University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Akinniyi Awarded C-USA Spirit of Service Award
12/12/2018 1:27:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Akinniyi is one of 13 C-USA student-athletes to receive the award for the Fall of 2018
LINK: 2018 Fall Spirit of Service Award Recipients
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Conference USA announced on Wednesday afternoon that Ola Akinniyi was named the recipient of the C-USA Spirit of Service Award for the University of Southern Mississippi for the Fall of 2018. Akinniyi is a member of the Southern Miss women's soccer team. She completed her senior season this past fall and she is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the Southern Miss women's soccer program.
The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is awarded to one student-athlete from each member institution each fall, winter and spring based on their community service efforts, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport.
Akinniyi, a native of Denton, Texas, has been heavily involved on campus and in the local community ever since she stepped on the Southern Miss campus her freshman year.
Throughout her time at Southern Miss, Akinniyi has served the Hattiesburg community through her involvement in the Hattiesburg Paralympics, the One Love Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, Toys for Tots, Read Across America, Live at Five, assisting with canned food drives and she was also part of the Southern Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee that helped raise funds to purchase HOPE Kits for breast cancer patients currently undergoing treatment.
On the campus of Southern Miss, Akinniyi is involved with various organizations. She is a member of the Southern Miss Leadership Academy, the Outward Bound Leadership Capstone, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Sigma Lambda Chi ALPHA (National Construction Honor Society), Southern Miss Student Constructors, and Design Build Institute of America. Akinniyi also serves as the historian for the African Caribbean Students Organization, as well as a parliamentarian of the Southern Miss SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).
During her time at Southern Miss, Akinniyi has starred not only on the playing field, but in the classroom as well. She is majoring in architectural engineering and holds a cumulative GPA of 3.75.
Akinniyi's academic accomplishments include: Southern Miss President's List honoree, Dean's List honoree, recipient of the prestigious C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and being named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. In addition, she was selected to C-USA's Women's Soccer All-Academic First Team for the 2018 and 2017 seasons and she was a CoSIDA Division I Academic All-District 6 selection in 2017. Akinniyi received the Yates Construction Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year (awarded to engineering students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher).
On the pitch, Akinniyi served as the team captain for the Southern Miss women's soccer team in 2018 and she played the defender position. She played four seasons for the Golden Eagles and she capped of her historical career by leading Southern Miss to its most successful season in the history of the women's soccer program in 2018. The 2018 squad finished the season with a program record, 13 wins and 11 shutouts.
Due in large part to the play of Akinniyi, Southern Miss earned its first berth in the C-USA Women's Soccer Tournament for the first time since 2007. During their tournament run, the Golden Eagles knocked off No. 3 seed UAB 1-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed FAU 1-0 in the semifinals to advance to the championship match where they faced No. 1 seed North Texas. The Golden Eagles' semifinal victory and appearance in the championship match were both firsts for the Southern Miss women's soccer program.
After earning C-USA Women's Soccer First Team honors in 2018, Akinniyi became the only two-time C-USA Women's Soccer First Team selection in Southern Miss history. She was named to the C-USA Women's Soccer First Team in 2017 as well.
After the conclusion of the 2018 season, Akinniyi was selected to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-South Region First Team, becoming the first Golden Eagle to ever earn the honor.
Akinniyi's other athletic accomplishments at Southern Miss include: 2018 Preseason C-USA First Team selection, 2017 team MVP, leading goal scorer for Southern Miss in 2017 and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year.
Southern Miss Head Women's Soccer Coach Mohammed El-Zare on Akinniyi receiving the C-USA Spirit of Service Award
"I am not surprised that Ola has been selected for this award. Ola is a servant leader who gives her time to others. She is a selfless individual who helps others around her reach their goals and achieve their dreams and that is a true indication of the leader that she is and the leader that she will continue to be in the future. Ola embodies everything that a true student-athlete should be. She excels on the field, in the classroom and she gives back to the community. She has broken numerous individual records during her time at Southern Miss and she has been a tremendous leader for our team. I am proud of Ola for all that she has accomplished and for how much she has developed as a person. I see wonderful things continuing to happen for Ola well after her time here at Southern Miss is done."
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Conference USA announced on Wednesday afternoon that Ola Akinniyi was named the recipient of the C-USA Spirit of Service Award for the University of Southern Mississippi for the Fall of 2018. Akinniyi is a member of the Southern Miss women's soccer team. She completed her senior season this past fall and she is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the Southern Miss women's soccer program.
The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is awarded to one student-athlete from each member institution each fall, winter and spring based on their community service efforts, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport.
Akinniyi, a native of Denton, Texas, has been heavily involved on campus and in the local community ever since she stepped on the Southern Miss campus her freshman year.
Throughout her time at Southern Miss, Akinniyi has served the Hattiesburg community through her involvement in the Hattiesburg Paralympics, the One Love Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, Toys for Tots, Read Across America, Live at Five, assisting with canned food drives and she was also part of the Southern Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee that helped raise funds to purchase HOPE Kits for breast cancer patients currently undergoing treatment.
On the campus of Southern Miss, Akinniyi is involved with various organizations. She is a member of the Southern Miss Leadership Academy, the Outward Bound Leadership Capstone, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Sigma Lambda Chi ALPHA (National Construction Honor Society), Southern Miss Student Constructors, and Design Build Institute of America. Akinniyi also serves as the historian for the African Caribbean Students Organization, as well as a parliamentarian of the Southern Miss SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).
During her time at Southern Miss, Akinniyi has starred not only on the playing field, but in the classroom as well. She is majoring in architectural engineering and holds a cumulative GPA of 3.75.
Akinniyi's academic accomplishments include: Southern Miss President's List honoree, Dean's List honoree, recipient of the prestigious C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and being named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. In addition, she was selected to C-USA's Women's Soccer All-Academic First Team for the 2018 and 2017 seasons and she was a CoSIDA Division I Academic All-District 6 selection in 2017. Akinniyi received the Yates Construction Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year (awarded to engineering students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher).
On the pitch, Akinniyi served as the team captain for the Southern Miss women's soccer team in 2018 and she played the defender position. She played four seasons for the Golden Eagles and she capped of her historical career by leading Southern Miss to its most successful season in the history of the women's soccer program in 2018. The 2018 squad finished the season with a program record, 13 wins and 11 shutouts.
Due in large part to the play of Akinniyi, Southern Miss earned its first berth in the C-USA Women's Soccer Tournament for the first time since 2007. During their tournament run, the Golden Eagles knocked off No. 3 seed UAB 1-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed FAU 1-0 in the semifinals to advance to the championship match where they faced No. 1 seed North Texas. The Golden Eagles' semifinal victory and appearance in the championship match were both firsts for the Southern Miss women's soccer program.
After earning C-USA Women's Soccer First Team honors in 2018, Akinniyi became the only two-time C-USA Women's Soccer First Team selection in Southern Miss history. She was named to the C-USA Women's Soccer First Team in 2017 as well.
After the conclusion of the 2018 season, Akinniyi was selected to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-South Region First Team, becoming the first Golden Eagle to ever earn the honor.
Akinniyi's other athletic accomplishments at Southern Miss include: 2018 Preseason C-USA First Team selection, 2017 team MVP, leading goal scorer for Southern Miss in 2017 and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year.
Southern Miss Head Women's Soccer Coach Mohammed El-Zare on Akinniyi receiving the C-USA Spirit of Service Award
"I am not surprised that Ola has been selected for this award. Ola is a servant leader who gives her time to others. She is a selfless individual who helps others around her reach their goals and achieve their dreams and that is a true indication of the leader that she is and the leader that she will continue to be in the future. Ola embodies everything that a true student-athlete should be. She excels on the field, in the classroom and she gives back to the community. She has broken numerous individual records during her time at Southern Miss and she has been a tremendous leader for our team. I am proud of Ola for all that she has accomplished and for how much she has developed as a person. I see wonderful things continuing to happen for Ola well after her time here at Southern Miss is done."
Players Mentioned
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