Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Own Top GPA In The Country
February 17, 2004 | Volleyball
Feb. 17, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has announced the recipient of the 2002-03 AVCA Team Academic Award, and the Bowling Green State University volleyball team placed atop the list. Of the 327 Division I volleyball programs, the Falcons' grade point average of 3.61 was tops in the country.
"It is a tremendous honor for the 2002 team to be recognized as having the highest GPA in the country," said BGSU head coach Denise Van De Walle. "It's not every day that something this special happens.
"I have always been proud of our academic success, but this is truly amazing. To do this well with the demands that we put on them each day throughout the year says a lot about their priorities. I believe we have the complete package in the players here."
The AVCA has honored a record-number 205 volleyball programs for 2002-03, upping the previous best of 178 awarded last year (2001-02).
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 and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year. Nominating head coaches must be AVCA members.
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.
A record-total of 103 high school programs earned the distinction, including Crystal Springs Uplands School (Hillsborough, Calif.) and Wheeling High School (Wheeling, Ill.) placing both boys' and girls' squads on the award list. The previous high for the prep ranks was 84 awards in 1996-97. NAIA schools tied their top number, achieved in back-to-back years of 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Several of this year's award recipients achieved success on the court, as well as in the classroom. A total of 26 teams that earned the AVCA Team Academic Award also earned a berth in their respective collegiate post-season tournaments.
Over 600 different schools have won the award in the program's 11-year history. Three institutions have earned it every year, NCAA Division II Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
Historically, schools from 49 states and two countries (outside the United States) have won the award. For 2002-03, the award-winning programs represent 42 states and Korea. Wisconsin boasts the most schools having earned the designation with 37 in the 11-year history of the program, and 15 this year. Illinois follows with 36 overall and 14 on the current list.
"The AVCA Team Academic Award captures the true essence of the student-athlete, and the AVCA is honored to recognize these schools for excellence in the classroom," Katherine McConnell, AVCA executive director said. "We are especially pleased to bestow this prestigious award to a record number of teams for the second year in a row."
