Angie Akers

{{short description|American beach volleyball player (born 1976)}}

{{Infobox volleyball biography

| name = Angie Akers

| image =

| fullname = Angela Marie Harris Akers

| nickname =

| nationality = {{flag|United States}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1976|06|30}}

| birth_place = Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date =

| hometown =

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}}

| weight =

| currentteammate = Nicole Branagh

| currentyears = 2011-2013

| teammates = Tyra Turner
Holly McPeak
Brooke Hanson
Nicole Branagh, Heather Lowe, Brooke Hanson
Kerri Pottharst, Jenny Pavley,Nicole Branagh
Sarah Straton, Rachel Wacholder
Sarah Straton
Jenny Pavley

| years = 2009–2010
2008
2007
2006

2005

2004
2003
2002

| currenttours (currentpoints) =

| medaltemplates-title = Medal record

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}

}}

Angela Marie "Angie" Akers (née Harris; born June 30, 1976){{cite web|url=http://volleyballmag.com/players/3 |title=Angie Akers profile |publisher=Volleyball Magazine |accessdate=September 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928004742/http://volleyballmag.com/players/3 |archivedate=September 28, 2013 }} is a retired professional beach volleyball player from the United States who played on the AVP Tour.[http://www.avp.com/The-Players/Females/A/Angie-Akers.aspx AVP Players: Angie Akers] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417013241/http://www.avp.com/The-Players/Females/A/Angie-Akers.aspx |date=April 17, 2009 }} Akers was named the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2002.

Early life

Akers was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and attended Bishop Luers High School.

Athletic career

Akers played NCAA indoor volleyball for the University of Notre Dame and is the school's all-time career ace and kills leader.{{Cite web|title=Angie Akers |publisher=Beach Volleyball Database |url=http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=4645 |accessdate=May 9, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511041908/http://bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=4645 |archivedate=May 11, 2012 }} After graduating with a BA in Sociology, Akers played professional volleyball in Switzerland for three months. Upon returning home, she decided to give up volleyball and pursue a running career. Her highest accomplishment in running was finishing the 2001 Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 23 minutes.

Akers began her career in beach volleyball in 2002 after moving to Southern California from San Francisco, where she had been working at Lehman Brothers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.angieakers.com/AboutAngie/Biography/tabid/1335/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=Official Biography |access-date=2009-06-29 |archive-date=2018-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816144413/http://angieakers.com/AboutAngie/Biography/tabid/1335/language/en-US/Default.aspx |url-status=dead }} Since then, Akers has earned $252,127 in prize money and has consistently finished in the top ten in individual and team categories. In July 2007 with Brooke Hanson as her partner, the pair represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and finished fifth. In 2009 with Tyra Turner as her partner, the duo finished 5th at the FIVB World Championships in Stavanger, Norway.