Game Plan™/AVCA Team Academic Award Recognizes 276 Schools

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 5, 2005) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association is pleased to announce that 276 schools have achieved the Game Plan™/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2004-2005 season. The 276 schools receiving the honor is the second most in the program's history only to the 2003-2004 academic year when 305 schools achieved the award. All but one division category in the program either produced the most or second most schools receiving the honor in the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award history.

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors 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 and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year. Nominating head 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 149 programs that met the requirements for the award. NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I schools earned the mark at 46 schools and fell one short of the overall record of 47 Division I schools receiving the distinction in 2001-2002. NCAA Division II (26) and NCAA Division III (43) charted the second highest numbers in program history.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) had 23 of its members achieve the honor this year, while the two-year college category fell one shy of its most ever with eight recipients. NCCAA (National Collegiate Christian Athletic Association) had a record two schools qualify for the award, while NCAA men's programs produced its second all-time recipient of the award. A total of 127 high school boys and girls programs earned the award in 2004-2005.

"The Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award embodies the true meaning of the student-athlete concept, and the AVCA is honored to recognize these schools for excellence in the classroom," Katherine McConnell, AVCA executive director said. "We congratulate the student-athletes, as well as the coaches and school administrations, for maintaining balance between academics and athletics."

A total of 801 different schools have won the award in the program's 13-year history. Two institutions have earned it every year in Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).

Eastern Washington University and Indiana State University both earned the honor for the seventh straight year, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Drury University, a Division II school, won the award for the ninth consecutive season. Ohio Northern University achieved its sixth consecutive inclusion on the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award list. Saint Benedict (Minn.) collected its second consecutive award and its NCAA Division III leading ninth overall. College of St. Mary (Neb.) earned the prestigious honor for the 11th consecutive season, the longest and most of any NAIA program. Phoenix College (Ariz.) pulled in its sixth straight award, the longest active streak among two-year colleges.

Vassar College became the first NCAA Division III men's volleyball program to earn the award, and just the second overall collegiate men's program.

Five high school programs reached Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award status on both the girls and boys volleyball teams. John Dickinson High School (Del.), Pine Crest School (Fla.), Thomas McKean High School (Del.), Wheaton Warrenville South (Ill.) and Whitehall High School (Pa.) turned in the double honor.

Some of this year's award recipients achieved success on the court, as well as in the classroom. A total of 31 teams that earned the 2004-05 Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award also earned a berth in their respective four-year collegiate postseason national tournaments.

Six of eight region champions in the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship field won the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic award in Emory University (Ga.), New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, Williams College (Mass.), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Wittenberg University. Washington University was the Division III national runnerup, while NYU advanced to the semifinals.

Each school will receive a plaque, and each player a certificate commemorating the designation.

About Game Plan™
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Additional Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award Facts

Breakdown by classification for 2004-2005
NCAA DI Women: 46; NCAA Men: 1; NCAA DII Women: 26; NCAA DIII Women: 43; NAIA Women: 23; NCCAA Women: 2; Two-Year College Women: 8; High School Girls: 120; High School Boys: 7.

First-time winners in 2004-05: DI Women: 13 of 46; DII Women: 3 of 31; DIII Women: 11 of 43; DIII Men: 1 of 1; NAIA: 7 of 23; TYC: 1 of 8; HS Girls: 31 of 119; HS Boys: 4 of 7

History, Awards Won and Streaks
In its 13-year history, the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award has been earned by: 121 DI programs (men and women); 66 DII schools; 102 DIII schools; 64 NAIA schools; 2 NCCAA schools; 21 two-year colleges; and approximately 425 high school girls and boys teams.

Two teams have earned the academic award each of the 13 years of its existence: Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas). Immaculate Conception High School (Elmhurst, Ill.) and Trinity Preparatory School (Fla.) have earned the award 12 times in 13 years. Augustana College (S.D.), College of St. Mary (Neb.), Batavia High School (Ill.), Fergus High School (Mont.), Marysville High School (Mich.) and Stillwater Area High School (Minn.) have collected the award 11 of 13 seasons.

Schools with 10 awards to their credit are: Morehead State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Savannah College of Art and Design, Garden Spot High School (Pa.) and Red Land High School (Pa.).

Two-year colleges are topped by Southwestern Community College (Creston, Iowa) having earned eight designations. Wheeling High School Boys (Wheeling, Ill.) has won the most awards with nine.

Awards by State
This year schools from 39 states, Washington D.C. and Korea (2) won the award. Historically, 49 states, the District of Columbia and two countries outside the United States (Canada and Korea) have been represented.

Eleven states placed 10 or more institutions on the list: Pennsylvania 18; Illinois 16; Wisconsin 15; Ohio 14; Texas 14; Minnesota 12; New York 12; Indiana 11; Missouri 11, Nebraska 11; and Kansas 10.

Success On and Off the Court
Some of this year's award recipients achieved success on the court, as well as in the classroom. A total of 31 teams that earned the 2004-05 Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award also earned a berth in their respective four-year collegiate postseason national tournaments.

Six of eight region champions in the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship field won the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic award in Emory University (Ga.), New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, Williams College (Mass.), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Wittenberg University. Washington University was the Division III national runnerup, while NYU advanced to the semifinals.

Central Missouri State and Concordia University, St. Paul both reached the NCAA Division II Regional Finals in 2004, along with earning the 2004-05 Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award. College of St. Mary (Neb.) claimed the honor this season, as well as a quarterfinal spot in the NAIA National Tournament.

Historically, five teams have attained the pinnacle of volleyball success in winning both the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award and their respective national championship in the same academic year. Those teams are NAIA's Dickinson State University (N.D.) in 2000-01 and then-NAIA University of Puget Sound (Wash.) in 1993-94, Division III Central College (Iowa) in 2000-01, Division II Barry University (Fla.) in 1995-96 and most recently Division I Stanford University (Calif.) in 2001-02.