July 23, 2026

HELENA, Mont. - The 2025-26 school year proved to be yet another academically dominant year, as 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award.

"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."

Five Frontier Conference schools received the AVCA Team Academic award.  They are Bellevue (Neb.), Carroll (Mont.), Dakota State (S.D.), MSU-Northern, and Providence (Mont.)

Carroll and Dakota State were two of the 12 NAIA volleyball programs listed as top 20 percent of team’s GPA.