Aiyana
Whitney
Athlete Bio#
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Height
6'4"
Hometown
Norwood, New Jersey
Education
Northern Valley Old Tappan High School (Old Tappan, N.J.)/2011 Penn State
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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