LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Coker College men's volleyball team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award with a cumulative team GPA of 3.37, the association announced today.

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. 

The AVCA Team Academic Award, celebrating its 25th year, 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 532 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 822.

"I am very proud of this team for earning this academic award," said head volleyball coach Julia Rafalowski. "Our student-athletes hold themselves to high academic standards and they work extremely hard to achieve their goals in the classroom."

On the court, the Cobras finished their 2016-17 campaign by tying a program record for wins, going 14-10 and reaching the inaugural Independent Volleyball Association Championship.