Monday, July 23, 2007

            For the fourth consecutive season, the Valparaiso University volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2006-07 school year.           

            The honor is given to college and high school teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. The nominating head coaches must be AVCA members. Valpo was one of 55 Division I programs to be so honored this season.

            The Crusaders continued to excel on the court as well as in the classroom last year, winning 23 matches and finishing tied for second place in the Mid-Continent Conference.  Over the four years that Valpo has captured the AVCA Team Academic Award, the team has a cumulative record of 106-33 (.763) and has made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

            Valpo was joined by UMKC and Western Illinois as Mid-Con schools to earn the AVCA honor.  Horizon League foes Cleveland State, Green Bay, and Loyola also received recognition.