Thursday, July 21, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Four Atlantic Sun Volleyball squads earned the Amercian Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for acheiving a 3.3 cumulative team GPA during the academic year. Lipscomb, North Florida, USC Upstate and Belmont all landed on the list, which contained 92 of the Division I teams.

AVCA Academic Teams: (4)
Belmont - Bruins Volleyball
Lipscomb - Lady Bisons Volleyball
North Florida - Full UNFOspreys.com Release
USC Upstate - Spartans Volleyball

The Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA's fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but one, while amassing an overall 170% increase over the span of the decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the award has risen by an astounding 674%. NCAA Division II recorded their highest-ever total number of recipients, honoring 57 programs while Division III easily surpassed last year's record of 75 winners with 88 this year. The high school division also set a new record with its 192 recipients.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.