July 28, 2009

Garden City, N.Y. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that a record 409 teams earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2008-2009 season on July 23, including the Adelphi University women's volleyball team. The number smashes the previous high mark of 354 schools set a year ago.

The Panthers, boasting a 3.5 team GPA, were one of just 46 NCAA Division II schools to receive the honor, joining the University of New Haven as the only Northeast-10 Conference representatives on the list. Adelphi tied a school record for wins in a season (27) during the 2008 season and earned the programs second NCAA Division II Tournament bid in program history.

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 4.0 scale.

Adelphi opens the 2008 season on August 27 when they travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to take on Hawaii-Hilo, Chaminade, BYU-Hawaii and Hawaii-Pacific.