Lexington, Ky. – Western Carolina volleyball assistant coach Katie Butler was recently honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) with the Togetherness, Empowerment, Accessibility, Mentoring (T.E.A.M.) Award.

Butler, a four-year collegiate letter winner between Rhode Island and North Texas, just completed her first season on the Catamount sidelines under head coach Karen Glover.

The AVCA, in collaboration with the newly established AVCA Ad Hoc T.E.A.M. Committee, is driven to foster a strong sense of community for coaches, deliver meaningful value, and empower them as leaders at all levels of the sport—while also supporting their growth and long-term success in their coaching careers.

The committee is pleased to announce the 44 recipients of this year's T.E.A.M. Awards. The coach development program, which originated in 2015, will bring these volleyball leaders to the 2025 AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Mo. At the event, recipients will participate in a series of educational seminars—many of which focus on professional and personal development for coaches—and take part in additional relationship-building experiences during the Convention.

"We are very excited to be honoring these 44 volleyball coaches, and future coaches, with the T.E.A.M Awards," said Committee Chair Charita Stubbs, who is the head women's volleyball coach at the University of Arizona. "Bringing the 2025 recipients to the AVCA Convention is a very tangible example of the committee living into its mission to empower coaches and provide meaningful experiences where they can further develop their skills and grow as leaders in our community."

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