The Colby Community College Lady Trojans volleyball team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for their classroom performance during the 2016-17 academic year. The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that maintain at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average.

Colby finished with a 3.46 GPA and is one of just 21 two-year college programs in the nation to be recognized.

“This academic honor is well-deserved by our volleyball team,” said Director of Athletics Ryan Sturdy. “It shows that Coach Jones is recruiting high quality student-athletes. The expectations she sets for her team go beyond winning on the court as she also expects them to perform at a high level in the classroom.”

Academic excellence was only part of the equation for a team that also enjoyed success on the court. The Lady Trojans spent most of the season on top of the competitive Jayhawk Conference Western Division, finishing with a record of 12-4 and 24-10 overall.

“Coach Jones has set the academic standard for each of our teams here at Colby,” Sturdy added. “Congratulations to her and the 2016-17 volleyball team for this distinguished honor.”

The 2017 squad is preparing for their season opener at a tournament hosted by Southeastern Community College in Beatrice, Neb. Aug. 25-26. The first home match is August 30 against Dodge City Community College.