The Plainfield North High School varsity girls’ volleyball team has once again proven its commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom.
For the seventh consecutive year, the PNHS Tigers earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2024-25 school year.
The team posted an impressive 4.92 GPA on a 5.0 scale, placing them among the academic elite in the nation.
In addition to the Team Academic Award, the Tigers were named to the AVCA Academic Honor Roll, a distinction reserved for the top 20 percent of team GPAs in the high school division. They are one of only 593 high school teams nationwide to receive this honor.
The student-athletes representing the award-winning team are:
• Kaelynn Adkins, ’25
• Lindey Balsano, sophomore
• McKenzie Bates, ’25
• Gia Burton, senior
• Riley Cunningham, ’25
• Isabelle Davis, senior
• Lucy del Alcazar, senior
• Dalynn Duria, senior
• Hope Hartmann, senior
• Claudia Los, sophomore
• Ava Manfredi, junior
• Kayla Overbeek, senior
• Rylee Richards, junior
PNHS Athletic Director George Sam praised the team for their dedication to both academics and athletics.
“Earning this award shows how much they value being true student-athletes,” Sam said. “It’s inspiring to see them set such a high standard for future teams.”
Sam also commended the team's strong work ethic and positive culture.
“This recognition from the AVCA reflects the culture of excellence these players have built and how they support each other on and off the court.”
The AVCA Team Academic Award was established during the 1992–93 season to honor volleyball teams that maintain a year-long team GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale).