Complete AVCA Academic Team Recipients (.pdf)

LEXINGTON, Ky. –  The 2012-2013 Baldwin Wallace University volleyball team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team Award.  BW was one of five Ohio Athletic Conference schools and one of nine Ohio NCAA Divivsion III Colleges/Universities to receive this honor.

The award, which was first awarded during the 1992-1993 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

The Yellow Jackets posted a 3.314 team grade point average last season.  In addition, three of the team's returning student-athletes earned Academic All-OAC honors, given to student-athletes who carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50.  They were senior Rachel Switalski (North Royalton/ Parma Heights Holy Name), junior Colleen Bonacci (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) and sophomore Alayna Chlad (Kent/ Roosevelt).

"We are extremely pleased to receive this tremendous honor as a team and on behalf our of outstanding student-athletes," said veteran Head Coach Vicki Brault, who has a 409-300 career record in 22 years. "Our student-athletes understand that academics are their first priority.  We are very proud of our young women."

BW, who returns nine letterwinners, opens its season at the Westminster College Tournament in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania on Friday, August 30.  The Yellow Jackets first play The College of Wooster at 6:00 and then plays Westminster at 8:00 p.m.  BW has it first home matches on Friday and Saturday, September 6-7 when it hosts the 15th Annual Marcia French Memorial Tournament.

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact SID Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu and Assistant SID Jeff Miller by telephone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.