Gamecocks Earn AVCA Team Academic Honors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its Team Academic Award recipients on Monday afternoon. South Carolina made the list for the tenth-straight season, and the 11th time overall since the award began in 1993.

The award recognizes college and high school volleyball teams that maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. For 2018-19, 1,125 teams were recognized by the AVCA, marking the 14th year in a row of nation-wide improvement from the previous school year. South Carolina maintained an in-season grade point average of 3.526 for the fall semester, all while enjoying the program’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in 16 years, then recorded a mark of 3.490 in the spring term.

South Carolina returns six starters from the 2018 postseason run under head coach Tom Mendoza, and a total of 11 student-athletes who saw playing time over the course of the season. The Gamecocks will hold their annual Garnet and Black scrimmage on Aug. 17, and kick off the regular season on Aug. 30 with a weekend tournament in Pittsburgh.