EDWARDSVILLE - The SIUE volleyball team was listed among the top 25 NCAA Division I programs with the awarding of the Team Academic Award by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
SIUE, which earned designation on the AVCA Academic Honor Roll for being among the nation's elite, was one of 163 NCAA Division I programs honored with the Team Academic Award for the 2017 season.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
"We are fortunate to have a great University with challenging academics," said SIUE Head Coach Kendall Paulus. "Receiving the Team Academic Award is evidence of the focus our student-athletes have off the court. Finishing in the Top 25 in back-to-back academic years is really special. I'm very proud of our Cougars and their drive to excel in the classroom."
As a team, SIUE finished the 2017-18 academic year with a 3.674 grade point average, which was tops for the department. Sixteen SIUE volleyball players earned a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the 2017-18 school year.
Nine members of the roster earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the fall semester while six earned a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester. In total, 11 different student-athletes completed a semester with a 4.0 GPA.
The AVCA 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 SIUE volleyball program opens the 2018 season against Green Bay Aug. 24th at the TCU Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.
