KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced on Tuesday that Western Michigan volleyball redshirt junior Charley Andrews has been named a recipient of the 2020 AVCA Diversity Award.

Andrews is one of 26 recipients along with an additional 14 awardees of the 2020 AVCA Diversity Award. Andrews and other recipients will participate in a series of educational, developmental, and relationship building experiences in conjunction with the 2020 AVCA Virtual Convention, Dec. 16-19.

"The largest class of recipients to date, come from all walks of life and represent different backgrounds and coaching experiences form each corner of the country," said Nickie Smith, chair of the AVCA Diversity Development Team.

2020 marks the fifth year for the AVCA Diversity Award. The issues of race relations in American, the incidences of social injustice and the grips of a global health crisis have placed a needed emphasis on being intentional and mobilizing efforts that lead to substantive change for society and the volleyball community.

About the AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. With a membership of over 8,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth, and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.