LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 30, 2026) - For the 14th time in program history, the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award, marking the program's seventh honor in the past eight years.
After first receiving the award in 1993 and again in 2004, the Lumberjacks earned the distinction in four consecutive years from 2009-12 before beginning another impressive run in 2018. Since then, NAU has received the honor every year except 2020. The AVCA Team Academic Award has been presented annually since the 1992-93 academic year.
A total of 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball programs earned the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale).
"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."
In addition to the Team Academic Award, the Lumberjacks were recognized on the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes programs that rank among the top 20 percent nationally in team GPA.
The award caps another outstanding academic year for the Lumberjacks under head coach Ken Murphy. Nine student-athletes also earned Big Sky Conference All-Academic honors: Avery Gottschalk, Gigi Greenlee, Keira Hall, Lilly Holmes, Ella Hosfeld, Kylie Moran, Hanah Stoddard, Sophia Wadsworth and Laney Wilson.
The complete list of 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award recipients is available here.
NAU opens the 2026 season on Aug. 29 in Mississippi before returning home to host the annual Lumberjack Classic from Sept. 9-12. Season tickets for the 2026 campaign are on sale now.
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