LEXINGTON, KY – The Oklahoma Baptist volleyball squad earned one of the nation's most prestigious academic honors when it was named as a recipient of the AVCA Team Academic Award, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Thursday, July 23. The Bison were one of nearly 1,500 teams to earn the honor, which was given to men's and women's programs across the high school and collegiate volleyball ranks.
OBU posted a 3.51 grade-point average in 2025-26 to earn the award for the second year in a row, the seventh time overall, and fifth time in the last eight years. In order to be eligible for the award, volleyball teams must have maintained a year-long GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale).
The Bison had a strong year on the court and in the classroom, as four different student-athletes,
Emily Boyer,
Melody Donegan,
Karsyn Hunter, and
Rylee Unruh earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors back in December.
"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."
