LEXINGTON, KY — INTENT and the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today that more than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award this season, including the 17th consecutive season for Adelphi University volleyball.
The award, initiated in the 1992–93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
"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 AVCA Team Academic Award than ever before," says AVCA CEO Dr. 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.
Head Coach Danielle MacKnight and her Panthers made the program's eighth appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference finals with its 14th berth to the NCAA tournament in her tenure.
"I am incredibly proud of the priority our team puts on their academic success," said MacKnight. "At this point in my career, it is part of our culture that not only winning on the court is important, but that it also means something in the classroom."
The team put together a 3.737 cumulative grade point average for the 2023-24 academic year, good enough for third best in the department. Three different athletes boasted a perfect 4.0 for the year, including Noelle Alberda, Jaydin Nowak and Brenna Valsted.
For the second consecutive season, MacKnight was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year, coupled with East Region Player of the Year honors for three-time NE10 Libero of the Year, Jamie Yonker.
