Marshall University Athletics
@HerdVolleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award
7/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The Marshall University volleyball program earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2015-16 season after maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average. The Thundering Herd was one of 131 Division I teams to be recognized.
"Our team takes their academics seriously and to continually be recognized by the AVCA for their performance in the classroom is excellent stuff," Herd coach Mitch Jacobs said. "Mr. Hamrick puts academic integrity at the top of his list and our program takes that very seriously. And although academic excellence is our first priority, hopefully, we can advance further this season toward our second priority and compete for a conference championship on the court this fall."
A record 762 schools across the country including high school programs earned the accolade. 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.
As a team, Marshall earned a 3.60 GPA for the 2015-16 academic year. The Herd featured 15 student-athletes on the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and seven received C-USA Academic Medals. Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Allie Kellerman (Louisville, Ky.) were named to the All-Conference USA All-Academic Team in 2015.
The Herd was joined on the list by Conference USA members Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UTSA and WKU.
The Thundering Herd opens the 2016 season at the Hoosier Invitational hosted by Indiana University. Marshall opens the tournament against Evansville on Friday, Aug. 26, while facing Northern Kentucky and Indiana on Saturday.
