Gardner-Webb Volleyball, and Men’s and Women’s Swimming Receive National Academic Honors

Teams Recognized for Achieving Stellar Grade Point Averages

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Gardner-Webb University volleyball program has been named a 2025 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award winner and Team Honor Roll recipient for the first time ever. In addition, both the men’s and women’s swimming teams received academic honors from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSAA).

Volleyball Only Big South Program to Achieve the Honor

After a stellar year in the classroom, the volleyball team placed within the top 20% nationally for Grade Point Average (GPA) by division. Joining Gardner-Webb nationwide, a record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale to earn the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award.

Across NCAA Division I, the Runnin’ Bulldogs are one of just 47 programs to receive the honor, while also being the only Big South program to do so as well.

Gardner-Webb Volleyball returns to the court for the 2025 season in late August, beginning its next campaign at UNC-Greensboro the weekend of Aug. 29-30.

Swimming Among 432 Institutions Recognized

The Gardner-Webb swim program is among 763 teams from 432 institutions to be named a CSAA Scholar All-America Team for the Spring 2025 semester. These teams, comprising 18,459 student-athletes, were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements.

To earn this prestigious honor, teams were required to achieve a (GPA) of 3.00 or higher during the Spring 2025 semester.

Gardner-Webb’s 23 women earned a GPA of 3.67, and the 20 men on the swim team earned a 3.68.

The swim teams were also recognized with the award for the 2024 Fall Semester, and Gardner-Webb’s swim program has been consistently recognized for its academic achievements over the past 15 years.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.