VALDOSTA – The Valdosta State volleyball team combined an impressive 2015 campaign on the court with an equally impressive academic performance, which resulted in a Team Academic Award presented by the American Volleyball Coaches Association last week.
“Congratulations to the coaches and institutions that won the 2016 AVCA Team Academic Award,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “It is no accident that a volleyball coaches association recognizes academic excellence as a team, rather than an individual, achievement. Players influence each other, both in execution on the court and discipline in the classroom.”
In recognition of Valdosta State volleyball’s collective 3.6 grade-point average in 2015, the Blazers joined a record number of teams to receive the honor, which was initiated during the 1992-93 year. The AVCA Team Academic Award honors both collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining no less than a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. Since Head Coach Mike Swan took over the program in 2013, the Blazers have received the honor in each of the last three seasons. Academically, the 2015 season marked the most impressive in program history, as 10 of 13 team members made the Dean’s List. Eight of those student-athletes posted perfect 4.0 GPA’s during the fall semester.
The AVCA Team Academic Award has become one of the association’s fastest growing awards programs and has seen an impressive surge each year in the number of teams honored. The 757 programs on the list of 2015 honorees once again topped the previous year’s total of 752 and sets a new all-time high for the award.
Blazer volleyball’s 2016 campaign kicks off on Friday, September 2nd at the Flagler Invitational with a three-game stint over the course of two days in St. Augustine, Fla. The Blazers’ home opener is slated for Tuesday, September 20th in a conference matchup against the rival Argonauts of West Florida at 7:00 p.m. Tickets and passes for the upcoming season are now available for purchase! Call 333-SEAT for more information.
