Elmhurst College Volleyball Team Earns Academic Honors
(Reprinted with permission from Elmhurst College)

ELMHURST, Ill. -- The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship trophy is not the only piece of hardware the Elmhurst College volleyball team brought home after the 2004 season.  The Bluejays, who have advanced to the NCAA Tournament and won at least a share of the CCIW title for five consecutive years, were recently honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for their academic success. The team was awarded the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2004-2005 season. It marked the fourth straight year the Bluejays have earned the Game Plan award.

Elmhurst was one of 276 schools (both college and high school) that received the award. The Bluejays were one of just 43 NCAA Division III programs and the only CCIW institution to earn the distinguished honor.

To be eligible for the award, the team must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale throughout the entire academic year. The 2004 Bluejay squad had a combined 3.37 grade-point average.

The Elmhurst volleyball team has a rich history of success both on and off the court. The Bluejays won NCAA Division III national titles in 1983 and 1985. The team earned a national runner-up finish in 1987. In the CCIW, the Bluejays have won nine conference championships since competition began in the league in 1986.  In addition to achieving four Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Awards, the Bluejays have also had six individuals recognized as prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-Americans®.

The Bluejays finished the 2004 season with a 32-11 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They were ranked 15th in the final AVCA poll.

 The Bluejays seek their sixth straight CCIW title when they begin the 2005 season on September 3-4 by hosting the Elmhurst College Invitational.