Hall of Fame
One of the most versatile and decorated athletes in Rutgers-Newark’s storied men’s volleyball history, Ihor Akinshyn is the only Scarlet Raider to earn AVCA Division I Men’s first team All-America status.
A solid front row player who possessed superior ball handling skills, Akinshyn was named first-team All-America following his sophomore season in 1992. He was also All-EAST in 1992 and 1994 as a senior when he was named the Rutgers-Newark Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
According to his coach bob Bertucci, “In addition to being one of the best net players for his size, he was also an outstanding all-around player. He performed as a primary passer in the backcourt as well as being an outstanding defensive player. In looking over my tenure at Rutgers-Newark, which had some outstanding volleyball players, Ihor was a complete package.”
After graduation, he joined former teammates to form the “2-Ball Express” squad that took third place in the U.S. Volleyball Association National Indoor Championship in 2005.
