Foluke Gunderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson
Gunderson in 2012 with Rabita Baku
Personal information
Full name	Foluke Atinuke Gunderson
Nationality	Canadian/American/Nigerian
Born	Foluke Atinuke Akinradewo (1987-10-05) October 5, 1987 (age 37) London, Ontario, Canada
Hometown	Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Spike	130 in (330 cm)
Block	118 in (300 cm)
College(s)	Stanford University
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Number	16
Career
Years Teams 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012–2015 2015–2017 2017–2019 TAB Queenseis Dinamo Krasnodar Rabita Baku Volero Zurich Hisamitsu Springs
National team
2005–2021 United States
Medal record Women's volleyball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Team Silver 2012 London Team Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team World Championship Gold 2014 Italy Team World Cup Silver 2011 Japan Team Bronze 2015 Japan Team World Grand Champions Cup Bronze 2017 Japan Team World Grand Prix Gold 2010 Ningbo Team Gold 2011 Macau Team Gold 2015 Omaha Team Silver 2016 Bangkok Team FIVB Nations League Gold 2018 Nanjing Team Gold 2021 Rimini Team Pan American Games Bronze 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team Pan American Cup Bronze 2010 Rosarito & Tijuana Team Bronze 2011 Ciudad Juárez Team NORCECA Championship Gold 2011 Caguas

Foluke Atinuke Gunderson (born October 5, 1987) is an amazing indoor volleyball player. She is known for playing as a middle blocker. Foluke plays for the Japanese club Hisamitsu Springs. Even though she was born in Canada, she plays for the United States in international competitions.

Foluke has won many important medals with the U.S. national team. She earned a gold medal at the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix, the 2014 World Championship, and the Rimini Volleyball Nations League. She also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Before that, she won a silver medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Winning gold in 2020 meant she had achieved a special "trifecta" – winning an Olympic bronze, silver, and gold medal!

Early Life and High School Sports

Foluke Gunderson was born in London, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are Ayoola and Comfort Akinradewo. She has two siblings, Folu and Foluso. Foluke has citizenship in three countries: Canada, Nigeria, and the United States. When she was a little kid, she even tried out for commercials!

Foluke went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, she was a star athlete in many sports. She played volleyball for three years and was also on the basketball and track & field teams. She was recognized as an All-American in volleyball in 2003 and 2004. She was also an all-state player from 2002 to 2004. In 2005, she was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Volleyball Player of the Year. Besides volleyball, she was an all-state player in basketball. She also won the Florida State Championship in track four times!

Foluke started playing for the U.S. international team even before she began college. She helped the U.S. win the 2004 NORCECA Continental Women's Junior Championship. Then, she was the main middle blocker for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team at the 2005 FIVB World Championships.

College Volleyball Career

Foluke studied human biology at Stanford University. She was an amazing player there!

Freshman Year Success

In 2005, as a freshman, she was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. She also earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Pacific Region Freshman of the Year award. She was named an AVCA Second Team All-American. She led her team in hitting percentage, which means she was very good at hitting the ball for points.

Leading Stanford to Finals

In 2006, Foluke helped Stanford reach the NCAA Division I championship game. They finished as runner-up to Nebraska. She was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. For the whole year, she was named a First Team All-American by the AVCA.

In 2007, Foluke was named the AVCA National Player of the Year. She also won the Honda Award for volleyball, which is a very high honor. She set new records for hitting percentage in her conference and at Stanford. Her hitting percentage was the best in the nation that year! She helped Stanford reach the national championship game again, but they finished as runner-up to Penn State.

Senior Year and Records

As a senior in 2008, Foluke was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year again. She also received her third straight Honda Award nomination. She was a First Team All-American for the third time. She led Stanford to their third straight NCAA championship match. Foluke finished her college career with the best hitting efficiency of any NCAA Division I player ever!

Professional Club Volleyball

After college, Foluke started playing for professional volleyball clubs around the world.

Playing in Japan and Azerbaijan

In October 2010, Foluke joined Toyota Auto Body Queenseis in Japan. In the 2010–11 V.Premier League, she won the "Spike award" for her powerful hits. In 2012, she won a silver medal at the 2012 FIVB Women's Club World Championship while playing for the Azerbaijani club Rabita Baku.

In 2013, her club, Rabita Baku, won the Azerbaijan Super League Championship. This was their sixth title in a row! Foluke also won the league's "Best Spiker" award.

International Career Highlights

Foluke has had an incredible career playing for the U.S. National Team.

2012 London Olympics

Foluke competed for Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She and her team earned a silver medal, which was a huge achievement!

2014 World Championship Gold

In 2014, Foluke was part of the USA national team that won the gold medal at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship. They beat China 3–1 in the final match. This was the first time the USA had ever won a gold medal in any of the three major volleyball tournaments!

2016 Rio Olympics Bronze

Foluke was also part of the U.S. team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She started in all eight games and was a key player. She was even named one of the "Best Middle Blockers" in the 2016 Olympic Games Dream Team.

Road to Tokyo 2020 Olympics

In May 2021, Foluke was named to the U.S. roster for the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League tournament. This tournament was important because it was the last major international competition before the Tokyo Olympics. On June 7, 2021, the U.S. National Team head coach, Karch Kiraly, announced that Foluke would be part of the 12-player Olympic team for the Tokyo Games. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Foluke and her team achieved their dream, winning the gold medal!

Awards and Honors

Foluke Gunderson has received many awards throughout her career for being an outstanding volleyball player.

Individual Awards

• 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix "Most Valuable Player"
• 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Blocker"
• 2010–2011 Japanese V.League "Spike Award"
• 2012-13 Azerbaijan Super League "Best Spiker"
• 2016 Olympic Games "Best Middle Blocker"
• 2016 FIVB Club World Championship "Best Middle Blocker"
• 2017-2018 Japanese V.League Division 1 "Spike Award"
• 2018-2019 Japanese V.League "Best Middle Blocker"
• 2018-2019 Japanese V.League "Most Valuable Player"

College Awards

• Four-time AVCA All-American (2005, 2006–08)
• Three-time Volleyball Magazine first team All-American (2006–08)
• Four-time All-Pac-10 team (2005–08)
• Two-time NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (2006, 2007)
• 2008 – Volleyball Magazine National co-Player of the Year
• 2008 – Pac-10 Player of the Year
• 2007 – AVCA National Player of the Year
• 2007 – Pac-10 Player of the Year
• 2007 – Honda Award winner for volleyball
• 2005 – AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year
• 2005 – Pac-10 Freshman of the Year

Clubs Foluke Played For

Here are the professional clubs Foluke Gunderson has played for:

• Toyota Auto Body Queenseis (2010–2011)
• Dinamo Krasnodar (2011–2012)
• Rabita Baku (2012–2015)
• Voléro Zürich (2015–2017)
• Hisamitsu Springs (2017–2019)
• Hisamitsu Springs (2020–2021)

Images for kids

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  Gunderson in 2012 with Rabita Baku