Lexington, Ky. - On Monday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their annual Team Academic Awards for 2025-26. 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 3.34 under Head Coach Thiago Lopes.
A significant number of volleyball programs have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award. More than 1,430 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.
“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.”
STAC finished the 2025-2026 season with an overall record of 12-14 (4-2 ECC), and advanced to the program's third straight East Coast Conference Men's Volleyball Championship Final. The Spartans will return a dozen players from the 25-26 squad.
Congratulations to all of our Spartan Men's Volleyball Student-Athletes on a job well done.
Official AVCA 2025-26 Team Academic Award Release
About the American Volleyball Coaches Association
The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development.
With a membership of over 10,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth, and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors.
The AVCA provides professional development for volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers.
The AVCA, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is managed by Associations International.