LEXINGTON, Ky.- The Juniata women's volleyball team was a part of 1,313 squads that were recognized with the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2019-2020 season by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).  

This is the sixth team academic award overall for the program. The also earned the honor each of the past two seasons.  

"Coaches have the most influence during difficult times," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Keeping student-athletes focused on their academic success when their volleyball identity was suddenly gone is leadership worth celebrating!" 

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.

In terms of USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award winners by subgroup, girls high school led the way with 461 recipients. In all three NCAA Women's Divisions, over 50% of the membership won the award, led by 68% in DI, 57% in DII, and 53% in DIII. In the emerging sport of beach volleyball, 49% of teams won the award and in the fastest growing sector of Collegiate Men, 38 schools were honored, doubling the number from the previous year.