Volleyball: : Ragin’ Cajuns Earn Second Straight AVCA Team Academic Award

LAFAYETTE, La. ï¿½ For the second straight season the Louisiana Raginï¿½ Cajuns volleyball team has been recognized for its work in the classroom, receiving the AVCA Team Academic Award in an announcement by the American Volleyball Coaches on Monday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns earned the award by maintaining a 3.30 cumulative grade point average for the team during the 2013-14 academic year.

"This team continues to impress me every day. Their commitment to academic excellence is amazing and their tenacity in making this volleyball program great in all areas is astounding,ï¿½ Louisiana head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot said. ï¿½They are truly an amazing group of young women."

The Raginï¿½ Cajuns were one of just four current Sun Belt Conference schools to attain the honor, joined by ULM and new league members Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, each of whom competed in the Southern Conference in 2013-14.

In 2013-14, the team qualified for the award by combining to post a 3.421 GPA during the fall and a 3.226 effort during the spring.

The AVCA Team Academic Award was started in 1992-93 as a way of recognizing volleyball programs at both the high school and collegiate level for maintaining academic excellence.

"Too often athletic participation is associated with academic underachievement and this stereotype is simply false when it comes to volleyball," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Couple the smarts represented by these teams with the competitive experience and team-focused training gained on the court and we have a potent formula for future leadership. What a significant contribution that is by their coaches and schools."

The Cajuns return four starters and nine letterwinners from the 2013 squad that went 19-14 and finished in a tie for fifth place in the Sun Belt.

Louisiana opens practice on Friday (Aug. 8), giving them three weeks to prepare before opening the 2013 season with matches against Fresno State, Rice and UC-Davis at the Adidas Rice Invitational on August 29-30 at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston.

#GeauxCajuns

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Ben Rikard

Assistant Sports Information Director

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics

(O): 337-482-6330

(C): 936-554-2077

Twitter: @BenRikard