Official AVCA Release

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was represented by Findlay, Ohio Dominican and Ursuline, for receiving the 2017-18 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award on Monday.
 
A record number of 973 institutions was released by the organization, surpassing last year’s previous best of 835.
 
Findlay’s roster consisted of 17 student-athletes in the fall of 2017 and the Oilers are coached by Wick Colchagoff. Ohio Dominican had 10 student-athletes contribute to the academic award and the Panthers are coached by Jennifer Fekpe. The Arrows of Ursuline were coached by Jayme Plummer and like ODU, 10 student-athletes were on last year's roster.
 
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. 
 
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 amassing a 619-team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 973.
 
Girls high school led the way with 358 recipients, an increase of 81 over last year. Once again, NCAA Division III had the second-most honorees this year with a total of 173 schools, a 23-school increase over last year’s record number. NCAA Division I honored jumped from 145 programs to 164, while NCAA Division II notched 128 honorees. High school boys and collegiate men’s programs accrued 52 institutions with collegiate beach notching 22. 
 
Prior to 2017-2018, only 34 teams had attained the pinnacle of volleyball success in both earning the AVCA Team Academic Award and winning their respective collegiate national championship in the same academic year. This year, the AVCA is proud to recognize three programs that excelled in the classroom and on the court: University of Nebraska (NCAA Division I), Concordia University, St. Paul (NCAA Division II), and Lindsey Wilson College (NAIA). 
 
This also marks the second year honoring schools that have a minimum Team Academic Award streak of 15 years, and also for schools that scored the highest GPAs in their respective divisions. In order for a school to be awarded as an honor roll recipient, their division had to reach a minimum number of nominations. For NCAA Division I, II, III, and girls high school, their nomination number allows for a top-25 honor roll. For NAIA women, a top-10, with two-year college, collegiate men, collegiate beach, and high school boys garnering a top-5.
 
Additionally, schools that reached their Dig Pink® fundraising goals through the Side-Out Foundation will continue to be honored. Dig Pink® is a nationwide movement to provide meaningful and impactful experiences for athletes while inspiring and empowering them to come together in support of the stage IV breast cancer community. Each year, hundreds of teams across the country (and some overseas) participate in the Dig Pink® Rally.
 
Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 25-year history, with exactly 8,461 awards been given out in total.