Sports odds and ends
There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the school year and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher freshmen soccer players Aaryn Gabriel and Karson Yon, and volleyball graduate student Phoebe Awoleye.
With the addition of Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC now in the Big Ten, the four new members have helped improve the conference’s diversity in women’s volleyball this season.
UCLA (3), Oregon (3), Washington (1) and USC (4) bring the total number of Black volleyball players to 40.
Middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye is one of two Black players on this year’s Gopher squad. She played in all 30 matches last season, her first season at Minnesota after spending her previous collegiate seasons at the University of Georgia (her freshman and sophomore years) and her junior year at Loyola Marymount.
Awoleye this season will play out her athletic eligibility as a graduate student. She has a degree in management information systems.
“I finished with my master’s in sports management this summer,” she announced. “I’m just doing non-degree classes and studying for the LSAT this fall.”
Big Ten volleyball in recent years has been tough from top to bottom, and adding four new, also tough programs won’t change that.
“I think it would be just as fun and just as competitive,” Awoleye pointed out. “I think the only thing that will change is that we can’t play as many teams twice.”
After a scheduled two matches this weekend at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge (Baylor on Friday and TCU on Saturday), Minnesota returns home to host St. Thomas September 10 at Maturi Pavilion.
This also is Year 2 under second-year Minnesota Head Coach Keegan Cook. “We’re all being pushed. Everybody’s working very hard,” surmised Awoleye. “I think it’s gonna be just as fun, just as competitive, but it’s just a new level.”
Awoleye said she’s not exactly sure what she wants to do after volleyball is over, even though she is studying to take law school entrance exams. “I want to have options,” she said.
Next — Minnesota this season has one of the three Black assistant volleyball coaches. Look for our interview next week with first-year Gopher Assistant Coach Crissy Jones Schoonderwoerd.