SACRAMENTO, Calif.
(Dec. 14, 2007) – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to
announce that Stanford University junior Foluke Akinradewo was selected as the
2007 AVCA Division I National Player of the Year. The award was presented
tonight at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet in Sacramento,
Calif., as part of the 2007 AVCA Annual Convention.
“If
someone would have told me when I first started playing volleyball as a
sophomore in high school that I’d be here receiving this award, I’d have thought
they were crazy,” said Akinradewo. “I’m around a bunch of amazing athletes up
here (with my fellow All-Americans), and to be chosen among all of them is a
great honor. I’d like to thank the coaches at Stanford for all of their hard
work and all of my teammates who have helped me develop.”
Akinradewo has enjoyed another record-breaking season in 2007. The 6-3 middle
blocker leads the NCAA in hitting percentage (.503) and could break the all-time
Division I single-season mark held by Maria Andonova of Florida A&M in 2004
(.504) tomorrow when Stanford faces Penn State in the NCAA championship match.
Her 2007 hitting percentage is the highest one-season total in Pacific-10
Conference history by more than 50 points and bests the school record she set in
2006. She also is on pace to set the career hitting percentage record in NCAA
Division I.
The Plantation, Fla., native is a three-time AVCA All-American, having earned
first-team honors in 2006 and 2007 and second-teamer in 2005. She was the 2007
Pac-10 Player of the Year and is a three-time, first-team all-conference
selection. In 2005, she was tabbed the league’s Freshman of the Year.
During Akinradewo’s three years in Palo Alto, Stanford has compiled an 88-12
record, including a 32-2 mark this season. She has helped the Cardinal to NCAA
championship match appearances in 2006 and 2007, and Stanford has captured the
last two Pac-10 titles.
In addition to her accomplishments at Stanford, Akinradewo has made her presence
felt on the international level. She was a starter on the U.S. National Team
that won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan Am Games. In January she will head to
Colorado Springs, Colo., and join the National Team as it continues preparation
for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
AVCA Division I National Players of the Year:
2007: Foluke Akinradewo (Stanford)
2006: Sarah Pavan (Nebraska)
2005: Christina Houghtelling (Nebraska)
2004: Stacey Gordon (Ohio State); Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford)
2003: Kim Willoughby (Hawai’i)
2002: Logan Tom (Stanford)
2001: Logan Tom (Stanford)
2000: Greichaly Cepero (Nebraska)
1999: Lauren Cacciamani (Penn State); Kerri Walsh (Stanford)
1998: Misty May (Long Beach State)
1997: Misty May (Long Beach State)
1996: Angelica Ljungquist (Hawai’i )
1995: Cary Wendell (Stanford); Allison Weston (Nebraska)
1994: Laura Davis (Ohio State)
1993: Danielle Scott (Long Beach State)
1992: Natalie Williams (UCLA)
1991: Antoinnette White (Long Beach State)
1990: Bev Oden (Stanford)
1989: Tara Cross (Long Beach State); Teee Williams (Hawai’i)
1988: Tara Cross (Long Beach State)
1987: Teee Williams (Hawai'i)
1986: Mariliisa Salmi (BYU)
1985: Kim Oden (Stanford)
