Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 | Volleyball
The University of Florida volleyball program was one of 70 NCAA Division I schools in 2007-08 to receive the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, the Lexington, Ky., based organization announced Tuesday.
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.
A record 70 NCAA Division I schools received the award, marking the most collegiate schools in any single division to be recognized with the honor, surpassing the mark of 56 set a year ago.
“That collection of student-athletes was every bit as dedicated to winning as they were to getting it done in the classroom,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “The award is a reflection of their talents and their hard work.”
Florida has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award three consecutive years.
Ten of 14 roster members earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2007 as seven were named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and three earned SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll recognition. Last season, senior Amber McCray was named an Academic-All America selection and three additional players earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III honors. Those four district honors marked the most in a single season in school history.
Florida has led the SEC in academic honor roll selections over the past four years. The Gators are averaging 7.8 selections to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll each season and are one of only two teams to average more than seven selections per season during that time period.
Florida opens its 2008 season on Aug. 29, when it plays host to UAB as part of the Aquafina Invitational. Opening serve in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center is set for 7 p.m.
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