LEXINGTON, Kentucky – The Gannon volleyball team continued its tradition of academic excellence by earning the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. 

The recognition marks the program's 13th consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award and the 17th in program history.

The Golden Knights posted a 3.692 team grade-point average during the fall semester before improving to a 3.725 GPA in the spring, highlighting another outstanding year in the classroom.

"My team was great in the classroom again this year, and adding the AVCA Team Academic Award to our 2025-26 accomplishments puts the final stamp on a great year," said head coach Matt Darling. "I'm proud of the team for their work on the court and in the classroom."

The AVCA Team Academic Award recognizes collegiate and high school volleyball programs that maintain a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. 

A total of 1,432 volleyball programs across the country earned the distinction during the 2025-26 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."