For the second straight season, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco Volleyball team has earned the American Volleyball Coaches' Association's (AVCA) Team Academic Award for outstanding academic performance.

This year's award was sponsored by INTENT, a company thay specializes in tech, information,and internet solutions to guide student-athletes and service members toward professional and personal success in life after sports and service.

A record number of volleyball programs earned the AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale), to earn the award for their classroom excellence during the recently completed academic year.

NMMI was one of just nine NJCAA D1 volleyball programs to earn the honor.

"I think this was our highest GPA that we've ever had overall as a team," said Bronco Volleyball Head Coach Shelby Forchtner. "Our kids got it done on the court this season, then turned around and did the same in the classroom, not just during the Fall semester when we were playing, but the Spring semster as well. That's just a special accomplishment, by each and every player on the team.

Several of those players will be back on campus come July 27, as the Bronco volleyball team gears up for classes and competition prior to the start of the Fall 2024 term. 

Forchtner and her Broncos start off their season as host of their annual NMMI Classic on Aug. 22-24, which typically showcases some the top -ranked teams in the nation.

NMMI's first match in that tournament will be against Weatherford College on Thursday, Aug, 22 at 7:00 pm MDT in the Cahoon Armory gym, and, as always, the public is welcomed and encouraged to attend all atlhetic events held on the NMMI campus.