Lexington, Ky. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team has earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2018-19 season, the organization announced Monday.  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 4.00 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.00 scale.

Members of UWL's 2018 squad included senior Marisa Johnson; juniors Abbey Fox and Kathryn Maas; sophomores Courtney Conway, Laine Hoeffel, Rhiana Pochman, Julia Van Fleet and Elyse Weber and freshmen Emily Jenewein, Isabelle Jensen, Paiton Kujawa, Liz Lansink, Emma Lawrence, Meghan Paidar, Sophie Quelle and Lauren Young, 

A total of 175 schools from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III earned the team award, including UWL, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout, and UW-Whitewater from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).   

The AVCA Team Academic Award is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored.  Since the 2000-01 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but two, while more than doubling the total over the last eight academic years.  Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 1,125.

UWL opens its 2019 season Friday, August 30 at the Ithaca College (N.Y.) Bomber Invitational.  Amber Dunn starts her third year as the Eagles' head coach.  She has led UWL to a 38-20 (.655) overall and 11-3 (.786) WIAC record in her first two years.  Dunn was named the 2017 WIAC Coach of the Year, becoming the fifth coach in school history to earn the award.  UWL earned its 12th regular-season title in school history under Dunn.  The Eagles captured the 2017 WIAC Tournament Championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.  UWL finished 16-13 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC in 2018. 

The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International.  The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development.  With a membership of over 7,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport.  Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors.  The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers.  Further information is available at www.avca.org.