LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The South Dakota volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2021-22 season. South Dakota is one of 212 Division I schools to make the list and one of 1,208 total teams to be honored.
 
The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
 
This marks the eighth-straight year that the Coyotes have earned the honor and the ninth recognition overall.
 
"I am so proud of this program for continuing to keep academics a priority each year," head coach Leanne Williamson said. "These student athletes have worked so hard to excel in every area of life, so it is always incredible to see their hard work pay off. It takes each one of our student athletes to earn this award, so it is truly something that they have earned together!"
 
The Coyotes sported a 3.64 team GPA during the season, which helped boost them into the top 20 percent of Division I schools.