WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Sage Women's Volleyball Team honored by AVCA for Academic Prowess

Troy, NY----After earning the program's second straight Skyline Conference Championship title and an NCAA Tournament appearance in the fall of 2008, the honors continue to roll in for the Sage College women's volleyball team. Head coach Lisa Gallagher guided the team to a 24-12 mark as well as an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships. Over the course of the season, the Gators posted a 9-0 Skyline Conference record, while earning the program's second straight Skyline title as well as a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Sage has now earned five straight selections to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic after earning a spot on the 2008-2009 team, all under the direction of Gallagher, who now sports a 153-122 career record as the program's all-time winningest coach.

Head Coach Gallagher said of the student-athletes' accomplishments, "I am very proud that the student-athletes on my team truly taking the "student:" part seriously and continue to impress me with their focus on academics." Gallagher added, "It is the fifth year in a row that we have earned the award!"

The Gators are one of the 409 teams named to the squad after displaying 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.

"Each year I'm impressed all over again by the academic prowess of volleyball players," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Total AVCA Team Academic Award winners increased this year by another 55 schools (15%) over last year's record, and, even more impressive, 22% of our four-year college teams had grade point averages of 3.2 or better."      

NCAA Division I once again had 71 schools receiving the award for academic achievements. NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III surpassed their marks from last year with 46 and 77 schools, respectively.

The NAIA had 35 of its member schools achieve the honor this year, which is 21% of its total membership for 2008-2009. Nine (9) schools in the Two-Year College category attained the mark while the NCCAA produced two recipients.

The NCAA men's programs produced multiple recipients of the award this year, with two Division I schools and another two Division III schools earning the award. A total of 165 high school boys' and girls' programs - 17 boys' teams and 148 girls' teams - earned the award in 2008-09.

Over 900 different schools have earned the award in the program's 17-year history, and over 2,800 awards have been given out. Only two institutions, both high schools, have earned the distinction all 17 years: Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Arkansas) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).

AVCA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD NOTES

STREAKING TEAMS
* Indiana State University once again earned this award, which is the 11^th consecutive year, the longest active streak for NCAA Division I.
* Drury University earned the award for the thirteenth consecutive season, the longest active streak in NCAA Division II.
* The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse earned its ninth consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award, the longest active streak in NCAA Division III, which now eclipses the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's mark of eight years from 1995-96 to 2002-03.
* College of St. Mary (Neb.) holds the longest overall NAIA streak, now at 15.
* The longest Two-Year College streak still belongs to Phoenix College, with six consecutive from 1999-2000 through 2004-05.

OVERALL HONORS
* University of Nebraska still leads all NCAA Division I schools with thirteen total awards. 
* Drury's now leads the Division II mark with thirteen total awards to its credit.

* In NCAA Division III, Kalamazoo College earned its eleventh overall Team Academic Award this year which leads the entire division by two awards.
* St. Mary's streak of 15 straight is not only the longest number earned consecutive by an NAIA institution, but also the most earned overall.
* Phoenix College and Southwest Community College in Iowa hold the most AVCA Team Academic Awards earned by two-year institutions with eight.
* Vassar College's men's program is once again represented with its fourth overall Team Academic Award in 2008-2009. 
* Jonesboro High School and Ross S. Sterling High School's girls' teams have earned the award all 17 years of the program's existence, the longest for any high school programs.

FIRST-TIMERS
There were 106 first-time recipients of the AVCA Team Academic Award in 2008-09. NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II both saw 14 new teams achieve the honor, while NCAA Division III welcomed 20 newcomers. Nine NAIA teams and two Two-Year Colleges received the distinction for the first time, while 47 high school teams (40 girls' teams and seven boys' teams) received their first AVCA Team Academic Award.

TOTAL RECIPIENT HISTORY
2008-09: 409
2007-08: 354
2006-07: 308
2005-06: 287
2004-05: 276
2003-04: 305
2002-03: 205
2001-02: 178
2000-01: 130
1999-2000: 140
1998-99: 149
1997-98: 132
1996-97: 134
1995-96: 116
1994-95: 83
1993-94: 98
1992-93: 62

MISCELLANEOUS
* In its 17-year history, the AVCA Team Academic Award has been earned by: 172 NCAA Division I programs (men and women); 111 NCAA Division II schools; 167 NCAA Division III schools (men and women); 87 NAIA schools; 2 NCCAA schools; 35 Two-Year Colleges; and over 500 high school girls' and boys' teams.

* Historically, nine teams have attained the pinnacle of volleyball success in both earning the AVCA Team Academic Award and winning their respective collegiate national championship in the same academic year.
Those teams are:
* Two-year Colleges - Iowa Western Community College (NJCAA Div. I) in 2006-07.
* NAIA - Dickinson State University (N.D.) in 2000-01 and then-NAIA University of Puget Sound (Wash.) in 1993-94.
* NCAA Division III - Central College (Iowa) in 2000-01 and Washington University in St. Louis in 2007-08
* NCAA Division II - Barry University in 1995-96 and Concordia University-St. Paul in 2007-08.
* NCAA Division I - Stanford University in 2001-02 and University of Nebraska in 2006-07.

About AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by IMG Associations. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 4,500 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world. Further information is available at www.avca.org.

                                                                   -30-