DIANA AT A GLANCE: Outstanding hitter ... Great volleyball IQ.
SENIOR (2024): Played in 98 sets over 29 matches... Second in the country in points per set (6.03), third in the country in kills per set (5.24), while fifth in total kills (514). All statistics were good for best in the SSC... She added 24 assists, 25 service aces, 210 digs, and 80 blocks.. Akopova notched multiple Barry records with most solo blocks in a game against NSU (6), most kills (38) and points (42.5) in a four set match against Lynn, became the all-time leader in kills in her final career match against Tampa with 1685, all-time leader in kills per set (5.32), all-time leader in attack attempts (4011), and the all time leader in points per set (6.04)... Named First Team All-SSC, SSC Player of the Year, First-Team AVCA All-Region, AVCA South Region Player of the Year, First Team AVCA All-American, D2CCA All-South Region, D2CCA All-American... Led the team back to the NCAA South Regional Semifinals, named to the All-Regional Tournament...Â
JUNIOR (2023): Played all 29 matches for a total of 103 sets... Led the SSC in kills per set (4.91) and points per set (5.63) which were both good for second in the nation. The SSC kills leader (501) ranked 11th in the country... She tacked on 23 assists, 34 service aces, a career-high 240 digs and 59 blocks... Named First Team All-SSC, First Team AVCA All-Region, Second Team AVCA All-American...                                                           Â
SOPHOMORE (2022): Played all 34 matches as an outside hitter … Led the nation in kills and points in her first season in The Shores, leading the Bucs to the South Region Championship and a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight … In addition to leading Division II in kills (672), and points (753.0), she led in kills per set (5.79), and points per set (6.49), and she added 215 digs and 85 blocks … She broke the program record with 42 kills in the win against Tampa at home and passed program history with 5.79 kills per set in 116 sets and points per set history (6.49) … Named first-team All-SSC and SSC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year at the Eighth Annual Bucky Awards and 5x SSC Player of the Week (8/29, 9/12, 10/10, 10/24, 11/7) and 2x AVCA National Player of the Week (10/11, 11/8) as well as the AVCA National Player of the Year and the Honda Award winner for D-II volleyball … Earned a spot on the Athletic Director’s List in the Fall.
FRESHMAN (2021 - Syracuse): Played in 225 sets over 49 matches for coach Leonid Yelin ... Helped the Orange to a 17-13 mark ... Recorded five digs at Yale on Sept. 3 ... Tallied three kills, three blocks, and four digs vs. Hartford on Sept. 4 ... Added three kills at Louisville on Oct. 10 ... Posted a career-high nine kills and added two assists and five digs vs. NC State on Oct. 15 ... Had a kill, two digs, and a block at Pittsburgh on Nov. 5 ... Recorded five kills and two blocks at Virginia Nov. 7 ... Tallied two kills and two solo blocks against Florida State on Nov. 14.
HIGH SCHOOL & CLUB:Â Graduated from Sport School Nika, where she played for coach Aleksey Diva ... Led her U18 team to a fourth-place finish at the Russian championships in 2019 ... Accorded "best hitter" at the tournament ... Also named best hitter with the U16 team in 2017.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Tarkhan Akopov and Valentina Akopova ... Has a younger brother, David ... Accounting major.
