LEXINGTON, Ky. — Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball has earned the distinction as 2026 NAIA Women's Team Academic Champion by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their efforts in the classroom and commitment to excelling as true student-athletes.
Following a historic 2025 campaign, and approaching a fresh 2026 schedule, the Tigers earned top honors in the NAIA Women's category with the highest GPA from the school year, posting a 3.84 team mark on a 4.0 scale. This marks the first time in program history that Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball has earned the champion designation from the AVCA. Along with highlighting the team's excellent standing academically, the award also signifies the sustained success of both the program's on-court and off-court efforts, and with a pair of All-Americans and All-GPAC players returning, the Tigers will be prepared for the upcoming season of competition.
DWU was one of 1,432 total collegiate and high school volleyball teams to earn a 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, and achieved Academic Honor Roll for the third-consecutive year as a top 20% academic program in the NAIA.
See the full release from the AVCA and award winners here. See the upcoming schedule here.