LEXINGTON, KY.  The Western Colorado University women's volleyball team has been recognized for its excellence in the classroom, earning the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award.

The AVCA Team Academic Award honors volleyball programs that maintain a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. This year, 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams from across the nation received the prestigious recognition, highlighting the sport's continued commitment to academic excellence.

"It comes as no surprise to see our sport have more than 1,400 teams earn the AVCA Team Academic Award again this season," said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "We are grateful for the dedication of the coaches and players who make both classroom and on-court success the lifeblood of their programs."

The Mountaineers earned the honor after posting an impressive 3.59 cumulative team GPA during the 2025-26 academic year. The award marks the fifth time in program history that Western Colorado has received AVCA Team Academic recognition and the first since the 2022 season.

The achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of the Mountaineers both in competition and in the classroom, continuing the program's tradition of academic success while representing Western Colorado University with excellence.