Diana Akopova, a sophomore outside hitter from Barry University, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for volleyball as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Akopova is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 47th year.

“It is an honor to be Barry student-athlete,” said Akopova. “It is such a nice experience to play in this kind of program. I enjoyed every moment with my team and without them I would never get any awards.”

Akopova was most recently named the 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Player of the Year and was named a AVCA DII First-Team All-American. She is the first in program history to earn the AVCA DII Player of the Year honor.

The sophomore, in her first season at Barry after transferring in, was also named the South Region Player of the Year and the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player of the Year. She earned SSC Player of the week five times during the season and was a two-time AVCA National Player of the Week.

Hailing from Mozdok, Russia, the outside hitter led Division II in kills (634), kills per set (5.66), points (710.5), and points per set (6.34), and she had 212 digs and 85 blocks.

“Diana is so deserving of every accolade that has come to her,” head coach Leonid Yelin said. “Her teammates recognized right away that her talent is at such an exceptional level. What they have learned along the way is that she is the ultimate teammate, always wanting to get better and to help everyone around her improve as well. It’s been a privilege to coach her as she is not just a superior performer on the court, but a tremendous person – the best combination.”

All Honda Sports nominees from DII and DIII become a finalist for the prestigious 2023 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network in June, 2023, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 DII and DIII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.

The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.