Scot Volleyball Honored for Work in the Classroom

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster's volleyball team was recently recognized as one of 353 high school and college programs to earn a 2007-08 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, annually honors men's and women's college and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom 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 during the school year.

"I am extremely proud that our student-athletes have been dedicated enough to pursue success in the classroom and on the court," stated head coach Sarah Davis. "Academics are a high priority on our team and I am pleased that to be among the elite academic programs in the nation and can represent The College of Wooster in a positive manner."  

Recipients of the award included 39 NCAA Division II programs, 62 NCAA Division III programs, 21 NAIA programs, 70 NCAA Division I women's programs, three NCAA Division I men's programs, 15 women's programs at two-year colleges and 141 high school programs (both boys and girls). Wooster was just one of six NCAA Division III programs in Ohio to earn the award.

"This result is just phenomenal!" said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Look at this in context: We have coaches representing about 3,000 different academic institutions. Of that total, 353, or nearly 12%, coach teams with a grade point average of 3.3 or better! How can you not be proud of that?"

The Fighting Scots, who posted a cumulative team grade point average of 3.44 in the classroom, were one of three members of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) to make the list in 2007-08. On the court, Wooster finished its regular season on a high note, winning nine of its last 11 matches after a 6-11 start, and then fell in the NCAC Tournament semifinals. The Fighting Scots concluded the 2007 season with a 15-14 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the conference, marking their winning season in the last four years.           

They begin the 2008 season as part of the four-team River City Tournament hosted by Marietta College, playing August 29 against Grove City College at 3 p.m. and Bluffton College at 7 p.m.