UW-Platteville Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team is one of just two programs in the WIAC and one of 90 teams in NCAA Division III on Friday that have earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2011-2012 season. A total of 533 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2011-2012 season including programs on the NCAA Division I, II and III Women, NAIA Women, Two-Year College Women, NCCAA Women, NCAA Collegiate Men and High School Girls and Boys level.

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.

"Many coaches tell us they take more pride in and hear more positive feedback about winning the AVCA Team Academic Award than anything else they do all year," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "While it is undeniable that the sport we coach is zero-sum on the scoreboard, it is a tool for empowerment on other fronts.  The 533 coaches whose teams won this academic award understand the value of both playing to win and winning through play. A well-deserved congratulations to each team and coach!"  

Earlier this year, the Pioneer volleyball team had 15 members named to the Gabe Miller Academic Honor Roll for having a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average for the entire academic year.