OPSU Volleyball Receives Standard of Excellence

Goodwell, Okla.-With three consecutive AVCA awards already on the wall, the
Oklahoma Panhandle State University volleyball team gets the hammer and
nails ready to display yet another plaque recognizing the team’s strong
commitment to academic success.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced a record-breaking
number of teams that earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2012-2013
season. OPSU was among a list of 77 Division II programs receiving the award
this year; that surpassed last year’s record of 69 teams for the D-II level.

The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that display
excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team
grade-point average on a 4.0 scale throughout the academic year. "Excellence
doesn’t happen by accident, either on the court or in the classroom," said
AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "It takes consistent preparation,
relentless effort, and determined leadership. A full year of academic
achievement, by an entire team of individual students, is a remarkable
achievement."

Leadership is certainly an integral key to success and OPSU’s head
volleyball coach Mike Stephens is certainly no stranger to that concept. The
fifth-year head coach shares, "I am very proud of last year’s team to have
accomplished one of our primary goals. As a program we focus as much on
academics as we do the athletics; our academic success is a great recruiting
tool. We will continue using the same philosophy as we attempt to achieve
our 5th year to be named to the AVCA All-Academic Team." Coach Stephens
believes that it is his job "to help prepare players to be successful after
college" and that high academic marks is big part of that process.

Congratulations to Coach Stephens and the 2012-2013 Aggie Volleyball Team
for earning their fourth consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award!

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Justine Gaskamp