St. John's University Athletics
St. John??' Volleyball Earns GamePlan???/AVCA Team Academic Award
7/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Red Storm volleyball team received its sixth GamePlan???/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2006-07 year, the association announced Thursday.
???I am very proud of this team and all they have been able to accomplish this season,??? said head coach Joanne Persico-Smith. ???The fact that they have achieved so much on the court this season, while being able to display excellence in the classroom as well is a testament to their focus and dedication as student-athletes.???
St. John???s became one of 55 NCAA Division I schools to earn the honor, while being among 303 institutions overall. The Red Storm concluded the 2006-07 academic year with a GPA of 3.45.
???Our student-athletes have dedicated themselves to excellence both on the court and in the classroom,??? said Eric Rienecker, director of academic support for student-athletes. ???These young ladies truly embody the meaning of the term scholar-athlete.???
For the second consecutive year, NCAA Division I set a record for the most collegiate schools at any division to receive the award. Division I surpassed its previous record of 54, which was set during the 2005-06 academic year.
In addition to the GamePlan???/AVCA Team Academic Award, the 2006 BIG EAST regular season champion Red Storm squad placed 13 student-athletes on the BIG EAST Academic All-Star list and another on the ESPN The Magazine Volleyball Academic All-District First Team.
The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year.
Persico-Smith and the Red Storm being their 2007 campaign on Aug. 24 at the USC Trojan Invitational against Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, Calif.
For the most up-to-date information and statistics on St. John's Athletics, please visit www.RedStormSports.com, or call our hotline at 1-888-GO-STORM.
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