Volleyball wins third straight AVCA Team Academic Award
7/13/2023 12:03:00 PM | Volleyball
The University of Montana volleyball team reached new heights on the court during the 2022 season, and now they are being honored for the work off the court as well. For the third straight season, Montana has earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award.
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The award is sponsored by the Unites States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association. It is given annually to volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 or higher.
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Head coach Allison Lawrence has made academics a priority since taking over the program. The Grizzlies had missed out on this award six straight years prior to the current streak, and had the department's lowest GPA in 2017.
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They are now rewarded with a third straight Team Academic Award, which is the eighth overall for Montana since the award was created in 1992.
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"We are a player-led program that aims to recruit student athletes who are as passionate about their studies as they are about volleyball," Lawrence said. "We foster a culture of curiosity on the court during training and in matches, and that model of learning applies to all areas of our lives."
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Montana finished the 2022-23 school year with a cumulative GPA of 3.59, easily qualifying for the award. The team improved in the spring with a 3.67 team GPA. Carly Anderson (Integrative Physiology) and Catie Semadeni (Public Health) each maintained 4.0 GPA's throughout the school year.
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Lexi Batezel also recorded a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. In total, 13 Grizzlies finished at a 3.50 or better in the spring and 12 did so in the fall. The Grizzlies placed eight athletes onto the Academic All-Big Sky team at the conclusion of the season, a near-record total.
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Volleyball finished with the fourth highest team GPA in the department this year. Lawrence said that is the effort and commitment from the student-athletes that generates the success.
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"What I am most proud of about our program is that our athletes are the ones who define, cultivate, and live our academic culture year after year," Lawrence said. "They continue to redefine what success looks like for themselves as students, and in turn we become better athletes, and the cycle continues. They are limitless."
Â
The award is sponsored by the Unites States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association. It is given annually to volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 or higher.
Â
Head coach Allison Lawrence has made academics a priority since taking over the program. The Grizzlies had missed out on this award six straight years prior to the current streak, and had the department's lowest GPA in 2017.
Â
They are now rewarded with a third straight Team Academic Award, which is the eighth overall for Montana since the award was created in 1992.
Â
"We are a player-led program that aims to recruit student athletes who are as passionate about their studies as they are about volleyball," Lawrence said. "We foster a culture of curiosity on the court during training and in matches, and that model of learning applies to all areas of our lives."
Â
Montana finished the 2022-23 school year with a cumulative GPA of 3.59, easily qualifying for the award. The team improved in the spring with a 3.67 team GPA. Carly Anderson (Integrative Physiology) and Catie Semadeni (Public Health) each maintained 4.0 GPA's throughout the school year.
Â
Lexi Batezel also recorded a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. In total, 13 Grizzlies finished at a 3.50 or better in the spring and 12 did so in the fall. The Grizzlies placed eight athletes onto the Academic All-Big Sky team at the conclusion of the season, a near-record total.
Â
Volleyball finished with the fourth highest team GPA in the department this year. Lawrence said that is the effort and commitment from the student-athletes that generates the success.
Â
"What I am most proud of about our program is that our athletes are the ones who define, cultivate, and live our academic culture year after year," Lawrence said. "They continue to redefine what success looks like for themselves as students, and in turn we become better athletes, and the cycle continues. They are limitless."
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Thursday, January 15
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