Lexington, Ky. - On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their annual Team Academic Awards for 2023-24. The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Volleyball team was selected for this distinguished honor as a result of their outstanding work on both the court and in the classroom this past academic year. STAC posted a team GPA of 3.32 under first year Head Coach Thiago Lopes.
A record number of volleyball programs have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT. More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball programs maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.
“We are pleased that the record-setting success of the 2023-24 season on the court has extended to the classroom, too, as evidenced by more programs earning the Team Academic Award than ever before,” says AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. “This is a great example of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their full potential as both students and athletes.”
INTENT, which is in its first year of sponsoring the prestigious award, is a game-changing, digital platform links student-athletes (along with military special ops veterans) to a powerful network of candidate-seeking employers. The tech, information and internet company guides student-athletes and service members toward professional and personal success in life after sports and service.
STAC finished the 2023-2024 season with an overall record of 11-12 (5-1 ECC), capturing the program's first-ever East Coast Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles. The Spartans will return ten players, from the 23-24 squad.
Congratulations to all of our Spartan Men's Volleyball Student-Athletes on a job well done.
Official AVCA 2023-24 Team Academic Award Release
About INTENT
INTENT is a tech, information and internet company; purpose-driven to guide student-athletes and service members toward professional and personal success in LIFE AFTER SPORTS AND SERVICE.
About the American Volleyball Coaches Association
The association’s mission is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. The membership includes more than 9,500 collegiate, professional, high school, club, and youth volleyball coaches—primarily in the United States. The AVCA represents women’s volleyball, men’s volleyball, and beach volleyball coaches, and works to increase exposure and recognition for the sport of volleyball.