Barry University Athletics

Diana Akopova led the Bucs to the NCAA South Region championship for the first time since 2004, earning conference, regional and national Player of the Year honors. She led the nation in four statistical categories, including kills and points. She set Barry records of kills in a match with 42 against Tampa on Nov. 4 and kills in a season with 670. As national player of the year, she was named a finalist for the Honda Award as the top female athlete in Division II. It is the first award for volleyball since Julia Teixeira split the award in 2011 with Barbi Pocza (women's tennis) and the first solo award since Fernanda Brino in 2005. Overall, volleyball athletes have captured the award eight times.