LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2025 Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Team Academic Champions, which is awarded to the program with the highest team GPA in Division II for the 2025-26 academic year.
SMSU finished this past academic year with a GPA of 3.91. It's just the second year the AVCA has named a Team Academic Champion, which is awarded annually to the program with the highest GPA in their respective division.
With the top ranking, SMSU was also named to the 'Team Academic Honor Roll', which celebrates programs in the Top 20 percent of GPAs for their division.
The AVCA 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. The AVCA initiated the academic awards during the 1992-93 academic year.
The year marks the 19
th straight season SMSU has earned the Team Academic award and 21
st all-time.
The Mustangs had 12 student-athletes earn Academic All-NSIC honors in 2025, while four Mustangs, including graduated seniors
Karli Arkell and
McKenzie Tolk, along with 2026 seniors
Leah Jones and
Ashley Peltier, earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades.
"It comes as no surprise to see our sport have more than 1,400 teams earn the AVCA Team
Academic Award again this season," said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "We are grateful for the dedication of the coaches and players who make both classroom and on-court success the lifeblood of their programs."
SMSU finished the 2026 season with a 21-7 overall record, including 14-6 in conference play. Head coach
Tyler Boddy, entering his fifth season, holds a 90-26 overall record, including 57-19 in conference matches. SMSU has won 20 or more matches in 21 of the last 22 seasons.
The 2026 season will get underway with practice in mid-August before the regular season begins in Pensacola, Fla., on Aug. 28-29 at the West Florida Invitational. The Mustangs open the home season on Sept. 18 facing St. Cloud State.
