MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State volleyball program has received an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the tenth consecutive season.

"This award is a testament to our players' commitment to hard work off the court," said head coach Jaime Gordon. "We always look for student-athletes who can achieve at a high level on the court and also maintain our integrity as a program that cares deeply about academics."

The Eagles earned a 3.50 cumulative grade point average in 2016-17, surpassing the 3.30 GPA barrier needed to qualify. They are just one of 145 out of 334 Division I women's program's to earn this award.

It marks the program's 18th overall AVCA Team Academic Award.

The AVCA announced that 822 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2016-2017 season. This number breaks the previous year's total of 764 to set an all-time high.

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.

The AVCA Team Academic Award, celebrating its 25th year, is the single largest award offered by quantity of schools, players and coaches honored. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but two, while amassing a 532 team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 822.

During the last ten years, Morehead State volleyball has compiled a 3.7 team grade-point average and claimed five Ohio Valley Conference championships.