LEXINGTON, Ken. – For the 12^th straight year, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team has earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award, sponsored by INTENT.

Saint Benedict, which had a 3.788 grade point average, was also recognized on the Team Academic Honor Roll for representing the top 20 percent of Team GPAs in NCAA Division III. The Team Academic 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.

More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball programs maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.

 INTENT, which is in its first year of sponsoring the prestigious award, is a game-changing, digital platform links student-athletes (along with military special ops veterans) to a powerful network of candidate-seeking employers. The tech, information and internet company guides student-athletes and service members toward professional and personal success in life after sports and service.

CSB, directed by head coach Nicole Hess, has earned team academic honors each year dating back to 2013, and this marks the 25th award since it was initiated in the 1992-93 season.

Saint Benedict, which was 17-10 overall and 9-2 for second in the MIAC in 2023, has placed second or better in the MIAC in four of the past six seasons and has 841 program wins since 1981. CSB opens the 2024 season against East Texas Baptist University at 2:30 p.m., on August 30 at the Trinity Fall Classic in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of four games at the tournament, which includes games with Texas Lutheran, Cortland, and host Trinity. The Bennies start MIAC play on the road at Augsburg on Sept. 27 before hosting their home opener with St. Catherine on Saturday, Sept. 28. Click here for schedule.