SERVING UP ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

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July 23, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Notre Dame Prep volleyball earns national academic honor for 19th straight year, extending Michigan's longest streak.

Academic excellence has long been a hallmark of Notre Dame Preparatory School, and that commitment extends well beyond the classroom.

The Notre Dame Prep girls volleyball program has once again been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), earning the organization's 2026 Team Academic Award for maintaining a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.3.

Even more impressive, the Irish, a four-time state champion (2007, 2013, 2017, 2021), have now received the prestigious national honor for 19 consecutive years — the longest active streak in Michigan.

Notre Dame Prep was one of just 19 girls volleyball programs in Michigan to earn the AVCA Team Academic Award this year. Even more exclusive, the Irish were one of only two schools in the state — joining Clare High School — to receive the AVCA's Team Academic Honor Roll distinction, which recognizes programs that rank among the top 20 percent academically within their division. It’s the 19th year in a row on the Honor Roll for NDP volleyball.

For NDP Athletic Director and Head Volleyball Coach Betty Wroubel, this recognition reflects a culture that has defined the program for three decades.

"I'm incredibly proud that our culture values excellence both in the classroom and on the volleyball court," Wroubel said. "This team, like so many Notre Dame Prep teams before it, understands that academic success comes first. Our student-athletes take great pride in representing Notre Dame Prep by striving for excellence in every aspect of their lives.”

She said the recognition is a credit to her team’s hard work, their commitment to one another, and the unwavering support of the school’s faculty.

“We're grateful to everyone who helped make this achievement possible."

The AVCA honored 1,432 high school and collegiate volleyball programs nationwide this year, recognizing teams that demonstrated exceptional academic achievement throughout the season.

"It comes as no surprise to see our sport have more than 1,400 teams earn the AVCA Team Academic Award again this season," said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. "We are grateful for the dedication of the coaches and players who make both classroom and on-court success the lifeblood of their programs."

For Notre Dame Prep, the award is another example of the school's commitment to developing students who excel academically, athletically and personally. Whether in the classroom, on the volleyball court, in the arts or through service to others, Irish students are encouraged to pursue excellence in every endeavor.

The volleyball program's 19-year streak stands as a testament to that mission — and to a school culture where high expectations, dedicated teachers, supportive coaches and motivated students work together to produce remarkable results year after year.

For families exploring educational options, honors like the AVCA Team Academic Award reinforce what more than three decades of NDP students and parents already know: academic achievement and athletic success are not competing priorities — they are complementary parts of an educational experience that prepares young people for success in college and beyond.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.