FORT MYERS, Fla. — The FGCU volleyball and beach volleyball programs were awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award on Thursday. The beach program also earned Team Academic Honor Roll recognition by finishing among the top 20% in its sport.
The AVCA Team Academic Award, which was created following the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
For beach, the Eagles compiled a 3.77 cumulative GPA in 2022-23 — the highest in program history. Four players earned 4.0 GPAs in the fall semester, and three earned perfect grades in the spring.
The spring campaign proved successful in the sand and in the classroom. The Eagles advanced to the ASUN Tournament championship match while three players were named
to the ASUN All-Academic Team:
Kacie Johnson (Frisco, Texas/Lebanon Trail High School)
, Lexie Hamilton (
Naples, Florida/Barron Collier High School/University of North Carolina Wilmington)
and Maddison Parmelly (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall Health).
"We had one of our highest GPAs ever in my time at FGCU, and that is something I am very proud of," FGCU beach volleyball head coach
Chris Sweat said. "We have athletes with some really difficult majors, and seeing them balance life in the classroom and life on the beach court really shows how dedicated they are to being a student-athlete."
The indoor volleyball program compiled a 3.53 cumulative team GPA in 2022-23 while also winning the 2022 ASUN Tournament title. Three student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall followed by six in the spring.
Dana Axner (
Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman High School) and
Erin Shomaker (
Granville, Ohio/Granville High School) were named to the ASUN All-Academic Team.
"Always a good day when we see our team being honored academically," FGCU volleyball head coach
Matt Botsford said. "Our group takes a lot of pride in what they do in the classroom, so this recognition is a big deal and well-earned. Our student-athletes do such a great job balancing their academic and athletic lives, and I appreciate the inherent challenges they face in doing so."
