Aug. 8, 2003

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - On the eve of the start of practice for the 2003 season, the Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team has been named a recipient of the 2002-2003 AVCA Team Academic Award.

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative grade points average.

Southeast was one of just 35 Division I programs to be honored. The Otahkians had a team GPA of 3.40.

Coach Cindy Gannon will welcome the 2003 team members on Sunday when they report for the start of fall practice.

"We are excited about starting practice for this season," Gannon said. "We are also happy that our young women continue to excel in the classroom as well as on the court."

The Otahks open the season with three tough tournaments as they head to Maine to take on the likes of perennial top 25 programs in Penn State and Colorado, as well as Rhode Island and Maine. Next is the Indiana Tournament where they will face off against the Hoosiers, Wisconsin-Green Bay and IUPUI. They finish in the Drake Tournament that will feature Drake, Louisiana Tech, and DePaul. Southern Illinois and Arkansas State finish off the non-conference schedule and Gannon feels that although the schedule is tough, it will help prepare them for the OVC.