By Alexander Gagnon

When many people think of AAU and its national events, one of the first to come to mind is the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships. The tournament has been running for more than 50 years and during that time, volleyball has grown not only at the youth level but at the collegiate, professional, and international ranks as well.

Volleyball players have won the AAU James E. Sullivan Award twice as the nation’s top collegiate or Olympic-level athlete. Despite only 2% of AAU Sullivan Award winners being volleyball players, some of the sport’s best athletes have appeared as finalists almost yearly over the past decade. The two award winners have represented the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University respectively.

Lauren Carlini – Wisconsin, 87^th Winner, 2016


Photo Credit: AAU

It was not long ago that the first volleyball player hoisted the AAU Sullivan Award, as setter Lauren Carlini was the first to do so in 2016. The Illinois native joined an unranked Badgers program in the summer of 2013, and as a freshman helped lead them to their second-ever appearance in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship Finals. She was also named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

Carlini was named an AVCA All-American four times, three of which were 1^st Team honors. She finished top three in Assists Per Set amongst her graduating class in each of her four collegiate seasons. This includes ranking 7^th among all collegiate players in 2015 and 3^rd in 2016.

Upon winning the AAU Sullivan Award, Carlini said “I’m honored to be the first volleyball player to win this award. I hope that this starts gaining popularity for the sport. Volleyball’s growing, and gaining popularity, so I just hope this keeps it going.”


Photo Credit: Greg Anderson, UW Athletic Communications 

Since graduating, she has played professionally across the world, with stops in Italy, Russia, and Turkey. In December 2023, she announced that she’ll be returning to the U.S. next year to play professionally back in Madison, Wisconsin in a homecoming nearly a decade in the making. Carlini is also actively training with Team USA as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Notable Finalists: Six-Time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman (Gymnastics) and Three-Time World Champion and 88^th AAU Sullivan Award Winner Kyle Snyder (Wrestling)

Kathryn Plummer – Stanford, 89^th Winner, 2018


Photo Credit: AAU

Only two years later, volleyball would have their second and most recent winner of the AAU Sullivan Award with Stanford standout Kathryn Plummer. Highly recruited growing up, the outside hitter for the Cardinal made good on the hype, helping deliver three national championships in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In 2018 and 2019, she was named NCAA Most Outstanding Player.

Plummer was a three-time AVCA All American 1^st Team member and the AVCA National Freshman of the Year in 2016. On top of that, she was named AVCA National Player of the Year twice, one of only four players to have that distinction. A regular member in the Top 10 in Kills per Set and Points per Set during 2017-2019, she would go on to play internationally in Italy and Japan.


Photo Credit: Jamie Schwaberow, NCAA Photos via Getty Images

“Looking at the former winners, it’s extremely humbling to be up here,” Plummer said during her AAU Sullivan Award acceptance speech. “Looking forward to the future, I just can’t wait to be a role model to little girls, to anyone that plays sports -- especially volleyball.”

Plummer is currently training with Team USA in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, and professionally is teammates with 2013 AAU Sullivan Award finalist Kelsey (Robinson) Cook over in Italy.  

Notable Finalists: Two-Time NFCA National Player of the Year Rachel Garcia (Softball) and Two-Time World Championship gold medalist Morgan Hurd (Gymnastics)
 
Other Volleyball Finalists
 
Karch Kiraly – Four-Time AAU Sullivan Award Finalist, 1985-88

Kiraly (left) ahead of the 1984 Olympic Games. The USA would win gold in 1984 and 1988
Photo Credit: Craig Carlson, San Diego Reader
 
While best known in recent memory as the current head coach for Team USA Women’s Volleyball team and guiding the team to Olympic gold in 2020, Kiraly was a stellar player as well.  He won three NCAA championships with UCLA in 1979, 1981, and 1982, and was named NCAA Volleyball Tournament Most Outstanding Player in the latter two. He also won three Olympic gold medals as a player, two indoor golds in 1984 and 1988, and a beach volleyball gold in 1996. He’s the only person in Olympic history to win a gold medal in indoor and beach volleyball. He came close several times to winning the AAU Sullivan Award in the late 80s.


Kiraly won the inaugural Beach Volleyball Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee, WireImage


 Kiraly recently led USA Women’s Volleyball to a 2020 Olympic gold medal.
Photo Credit: Matt Kryger, USA Today Sports

AAU Sullivan Award Winners during Finalist’s Years: Joan Benoit Samuelsson (1985), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986), Jim Abbott (1987), Florence Griffith Joyner (1988)
 
Kelsey Cook (Robinson) – AAU Sullivan Award Finalist, 2013


Photo Credit: Francis Gardler, Journal-Star
 
Before she was a part of the 12-player team that won the U.S. its first ever women’s volleyball Olympic gold medal in 2020, Kelsey Cook was a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award for her collegiate resume with Tennessee and Nebraska and helping the U.S. earn the 2014 World Championship over China. She has played all over the world, with stops in China, Puerto Rico, Italy, Turkey, and Japan. Cook has won multiple FIVB Best Outside Hitter awards for her performances in the Volleyball Women’s World Cup and World Club Volleyball Championships.
 
Winner during Finalist Year: John Urschel (2013)

Mikaela Richter (Foecke) – Two-Time AAU Sullivan Award Finalist, 2015 and 2018


Photo Credit: University of Nebraska Athletics
 
Besides Kiraly, only one other volleyball player has ever been a multi-time finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award, and that is former University of Nebraska star Mikaela Richter. Her versatility helped lead the Cornhuskers to two national championships in 2015 and 2017. She was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in both.
 
Winners during Finalist’s Years: Breanna Stewart* (2015), Keenan Reynolds* (2015), Kathryn Plummer (2018)

*Co-winners of AAU Sullivan Award for respective year

Dana Rettke – AAU Sullivan Award Finalist, 2019


Photo Credit: @dana_rettke on Instagram
 
The most recent volleyball player to be named a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award is middle blocker Dana Rettke. Rettke is the first ever five-time AVCA First Team All American and helped lead the Badgers to their first ever NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship in 2021. Rettke is also an active member of Team USA, and currently plays professionally in Italy.

Winners during Finalist Year: Spencer Lee* (2019), Sabrina Ionescu* (2019)

*Co-winners of AAU Sullivan Award for respective year
 
94^th AAU Sullivan Award

Will there be a third volleyball player to break through and win this year’s AAU James E. Sullivan Award? The 94^th AAU Sullivan Award Ceremony takes place April 23, 2024, at the New York Athletic Club. Nominations for the award are going on now through February 2 and be found here.

Keep an eye out on February 6 for the next installment of Sullivan Spotlight, where winners from another sport will be highlighted.