LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its Team Academic Awards for the 2023-24 academic year with the Rainbow Warrior men's volleyball team and the Rainbow Wahine beach team each gaining recognition.
 
The Rainbow Warriors ranked among the top four collegiate men's teams to qualify for the honor, while receiving the additional distinction of Team Academic Honor Roll for placing in the top 20 percent of grade point averages in their division. Meanwhile, the BeachBows continued their sustained excellence with their fourth straight season of earning ACVA academic distinction.

The men's team boosted a 3.49 GPA, while the BeachBows had a 3.54 team average during the 2023-24 school year.  The Rainbow Warriors were the lone Big West representative on the men's list, while the Rainbow Wahine were joined by four other Big West schools on the beach side. 
 
Overall, more than 1,400 teams across the nation earned the AVCA Team Academic Award this year. The AVCA Team Academic Award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams (men/women, boys/girls, indoor/beach) that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average.

The beach volleyball team is coming off a 2024 spring campaign in which it earned its seventh NCAA bid and its first Big West championship since the 2018 season. The men's team finished the year with its third straight 20-win season. The Rainbow Warriors were ranked No. 1 for six consecutive weeks, before placing No. 5 in the final ACVA poll.