LEXINGTON, Kentucky – For its excellence in the classroom, the Nicholls State University beach volleyball team earned the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) academic award as announced by the organization on Thursday afternoon.
 
Nicholls posted a 3.437 team GPA while having Ariana Matallana, Claire Reed, Addison Prine, Brooklynn Wilkinson and Tierney Terrell named to the Southland Conference All-Academic team.
 
Volleyball programs from across the country continue to enjoy widespread success off the court as 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams earned the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale).