SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga University women's soccer team recently earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award for the fifth consecutive year.

The NSCAA annually recognizes college soccer programs that, in addition to their work on the pitch, excel in the classroom. For a team to be considered for the award, it must have a composite team grade point average of least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for all team members who appear on the official NCAA roster. The GU women posted a 3.36 GPA.

A total of 875 soccer teams — 600 women and 275 men — boasted a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the award for the 2012-13 academic year. Gonzaga was one of 192 schools that had both their women's and men's programs recognized.

In addition to the GU women, eight other West Coast Conference schools received recognition from the NSCAA. Gonzaga and San Francisco posted the highest GPAs among WCC schools. To see a complete list of honorees, click here.