WALTHAM, Mass. – Make it a dozen. The Bentley volleyball program earned is 12^th consecutive Team Academic Award, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) recently announced. Teams must have a minimum 3.30 GPA to qualify.

AVCA Release

The 2024 Falcons maintained their academic prowess while reaching new heights on the court. Last year, Bentley won its second consecutive NCAA East Regional title and reached the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history.

Bentley’s historic NCAA run included a five-set win over Ferris State in the national quarterfinals. It was Ferris State’s first and only loss of the season.

The Falcons finished the season with an overall record of 26-7. The AVCA’s final national poll of 2024 put Bentley at No. 18, marking the program’s first-ever national ranking.

For their off-court success, Elizabeth Blinn, Erica Borzone, Jazzy Burke, and Caitlin Wunder each earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators (CSC).  

 

AUSTIN, Texas – Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach Edrick Floréal announced the addition of Keilah Tyson as an assistant coach of sprints, hurdles and jumps on Monday.

Tyson is an accomplished track and field coach and former professional athlete with over eight years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels. A standout sprinter and jumper herself, Keilah competed as a Tier 3 athlete with Team USA, training under legendary coach Brooks Johnson and competed alongside Olympic gold medalists.

“We are thrilled to be adding Coach Tyson to our staff. Her experience at the high school and professional level will prove to hold huge value to our program,” Floréal said. “Her ability to develop young athletes is clear through their accomplishments at the next level of their careers. Coach Tyson will make an immediate impact on our program and we’re excited to have her get started here.”

Tyson most recently served as the boys and girls indoor and outdoor sprints and relays coach at Varina High School. While at Varina, she coached eight regional champions and 25 all-regional honors. The indoor campaign produced six all-state finishes and eight all-region awards. Tyson helped 16 athletes qualify for the Virginia State Championships and ended with seven all-state performances. Prior to Varina, Tyson coached at Mills E. Godwin High school from 2021-23 where the team won Regionals, 11 state titles, 15 all-region honors and recorded four school records. She was also an assistant at Richard Bland College where she worked with both the men and the women’s short sprinters and jumpers.

“I’m extremely honored to serve as an assistant coach at the University of Texas and to be a part of a program with such a rich legacy,” Tyson said. “This opportunity truly fells like the culmination of everything I’ve been working toward by entire life. Track and Field has always been my passion and having been mentored by Coach Floréal, it’s a dream come true to now work alongside him and contribute to this incredible program. My goal is to pour into our student-athletes not just physically, but mentally to realize their full potential.”

Tyson began her coaching career as the head coach at Powhatan High School where she led athletes to unprecedented success—breaking all sprint, jump, and relay records in her first year in 2019. Her leadership produced two national champions, 16 all-state athletes, 10 school records, two Virginia state champions and one state runner-up from 2019-2021. Notably, she coached Anthony Greenhow, the boys’ 100m and 200m state champion and record holder, who went on to earn a full scholarship at South Carolina.

Tyson, a standout track and field athlete at the University of Kentucky, ran under Floréal and was part of the Runner-Up team in 2015. She holds 16 All-SEC honors, multiple NCAA All-American recognitions, and is the Virginia state record holder in the 100m dash and long jump.

Tyson is deeply committed to developing athletes both physically and mentally, fostering teamwork, discipline, and a winning mindset in every program she leads.

“As I step into my first role as an NCAA Division I coach, my goal is to build on my eight years of experience by making a meaningful impact both on and off the track,” Tyson said. “I hope to contribute to the tradition of excellence at Texas by helping develop athletes who are not only physically prepared, but also mentally strong and confident in their abilities. I want to create an environment where athletes believe in themselves and understand what’s possible through hard work and discipline. Ultimately, my goal is to help the team compete at the highest level while also preparing these young men and women for success in life beyond track and field.”

Memphis has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award in each of the last eight years, also earning Team Academic Honor Roll recognition in each of the past four years. The Tigers are one of seven Division I programs to have earned that distinction every year from 2022-25.

For a program to qualify for the AVCA Team Academic Award, it must carry a collective team GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale during the academic school year. To be recognized on the Team Academic Honor Roll, a program’s team GPA must be in the top-20 percent of all programs within its playing division.

ABOUT THE AVCA:

The association’s mission is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development. The membership includes more than 10,000 collegiate, professional, high school, club and youth volleyball coaches, primarily in the United States. 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.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: 

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Volleyball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

 

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference announced on Monday the WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2024-25 academic year. 216 student-athletes from the University of Portland made the list this year, an increase from 183 last season and the highest total ever for the Pilots.

The Commissioner’s Honor Roll highlights student-athletes who achieved high levels of success both on the field and in the classroom. The honor roll recognizes student-athletes that posted at least a 3.0 GPA with 12 credit hours per term while also earning a varsity letter in a sport where the WCC crowned a champion. 1,681 student-athlete made the list this season, just shy of the record-1,686 student-athletes last season.

Honors are split up into three categories. Gold honors go to student-athletes with a GPA between 3.75 and 4.0 on a 4.0 scale, silver honors go to those with a 3.50 to 3.74 GPA and bronze honors are for student-athletes sitting between a 3.0 and a 3.49. Portland had 83 student-athletes earn gold honors, 56 earn silver and 77 earn bronze.

It’s been a record year in the classroom for the Pilots, with Portland student-athletes posting a 3.52 GPA as a whole for the highest department-wide GPA in school history. 20 Pilots earned WCC All-Academic First Team honors this year and 68 student-athletes graduated this spring, including the Class of 2025 valedictorian in UP cross country and track runner Tommy Paltzer. With a Graduation Success Rate of 94%, the Pilots have posted a GSR above 90% for 13 years in a row.

Below is the full honor roll from the 2024-25 academic year.

2024-25 WEST COAST CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER’S HONOR ROLL BREAKDOWN

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HICKORY, N.C. – For the ninth consecutive year, the Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team has earned an AVCA Team Academic Award. The Bears maintained a 3.72 team GPA over the course of the 2024-25 season, tied for the best athletic program GPA at Lenoir-Rhyne last year. 

To be granted this award, the team has to have maintained a year-long GPA of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. In total, a record 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a GPA of at least a 3.3 (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale).

“We’re incredibly proud of our team for earning the AVCA Academic Award, which stems from one of our core goals of always having a high team GPA,” said Head Coach Nicole Barringer. “This recognition reflects the hard word and dedication our athletes consistently show in the classroom. Academic success is always a top priority for our team and we’re committed to maintaining that standard year after year.”

The Bears will begin their season in Hickory on Friday-Saturday, September 5th-6th, with the Lenoir-Rhyne Season Opening Invitational. They face off against Lees-McRae on Friday before taking on Mount Olive and Florida Tech on Saturday. Conference play opens with a home matchup against Anderson on Tuesday, September 16th.