Madera-led Otters earns academic award

SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay volleyball team, led by former Madera standout Courtney (Taubert) Matarazzi, demonstrated its strong academic footing once again in 2021–22 by earning the U.S. Marine Corps Team Academic Award presented by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

The AVCA announced its top academic performing teams July 18, recognizing those whose compiled an aggregate GPA of 3.3 or higher.

CSUMB earned the award for the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time since 2014. It’s the longest active streak among all CCAA members. This season’s Otter squad won the award with a team GPA of 3.58.

“MB Volleyball has a history of earning this award and I’m proud of this team for continuing the tradition,” Matarazzi said. “The year was filled with transition on the court and back into classrooms. It not only validates the hard work of our student athletes, but of the CSUMB professors who worked through a pandemic to keep students challenged, supported and engaged.”

In addition to five straight season with this distinction for CSUMB, the award is the sixth straight for Matarazzi after earning five at Fairmont State previously.

The Otters are coming off a season in which they finished 13–9 despite four CCAA forfeits due to COVID. They’ll kickoff their 2022 campaign by hosting the Otter Invitational August 26–27 in The Kelp Bed.