Maui's Milaniakai Padilla was named the Amateur Athletic Union's beach volleyball Player of the Year, becoming the first athlete from Hawai‘i to win the honor.
Padilla was given the honor during the 33rd AAU Hermosa Beach National Championships in California over the weekend.
“For me to win this award, it shows that hard work and dedication has paid off," Padilla said in an AAU news release. "To be from such a small island the culture is so amazing. I’m grateful for my Hawai‘i family that supports me.”
Padilla is set to begin her junior year at Seabury Hall in the coming weeks but has already committed to play collegiate beach volleyball for Stanford University, starting in the fall of 2028.
In March, Padilla was also named to the USA Volleyball U18 beach team, just one of 10 players named to the roster.
It wasn't until 2016 that the NCAA began holding championships for women's beach volleyball. USC and UCLA have dominated the sport with six and three national titles, respectively. Stanford's best finish was back in May, when it finished runners-up to UCLA. Meanwhile, the University of Hawai‘i's best finishes were third-place finishes in 2017 and 2018, back when the NCAA Tournament for beach volleyball was in its infancy.
During the 2026 season, Stanford had a pair of players from Hawai‘i in sisters Indigo and Phoenix Clarke, who are both Punahou alumnae. Padilla can sign with Stanford in the fall of 2027.
In winning the AAU award, Padilla is the first woman from Hawai‘i to take home an individual AAU award since surfer Carissa Moore, who was named the 2022 AAU Sullivan Award recipient, given to the country's top Olympic or collegiate athlete.
Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union serves as one of the nation's largest multi-sport organizations. Sports include baseball, basketball, football, hockey, track & field, volleyball and wrestling. Basketball is perhaps its most prominent offering, as elite high school prospects frequent the AAU basketball circuit to increase their exposure to both college and the pros.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
