CAREER
Named an AVCA All-American two times (first team in 2023, honorable mention in 2022)...Voted first-team All-EIVA two times (2022, 23)...Won one EIVA Offensive Player of the Week and three EIVA Defensive Player of the Week awards...Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team once...Led the nation in hitting percentage in 2022.
2023 • JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Earned first-team All-America recognition…Selected to All-EIVA first team…Won two EIVA Defensive Player of the Week awards.
Season: Played in 103 sets over 29 matches, including 28 as a starter at middle blocker...Hit .490 with 210 kills (2.04/set), 90 blocks (0.87/set) and 27 aces...Reached double-digits in kills nine times, including a season-high 14 on .765 hitting in a sweep over NJIT (2/25)...Hit .500 or better with five or more kills 14 times...Tallied four or more blocks in a match nine times, including a season-high nine in a sweep over Princeton (2/18).
Rankings: Finished second in the nation in hitting percentage (.490).
vs. No. 5 Pepperdine (1/20): Hit .500 with 10 kills in a 3-1 win. vs. No. 8 Stanford (1/21): Hit .692 with 10 kills and three blocks in a four-set win. No. 2 UCLA (2/4): Tallied seven blocks. at Saint Francis (2/11): Hit .625 with 11 kills. Princeton (2/17): Hit .529 with 11 kills. Princeton (2/18): Totaled a season-high nine blocks in a sweep. at NJIT (2/25): Hit .765 with 14 kills and four blocks in a sweep. at CUI (3/4): Finished with 10 kills on .500 hitting. at No. 6 UC Irvine (3/5): Hit .455 with 12 kills and and five blocks in a 3-2 win. at No. 1 Hawaii (3/10): Hit .533 with 10 kills, including one for match point, and five blocks in a four-set win. No. 15 Ohio State (3/21): Contributed 10 kills on .692 hitting. Charleston (4/15): Hit .667 with nine kills.
2022 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Chosen AVCA All-America honorable mention…Selected to All-EIVA first team…Brought in one EIVA Offensive Player of the Week and one Defensive Player of the Week award...Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Season: Had a breakout season as one of the country’s top physical presences in first season of regular action with 27 starts…Led nation with a .528 hitting percentage which also ranked fourth in a Penn State single season all-time…Totaled 193 kills for third most on the team…Led Nittany Lions with 77 total blocks, including 13 solo…Had at least one block in 24 matches…Registered six matches with double-digit kills.
Rankings: Led nation with .528 hitting percentage (minimum 3.30 attacks per set)…Ranked second among EIVA middle blockers with 193 kills…Placed sixth in conference with 77 total blocks.
No. 6 BYU (1/6): Showcased physicality in first start of season with 10 kills and six blocks in sweep. at No. 3 Long Beach State (1/29): Dazzled with all-time dominant performance by a Penn State middle blocker in five-set thriller…Put down 16 kills on 17 attacks without an error for the match (.941) for the most kills by a Penn State middle in the rally-scoring era…Took over fifth and deciding set with five kills and two blocks, including one on AVCA player of the year Alex Nikolov and match-clinching point. at NJIT (2/26): Scored three of his eight kills, including the match-clinching kill in five-set battle. Charleston (3/4): Reached season-high seven blocks for the season-straight match along with seven kills without an error. No. 13 Ohio State (3/8-13): Posted seven kills with five blocks in road win…Had monster block to win second set…Rallied to scored 11 kills with a .769 hitting percentage in four-set win of match two of series. NJIT (4/9): Sparked Penn State offensively and defensively with 12 kills on 15 attacks (.733) and six blocks in three-set win.
2021 • FRESHMAN SEASON
Season: Appeared in 10 matches (three starts) and 19 sets as a "change-of-pace" middle blocker...Recorded 16 kills with a .500 hitting percentage...Posted 6.0 total blocks.
at No. 14 Ohio State (1/23): Started collegiate debut...Tallied three blocks. NJIT (2/14): Posted first-career kill. at Charleston (4/9-10): Recorded nine kills over both matches without an error...Added three blocks in the second match.
BEFORE PENN STATE
Named team captain for senior season (2020) for North Brunswick Township High School...Chosen Team MVP three times (2017, 2018 and 2019)…2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic…Helped Raider Birds to 2017 Greater Middlesex County championship…Selected to all-conference team junior season (2019) as a middle blocker…Played club volleyball for Warren Sixpack.
PERSONAL
Parents are Udenma Okafor and Walter Ezeonu…Has two brothers, Jideobi and Bryan, and one sister Tatianne…Majoring in kinesiology.