LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Shepherd University volleyball team has been honored by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) today as one of a record 1,313 teams to have earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2019-20 season.

"Coaches have the most influence during difficult times," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Keeping student-athletes focused on their academic success when their volleyball identity was suddenly gone is leadership worth celebrating!"

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.

In terms of USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award winners by subgroup, girls high school led the way with 461 recipients. In all three NCAA Women's Divisions, over 50 percent of the membership won the award, led by 68 percent in DI, 57 percent in DII and 53 percent in DIII. In the emerging sport of beach volleyball, 49 percent of teams won the award and in the fastest growing sector of Collegiate Men, 38 schools were honored, doubling the number from the previous year.

The Shepherd volleyball team finished the 2019 season with a 29-7 overall mark with a 14-5 conference record and an NCAA II postseason appearance. The Rams boasted a 3.392 grade point average for the 2019-20 year.

2019-20 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Team Recipients