DePaul University Athletics
Volleyball Awarded for Academic Excellence by the AVCA
7/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced today that the DePaul volleyball team is one of 71 Division I institutions to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2008-09 season. This marks the fourth consecutive year the Blue Demons have earned the distinction. In addition, a record 409 collegiate and high school programs have earned the award; A number that once again eclipses the previous years' total of 354 and sets a new all-time high for this honor.
The 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.
"Each year I'm impressed all over again by the academic prowess of volleyball players," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Total AVCA Team Academic Award winners increased this year by another 55 schools (15%) over last year's record, and, even more impressive, 22% of our four-year college teams had grade point averages of 3.2 or better."
NCAA Division I once again had 71 schools receiving the award for academic achievements. NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III surpassed their marks from last year with 46 and 77 schools, respectively.
The NAIA had 35 of its member schools achieve the honor this year, which is 21% of its total membership for 2008-2009. Nine schools in the Two-Year College category attained the mark while the NCCAA produced two recipients.
The NCAA men's programs produced multiple recipients of the award this year, with two Division I schools and another two Division III schools earning the award. A total of 165 high school boys' and girls' programs - 17 boys' teams and 148 girls' teams - earned the award this past season.
Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 17-year history, and over 3,300 awards have been given out. Only two institutions, both high schools, have earned the distinction all 17 years: Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
The DePaul opens its 2009 season at the UCF Tournament hosted by Central Florida on Aug. 28-29. They are first slated to face Florida Atlantic on Friday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. (CST)
