LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nine Missouri Valley Conference volleyball teams were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as recipients of the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2009-10 season.  Members of Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Wichita State were part of a record-breaking 94 NCAA Division I programs to earn this distinction.

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year 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.

Indiana State received its 12th-straight AVCA Team Academic Award, marking the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. The Sycamores’ streak is also the longest in the division since the inception of the award, and the second longest among all collegiate divisions.

Both Creighton and Wichita State earned the honor for the seventh consecutive year and are two of eight schools to earn this honor each of the past seven years.  The Jays combined for a 3.37 cumulative team GPA last season and have attained 15 selections on the MVC Scholar-Athlete team over the past seven seasons.

Bradley picked up its sixth-straight award and the Braves are one of 10 NCAA Division I teams to have received the award each of the last six seasons. Bradley finished the 2009-10 academic year with a 3.48 cumulative grade point average and had 11 members represented on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters. 

Southern Illinois garnered the award for the fifth consecutive year. The Saluki squad carried a 3.54 team grade point average throughout the 2009-10 season.  Evansville tabbed the honor for the sixth time in the last seven years under head coach Mike Swan.  

Drake received the honor for the second straight year after finishing the with a 3.50 team grade point average last year.  Illinois State tallied its second straight award, while Missouri State earned its first recognition since the 2005-05 season.

In all, a total of 450 teams earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2009-10 academic year, smashing the previous high mark of 409 schools set last year.