Darlington School’s volleyball program is one of 274 recipients of the 2004-05 Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. All but one division category in the program either produced the most or second most schools receiving the honor in the AVCA Team Academic Award history.
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. Nominating head coaches must be AVCA members.
Recipients of the award range from NCAA Division I institutions to high school girls’ and boys’ teams. The college ranks produced 148 programs that met the requirements for the award. NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I schools earned the mark at 45 schools and fell two short of the overall record of 47 Division I Shcools receiving the distinction in 2001-02. NCAA Division II (26) and NCAA Division III (43) charted the second highest numbers in program history.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) had 23 of its members achieve the honor this year, while the two-year college category fell one shy of its most ever with eight recipients. NCCAA (National Collegiate Christian Athletic Association) had a record two schools qualify for the award, while NCAA men’s programs produced its second all-time recipient of the award. A total of 126 high schools boys and girls programs earned the award in 2004-05.
“The Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award embodies the true meaning of the student-athlete concept, and the AVCA is honored to recognize these schools for excellence in the classroom,” said Katherine McConnell, AVCA executive director. “We congratulate the student-athletes, as well as the coaches and school administrations, for maintaining balance between academics and athletics.”
A total of 801 different schools have won the award in the program’s 13-year history. Two institutions have earned it every year in Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
University of Eastern Washington and Indiana State University both earned the honor for the seventh straight year, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Drury University, a Division II school, won the award for the ninth consecutive season. Ohio Northern University achieved its sixth consecutive inclusion on the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award list. Saint Benedict (Minn.) collected its second consecutive award and its NCAA Division III leading ninth overall. College of St. Mary (Neb.) earned the prestigious honor for the 11th consecutive season, the longest and most of any NAIA program. Phoenix College (Ariz.) pulled in its sixth straight award, the longest active streak among two-year colleges.
Vassar College became the first NCAA Division III men’s volleyball program to earn the award, and just the second overall collegiate men’s program.
Four high school programs reached Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award status on both the girls and boys volleyball teams: Pine Crest School (Fla.), Thomas McKean High School (Del.), Wheaton Warrenville South (Ill.) and Whitehall High School (Pa.)
Some of this year’s award recipients achieved success on the court, as well as in the classroom. A total of 30 teams that earned the 2004-05 Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award, also earned a berth in their respective collegiate postseason tournaments.
Six of eight region champions in the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship field won the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic award in Emory University (Ga.), New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, Williams College (Mass.), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Wittenberg University. Washington University was the Division III national runnerup, while NYU advanced to the semifinals.
Each school will receive a plaque, and each player a certificate commemorating the designation.
