Footer Producing Powerful Peaceful Passionate Players

Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

Foluke Akinradewo 2-Time Olympian And American Super Middle Blocker

Foluke Akinradewo represented the US where she has grown up to become an American super middle blocker with two Olympic medals among her numerous achievements.

Foluke Akinradewo on how she likes to be on the court....

"....I want to be remembered as someone who just made other people happy. "

Foluke born on October 5, 1987 in Canada has tri-citizenship in Canada, Nigeria and America .

Foluke chose to represent the United States where she has grown up to become an American super middle blocker with two Olympic medals among her numerous achievements.

Volleyball Player Profile Foluke Akinradewo

Foluke attended Saint Thomas Aquinas high school in Florida where she ran track, played basketball and volleyball before becoming a scholarship athlete at Stanford University.

Foluke Akinradewo
Collegiate Volleyball Accomplishments

Foluke finished her collegiate career with the best career hitting efficiency (.446) of any NCAA Division I player

2005 – AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year

2005 – Pac-10 Freshman of the Year

2006 – 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)

Two-time NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (2006, 2007)

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)

2008 – Volleyball Magazine National co-Player of the Year

2008 – Honda Award nominee

Foluke Akinradewo
Olympic Player

Akinradewo has appeared in two Olympic tournaments wearing the American red white and blue jersey.

2016 Olympic Games (Bronze Medal)

Named to 2016 Olympic Games Dream Team as one of the best middle blockers in the Olympic Games

2012 Olympic Games (Silver Medal)

Second-best blocker in 2012 Olympics with 0.89 per set and converted 61.2 percent of attacks into points (.495 hitting efficiency)

Ranked third Best Blocker at the 2011 FIVB World Cup

Foluke Akinradewo
USA Volleyball Player

World Championship Experience

Averaged 2.50 points with a .412 hitting efficiency during the 2014 FIVB World Championship helping USA to their first-ever gold in any of the three major tournaments.

Named MVP and Best Blocker of 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix as she led U.S. to gold

2014 FIVB World Championship Gold Medalist

Starting middle on the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that competed in the 2005 FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship in Turkey

USA Volleyball goes one-on-one with Foluke Akinradewo to discuss the USA Volleyball Cup, Brazil volleyball and her future after volleyball

Major International Competition

2018 - FIVB Volleyball Nations League (Gold)

2017 - USA Volleyball Cup vs. Brazil ... FIVB World Grand Champions Cup (Bronze)

2016 - NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold)...FIVB World Grand Prix (Silver)...Olympic Games (Bronze).

2015 - USA Volleyball Cup vs. China...FIVB World Grand Prix (Gold)...FIVB World Cup (Bronze)...NORCECA Championship (Gold)

2014 - USA Volleyball Cup vs. Brazil...FIVB World Grand Prix (5th Preliminary Round)...FIVB World Championship (Gold)

2012 - FIVB World Grand Prix Preliminary Round...Olympic Games (Silver).

2011 - Montreux Volley Masters (Fourth)...Pan American Cup (Bronze)...FIVB World Grand Prix (Gold)...NORCECA Championship (Gold)...FIVB World Cup (Silver)

Watch highlights of Foluke Akinradewo at the 2015 FIVB World Cup

2010 - Pan American Cup (Bronze)...FIVB World Grand Prix (Gold)...Tour of Brazil...FIVB World Championship (Fourth).

2009 - FIVB World Grand Prix (9th).

2008 - USA Tour of China...U.S. Olympic Team Exhibition for Volleyball versus Brazil…FIVB World Grand Prix (Fourth Place).

2007 - Pan American Games (Bronze Medal).

2005 - Pan American Cup (Fourth)

Foluke Akinradewo
Professional Volleyball Player

Akinradewo has and continues to compete for several of the most important professional volleyball club teams in the world including:

Japan - TAB Queenseis

Russia - Dinamo Krasnodar

Azerbaijan - Rabita Baku
Switzerland - Volero Zurich
Japan - Hisamitsu Springs

MVP of 2016 Club World Championships

Five Fun Facts about Foluke

Did you know that Foluke....

1. Started playing volleyball in 2002.

2. Joined the women’s national team before starting her collegiate career

3. Her first international debut was at the 2005 Pan American Cup which occurred before she began her first year at Stanford University

4. Unlike most volleyball stars, she did not play club football as a youth

5. Has many nicknames but teammates call her "Luke"

6. Voted "Best Middle Blocker" in the 2016 Olympic Games and "Best Middle Blocker" in the 2016 Club FIVB World Championships

Foluke's Volleyball Quotes and Motivational Words

Foluke Akinradewo was asked during an interview about her first week of training…

“I was just awful, and I was sore in areas I didn’t know I could be sore. When I thought about volleyball I thought about picnics and barbecues, really chill, but it definitely wasn’t, so it was kind of a rude awakening, but I think the challenge of it kept me going.”

Foluke on representing the USA

"Anytime I get to represent the USA its such an honor because I'm doing it for the sacrifices they (her parents) made and I get to represent people who look like me, who think like me who have the same dreams as me and who have huge aspirations. Its huge responsibility but I take great pride in it. "

-Foluke Akinradewo

MVP of the 2016 FIVB Club World Championships interview

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From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

utkaprilcollegepiconneylandstadiumvideoboard

Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

katepriorallwestcoastconferencebyufreshmanformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021