LEXINGTON, Ky.--Cumberland University's men's and women's volleyball programs have once again been recognized among the nation's top academic programs, with the Phoenix men earning AVCA Team Academic Champion honors and both teams receiving the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Thursday.

The AVCA Team Academic Award recognizes volleyball programs that maintained a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale during the 2025-26 academic year. In addition, the AVCA names a Team Academic Champion in each collegiate division, recognizing the program with the highest team GPA in the nation.

Cumberland Men's Volleyball claimed that distinction in the NAIA, earning the program's second consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award after receiving its first honor in 2025. The Phoenix women collected their ninth overall AVCA Team Academic Award and eighth consecutive recognition.

The Phoenix men's volleyball team recorded a 3.556 GPA during the 2025-26 academic year to lead all NAIA men's volleyball programs, while the women's team posted an impressive 3.689 cumulative GPA.

A total of 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball programs received the AVCA Team Academic Award this season, highlighting the continued commitment to academic excellence throughout the sport.

The recognition adds to another outstanding year in the classroom for Cumberland Athletics, which finished the 2025-26 academic year with a 3.334 department-wide cumulative GPA, 304 Mid-South Conference Academic All-Conference selections, and 164 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

The AVCA Team Academic Award has been presented annually since 1993, while the Team Academic Champion distinction was introduced in 2025 to recognize the highest-achieving academic volleyball program in each collegiate division.