody is doing," he says.
"It's the structure she's put in place to keep players going in the right direction. She has such a personal connection with them. She knows what makes them tick and what they need to keep organized and be successful."
During the season Pulliam has weekly meetings with Gonzalez.
"We're in constant communication," Pulliam says. "I work closely with him to relay important information or concerns and challenges related to academics."
Add it up and you have a program on the rise in the classroom as well as the field.
"I have so much trust in Danielle," van Bennekom says. "I am so pleased she's part of our program."
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's SoccerDarian DeVries Pregame Press Conference
Thursday, October 16
FB: Isaiah Jones Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14
FB: D'Angelo Ponds Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14
FB: Roman Hemby Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14