Laker Volleyball Earns USMC/AVCA Team Academic Honors

The United States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Monday, July 18 that more than 1,200 collegiate and high school volleyball teams have earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this season. The award, initiated in the 1992–93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale. The Laker girls were one of the teams honored with the recognition, maintaining a GPA of 3.5. Other area teams earning recognition include Altoona, Cameron, Chippewa Falls, Grantsburg and Rice Lake.

“Academic achievement does not happen by accident,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “I’m so proud of the hundreds of coaching staffs that make excellence in the classroom a priority.”

The girls teams at Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Arkansas) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas) head the list of 2021–22 honorees in this anniversary year. They are the only two schools to earn the award in each of the 30 years of the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award’s existence.

Two colleges, Stanford University (Division I) and Stevenson University (Division III), hit the trifecta, as their women’s, men’s, and beach teams all are being honored. Girls high school again has the most winners by category, with 425 teams making the grade. Women’s collegiate beach set a record with 54 teams receiving the honor this season.

Members of the Lakers included Mariah Thill, Ella  Jansen, Courtney Tarman, Allison  Wagner, Jaylee  Humphrey, Morgan  Mrdutt, Shayna Rainey, MaraJade Stoll, Anika Torgerson, Mackenzie  Tarman, Payton Lamont and Emma Jansen. They were coached by Jackie Torgerson and Jill Quade.