Wittenberg University Athletics - Volleyball Earns Prestigious Team Academic Award

Intercollegiate Athletics

Men

Women

Additional Links

Athletics Home

Volleyball Earns Prestigious Team Academic Award

Posted August 5, 2002
Posted by: Ryan Maurer

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - For the seventh straight year, the Wittenberg women's volleyball team was presented with a 2001-02 AVCA/Molten Team Academic Award by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Molten U.S.A. Inc.

One-hundred seventy-seven college and high school teams earned the honor in 2001-02, the most to ever receive this award in a single year, surpassing the 149 awards presented in 1998-99. According to the AVCA, the award "honors college and high school teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.0 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 accumulative team G.P.A. on a 5.0 scale during the school year. Nominating coaches must be AVCA members."

The Tigers easily surpassed these standards, posting an overall team G.P.A. of 3.54, including a sparkling 3.67 GPA during the spring semester when 10 of the 12 varsity team members made the Dean's List. All 12 team members recorded G.P.A.s of at least 3.25. To be eligible for the Dean's List at Wittenberg, a student must obtain a 3.5 G.P.A. for the relevant semester.

"Wittenberg volleyball prides itself on its outstanding performance on and off the court," said Head Coach Connie Surowicz. "The 2001 team excelled beyond expectations in the classroom. This truly exemplifies the type of student-athlete we want at Wittenberg."

As mentioned, the team's success went beyond the classroom. Its academic success mirrored the team's performance on the court for the 2001 season. The Tigers finished the 2001 season 26-9, including a perfect 8-0 finish in conference play. This allowed them to host the conference tournament, which they won for the fifth straight year. The Tigers, who qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament, placed four members on All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams and two on the All-Great Lakes Region first team. The NCAC Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and tournament Most Valuable Player were all Wittenberg Tigers.

As for the 2002 season, Wittenberg returns a team that didn't lose a single player to graduation. This bodes well for another successful season both on and off the court. The Tigers begin their season Aug. 30-31 at the College of Mount St. Joseph Tournament.

033-02