Thursday, August 12, 2004

AVCA HONORS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE -- MORAVIAN ONE OF 304 TEAMS TO WIN AWARD FOR 2003-2004

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The American Volleyball Coaches Association has named a record-number 304 colleges, including Moravian College, and high school volleyball teams the 2002-2003 AVCA Team Academic Award.

The award honors college and high school teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average during the 2003-2004 school year and is an increase from the previous record of 205 schools honored in 2002-03. Nominating coaches must be AVCA members.

Recipients of the award range from NCAA Division I institutions to high school girls’ and boys’ teams. The college ranks produced 161 schools that met the requirements for the award, while 143 high school programs earned the distinction. The breakdown of college representation includes 47 NCAA Division I schools, 31 NCAA Division II schools, 48 NCAA Division III schools, 27 NAIA schools and nine junior college/community colleges.

Moravian, under the direction of head coach Shelley Bauder, earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the fourth straight year. The Greyhounds and Albright College were the only schools in the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation to be honored.

Some of the top volleyball programs in the country also succeeded in the classroom. A total of 36 teams that earned the AVCA Team Academic Award also earned a berth in either the NCAA or NAIA post-season tournaments.

"The AVCA Team Academic Award captures the true essence of the student-athlete, and the AVCA is honored to recognize these schools for their excellence in the classroom," Katherine McConnell, executive director of the AVCA said. "We are especially pleased to bestow this prestigious award to a record number of for the third year in a row."