Aiyana
Whitney

Athlete Bio#

Height

6'4"

Hometown

Norwood, New Jersey

Education

Northern Valley Old Tappan High School (Old Tappan, N.J.)/2011 Penn State

Most Notable

Scored 91 points at the 2018 Pan Am Cup to rank third in scoring, including 27 points in the gold-medal victory over Dominican Republic
Helped Penn State to the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in 2013 and 2014 while at Penn State
Selected AVCA All-America Second-Team as a junior in 2014 at Penn State

Major Competitions

2018: Pan American Cup (Gold)
2017: USA Volleyball Cup vs. Brazil; FIVB World Grand Champions Cup (Bronze)

Did You Know

Nickname is "Yani"
Named AVCA All-Northeast Region in 2015 as a senior at Penn State
Graduated from Penn State University with a degree in journalism and sports production in 2015
Her uncle, Ubusuku Abukusumo, played soccer for the Columbus Crew from 1997-2000
Last youth club volleyball team was Digs Volleyball Club in Norwood, New Jersey
Father is Alvin Whitney and mother is Vanessa Abukusumo-Whitney
Siblings are brother Khalil and sister Anissa

Aiyana Whitney's Favorites:
Book: The Shack ... Music Type: Hip-Hop/R&B ... Musical Group/Person: Cza ... Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio ... Professional Team: Golden State Warriors ... Athlete: Serena Williams.

Hobbies and Interests: Movies, Books, Poetry

Most Admired Person: Her mother because "she's the strongest woman I know. She gave me someone to look up to from a very young age."

Happiest Moment in Life: "Winning the NCAA National Championship in 2014 with my fellow Nittany Lions."

Path to the Podium

Started playing youth club volleyball with Cutshot Volleyball Club in 2006 and completed her youth career with Digs Volleyball Club
Played for Northern Valley Old Tappan High School in New Jersey
Selected AVCA Second-Team All-America as a junior at Penn State
Helped Penn State win the NCAA championship as a senior in 2013 and 2014
Made debut with U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup