Cougar Volleyball Earns USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced this week that SIUE volleyball has earned the U.S. Marine Corps/AVCA Team Academic Award for its outstanding performance in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year.
This marks the second consecutive season in which the Cougars have received the honor, which was first awarded during the 1992-93 academic year to collegiate and high school volleyball teams that maintain a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average (GPA). The Cougars notched one of the highest team GPAs in program history, collecting a 3.577 mark during the spring semester.
“Our student-athletes absolutely amazed us last semester,” said Head Coach Kendall Paulus. “The fact that our team adjusted to a completely new schedule, along with new class environments shows how adaptable and strong-willed they are. Their classroom goals never wavered just because things looked different and were uncomfortable. We are so proud of their accomplishments during such an unprecedented time.”
In addition to its success in the classroom, the program also experienced one of its best seasons in the Division I era - garnering the highest conference winning percentage (.714) since the 2017 season, placing four student-athletes on All-Ohio Valley Conference squads, and earning one of just four spots in the 2020-21 OVC Volleyball Championship.
