GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award Recognizes 308 Schools
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7/19/2007 -LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce that 308 schools have earned the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2006-2007 season. NCAA Division I set a single-season record, for the second consecutive year, for number of collegiate schools at any division receiving the award, with 56 honored this year, which surpasses the mark of 54 set in 2005-06.
The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate 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. Each school will receive a plaque, and each player a certificate commemorating the designation.
Recipients of the award range from NCAA Division I institutions to high school girls' and boys' teams. The college ranks produced 167 programs that met the requirements for the award in 2006-07. In addition to the record number of NCAA Division I recipients, NCAA Division III (54) exceeded its previous high mark of 48, set in 2003-04. There were 29 NCAA Division II schools honored, the third highest total for that division.
The NAIA had 18 of its member schools achieve the honor this year, its fourth-highest total in the award's history. Seven (7) schools in the two-year college category attained the mark, tying the third-highest total in that division, while the NCCAA produced one recipient. The NCAA men's programs produced multiple recipients of the award for the first time, as three institutions earned the award. A total of 140 high school boys' and girls' programs earned the award in 2006-07, nearly tying their highest mark of 144 set in 2003-04.
"The AVCA is again privileged to present the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award to these outstanding intuitions," said Kathy DeBoer, AVCA Executive Director. "We congratulate the student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom and thank our coaches for instilling this dedication in the young women and men of our sport."
Over 900 different schools have earned the award in the program's 15-year history, and over 2,500 awards have been given out. Only two institutions, both high schools, have earned the distinction all 15 years: Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Arkansas) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
BREAKDOWN BY CLASSIFICATION
Division Number of recipients
NCAA Division I Women 56
NCAA Division II Women 29
NCAA Division III Women 54
NCAA Men 3
NAIA Women 18
Two-Year College Women 7
NCCAA 1
High School Girls 129
High School Boys 11
ABOUT GAMEPLANTM
GamePlan provides sports teams, organizations and leagues sport-specific digital video analysis and networked communications systems to meet multiple media format needs while delivering high-quality media exchange for teams, conferences and recruiting purposes. GamePlan's innovative technology allows coaches, players and athletic administrators to record, edit, analyze and communicate video and statistical reports in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods. For more information, visit www.gogameplan.com.
STREAKING TEAMS
Indiana State University earned the honor for the ninth consecutive year, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. They now hold the record for the longest streak in Division I since the inception of the program, besting Morehead State's eight from 1996-97 through 2003-04. Drury University, a Division II school, earned the award for the eleventh consecutive season, the longest active streak and tying the longest overall in Division II, set by Augustana College (South Dakota) from 1992-93 to 2002-03. Four teams in Division III earned their seventh consecutive inclusion on the award list; Wisconsin-Eau Claire still holds the mark with eight consecutive from 1995-96 to 2002-03. College of St. Mary (Nebraska) holds the longest overall NAIA streak at 13. The longest two-year college streak belongs to Phoenix College, with six consecutive from 1999-2000 through 2004-05.
OVERALL HONORS
University of Nebraska (Lincoln) earned its twelfth overall GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award, the most in NCAA Division I. Drury's and Augustana's eleven honors are tied for the highest Division II total awards mark. In Division III, both Kalamazoo College and College of St. Benedict earned their tenth overall Academic Award in 2006-07, tying them for the most in that division. St. Mary's streak of 13 straight is not only the longest number earned consecutive by an NAIA institution, but also the most earned overall. Southwest Community College in Iowa holds the most GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Awards earned by a two-year institution with eight.
New York University and Vassar College men's programs both earned the award for the second time, the most overall for collegiate men.
While Jonesboro and Ross Sterling's girls' teams have earned the award all 15 years of the program's existence, Wheeling High School (Wheeling, Illinois) boys' team has earned the most awards with nine.
PULLING DOUBLE DUTY
Five high school programs earned the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award on both the girls' and boys' volleyball teams: Cathedral (Indiana), John Dickinson (Delaware), Pine Crest (Florida), Red Land (Pennsylvania) and Wheaton Warrenville South (Illinois). John Dickinson, Pine Crest and Wheaton Warrenville South accomplished this feat for the third consecutive year.
FIRST-TIMERS
There were 73 first-time recipients of the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award in 2006-07. NCAA Division I and Division II each saw nine new teams achieve the honor, while Division III welcomed 15 newcomers. Five NAIA teams and three Two-Year colleges received the distinction for the first time, while 32 high school teams (28 girls' teams and four boys' teams) received their first GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award.
TOTAL RECIPIENT HISTORY
2006-07 308
2005-06 287
2004-05 276
2003-04 305
2002-03 205
2001-02 178
2000-01 130
1999-2000 140
1998-99 149
1997-98 132
1996-97 134
1995-96 116
1994-95 83
1993-94 98
1992-93 62
GAMEPLANTM/AVCA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD NOTES
· In its 15-year history, the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award has been earned by: 145 DI programs (men and women); 87 DII schools; 131 DIII schools (men and women); 72 NAIA schools; 2 NCCAA schools; 24 two-year colleges; and approximately 487 high school girls and boys teams.
· Historically, seven teams have attained the pinnacle of volleyball success in both earning the GamePlanTM/AVCA Team Academic Award and winning their respective collegiate national championship in the same academic year. Those teams are: Two-year colleges - Iowa Western Community College (NJCAA Div. I) in 2006-07; NAIA - 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; Division I - Stanford University (Calif.) in 2001-02 and University of Nebraska (Lincoln) in 2006-07.
ABOUT AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Host Communications Inc. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 4,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world.
