LEXINGTON, Ken. – For the 13^th straight year, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team has earned an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, sponsored by INTENT.

The Team Academic Award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams exhibiting 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. St. Ben's volleyball had a team GPA of 3.590 in 2024-25.

More than 1,450 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 second 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. The AVCA represents women's volleyball, men's volleyball, and beach volleyball coaches, and works to increase exposure and recognition for the sport of volleyball.

CSB, directed by head coach Nicole Hess, has earned team academic honors each year dating back to 2013, and this marks CSB's 26th award since it was initiated in the 1992-93 season.

Saint Benedict, which was 15-12 overall and 8-3 in the MIAC, captured its third MIAC Playoff Championship and earned the MIAC's automatic berth in the NCAA DIII National Tournament in 2024. CSB opens the 2025 season by hosting the CSB Volleyball Tournament on August 29-30 at Claire Lynch Hall. The Bennies start MIAC play on the road at Gustavus Adolphus on Sept. 26 before hosting its home MIAC opener against Hamline University on Sept. 27. Click here for schedule.