LEXINGTON, Ky. - The George Mason men's and women's volleyball teams were  honored for their performance off the court, as the Patriots were named recipients of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award.

For the women, Mason and the University of Delaware were the lone representatives from the Colonial Athletic Association among the 102 Division I teams recognized from across the country. Seven men's collegiate teams collected the academic honor, as Mason and Harvard were the sole honorees from the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

A total of 533 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2011-2012 season.  This number broke the previous year's total of 481 and set a new all-time high for this award. 

"Many coaches tell us they take more pride in and hear more positive feedback about winning the AVCA Team Academic Award than anything else they do all year," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "While it is undeniable that the sport we coach is zero-sum on the scoreboard, it is a tool for empowerment on other fronts.  The 533 coaches whose teams won this academic award understand the value of both playing to win and winning through play. A well-deserved congratulations to each team and coach!"  

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. You can view the entire list of winners here.