ALTAMONT — Winning one of the top academic distinctions in the country, the Labette County Grizzlies volleyball program earned the 2025 Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
The award, given to college and high school teams, was given to 1,450 programs across the nation. Teams must maintain a team GPA of at least 3.3.
“All and all, when you look at athletics, it’s a means to an end for academia,” Labette County head coach Leigh Ann Phillips said. “To see the kids that work hard on their grades get rewarded is great. When I let them know they won the team award, they were pretty excited. They work so hard in the classroom. To see that recognized was pretty cool for them.”
Labette County also earned the additional distinction of making the Team Academic Honor Roll, given to schools in the top 20% of their division.
“That puts us in the top 100ish schools in the country and that’s a huge accomplishment for our girls,” Phillips said. “It’s pretty freaking cool.”
Labette County was one of 16 KSHSAA schools, and one of a dozen public schools in Kansas, to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award. Others included Bishop Carroll, Central Burden, Clay Center, Hesston, Hillsboro, Free State, Linn, Louisburg, Macksville, Maranatha Christian Academy, Phillipsburg, St. James Academy, Troy and West Franklin.
“We talk about being a good student in the classroom,” Phillips said. “I didn’t have to preach that too much with this group. I do grade checks once a week. It’s pushed through me because they know that 1% go on to play college volleyball. So academia is what’s important. And if you do want to play collegiately, outstanding grades help you get more scholarships. Coaches know they don’t have to spend a whole bunch of money on you, and that makes you more marketable.”
On the court, Labette County is coming off an 8-25 campaign last fall. Phillips is entering her third year as head coach of the Grizzlies this season.
“I’ve got girls that are coming in, working hard and doing extra things,” Phillips said. “A lot of them have committed to a club and they’re getting extra gym time. I’m super excited to get this season started. I know the girls are excited to get back on the court this fall. We’ll have some great leaders that are going to step up. We’re going to see some success.”
