LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has announced that 1,126 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2018-2019 season. The Greenville men's and women's volleyball programs were among those who received the designation. The men's program took an honor roll spot with one of the five best GPA's among the nation's college men's teams.
The team academic award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
The AVCA Team Academic Award is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but two, while more than doubling the total over the last eight academic years. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 1,126.
Girls high school led the way with 444 recipients, an increase of 86 over last year. NCAA Division I leaped ahead of NCAA Division III to bring in the second-most recipients adding 25 programs from a year ago for a total of 189. NCAA Division III is third with 175 (+2) while NCAA Division II is next with 142 (+14). One of the fastest growing sectors for this award is high school boys/collegiate men, notching a +10 increase for a total of 62 honorees. Collegiate beach is another fast-growing category with that area of the sport nearly doubling last year's total from 22 to 41.
2018-19 BREAKDOWN BY CLASSIFICATION
NCAA Division I Women: 189
NCAA Division II Women: 142
NCAA Division III Women: 175
NAIA Women: 51
Two-Year College: 21
NCCAA: 1
Collegiate Men: 19
High School Girls: 444 (5 sand)
High School Boys: 43
Collegiate Beach: 41
TOTAL RECIPIENT HISTORY
2018-2019: 1,126
2017-2018: 977
2016-2017: 835
2015-2016: 764
2014-2015: 757
2013-2014: 687
2012-2013: 623
2011-12: 536
2010-11: 481
2009-10: 450
2008-09: 401
2007-08: 354
2006-07: 306
2005-06: 287
2004-05: 276
2003-04: 305
2002-03: 208
2001-02: 180
2000-01: 132
1999-00: 141
1998-99: 150
1997-98: 133
1996-97: 136
1995-96: 117
1994-95: 83
1993-94: 97
1992-93: 62