ATLANTA, Ga. - The Montevallo women's basketball team was recognized as the 11th ranked team nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, the organization released Tuesday.  This marks the first time in school history that the team has been featured on the list.  The Falcons posted a team GPA of 3.710 and are the only Gulf South Conference team represented on the national honor roll.

"This was one of my number one goals as a coach, academics has always been our focus." remarked head coach Gary Van Atta. "  We have some great kids and we wanted to give them a platform to be successful to which they have taken and ran with it.  Montevallo took notice of our progress in 2019 when the Falcon Success Center recognized Courtney [Van Atta] as a Falcon Success Champion for her efforts with the team academically.  Really proud of our team and coaches, the progress that has been made has been nothing short of phenomenal."   

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2020-21 season is the 26th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

"Congratulations to each of the teams recognized in the 2020-21 WBCA Academic Top 25," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "Their head coaches are to be commended for fostering an environment of excellence for their student-athletes both on the court and, more importantly, in the classroom; particularly with the additional stress this season caused by the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic."