DWU volleyball named NAIA academic national champion with top GPA in 2025-26

Jul. 23—LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball team had the No. 1 team grade-point average in NAIA for 2025-26, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

>The Tigers earned top honors in the NAIA Women's category with the highest GPA from the school year, posting a 3.84 team mark on a 4.0 scale. This marks the first time in program history that Dakota Wesleyan volleyball has earned the champion designation from the AVCA.

>The AVCA honors teams for efforts in the classroom and commitment to excelling as student-athletes. DWU was a top 20% academic program in the NAIA for the third year in a row, making the AVCA Academic Honor Roll. In fall 2025, DWU volleyball had 14 athletes honored as NAIA scholar-athletes with a 3.5 GPA or better.

>That made the 2025-26 season a successful one both on and off the court for DWU, which had 20 wins, two victories in the NAIA tournament and a pair of All-Americans in Kayleigh Hybertson and Lizzie Tyler.

>DWU was one of 1,432 total collegiate and high school volleyball teams to earn a 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, and achieved Academic Honor Roll for the third-consecutive year as a top 20% academic program in the NAIA.

>The Tigers begin a new season at the our Lady of the Lake Invitational on Aug. 14 in San Antonio, Texas, facing Saint Francis (Ind.). DWU's home opener is Sept. 9, opening Great Plains Athletic Conference play with Dordt.