Volleyball Inks Transfer Pin Akasha Anderson
5/28/2024
AKASHA ANDERSON
Outside Hitter | 6'3" | Reston, Va. | Auburn
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson announced the addition of former American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) South Region Freshman of the Year and All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection Akasha Anderson on Tuesday. An outside hitter, Anderson joins the Spartans as a rising junior from Auburn.
A two-year starter for the Tigers, Anderson started in 27 matches as a sophomore amassing 3.82 points and 3.37 kills per set, while ranking second on the team in kills (356) and third in digs (243) as a six-rotation pin. Anderson tallied double-digit kills in 22 of her 27 matches and topped the 20-kill mark on three occasions (at South Alabama, vs. Ole Miss, at Mississippi State).
I chose Michigan State because of the automatic feel I had when I got on campus. The true family atmosphere within the team and staff was overwhelming. I loved the location, the campus and the chance to compete in the toughest conference in the nation!Akasha Anderson
A graduate of Herndon High School, Anderson was the 2021-22 Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year recording 670 kills and 382 digs as a senior while leading the Fighting Hornets to the Class 6 state championship match. Anderson was the Region 6D Player of the Year and the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year after concluding her prep career with 1,076 kills and 474 digs.
Anderson is the third former Gatorade State Player of the Year on the current Spartan roster alongside Taylor Preston (Kentucky, 2021) and Rachel Muisenga (Illinois, 2021). Former Michigan State setter Elena Shklyar ‘21 was the Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year in 2017-18.
In addition to her Gatorade honors, Anderson was a 2021 and 2022 Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) National Team selection and a 2021 Under Armour All-America nominee.
Anderson will be one of six newcomers for the Spartans in 2024 joining fellow transfers Taylor Preston and Danyle Courtley, as well as incoming freshmen Mia Hood, Mya Bolton, Kayla Foley and Carmen Waye.
