LEXINGTON, Ky. (SMU) – The SMU volleyball team earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the sixth time in seven years, helping the organization to another record high. SMU is one of 164 Division I women's programs to achieve the honor, and 973 programs overall, increasing from 835 last year. The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that maintained 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.

"As a program, we strive for excellence both on the court and in the classroom. SMU is an elite educational institution, and to earn an honor like this says a lot about the quality student-athletes we have in our program," head coach Lisa Seifert said. "Dr. Sue Bierman and her academic staff do a great job working with our kids and offering support."

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 has increased every single year but two. Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 25-year history, with exactly 8,461 awards been given out in total.