Columbia, Mo. - On Friday, October 5 in the Dulany Banquet Hall on the campus of Columbia College, President Dr. Scott Dalrymple, along with Athletic Director Bob Burchard will induct the 16^th class of the Columbia College Athletic Hall of Fame. Dr. Dalrymple officially announced today that the class will include men's soccer player Nikola Velickovic, volleyball player Paula Ferreira, the 2000 women's volleyball team and the 2012-13 men's basketball team.

2000 Women's Volleyball Team
As one era of Columbia College Volleyball ended, new Head Coach Melinda Wrye-Washington planned to continue the winning ways of her predecessors. However, with a new coach, only three returning sophomores and 10 incoming freshmen, the outside view of the Cougars wasn't nearly as rosy. Ranked only as the No. 13 team to start the season, the team would prove their might by winning the first 17 games of the year in convincing fashion. Eight days following their first loss of the season to NCAA Division II rival Truman State, the young team was tested again as they hosted third-ranked St. Mary's University. After losing the first two sets, they would come back to win a five-set thriller in Southwell to keep their 86-match home winning streak alive. The Cougars would go on to win their next 22 games, ultimately facing St. Mary's again in the NAIA National Tournament Semifinals. This game would be a defining moment for the Cougars, as star player Oneida "Nino" Gonzalez would be injured early in the match and unable to return. Columbia would show their grit and tenacity by coming from behind to defeat the Flames again in five sets. Ultimately, the top-ranked Cougars fell in the title match, but finished their incredible season as NAIA National Runners-up with an amazing 44-2 record. Coach Wrye-Washington was named American Midwest Conference and Region V Coach of the Year in her first year with the Cougars. The team was led by four All-Americans Endrinha Sosa, Nino Gonzalez, Juliana Godoi and Angie Molina.

Nikola Velickovic – 2009-2013, Cacak, Serbia, soccer
In a sport where it is inherently difficult to stand out individually, Nikola Velickovic made a name for himself. A four-year player for Columbia, Nikola was a physical, intense, and intelligent defender. In his first season with the Cougars, the team finished 16-5-1 and won an NAIA National Tournament game for the first time in program history. That season, the Cougars shut out their opponents 12 times, the fourth-best mark in the NAIA. Nikola was named AMC Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-Conference and a Third-Team All-American. He and the Cougars would return to the National Tournament in 2010, and would win their Opening Round game in 2012 to advance to the final site. Nikola was named First-Team All-Conference and an NAIA All-American during each of his final three seasons as he anchored one of the best defensive units in the country. Following the 2012 season, he was named a First-Team All-American, becoming only the second player in program history to receive that honor.
Nikola finished his career with an overall record of 57-16-11 and three national championship tournament appearances. He helped the Cougar defense record 44 shutouts during his stellar career. He was a four-time First-Team All-Conference honoree, a three-time Academic All-Conference member and a four-time All-American.

2012-13 Men's Basketball Team
The 2012-13 team set an incredible standard for all Columbia College basketball teams. Featuring a roster full of experience (nine upperclassmen & 11 returning players) the Cougars started the season with 17 straight wins. The team was not only winning, CC was dominating play; the average margin of victory was 25 points. On January 15, the then-undefeated Cougars were ranked as the No. 1 team in the NAIA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. They would finish the regular season undefeated (30-0) and remain the lone unbeaten team in NAIA Division I basketball – only the fifth team to achieve that feat since 2003. The Cougars would win all three games in the AMC Tournament to add the postseason title to the Regular-Season crown. The team finished the year 35-1, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals for only the second time in program history.
Naturally, the Cougars were atop many of the NAIA statistical categories. They were ranked among the top three teams in fewest points allowed, assist-to-turnover ratio, total blocks, total assists as well as offensive and defensive field-goal percentage. Individually, three different Cougars were named NAIA All-Americans: Jordan Dressler (First Team), Devin Griffin and Derrick Dilworth (Honorable Mention).

Paula Ferreira – 2009-2013, Rio De Janiero, Brazil, volleyball
Paula's impact was felt from the moment she stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2009 . In her first season with the Cougars, she was named AMC Freshman of the Year, AMC Setter of the Year, First-Team All-Conference and a Third-Team All-American. She would follow up that campaign and guide the 2010 squad to the NAIA National Championship game for the eighth time in program history. The Cougars finished that season with a 42-3 overall record, and Ferreira was named the NAIA National Player of the Year. After reaching the National Semifinals again in 2011, Ferreira capped off her career in fine fashion by leading the Cougars to the NAIA National Championship game in her senior year. The team finished with a 42-2 record and Paula was named National Player of the Year for the second straight year.
Paula was a four-time AMC First-Team All-Conference selection, four-time AMC Setter of the Year, and three-time AMC Player of the Year. She was named Academic All-Conference each of her four years at Columbia. Paula was a four-time NAIA All-American, three-time First-Team All-American and two-time National Player of the Year. For her efforts in the classroom, she was named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2011 and 2012 for having at least a 3.5 G.P.A. Her career record at Columbia is an amazing 161-13, making her the winningest player in program history.