The first word that should come to mind for BGSU volleyball’s program is dominance.

With five Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament Championship appearances since 2019, it might surprise people to hear that the Falcons excel even more in the classroom. 

Development from top to bottom has earned BGSU volleyball accolades athletically and academically, most recently on July 17th when the Falcons earned their 24th straight American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, which is given to a team that maintains a 3.3 team GPA or higher.

The Falcons finished the spring 2024 term with a 3.798 term GPA, with seven student-athletes posting a 4.000 GPA and 10 total Dean’s List players. 

This success begs the question, “How do they do it?” While the answer can be partially found in the weight room and on the practice court, the full reason is actually in the culture. 

“We think excellence is part of everything we do, not just being the best volleyball player but similarly for our academics: be the best students that we can be, the best friends, and the best citizens that we can be; that’s excellence,” head coach Danijela Tomic said. 

The emphasis on molding the best all-around person was major in BGSU’s success on the court. This allows the Falcons to recruit players that strive to be good people as well as stellar athletes, Tomic said.

Graduate student defensive specialist Lindsey LaPinta said while the bond with her teammates played an important role in returning for another year of volleyball, so did the potential for career growth she saw being part of the School of Business at Bowling Green. 

“My long-term goal is to own a small business, and I want to market corporate after college. I even took an internship over the summer and got a job with BG’s Chamber of Commerce,” LaPinta said. 

The increased emphasis on academic growth can put a strain on a student-athlete who must fit travel time, practice, schoolwork, and other life events into 24 hours. This is where student-athlete services come into play. 

Meghan Horn, the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Services, plays a big part in making sure that the student-athletes can handle such a high workload. 

“We want to make sure that our student-athletes graduate and meet NCAA requirements to play,” Horn said. “Student-athletes have to be in multiple places at all times, so we make sure that they adjust into their roles as student-athletes, especially freshmen and transfers.” 

Tomic says that the team’s dominance starts and ends with a strong culture and a hunger to be the best. 

“We have a team built around our student-athletes, but our student-athletes are the ones that do the work,” Tomic stated. “When new players come to our program, they see upperclassmen doing study tables, studying on the bus, in the library on campus, in their rooms, even in the lobby of the hotel, and in that way, they become a part of the culture of excellence.”