K-State Earns 11th Straight USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award
Jul 19, 2021 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the 11th consecutive year, K-State volleyball was presented with the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2020-21 academic year, the organizations announced Monday.
The honor, which is given to programs with a team grade-point average (GPA) of 3.30 or higher during the school year, is the 19th in K-State volleyball history. The streak of 11 straight honors extends the longest such stretch in program history, four years longer than the next-best streak of seven straight awards from 2001-02 through 2007-08.
The team accolade caps another strong academic year for the Wildcats in which eight student-athletes were named Academic All-Big 12 First Team, including a third consecutive selection from Jacque Smith. K-State has produced at least seven Academic All-Big 12 First Team honorees in each of the last five seasons.
The USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award was initiated in 1992-93 and honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year. This year, 1,275 teams received the award, breaking the record set last year by nearly 200 teams.
Seven of nine teams in the Big 12 earned the 2020-21 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award.
K-State is set to return 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including 2020 Big 12 and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year Aliyah Carter, who led the Wildcats in kills and points. The Cats also retain Teana Adams-Kaonohi, Holly Bonde, Loren Hinkle, Kadye Fernholz, Mackenzie Morris, Jayden Nembhard and Smith.
K-State opens the 2021 season on Friday, August 27 at the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cats' home opener is set for Thursday, September 9 against Ohio at Bramlage Coliseum and season tickets are now on sale.
K-State (13-8, 10-6 Big 12) finished third in the Big 12 during the 2020 season, its highest conference finish since 2008.
The honor, which is given to programs with a team grade-point average (GPA) of 3.30 or higher during the school year, is the 19th in K-State volleyball history. The streak of 11 straight honors extends the longest such stretch in program history, four years longer than the next-best streak of seven straight awards from 2001-02 through 2007-08.
The team accolade caps another strong academic year for the Wildcats in which eight student-athletes were named Academic All-Big 12 First Team, including a third consecutive selection from Jacque Smith. K-State has produced at least seven Academic All-Big 12 First Team honorees in each of the last five seasons.
The USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award was initiated in 1992-93 and honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year. This year, 1,275 teams received the award, breaking the record set last year by nearly 200 teams.
Seven of nine teams in the Big 12 earned the 2020-21 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award.
K-State is set to return 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including 2020 Big 12 and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year Aliyah Carter, who led the Wildcats in kills and points. The Cats also retain Teana Adams-Kaonohi, Holly Bonde, Loren Hinkle, Kadye Fernholz, Mackenzie Morris, Jayden Nembhard and Smith.
K-State opens the 2021 season on Friday, August 27 at the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cats' home opener is set for Thursday, September 9 against Ohio at Bramlage Coliseum and season tickets are now on sale.
K-State (13-8, 10-6 Big 12) finished third in the Big 12 during the 2020 season, its highest conference finish since 2008.
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