MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team has once again been recognized for its success in the classroom, earning the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. It marks the 19th consecutive season the Wildcats have received the honor.

The AVCA Team Academic Award recognizes volleyball programs that maintained a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale). During the 2025-26 academic year, 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball teams earned the distinction.

The Wildcats continued to excel academically throughout the year, finishing the winter semester with a 3.79 team GPA. Seven student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs, while 13 Wildcats were recognized on the GLIAC All-Academic and All-Academic Excellence Teams.

Northern also found success on the court during the 2025 season, posting a 15-14 overall record and a 12-4 mark in GLIAC play to earn the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. The Wildcats closed the regular season on a four-match winning streak and claimed a pair of five-set victories over rival Michigan Tech.