AASU Volleyball Earns AVCA Academic Award

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball squad has earned the 2006-07 Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award, announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association this week. The award is given to each collegiate and high school team that maintains at least a 3.3 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale during the school year.

The Pirates had an outstanding year in the classroom as 13 of the 14 members of the team earned PBC Presidential Honor Roll honors for carrying at least a 3.0 GPA for the entire year. As a team, the Pirates carried an overall 3.41 GPA for 2006-07 and AASU was the only Peach Belt Conference volleyball squad to earn the honor. The Pirates were also one of only 29 NCAA Division II schools to earn the award.

This is the first time that the Pirates have earned the honor in the 15-year history of the program. AASU will receive a plaque commemorating the award and each member of the team will receive a certificate.

The members of the 2006-07 AASU volleyball squad were: seniors Nicole Ciapponi, Rachel Falco, Christina Flores, Lauren Good, Adriana Miller, Traci Knuth, Leah Schmiedge and Stacy Yates; juniors Kassi Kixmiller, Stacia McCoy, Rindy Vidovich and Margaret Thornton and freshman Gwendolyn Clarke.