Lexington, Kentucky - The American Volleyball Coaches Association has released its Team Academic Award honorees for the 2025-26 academic year with Piedmont University making the list under first-year Head Coach Kat Tatum. 

Weeks away from starting her second season in charge, Tatum's team is one of 1,432 from across all three divisions of the NCAA as as well as NAIA to earn the award this past 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."

Teams that have received the award for 10 or more years are highlighted on the list of honorees for their consistent commitment to academics. Two programs hold the extraordinary record of receiving the award for 34 consecutive seasons: the girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).

This is the second season the AVCA has named a Team Academic Champion for each collegiate division. The 20 programs are being named to this exclusive list based on having the highest GPAs in their respective divisions. The AVCA also celebrates programs in the top 20 percent for their division by recognizing them with the Team Academic Honor Roll distinction.

Piedmont's honor in 2025-26 marks the first time the program has earned the distinction since 2016-17.  Programs earn the AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale

About the American Volleyball Coaches Assocation
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is a professional organization founded in 1981 that supports over 10,000 volleyball coaches. It is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and serves indoor, beach, and Olympic coaches across college, high school, and club levels