Kim Willoughby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kim Willoughby |
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Full name | Kim Marie Willoughby | |||||||||||||
| Born | November 7, 1980 Houma, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||
| Spike | 124 in (315 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Block | 120 in (300 cm) | |||||||||||||
| College(s) | University of Hawaii | |||||||||||||
| Volleyball information | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Outside hitter | |||||||||||||
| Number | 14, 12 (2008) | |||||||||||||
| Career | ||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kim Marie Willoughby (born November 7, 1980) is an American former professional volleyball player. She was an amazing outside hitter, known for her powerful spikes. Kim is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall.
In 2007, she played for a professional team in Italy. The next year, in April 2008, she joined the U.S. national team. Kim made her first appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She helped the United States team win a silver medal, which was a huge achievement!
While playing with the Colussi Sirio Perugia team, she also won a bronze medal in the 2008–09 CEV Indesit Champions League. She was even named the "Best Receiver" in that competition.
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Kim's Early Life and Family
Kim Willoughby was born in Houma, Louisiana, and grew up in Napoleonville, Louisiana. She went to Assumption High School, where she was a fantastic athlete. Kim didn't just play volleyball; she also excelled in track & field and basketball.
She led her high school volleyball team to win three state championships in a row! Because of her talent, she was named the Louisiana Player of the Year during her junior and senior years. She was also recognized as a First Team All-American.
Kim faced some tough times growing up. During her junior year, her mother was in a car accident. This led to health challenges that caused her mother to be unable to walk. Later, Kim also experienced the sad loss of her boyfriend. She has shared that these difficult events made her feel angry when she was younger.
Kim's College Volleyball Career
Kim played college volleyball for the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine team. She was incredibly successful there. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named her an All-American three times. In 2003, she was even chosen as the AVCA National Player of the Year!
During her senior year in 2003, Kim was one of the best players in the country. She was second nationally in "kills per game," which means she scored a lot of points for her team. She also helped her team reach the national semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament for two years in a row.
As a junior in 2002, Kim continued to be a top player, scoring many kills per game. In 2001, her sophomore year, she led the entire nation in kills. She also set a new school record for "digs per game," which means she was great at keeping the ball from hitting the floor.
Throughout her college career, Kim scored an average of 5.91 kills per game. At that time, this was the third-best average in NCAA history! She also had over 1,440 digs, 194 aces, and 291 blocks. Kim was a starter for all four years of college. She played different positions but became the main offensive player as an outside hitter in her last three seasons. She also won the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year award three times.
Awards and Achievements
Kim Willoughby earned many awards for her amazing volleyball skills.
Individual Awards
- 2008–09 CEV Indesit Champions League Final Four "Best Receiver"
College Awards
- 3-Time NCAA 1st Team All-American (2001, 2002, 2003)
- 2003 NCAA National Player of the Year
- 3-Time NCAA 1st Team All-Region (2001, 2002, 2003)
- 3-Time WAC 1st Team All-Conference (2001, 2002, 2003)
- 3-Time WAC Player of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003)
- 2000 WAC Co-Freshman of the Year
