Eastern Michigan Athletics
Volleyball Earns 21st-Consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award
7/21/2025 12:53:00 PM | Volleyball
The 21-year streak is the third-longest in NCAA Division I
LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) -- For the 21st consecutive academic year, the Eastern Michigan University Volleyball program has earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, the association announced Monday, July 21.
Eastern volleyball continued its tradition of academic excellence as its 21-year streak stands as the third-longest in NCAA Division I. Moreover, it is one of three NCAA Division I programs to earn the award for at least 25 academic years, along with fellow Mid-American Conference institutions Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo.
The team landed on the list as it currently holds a 3.673 cumulative GPA, the highest mark in program history. Most recently in the 2025 winter semester, the team posted a 3.715 with 20 Eagles recording at least a 3.00 and four notching a perfect 4.00.
Several Green & White student-athletes earned individual academic honors as Hannah Blaney, Kendal Bonney (Pioneer, Ohio/North Central/Ashland), Abby Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri Valley/Ashland), and Maddie Stayer earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, Dec. 17, while Bonney, Stanford, and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) landed on the Academic All-MAC list, Dec. 30.
Volleyball programs from across the country continue to prove their dominance off the court as a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award.
"It is very exciting to see that the record-setting, on-court successes during the 2024-25 season have extended to the classroom," says AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "The fact that more programs earned the Team Academic Award than ever before is evidence of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their goals as both students and athletes."
Teams that have received the award for 15 or more years are highlighted on the list of honorees for their consistent commitment to academics. Two programs hold the extraordinary record of receiving the award for 33 consecutive seasons: the girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
The High School Boys and High School Girls divisions again set records for total recipients, reaching 66 and 527 participants, respectively.
This season's award was earned by several teams that also won national collegiate championships on the court and in the sand during the 2024–25 season:
Eastern volleyball continued its tradition of academic excellence as its 21-year streak stands as the third-longest in NCAA Division I. Moreover, it is one of three NCAA Division I programs to earn the award for at least 25 academic years, along with fellow Mid-American Conference institutions Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo.
The team landed on the list as it currently holds a 3.673 cumulative GPA, the highest mark in program history. Most recently in the 2025 winter semester, the team posted a 3.715 with 20 Eagles recording at least a 3.00 and four notching a perfect 4.00.
Several Green & White student-athletes earned individual academic honors as Hannah Blaney, Kendal Bonney (Pioneer, Ohio/North Central/Ashland), Abby Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri Valley/Ashland), and Maddie Stayer earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, Dec. 17, while Bonney, Stanford, and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) landed on the Academic All-MAC list, Dec. 30.
Volleyball programs from across the country continue to prove their dominance off the court as a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award.
"It is very exciting to see that the record-setting, on-court successes during the 2024-25 season have extended to the classroom," says AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "The fact that more programs earned the Team Academic Award than ever before is evidence of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their goals as both students and athletes."
Teams that have received the award for 15 or more years are highlighted on the list of honorees for their consistent commitment to academics. Two programs hold the extraordinary record of receiving the award for 33 consecutive seasons: the girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
The High School Boys and High School Girls divisions again set records for total recipients, reaching 66 and 527 participants, respectively.
This season's award was earned by several teams that also won national collegiate championships on the court and in the sand during the 2024–25 season:
- Lynn University (NCAA Women's Division II)
- Juniata College (NCAA Women's Division III)
- Florida Southwestern State College (NJCAA Women's Division I)
- Cowley College (NJCAA Women's Division II)
- Feather River College (3C2A Women)
- Texas Christian University (NCAA Women's Beach)
- University of Mary Hardin Baylor (AVCA Small College Beach Women's Division III)
- Stevenson University (AVCA Fall Beach – Men's National Champions)
Stanford University (Division I), Barry University (Division II), and Emmanuel [Ga.] University (Division II) hit the trifecta, as their women's, men's, and beach teams are all being honored.
Here is the list of the schools with the longest current streaks by division:
Here is the list of the schools with the longest current streaks by division:
- DI Women: 27 years – Indiana State
- DII Women: 23 years – Wayne State (Neb.) College
- DIII Women: 25 years – Central (Iowa) College
- NAIA Women: 27 years – Concordia (Neb.) University
- TYC Women: 15 years – Central (Neb.) Community College
- Men: 14 years – Harvard University
- Girls HS: 33 years – Jonesboro (Ark.) High School and Ross S. Sterling (Texas) High School
- Boys HS: 20 years – Cathedral (Ind.) High School
- College Beach: 12 years – Georgia State
The additional distinction of Team Academic Honor Roll celebrates programs in the top 20% of GPAs for their division.
Beginning this year, we will be naming a Team Academic Champion for each collegiate division. The programs named to this exclusive list achieved the highest GPAs in their respective divisions.
Here is the inaugural list of Team Academic Champions:
Beginning this year, we will be naming a Team Academic Champion for each collegiate division. The programs named to this exclusive list achieved the highest GPAs in their respective divisions.
Here is the inaugural list of Team Academic Champions:
- NCAA Women's Division I – St. John's University
- NCAA Women's Division II – Concordia University-St. Paul
- NCAA Women's Division III – Albion College
- NAIA Women's – Cornerstone University
- NCCAA Women's – Ohio Christian University
- 3C2A Women's – Feather River College
- NJCAA Women's Division I – Trinity Valley Community College
- NJCAA Women's Division II – Cowley College
- NJCAA Women's Division III – Sandhills Community College
- NWAC Women's – Centralia College
- NCAA Men's Division I – Harvard University
- NCAA Men's Division II – Lincoln Memorial University
- NCAA Men's Division III – Stevens Institute of Technology
- NAIA Men's – Cumberland University
- NCAA Women's Division I (Beach) – Grand Canyon University
- NCAA Women's Division II (Beach) – Hawai'i Pacific University
- NCAA Women's Division III (Beach) – East Texas Baptist University
- 3C2A Women's Beach – Feather River College
- NJCAA Women's Beach – Sandhills Community College
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Stay connected with the Eagles by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics.
Players Mentioned
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