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Shelter Island’s championship volleyball team receives national honor

 CINDY BELT PHOTO The Shelter Island School varsity volleyball team, recipients of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Award, celebrated its 12th straight County Championship in November 2015.
CINDY BELT PHOTO
The Shelter Island School varsity volleyball team, recipients of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Award, celebrated its 12th straight County Championship in November 2015.

The 2015-2016 Shelter Island School girls varsity volleyball team has earned national recognition for academic success for the second straight year.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Award (AVCA)recognizes teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale. The Island team, undefeated League VIII champions for the 7th year in a row, was also the Long Island Class D champions for the 12th consecutive year.

“Congratulations to the coaches and institutions that won the 2016 AVCA Team Academic Award,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “It is no accident that a volleyball coaches association recognizes academic excellence as a team, rather than an individual, achievement. Players influence each other, both in execution on the court and discipline in the classroom.”

Nominated by Coach Cindy Belt and school Guidance Counselor Martha Tuthill, Shelter Island was one of 260 girls high school teams honored by the AVCA award. Shelter Island was also highlighted as a team which met its “Dig Pink” fundraising goal. Dig Pink is an annual fundraiser for breast cancer research that the team has sponsored since 2008. A full list can be found at avca.org/awards/avca-team-academic-award.html.

The 2016 edition of the championship squad is looking forward to hitting the court for the start of pre-season practice at the end of August.