• Official AVCA Press Release

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The West Virginia State University volleyball team received the 2020-21 United States Marines Corps (USMC) Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) when the list of recipients were released on Monday afternoon. Last year was the first time that the WVSU volleyball program was honored with the prestigious award and the team has now made a habit of making the shortlist each year.

West Virginia State was 1-of-161 NCAA Division II women's squads that were recognized for their academic achievements by the AVCA this year. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale. The Yellow Jackets recorded a 3.4 GPA in the fall and followed it up with a 3.3 GPA in the spring to start the streak of collecting Team Academic Awards each season.

A total of 1,275 collegiate and high school teams earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2020-2021 season. In spite of the irregular circumstances and challenges faced by volleyball teams around the country last season, coaches and players still found a path to achieve academic success.

"Even though teams might not have played during their usual season or may not have competed at all during the past year, coaches still found ways to lead their players to academic excellence," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "This is a testament to the important role volleyball coaches play in their players success both on and off the court."

Head Coach Kris Kern will enter his fifth year at the helm of WVSU Volleyball this season as he looks to continue to grow the 'Monster in the Mountains' culture that has set his program apart.