DES MOINES, Iowa – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has honored the Drake University volleyball team with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2014-15 season.

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors programs that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average.

The Bulldogs recorded a team GPA of 3.38 during the 2014-15 season including an impressive 3.49 during the spring semester.

“I'm really proud of our team earning this honor,” said head coach Darrin McBroom. “Last year's team did a great job of achieving this award and advancing our program in the classroom and on the court.

A total of 147 Division I programs earned the honor including nine of the 10 Missouri Valley Conference teams.

“I'm even more proud of our team achieving this honor at a rigorous academic institution like Drake,” McBroom said. “Many of our student-athletes are pursuing extremely challenging majors, which makes our team GPA even more impressive. We recruit student-athletes that are prepared for the demanding curriculum Drake offers and feel that gives them a great advantage after they receive their degree.”

The AVCA Team Academic Award adds to a solid season in a the classroom for the team as the Bulldogs were also recipients of the NCAA Public Recognition Award. The award is bestowed upon programs with an NCAA Academic Progress Rate that ranks in the top 10 percent nationally.

The team begins its 2015 season on Friday, Aug. 28 with the first of four games at the Western Illinois Invitational in Macomb, Ill.