The UST Lady Celts muscled their way with brain over brawn to win the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s GamePlan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2006-2007 season. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year. Each school will receive a plaque, and each player a certificate commemorating the designation.

“We are one of only 16 NAIA schools to be recognized,” UST Women’s Volleyball Coach Jill Reynolds exclaimed. The NAIA had its fourth-highest total in the award’s history.

“The AVCA is again privileged to present the GamePlan/AVCA Team Academic Award to these outstanding intuitions,” said Kathy DeBoer, AVCA executive director. “We congratulate the student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom and thank our coaches for instilling this dedication in the young women and men of our sport.”

Over 900 different schools have earned the award in the program’s 15-year history, and over 2,500 awards have been given out.

The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Host Communications Inc. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball. With a membership of over 4,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world.