Wittenberg University Volleyball Team Earns Academic Award Again

Paco Labrador has players who achieve both on the court and off.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University's volleyball team was one of 287 high school and college programs to earn the 2005-06 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors men's and women's college and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year.

"This award is a great example of how important work ethic is OFF the court," said Wittenberg Head Coach Paco Labrador, who enters his fourth year at the helm with a sparkling 97-15 overall record. "I am proud of each of my student-athletes for pushing themselves to be excellent students during the day and hard-working competitors in the evening."

Recipients of the award included 31 NCAA Division II programs, 44 NCAA Division III programs, 21 NAIA programs, 54 NCAA Division I women's programs, one NCAA Division I men's program, four two-year colleges and 132 high school programs (both boys and girls). Wittenberg, one of just four NCAA Division III programs in Ohio to earn the award, has been recognized by the AVCA six times.

The Tigers, the only member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) to make the list in 2005-06, were just as extraordinary on the court a year ago. While their eight-year run atop the NCAC regular season standings was snapped, the Tigers bounced back to claim a ninth consecutive conference tournament title and earn a berth in the national tournament for the 11th time in the last 12 years. Ranked in the top five nationally all season, Wittenberg then blew through the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Tournament to advance to the national quarterfinals for the third time in four years.

Led by the program's first-ever NCAA Division III All-Tournament honoree Emily Dixon, the Tigers made the first national semifinals appearance in school history before falling to defending champion Juniata College, 3-2. Wittenberg finished 34-5 overall in 2005.

This year, the Tigers return six starters and 10 letterwinners, led by honorable mention All-America outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran), a junior who has ranked among the team leaders in both kills and digs in each of her first two collegiate seasons. Wittenberg opens the 2006 season at a tournament hosted by Juniata Sept. 1-2.

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