August 5, 2003

WOLVES VOLLEYBALL HONORED BY AVCA FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

ABERDEEN, SD - The Northern State University volleyball team was one of just 18 NCAA II programs to receive the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2002-03 academic year.

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 during the school year. Northern State completed the 2002-03 school year holding a combined team GPA of 3.32. This marks the second time that NSU volleyball has received the award having been honored in 1998-99 as well.

“I’m really proud of having 22 student-athletes who were able to acheive a 3.32 grade point average,” commented NSU head volleyball coach Lisa Schriver. “I think they put as much time and effort out on the volleyball court as they do in the classroom and this award helps to prove that.”

Recipients of the award range from NCAA Division I institutions to high school girls' and boys' teams. The college ranks produced 102 programs that met the requirements for the award. The breakdown of college representation includes 35 NCAA Division I programs, 18 NCAA Division II programs, 26 NCAA Division III programs, 15 NAIA programs, one NCCAA institution and seven two-year college programs.