In the second match against Sam Houston, Faki worked really hard and scored her first double-double of the year with 14 kills and 12 digs. The double-doubles were followed by Charitonidi and Baka with 12 kills and 13 digs, and 11 kills and 12 digs respectively. Finally, Zampati and Kumanova also had excellent performances, scoring their first double-double of this season with 14 kills and 12 digs for Zampati, and 10 kills and 13 digs for Kumanova. In fact, Zampati scored her second double-double a few hours later in the second game of the day with 12 kills and 11 digs! Great start for Elena Karakassi and Syracuse University, with the senior setter sharing assists and offering 3 wins in a row to her team!
With yet another academic and athletic year ready to unfold before us, the total number of international female student-athletes continues to increase across the US. Hopefully, things will be closer to normal this upcoming fall and a new route in sports, education, and social life will be ready to be explored by young female student-athletes everywhere.
1. What inspired you to come to America to play volleyball? Why the USA? The United States and pursuing higher education in the US is a big idea and a huge dream for a lot of people. It is the epicenter of the western world for many reasons. Even though there are a lot of issues with the USA as a country in many regards, the fact remains that it provides a lot of opportunities. Especially in higher education. The opportunity to combine my studies in biology with a sport that I love on a competitive level was something that I could not pass by.
The freshman Spyros Chakas wins the NCAA Men’s Championship with the University of Hawaii! Kyridis graduates and returns to Greece. Great seasons for Kagialis, Kalagasidis, and Gitersos.
Faki, the first Greek to ever reach the ELITE 8! Baka, shines indoors and on sand. Alexakou earned more individual awards this year!
Dreams come true for the graduate student, Faki, who will continue her postgraduate studies at San Diego State University after managing to become the first Greek female volleyball player to reach the 8 best teams in America with the University of Pittsburgh! Incredible Baka competes indoors and on sand in the same spring season and is distinguished as a top player in both! Alexakou’s titles are continuing, among others with her Big East Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-American, and her entrance in the 1000 kill club!
After almost 20 years from the national title Hawaii Men's Volleyball won in 2002 (to be stripped later due to - now - dated amateurism policy interpretations; 3-time Player of the Year award recipient Costas Theocharidi's case would have been different in 2021) the Rainbow Warriors reached the peak of NCAA Men's Volleyball, winning their officially "first" title after prevailing against perennial powerhouse and historic BYU 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-16).
Spyros Chakas The University of Hawaii men's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season to UC San Diego in the semifinals of the Big West Championship, on Friday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 22-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-23, 18-16. The Greek OH did not participate in this game. Despite suffering its only loss of the season in the Big West Tournament semifinals the University of Hawaii men's volleyball team received an at-large selection to the NCAA National Collegiate Championship and the tournament's No. 1 overall seed.
Faki, Giourda, and Mpakodimou are representing Greece in the NCAA Tournament. UCF and Towson did not manage to advance to the second round, and now Faki holds the blue and white flag with Pitt reaching the top 8 teams in the nation! An incredible year for Papazoglou’s Odessa College, with the end result being ranked in 6th place in NJCAA Division 1!
