Foluke Akinradewo

Foluke Atinuke Akinradewo (born October 5, 1987) is a Canadian-American indoor volleyball player, a member of the United States women's national volleyball team and Switzerland club Volero Zurich, a participant of the Olympic Games (2012, 2016), bronze medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 World Cup, silver medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games, and a gold medalist of the 2014 World Championship and 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. She played college women's volleyball at Stanford University. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

Akinradewo was born in London, Ontario, Canada, to Ayoola and Comfort Akinradewo. Her siblings are Folu and Foluso Akinradewo. She holds a tri-citizenship with Canada, Nigeria and the United States, and used to audition for commercials when she was little.

Akinradewo attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where 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. She made her US international debut before the start of her freshman year at Stamford. She helped the US win the 2004 NORCECA Continental Women’s Junior Championship, and then was the starting middle blocker on the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team at the 2005 FIVB World Championships.

Akinradewo majored in human biology at Stanford University.

As a freshman in 2005, she was named the 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. She finished her collegiate career with the best career hitting efficiency (.446) of any NCAA Division I player.

Akinradewo joined Toyota Auto Body Queenseis in October 2010. In the 2010–11 V.Premier League, Akinradewo was named the winner of the Spike award. Akinradewo won the silver medal in the 2012 FIVB Club World Championship, playing with the Azerbaijani club Rabita Baku.

In 2013 Akinradewo's club, Rabita Baku, won the Azerbaijan Super League Championship winning their sixth title in a row. She won the league's Best Spiker award.

2012

Akinradewo competed for Team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She earned a silver medal for her efforts.

2014

Akinradewo was part of the USA national team that won the 2014 World Championship gold medal when the team defeated China 3-1 in the final match. The was the USA's first-ever gold in any of the three major volleyball tournaments.

2016

Akinradewo was part of the US bronze medal winning team at the 2016 Olympics. She started all eight games. She was named in the 2016 Olympic Games Dream Team at middle blocker.

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"
• 2016 Olympic Games "Best Middle Blocker"
• 2016 FIVB Club World Championship "Best Middle Blocker"

College

• 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 Award nominee
• 2005 – AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year
• 2005 – Pac-10 Freshman of the Year

Clubs

• 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
• 2017 FIVB Club World Championship - Bronze medal, with Voléro Zürich