Radford was among a record-setting 822 teams (across all divisions) that earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2016-17 school year as announced by the organization on Monday.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments of our kids in the classroom,” volleyball head coach Marci Jenkins said. “They have worked tirelessly to earn the academic recognition they have received with the help of both Stephanie Ballein and Alix Guynn.”
An impressive 145 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball programs were recipients this season. The Highlanders, who received the honor for the fifth year in a row, joined Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Campbell and Liberty as the five programs representing the Big South on the list.
The AVCA is managed by Associations International and the mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development. With a membership of over 6,400 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors.
The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams displaying excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
The AVCA Team Academic Award, celebrating its 25th year, is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but two, while amassing a 532 team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award’s inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 822.
–RU Athletics
