KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Celebrating an end to an illustrious career in the Blue and Gold, Vanguard senior Melissa Akullu earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Basketball All-American First Team on Monday.
It marks the second straight year the Kampala, Uganda native received First Team recognition, and she is the first Lion since Nicole Ballestero to repeat on the top team since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
Akullu also was named an NAIA Third Team All-American at the end of her sophomore campaign in 2021-22.
Akullu was simply unstoppable in 2023-24, averaging a double-double of 23.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game while starting all 27 contests. The Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season, Akullu led the league leaderboard in points, rebounds, field goal percentage (.626) and steals (2.9 SPG).
Nationally, she ranked sixth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, fifth in field goal percentage and 15th in steals.
The center/forward turned in double-double performances in assembly line fashion, posting 21 on the season, including 14 straight at one point.
She hit the 20-point mark 19 times and scored 30 or more on seven occasions, topping out with a career-high 41 points against Bethesda on January 15.
Akullu was clutch in big spots, such as 30-point, 17-rebound effort in a 65-64 win over The Master's on January 6. She blocked a shot with time expiring to preserve the win.
She tied the single-game school record with a career-best 26 rebounds in a 76-62 victory at Jessup on February 10 as the Lions took over first place in en route to winning the GSAC regular season title. It was one of three times she surpassed 20 boards in a game.
Akullu won GSAC Player of the Week three times, giving her a school record eight awards for her career. She also collected NAIA Player of the Week twice.
The three-time All-GSAC selection finished her career with 1,520 points, 922 rebounds, 179 steals and 57 blocked shots. She etched her name in the VU record book, finishing sixth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, ninth in steals and blocked shots, fourth in field goals made (652) and second in field goal percentage (.598).
