Maui’s Milaniakai Padilla named AAU Beach Volleyball Player of the Year
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Milaniakai Padilla became the first Hawaiian athlete to be named the Amateur Athletic Union's Beach Volleyball Player of the Year on Friday at the 33rd AAU Hermosa Beach National Championships in California.
The Maui native, who recently committed to play beach volleyball at Stanford University in fall 2028, will be a junior this coming year at Seabury Hall. She was also named the Maui Interscholastic League's Division II girls volleyball Player of the Year as the Spartans girls volleyball team finished second in the state last season.
Padilla joins surfer Carissa Moore as Hawaiian women to receive national AAU honors. Moore received the AAU Sullivan Award in 2022, which recognizes the nation’s top Olympic or collegiate athlete.
Padilla also joins elite company among past AAU Beach Volleyball Player of the Year recipients. Three previous winners have gone on to represent Team USA in the Olympics, including Paris Olympic silver medalist Kathryn Plummer, who also received the AAU Sullivan Award in 2018.
"For me to win this award, it shows that hard work and dedication has paid off," Padilla said in a news release. "To be from such a small island, the culture is so amazing. I’m grateful for my Hawaii family that supports me."
The Amateur Athletic Union, founded in 1888, reports to have nearly 1 million members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs. Volleyball is its largest sport, with more than 320,000 members.