Eastern Illinois volleyball program has been recognized with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2025-26 academic year.   
 
The Panthers volleyball team has now won the award seven consecutive years and 12 times overall.
 
To earn AVCA Team Academic Award honors, teams must maintain a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale.  More than 1,400 collegiate and high school volleyball teams in both men's and women's competition earned the award this season.   The award was first initiated in the 1992–93 academic year.
 
EIU volleyball reports to campus in late July for the 2026 season which features a home exhibition match at Gardella Family Court at McAfee Gym on Saturday, August 15 against Indiana State.  This will be the Panthers second season playing in the refurbished volleyball only venue after going 12-0 at home last year and capturing the OVC regular season and tournament championships.  In addition to the OVC home schedule of matches, the Panthers will also welcome Power Four Conference opponents Illinois and Notre Dame to Gardella Family Court in mid-September.
 
Reserved chairback tickets for the 2026 volleyball season are available to purchase online at www.eiupanthers.com or by calling 217-581-2106.