July 30, 2012
The Lady Pirates were dominant on the volleyball court at Granbury High School in 2011. And now the girls have also been recognized as dominant in the classroom, receiving a national academic honor for the eighth time in the last nine years.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association recently announced that GHS varsity squad was among 533 college and high school teams nationwide that earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2011-12 season.
The 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. Only 220 high school teams in the nation received the recognition.
“Many coaches tell us they take more pride in and hear more positive feedback about winning the AVCA Team Academic Award than anything else they do all year,” said AVCA executive director Kathy DeBoer. “While it is undeniable that the sport we coach is zero-sum on the scoreboard, it is a tool for empowerment on other fronts. The 533 coaches whose teams won this academic award understand the value of both playing to win and winning through play. A well-deserved congratulations to each team and coach!”
Members of the 2011-12 varsity court were: Laiken Britt, Alexis Carpenter, Sydney Carpenter, Blair Cowden, Shannon Helm, Paige Holt, Madison Martin, Amy Mendoza, Kathryn Middlebrook, Sierra Smith, and Jenna Underwood. Coaches were Tammy Clark, Jennifer Moss, Jesse Kulczycki, and Mallory Smith.
Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, the AVCA has a mission to develop and grow the sport of volleyball as well as provide a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors.
Pictured above, the Lady Pirate celebrate their area playoff victory over Saginaw Boswell last November 3.
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