RAPID CITY, SD (July 23, 2025) – The South Dakota Mines Volleyball Team isn't just making headlines on the court—they're acing it in the classroom, too. For the seventh straight year, the Hardrockers have earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, sponsored by INTENT.
The prestigious honor is awarded to volleyball programs that maintain a year-long team GPA of 3.3 or higher—a feat accomplished by more than 1,400 teams nationwide across both high school and collegiate levels.
"It's very exciting to see that the record-setting, on-court successes during the 2024–25 season have extended to the classroom," said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "The fact that more programs earned the Team Academic Award than ever before is evidence of how committed our coaches are to helping their players reach their goals as both students and athletes."
The recognition caps off a banner year for the Hardrockers, who finished the 2024 season with an impressive 18-9 overall record and 11–3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while making history as the first team in school history to earn a regional ranking in the NCAA era.
"Earning our seventh consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award is a testament not only to the hard work our players invest on the court, but also to their dedication in the classroom," said head coach Lauren Prochazka. "It reflects the core values of our program. I couldn't be prouder of how these student‑athletes represent South Dakota Mines in every facet."
Check out the full list of AVACA Team Academic winners here.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Pawelski
Communications Manager
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Michelle.pawelski@sdsmt.edu
605-394-6082
About South Dakota Mines
Founded in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation's leading engineering, science and technology universities. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and a best-in-class education at an affordable price. The university enrolls 2,579 students with an average class size of 24. The South Dakota Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of $77,067. For these reasons, South Dakota Mines is ranked among the best engineering schools in the country for return on investment. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat.
About South Dakota Mines Athletics
South Dakota Mines is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The RMAC is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.
