PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley was one of five Missouri Valley Conference schools and part of a record 55 NCAA Division I programs to earn the Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The Braves earned the honor for the third consecutive year and Bradley is one of 20 NCAA Division I teams to earn the award each of the last three years. All 13 members of the Bradley volleyball team had 3.0 GPA's or better during the Spring 2007 semester and were represented on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the team finished the 2006-07 school year with a 3.46 cumulative grade point average.

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA. A record 55 Division I schools qualified for the honors in 2006-07, including five MVC members.

The Braves have totalled 18 first-team MVC scholar-athletes since 1998 and have had a total of nine ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honorees over the last seven years. Jennifer Bohan became the seventh player in program history to earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors, garnering second-team selection following the 2006 season.

Bradley is scheduled to open practice on Wednesday, August 8. Tenth-year Bradley head coach Scott Luster and the Braves open the 2007 season at the Clarion Hotel Westgate Rocket Classic in Toledo, Ohio on Aug. 24 against Cleveland State at 9 a.m. Bradley will also face Xavier, IUPUI and Toledo during tournament play, before returning home to open the final season of competition at Robertson Memorial Field House. The home slate kicks off with the Radisson Hotel Invitational (Aug. 31 & Sept. 1) and will include Montana, Western Illinois and NCAA Tournament participant Saint Louis.