The 2025-26 school year proved to be yet another academically dominant year, as 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award.
“It comes as no surprise to see our sport have more than 1,400 teams earn the AVCA Team Academic Award again this season,” said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. “We are grateful for the dedication of the coaches and players who make both classroom and on-court success the lifeblood of their programs.”
Teams that have received the award for 10 or more years are highlighted on the list of honorees for their consistent commitment to academics. Two programs hold the extraordinary record of receiving the award for 34 consecutive seasons: the girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
The Women’s Collegiate Beach and Two-Year College divisions set records for total recipients, reaching 43 and 75 participants, respectively.
This season’s award was earned by several teams that also won national collegiate championships on the court and in the sand during the 2025–26 season:
- Metropolitan State University of Denver (NCAA Women’s Division II)
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (NCAA Women’s Division III)
- Manhattan Christian College (NCCAA Women’s Division II)
- UCLA (NCAA Women’s Beach)
- Fresno City College (3C2A Women’s Beach State Champions)
- Palm Beach State College (NJCAA Women’s Beach)
- University of Tampa (AVCA Small College Beach Women’s Division II)
- University of Mary Hardin Baylor (AVCA Small College Beach Women’s Division III)
- University of Hawai’i (NCAA National Collegiate Men’s)
- Springfield College (NCAA Men’s Division III)
Pepperdine University (Division I), Stanford University (Division I), University of Hawai’i (Division I) and Barry University (Division II) hit the trifecta, as their women’s, men’s, and beach teams are all being honored.
Here is the list of the schools with the longest current streaks by division:
- DI Women: 28 years – Indiana State
- DII Women: 24 years – Wayne State (Neb.) College
- DIII Women: 26 years – Central (Iowa) College
- NAIA Women: 28 years – Concordia (Neb.) University
- TYC Women: 16 years – Central (Neb.) Community College
- Men: 15 years – Harvard University
- Girls HS: 34 years – Jonesboro (Ark.) High School and Ross S. Sterling (Texas) High School
- Boys HS: 21 years – Cathedral (Ind.) High School
- College Beach: 13 years – Georgia State
The additional distinction of Team Academic Honor Roll celebrates programs in the top 20% of GPAs for their division.
2026 Team Academic Champions
The teams listed below achieved the highest GPAs within their division.
| Division | Team Type | School |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA I | WomenCollege | Ball State University |
| NCAA II | WomenCollege | Southwest Minnesota State University |
| NCAA III | WomenCollege | Juniata College |
| NAIA | WomenCollege | Dakota Wesleyan University |
| NCCAA | WomenCollege | Manhattan Christian College |
| 3C2A | WomenCollege | Feather River College |
| NJCAA DI | WomenCollege | Colby Community College |
| NJCAA DII | WomenCollege | Monroe University |
| NJCAA DIII | WomenCollege | Sandhills Community College |
| NWAC | WomenCollege | Linn-Benton Community College |
| NCAA I | MenCollege | Harvard University |
| NCAA II | MenCollege | Maryville University (MO) |
| NCAA III | MenCollege | Vassar College |
| NAIA | MenCollege | Cumberland University |
| NCAA I | WomenCollegeSand | University of Arizona |
| NCAA II | WomenCollegeSand | Wayne State College (NE) |
| NCAA III | WomenCollegeSand | East Texas Baptist University |
| NAIA | WomenCollegeSand | Wayland Baptist University |
| 3C2A | WomenCollegeSand | Feather River College |
| NJCAA DII | WomenCollegeSand | Palm Beach State College |
Additional resources for the Team Academic Award:
- Download team certificates
- Order recognition plaques from Rixstine, official trophy supplier of the AVCA
- All-time Team Academic Award records (1992-2026)