LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced on Monday that Bethune-Cookman was one of 164 Division I women's teams and 935 overall teams to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2017-18 season.
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.
This is the third consecutive year the Lady Wildcats have been recognized.
"It's an honor to be selected for the fourth consecutive year for this award," said B-CU head coach Brittany Williams. "It shows the hard work that our players, staff and academic team are putting in to ensure our players are successful beyond the playing arena."
The AVCA Team Academic Award, celebrating its 26th year, is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-01 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but two, while amassing a 532 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 record number of 935.
Bethune-Cookman opens its 2018 season on Friday, Aug. 24 against Texas Southern at the Stephen F. Austin Invitational in Huntsville, Texas.