LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Appalachian State, Elon and Chattanooga volleyball teams earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award on Wednesday. The three teams are the only Southern Conference volleyball programs to receive the prestigious distinction for the 2009-10 academic year. These programs were three of 94 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball programs to receive this honor.
The 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.
The honor is another academic achievement for the Mountaineer volleyball team, which held a 3.672 team GPA for the 2009-10 academic year. In the fall, the program had six volleyball student-athletes receive the Southern Conference fall academic all-conference honors. This is the sixth time the Black and Gold has received this award.
Elon finished the academic year with a strong 3.446 GPA, earning the award for the third straight year. The Phoenix placed five member on the fall academic all-conference team, and were led by Sarah Schermerhorn, who was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Volleyball Second Team.
The Lady Mocs posted a 3.46 team GPA during the fall season. Additionally, eight more players for a total of 13 were recognized on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for a 3.0 GPA. The squad continued its excellence in the spring registering a 3.60 GPA. Seven student-athletes scored a perfect 4.0 GPA, the most by any one team at UTC in a semester on record. Fourteen players on the team earned at least a 3.0 GPA. Chattanooga's academic success in 2009-10 was bolstered by the selection of junior Courtney Barnes to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Third Team.
ASU opens the 2010 volleyball season at the High Point Tournament against North Carolina A&T. The Phoenix travel to Durham, N.C. to face UTEP in the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament, while Chattanooga will face Virginia Tech at the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn. to start the season. All three schools begin play on Aug. 27.