Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Photo by: Madison Case
Salukis earn AVCA Team Academic Award
07/16/2018 | 12:02:00 | Women's Volleyball
SIU is one of eight MVC programs to earn the award.
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois University volleyball team has received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for its performance in the classroom during the 2017-18 academic year, the AVCA announced Monday.
SIU is part of a record-breaking year for the AVCA Team Academic Award, as a total of 973 teams received the honor, besting last year's mark of 835. The Salukis are one of eight schools from the Missouri Valley Conference to earn a spot on the list, joining Drake, Indiana State, Illinois State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Valparaiso.
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 or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
The Salukis posted a team grade-point average of 3.41 during the 2017-18 academic year and Ashley Edelen and Abby Barrow both earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team.
The AVCA Team Academic Award is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but two, while amassing a 619-team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 973.
Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 25-year history, with exactly 8,461 awards been given out in total.
SIU opens the 2018 season Aug. 24-25 at the Cardinal Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville. The Salukis will face the Cardinals, IUPUI and UT Martin during the two-day tournament.
SIU is part of a record-breaking year for the AVCA Team Academic Award, as a total of 973 teams received the honor, besting last year's mark of 835. The Salukis are one of eight schools from the Missouri Valley Conference to earn a spot on the list, joining Drake, Indiana State, Illinois State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Valparaiso.
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 or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
The Salukis posted a team grade-point average of 3.41 during the 2017-18 academic year and Ashley Edelen and Abby Barrow both earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team.
The AVCA Team Academic Award is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but two, while amassing a 619-team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 973.
Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 25-year history, with exactly 8,461 awards been given out in total.
SIU opens the 2018 season Aug. 24-25 at the Cardinal Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville. The Salukis will face the Cardinals, IUPUI and UT Martin during the two-day tournament.
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
Libero/Defensive Specialist
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