The United States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today that 1,332 collegiate and high school volleyball teams have earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this season. Saint Ursula Academy is thrilled to be among the high schools earning this recognition. This marks an all-time record number of programs honored for their academic achievements.
The award, initiated in the 1992–93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale. In addition to receiving the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award, Saint Ursula was also named to the Honor Roll for a Team GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale!
“The commitment our coaches make to help their student-athletes pursue the best versions of themselves is evident in the academic accomplishments highlighted today." said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "Achievement on the court has always been closely tied to success in the classroom which is reflected by the number of championship programs honored.”
Saint Ursula Academy is proud of the accomplishments of the volleyball players who worked hard in the classroom and on the court to earn this recognition. Saint Ursula Academy promotes academic excellence and whole-person balance for students who pursue athletics and other co-curriculars as part of their high school experience. Saint Ursula is excited to welcome new varsity head coach Gretchen Krumdieck ’98 for the 2023 fall season. As an SUA graduate with deep coaching experience, she understands the importance of strong academic success in addition to top level volleyball training and competition at the competitive high school level.
“I am very proud of this team and all the hard work they put into academics and their athletics,” said Varsity Volleyball Coach Gretchen Krumdieck. “I'm so excited to be coaching here!”
Teams with winning streaks of 15 years or longer are highlighted on the list of honorees for their consistent commitment to academics. Two programs hold the extraordinary record of receiving the award for 31 consecutive seasons: girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Arkansas) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
The Team Academic Honor Roll celebrates programs in the top 20% of GPAs for their division.
Stanford University (Division I) and Corona del Sol High School (Tempe, AZ) hit the trifecta, as their women’s, men’s, and beach teams all are being honored. Girls high school has the most winners by division category, with 486 teams making the grade. For the second consecutive year, women’s collegiate beach set a record with 65 teams receiving the honor this season. The high school boys, collegiate men, and two-year college women’s divisions also set new marks for highest participation to date.
About the United States Marine Corps
Our long-standing partner, the United States Marine Corps, extends its support to AVCA’s administrators and coaches. Just as you make every effort to help your student-athletes succeed, the Marine Corps strives to help every Marine reach their potential. Whether engaging local Marines to work with your athletes or recognizing and referring high-achieving students, your support as an influencer ensures the success of our youth and the future of our nation. For more information about the Marine Influencer Program or to invite a Marine to spend time with your team, please email [email protected].
About the AVCA
The AVCA, an educationally based nonprofit headquartered in Lexington, KY, is the largest and most diverse volleyball coaches’ association in the world. With a broad mandate to develop the sport, the AVCA provides leadership, recognition, advocacy, and professional development opportunities to over 8,200 volleyball coaches. Members include college, high school, club, and youth coaches, and well as a wide variety of product and service providers. Further information is available at avca.org.
About Saint Ursula Academy
Saint Ursula Academy is a dynamic Catholic, college-preparatory, educational community for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. Saint Ursula welcomes students from more than 90 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. Saint Ursula was named a Best Workplace in Ohio by Ohio Business Magazine in 2023. SUA earned the Best of Cincinnati Award in the School category in 2021 and 2022 by the Cincinnati Awards Program. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of Saint Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. 94% of the Class of 2023 earned college scholarship offers totaling more than $28-million.