LEXINGTON, Ky. - Central Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin and UT Arlington are three of the 94 NCAA Division I programs that earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Academic Team of the Year Award for the 2009-10 season. Overall, the AVCA handed out 450 team awards at all levels, which broke the previous record of 409 set in 2008-09.

For the second consecutive year, the UCA volleyball team received the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2009-10 season. The Sugar Bears recorded a 3.43 overall grade-point average for the year. It is the third time in five years, that head coach Steven McRoberts' team has received the award.

Stephen F. Austin and UTA are two of only six Texas institutions to receive the award. This is the first award of its kind since SFA won the award in five consecutive season from 2000-04.

The Mavericks had 10 volleyball student-athletes tally at least a 3.0 GPA in both semesters, including the fall and spring semesters and there were six perfect 4.0 GPA's recorded. UT Arlington had a 3.41 team GPA for the spring semester and posted a 3.35 team GPA in the fall semester. In fact, under the direction of Head Coach Diane Seymour, UTA has tallied at least a 3.0 team GPA in 12 consecutive semesters, dating back to Seymour's first season in 2004. Eleven of the 12 volleyball student-athletes on the 2009 squad landed on the UTA Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll at least once during the 2009-10 school year.

The AVCA Team Academic Award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams at the high school and college level that are successful in the classroom. Nominees include high school or college teams that have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 (on a 4.00 scale) or 4.10 (on a 5.00 scale) during the full academic year (both semesters or all quarters), and include all varsity athletes who competed in volleyball with the institution for any portion of the academic year.