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Olympian

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
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