Tuesday, July 27, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The academic prowess of GNAC volleyball teams was on full display with seven conference squads receiving the U.S. Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 2020-21 Team Academic Award.

Alaska, Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser and Western Washington were among 1,281 women’s and men’s volleyball teams honored by the AVCA at the collegiate and high school levels. The award honors volleyball teams with a year-long GPA is 3.30 or better on a 4.0 scale. A total of 161 Division II teams received the award.

Additionally, four GNAC programs were recognized as part of the AVCA’s Team Academic Honor Roll, which honors the top 20 percent of GPAs from each Division. Alaska, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s and Seattle Pacific were among 33 NCAA Division II teams honored. Teams from the GNAC accounted for 12 percent of the total honorees.

This is the second straight year that Central Washington has been named to the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll. The Wildcats had the highest GPA of GNAC volleyball programs with a 3.82. Saint Martin’s was named to the Team Academic Honor Roll for the second time in three years.

Over the conference’s history, 51 GNAC programs have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award. Seattle Pacific leads the way by earning the award 13 times, including in each of the last 10 years. Central Washington has won the award nine times, including in each of the last six years.