For the second time in a row, the Westbury High School Girls Varsity Volleyball Team received the New York State (NYS) Team Scholar-Athlete Award for the fall 2003 season. Increasing from last year's 90.2-combined grade point average, the girls' team was presented with individual certificates of academic achievement in recognition of their awesome 92.3 average.

Doric Capsis, who began this year as the district's new director of health, athletics and physical education, was impressed with the girls' steadfast commitment to education and athletics. "It is impressive that these girls perform just as great in classroom as they do on the court. Not only have they shown athletic prowess, they have also done so in their studies. Earning a 92 combined average shows they have a clear understanding of time management and discipline," said Capsis.

Ray Williams, physical education teacher and varsity girls' volleyball coach, was delighted about the girls' achievement as well. "This honor is well deserved ... these girls are the epitome of hard work and dedication," he said.

The scholar-athletes receiving this honor are: Stephanie Audain, Rosa Ayala, Kanwal Batool, Yalixa De La Cruz, Monique Midy, Michelle Ojofeitimi, Christy Romero and Roxana Ventura.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. (NYSPHSAA) is the state organization that governs interscholastic athletic competition in New York. One program the NYSPHSAA oversees is the Team Scholar-Athlete Award. This program honors varsity level high school teams which are not only athletically gifted but that are academically gifted. In brief, the award sets an academic standard of a grade point average (GPA) of 90 percent or above.

Depending on the type of sport, the number of players making up the group varies. It is usually the number of players it takes to field a starting team, plus one. In this case, Westbury High School's Girls Varsity Volleyball Team had to have eight scholar-athletes with a 90 GPA or above to qualify. Only high school varsity teams are eligible for the program. Awards are given in each sports season: fall, winter and spring.