Portland State assistant coach Diana Villalpando was announced as one of the inaugural AVCA T.E.A.M Award recipients Tuesday. Villalpando is one of 44 recipients nationally, spanning club, high school and collegiate volleyball programs.
 
As a recipient of the T.E.A.M award, Villalpando will be invited to the 2025 AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Mo. At the event, recipients will participate in a series of educational seminars – many of which focus on professional and personal growth – and take part in additional relationship-building experiences during the Convention. The 2025 honorees will receive a complimentary pre-convention and full convention registration package and up to five nights of lodging for the AVCA Convention.
 
"We are very excited to be honoring these 44 volleyball coaches, and future coaches, with the T.E.A.M Awards," said Committee Chair Charita Stubbs, who is the head women's volleyball coach at the University of Arizona. "Bringing the 2025 recipients to the AVCA Convention is a very tangible example of the committee living into its mission to empower coaches and provide meaningful experiences where they can further develop their skills and grow as leaders in our community."
 
The AVCA T.E.A.M Awards promote Togetherness, Empowerment, Accessibility and mentoring. Honorees were selected by the AVCA Ad Hoc T.E.A.M Committee, which was established this past summer. The committee's purpose is to foster a strong sense of community for coaches at all levels of the sport.
 
Villalpando is in her second year as an assistant coach at Portland State. She served as an assistant coach with the indoor volleyball team at Corban from 2018-22, while also serving as head coach of Corban's beach volleyball program. She won a national title with the beach program in 2022, while also finishing as national runners-up with the indoor team that same year. Villalpando spent one year as Director of Volleyball at Multnomah University, before joining the Vikings.