July 23, 2010

Lexington, Ky. - The Fordham University volleyball team was one of 450 teams recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2009-10 season. This number smashes the previous year's total of 409 and sets a new all-time high for this award, as the number of teams recognized has increased in each of the last five years.

Fordham was one of four Atlantic 10 teams to receive the AVCA Team Academic Award for the past academic year, as the Rams joined Dayton, Saint Louis, and Xavier as recipients.

Initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, the award 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 or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

"There is no better way to gauge the success of a sport than to track the accomplishments of the people who participate," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Each of these 450 teams represents 12-15 really smart kids. What a great day for the sport of volleyball!"

The Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA's fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. The program has increased by over 300% in the last 10 years and by 79% in the past three years alone. Both NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II recorded their highest-ever total numbers of recipients, with the former honoring 94 programs and the latter honoring 55 programs. The high school division also set a new bar with its 179 honorees.

Fordham was one of 119 first-time recipients of the AVCA Team Academic Award in 2009-10. NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II each saw 15 new teams achieve the honor, while NCAA Division III welcomed 17 newcomers. Thirteen NAIA teams, two NCCAA teams and two Two-Year Colleges garnered recognition for the first time, while 55 high school teams (51 girls' teams and four boys' teams) received their first AVCA Team Academic nod.

"I want to thank all of our players on maintaining over a 3.3 GPA for the year and winning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the first time in team history," said Fordham head coach Peter Volkert. "This is awesome team accolade and I'm very proud of each of our players."

Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 18-year history, and over 2,900 awards have been given out in all.

NCAA Division I Women (94)
University of Akron, University of Alabama, American University, Appalachian State University, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Belmont University, Bowling Green State University, Bradley University, University at Buffalo, University of Central Arkansas, Central Connecticut State University, University of Central Florida, Central Michigan University, Creighton University, Dartmouth College, University of Dayton, University of Denver, DePaul University, Drake University, Duke University, East Carolina University, East Tennessee State University, Eastern Michigan University, Eastern Washington University, Elon University, University of Evansville, Fordham University, Fresno State University, University of Hartford, Harvard University, Houston Baptist University, Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville University, University of Kansas, Lipscomb University, Marist College, Marshall University, University of Memphis, Messiah College, Miami University, University of Miami, Mississippi State University, Missouri State University, Montana State University, Morehead State University, University of New Mexico, Niagara University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, North Dakota State University, Northern Arizona University, University of Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois University, Oakland University, Ohio University, University of Oklahoma, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Providence College, Quinnipiac University, Rice University, Rider University, Rutgers University, Saint Francis University, Saint Louis University, Seton Hall University, University of South Alabama, University of South Carolina, University of South Carolina Upstate, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Southern Mississippi, Stanford University, Stephen F Austin University, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Christian University, University of Toledo, Troy University, Tulane University, Western Illinois University, Western Kentucky University, Western Michigan University, Wichita State University, Winthrop University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State University, University of Wyoming, Xavier University, Yale University

TOTAL RECIPIENT HISTORY
2009-10: 450
2008-09: 409
2007-08: 354
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