VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball Repeats as Marine Corps/AVCA Team Academic Award Winner
The Hope College volleyball team has earned the United States Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2019-20 school year.
The Flying Dutch received the honor for the 11th consecutive time and 12th overall.
The AVCA award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.
Under the direction of head coach Becky Schmidt, Hope reached the regional final of the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament and finished with a 24-8 overall record.
The Flying Dutch were among a record 1,313 teams to claim the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award and a record 231 from Division III.
“The commitment of our student-athletes to their academic success is something that I am very proud of,” Schmidt said. “Despite the challenges of remote learning this spring, our team rallied to not just finish the semester but to make the most out of the situation. Their ability to be flexible adaptors serves them well on the court and in the classroom. I am grateful to be a part of a group that focuses more on making an impact.”
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Men’s Basketball Earns NABC Team Academic Excellence Award
The Hope College men’s basketball team has claimed the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award for the 2019-20 season.
The Flying Dutchmen, under the direction of head coach Greg Mitchell, also had six student-athletes named to the NABC Honors Court.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Award recognizes outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better for the 2019-20 season.
In order to earn an NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, institutions in the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA must count the grade point averages of all men’s student-athletes who competed during the 2019-20 season.
“It’s such a blessing to coach a group that is willing to work so hard on the court and in the classroom,” Mitchell said. “I’m really proud of them for their achievement and how well they embody the student-athlete model.”
