LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY (July 23, 2026) — Volleyball programs from across the country continue to enjoy widespread success off the court as 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams earned the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale).

"It comes as no surprise to see our sport have more than 1,400 teams earn the AVCA Team Academic Award again this season," said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "We are grateful for the dedication of the coaches and players who make both classroom and on-court success the lifeblood of their programs."

Teams that have received the award for 10 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 34 consecutive seasons: the girls' teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).
This is the second season the AVCA has named a Team Academic Champion for each collegiate division. The 20 programs are being named to this exclusive list based on having the highest GPAs in their respective divisions. The AVCA also celebrates programs in the top 20 percent for their division by recognizing them with the Team Academic Honor Roll distinction.

The Team Academic was earned by 10 teams that also won national collegiate championships on the court and in the sand during the 2025–26 season. There are also four schools whose women's, men's, and beach teams are all being honored: Barry University, Pepperdine University, Stanford University, and University of Hawai'i.
This season, two divisions—Women's Collegiate Beach and Two-Year College—set records for total recipients, reaching 43 and 75 participants, respectively.

The Dominican University Men's Volleyball team made their way on this list in their historic 2026 season. This is the 10^th time in DUMVB history that they have made the AVCA Team Academic list. The Stars finished with a 3.42 team GPA and gathered 12 student athletes with a 3.5 GPA or higher, and 8 of those 12 had a 3.8 GPA or higher.
 
Head Coach Doug Burchett commented on this achievement by saying, "This marks the fifth consecutive season and 10^th overall AVCA Team Academic Award for our program, which is a great testament to the dedication and hard work our men put in the classroom on a consistent basis. Our university does a fantastic job of supporting the holistic student-athlete experience. I'm very proud of this group for achieving success on the court and, more importantly, in the classroom."