Ruth Modupe Lawanson (born September 27, 1963) is a former

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

player and former college volleyball coach. Born in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, she played volleyball for Fresno State and the

United States national team The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

, winning a bronze medal at the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

Playing career

College

Lawanson played for the Fresno State volleyball team and was named MVP of the team in 1982, 1983, and 1984. In 1984, her senior season, she led the Bulldogs to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA tournament, was named NorPac co-Player of the Year, and was an All-American. She was also named the 1984-85 Fresno State Female Athlete of the Year. Lawanson was the first female athlete in school history to have her jersey number retired, and she is a member of the Fresno State Athletic Hall of Fame.

International

Lawanson played on the U.S. national team for four years. She won bronze medals with the team at the 1990 FIVB World Championship in China, 1991 FIVB World Cup in Japan, and 1992 Summer Olympics in

Barcelona, Spain Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Professional

Lawanson played for the

Dallas Belles The Dallas Belles were one of six teams in the Major League Volleyball franchise. The league began in 1987 and ended short of completing a full season in 1989. Players consisted of former collegiate All Americans and Olympians. The level of play wa ...

and

Minnesota Monarchs The Minnesota Monarchs were one of six Major League Volleyball franchises. The league began in 1987 and ended short of completing a full season in 1989. The Minnesota franchise was reported to be the strongest in terms of attendance, repeatedly fi ...

Major League Volleyball Major League Volleyball (MLV) was a women's professional volleyball league in the United States. It was established in 1987 and disbanded during its third season on March 20, 1989. The league was launched in 1987 with six teams consisting of ni ...

from 1987 to 1989. She was named the league MVP in 1988. She later played in Italy and France from 1992 to 1995.

Coaching career

Lawanson was an assistant coach at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

for four years, at Fresno State for six years, at the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...

for two years, and at the University of Nevada for one year. She was the head coach at Angelo State for three seasons in which she led the team to a 19-65 record. She was named the head coach of Nevada's team in 2011. On November 26, 2014, she was relieved of her coaching duties at Nevada.

Personal

Lawanson was born on September 27, 1963, in Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria, the daughter of Samuel and Caroline Lawanson. Her father was a well-known athlete in Nigeria. She immigrated to the United States with her family when she was two years old. Lawanson attended Clovis West High School, where she was a standout athlete who competed in volleyball,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, and

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

. She graduated from Fresno State with a degree in business administration in 1987. She has served as a member of the board of directors of the

American Volleyball Coaches Association The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is an organization of over 6,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association. It is currently headquartered in L ...

. Lawanson married Shawn Kenan in 2002. The couple divorced in 2015. Her cousin,

Foluke Akinradewo Foluke Atinuke Gunderson (née Akinradewo; born October 5, 1987) is an indoor volleyball player who plays as a middle blocker for Japanese club Hisamitsu Springs. Born in Canada, she represents the United States internationally. Gunderson won g ...

, also played for the U.S. national volleyball team.

References

External links

Ruth Lawanson at Olympics.com

Olympedia Profile: Ruth Lawanson

Volleybox.net Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawanson, Ruth 1963 births Living people Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in volleyball Volleyball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Fresno State Bulldogs women's volleyball players Nigerian emigrants to the United States Sportspeople from Ibadan Yoruba sportswomen American people of Yoruba descent American women's volleyball players Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Nigerian women's volleyball players African-American volleyball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American women