AVCA Release

Lexington, Ky. - The Stony Brook volleyball team has been recognized with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2015-16 academic year, as announced by the AVCA office.

Stony Brook achieved a 3.34 GPA for the 2015-16 academic year, marking the third consecutive year the Seawolves have earned a spot on the list. Stony Brook has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award in each of head coach Coley Pawlikowski's three seasons at the helm on Long Island.

"Our staff is incredibly proud of the effort that our athletes put in academically and the commitment they make to uphold the standards they set collectively together in regards to the team's academics," said Pawlikowski. "The amount of pride that our athletes - individually and collectively - have surrounding our program's academic reputation is outstanding. They have created a culture in which they help and support one another while also holding each other accountable for their academics.  They internally check in with their peers, be sure teammates are utilizing their resources and seeking out assistance if needed, and challenge one another to raise their individual bar academically. 

"We are incredibly proud to not only be recognized by the AVCA but to also learn that we had the highest program GPA within our department for this past academic year. We know how hard our group works and this is a nice celebratory recognition to applaud their commitment.

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed 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.

"Congratulations to the coaches and institutions that won the 2016 AVCA Team Academic Award," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "It is no accident that a volleyball coaches association recognizes academic excellence as a team, rather than an individual, achievement. Players influence each other, both in execution on the court and discipline in the classroom."

The AVCA Team Academic Award is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but two, while amassing a 477-team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 764.

The Seawolves begin their 2016 campaign Friday, Aug. 26, with matches against UCF and Stetson in Orlando, Florida.