FOLUKE ATINUKE AKINRADEWO:
Nigerian, 29, Most Decorated America’s Volleyball Superstar…Trained with US National Team, Won Gold Medal/MVP
*Born in London to Nigerian Parents, Had Childhood in Ontario (Canada)
*Named All American Selection in 2003 and 2004, All State Selection 2002, 2003, 2004
*Studied Human Biology at Stanford University, Four Time Florida State Champion in track
BY TINUOLA ABEKE/SPORTS REPORTER, NEW YORK, USA
SHE is very beautiful, charming, humorous and lively. She has no dull moments. She is highly intelligent, cherishes details and passionately in love with volleyball right from her childhood days. At the age of 15 years from her High School days, she developed fast on academics, never took her eyes off her dream of volleyball, which eventually took her all around the states in America. Today, she is one of America’s most decorated volleyball super star and it is interesting knowing she is a Nigerian, though she has two other citizenship from Canada and United States.
Foluke Atituke Akinradewo, tall, ever-attractive lady became a member of the Unite States National Indoor Volleyball team and during the 2012 London Olympics. She played college women’s volleyball at Stanford University. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008. From February to July 2008, she trained with the United States National Team and was an alternate on the 2008 Olympic team. Akinradewo won the gold medal and the MVP award at the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. Due to her exceptional and overwhelming beauty, voice, she used to audition for commercials when was a little girl.
Educational Career
Akinradewo is a lady who believes Education in life is key to open doors and that combined with endowed talent by divinity, one can attain success even beyond the sky. Her life is that of celebration and thanksgiving to God.
She attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when she was a three-year letter winner in volleyball and was also on the basketball and track & field teams. She was an All-American selection in 2003 and 2004 and an all-state selection in 2002, 2003 and 2004. She was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Volleyball Player of the Year in 2005. In addition to volleyball, she was an all-state selection in basketball and was a four-time Florida State Champion in track
Educational Experience in Stanford University
Akinradewo majored in human biology at Stanford University. As a freshman in 2005, she was named thee Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and the American Volleyball Coaches Association(AVCA) Pacific Region Freshman of the Year.
She was named an AVCA Second Team All-American and led the squad in hitting percentage (.397), a mark which ranked third in the Pac-10, 13th in the nation and third for a single-season in school history. In 2006, she was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team as she led Stanford to an NCAA Division I runner-up finish to Nebraska. For the year, she was named a First Team All-American by the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine.
In 2007, Akinradewo was named the AVCA National Player of the Year and was the Honda Award winner for volleyball. She broke the Pac-10 and Stanford single season hitting percentage record by more than 50 points, as she averaged .499 percentage, a mark that was first in the nation and second since rally-scoring was introduced in 2001. She was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team as she led Stanford to their second consecutive Division I national runner-up finish to Penn State. As a senior in 2008, Akinradewo repeated as the Pac-10 Player of the Year and got her third consecutive Honda Award nomination. She repeated as a First Team All-American and led Stanford to their third consecutive NCAA title match.
International Career
For her International Career, she was chosen on merit as parts of Team USA. Akinradewo competed for Team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics where she earned a silver medal for her efforts.
Awards won as an Individual)
* 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix “Most Valuable Player”
* 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix “Best Blocker”
- 2011 2010–11 V.Premier League– Spike award
- 2012-13 Azerbaijan Super League “Best Spiker”
*Four-time AVCA All-American (2005, second team; 2006–08, first team)
- Three-time Volleyball Magazine first team All-American (2006–08)
- Four-time All-Pac-10 team (2005–08)
- Two-time NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (2006, 2007)
- 2008 –Volleyball Magazine National co-Player of the Year
- 2008 – Honda Award nominee
- 2008 – Pac-10 Player of the Year
- 2007 – AVCA National Player of the Year
- 2007 – Pac-10 Player of the Year
- 2007 – Honda Award winner for volleyball
- 2007 – NCAA Stanford Regional MVP
- 2007 – Pac-10 Player of the Week (Oct. 1)
- 2006 –Honda Awardnominee
- 2005 –AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year
- 2005 – Pac-10 Freshman of the Year
Clubs Edit
- 2012 FIVB Club World Championship– Runner-Up, with Rabita Baku
- 2012-13 CEV Champions League Runner-Up, with Rabita Baku
- 2012-13 Azerbaijan Super League-Champion, with Rabita Baku
