Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc.

09/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/04/2026 09:54

PBA Volleyball’s Academic Excellence

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For over a decade, and counting, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) volleyball has earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award.

"It has been a decade in a row on the AVCA all-academic team, which is awesome, and it's something that is important to us," said PBA volleyball head coach Jeff Huebner.

The Sailfish are among 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball programs recognized nationally for maintaining a year-long team grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

The volleyball program surpassed the 3.3 GPA requirement and posted a 3.41 team GPA during the academic year to earn national recognition.

Senior Outside Hitter Dominae Jordan holds academics to a higher standard than the sport she loves to play.

"I think academics is even higher than volleyball," said Jordan. "We come to this school to be students, and then also athletes. We hold our team to a standard of being excellent students as much as athletes. I remind them that it's been 10 years since we've held this award, and I don't think this year or any year to come is time to break that streak. If they're going to represent PBA, they need to know that wearing the uniform is also being able to execute off the court."

Jordan has mastered balancing life as a student-athlete. However, for freshman Katherine Silcott, making the transition from high school to college is not as easy.

"It's definitely a challenge," said Silcott. "Academics are very important to me. I want to be a nurse. You have to learn where to cut out time for academics and prioritize the not-so-fun things for a later benefit."

Mandatory Study Hall

Coach Huebner requires the volleyball team to complete four hours of study hall per week along with regular check-ins with the coaching staff to ensure each player is managing their academic requirements.

"They stay on top of us," said Silcott. "We have to log those hours and have coach sign them. They trust us to do what we're supposed to do, and they hold us accountable to take care of responsibilities in the classroom."

Jordan, in her second season at PBA, agrees with being held accountable.

"I'm a big 'List' person. I love getting things done. In every game we have tasks and a game plan to figure out how to win. I think the same academically. We know we have assignments. We know we have tests. You must figure out a game plan to achieve a win off the court. Same way on the court," said Jordan.

Resources are available if needed, such as the Office of Academic and Accessibility Resources (OAAR) and 24/7 tutoring.

Academic Success Translates to Athletic Success

The Sailfish volleyball team has both academic and athletic priorities figured out. After being picked to finish third in the Sunshine State Conference, PBA has backed up that preseason ranking with a 3-1 record to start the 2026 season.

"If our athletes have [a] good balance with their academics, athletics, and spiritual walk, then they're going to perform better on the court because they're going to be where their feet are. If they are stressed in class because they're not handling their schoolwork and they're behind on assignments, that is inevitably going to carry over into their focus, practice and affect their volleyball," said coach Huebner.

To stay up to date with the PBA volleyball season, click here.

Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc. published this content on September 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 04, 2026 at 15:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]