BU earns 13th AVCA Team Academic Award

2025-26 AVCA Team Academic Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- For the 13th time in school history, the Bellevue University volleyball team has earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2025-26 academic year, the AVCA announced today. BU was among a record number of volleyball programs to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award. More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball programs maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale) to earn the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed 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."

This is the second season the AVCA has named a Team Academic Champion for each collegiate division. The 20 programs are being added to this exclusive list for 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.

The Team Academic Award was earned by 10 teams that also won national collegiate championships on the court and in the sand during the 2025–26 season. There are also four schools whose women's, men's, and beach teams are all being honored: Barry University, Pepperdine University, Stanford University, and the University of Hawai'i.

The Bellevue University volleyball team finished the 2025 season ranked No. 7 in the final NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, capping a year highlighted by the selection of three All-Americans: Eve Fountain, Kealy Kiviniemi, and Savanna Berger. The Bruins concluded the 2025 campaign with a 29-5 overall record and a 20-2 mark in Frontier Conference play, finishing second in the league's regular-season standings and as the runner-up in the Frontier Conference Tournament. Bellevue advanced to the NAIA National Championship quarterfinals for the fourth time in program history, marking the Bruins' 18th appearance at the national tournament.

About the American Volleyball Coaches Association

The association's mission is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. The membership includes more than 9,500 collegiate, professional, high school, club, and youth volleyball coaches, primarily in the United States. The AVCA represents women's volleyball, men's volleyball, and beach volleyball coaches and works to increase exposure and recognition for the sport of volleyball.