Members of the Wayne State College indoor and beach volleyball teams were recently awarded with team academic honors.
The Wayne State College volleyball team has received the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award announced on July 21 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association office in Lexington, Kentucky.
Also on July 21, it marked the sixth consecutive season the WSC beach volleyball team has received the AVCA Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT.
The Wildcat indoor program continues the longest active streak of consecutive years earning the award at 23 straight years thanks to a cumulative grade point average of 3.65 during the 2024-25 academic year.
To be eligible for the award, a school must maintain a year-long grade point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. This year there were 1,450 collegiate and high school teams that earned the honor.
Senior middle hitter Taya Beller was one of nine Wildcats to receive NSIC All-Academic honors this season while becoming the first-ever female athlete at WSC to earn Academic All-American honors three times.
Other Wildcat volleyball players who earned NSIC All-Academic awards in the fall of 2024 were junior Jordie Nekl, senior Allie Petry, sophomore Laney Kathol, junior Taylor Bunjer, sophomore Gracen Evans, senior Brooke Peltz and sophomore Ella Myler.
The Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family graduate, Beller, received College Sports Communicators Academic All-American Second Team honors to close out her stellar career in a Wildcat uniform.
Beller, middle blocker, completed her first year at the professional level with the Atlanta Vibe. She helped the Vibe go 19-9 overall and a trip to the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship semifinals on May 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Beller appeared in eight matches (21 sets). The Wildcat graduate recorded 26 kills, three service aces, 13 digs and five blocks.
The Wildcat beach team finished the 2024-25 academic year with a cumulative grade point average of 3.69 and were one of 14 teams in NCAA Division II to earn the academic honor. To be eligible for the honor, teams must maintain a minimum of 3.3 on a scale of 4.0 to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award.
The Wayne State College beach volleyball team finished the 2025 season with a record of 14-6, tying the 2022 team for the most wins in a season for the Wildcat program.
The Wayne State College indoor volleyball team ended the 2024 season with a record of 23-7 overall and third place in the NSIC with a 14-4 league mark. The Wildcats were ranked 19th in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
