Akeela Cunningham doesn’t look like a player who might be a dominant force on the volleyball court.
You can believe that at your own risk.
Cunningham is helping to lead Polk County in the 2025 season, playing well above her size on the court and leading with a big personality.
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She’s averaging double-digit kills – which is more than a little bit uncommon in an athlete who’s 5-foot-3. She’s doing it with some unreal leaping ability.
“Akeela can jump out of the gym,” said Polk County coach Molly Hill.
It took Cunningham a little while to realize her own athleticism.
“I think I knew when I was playing some of the bigger teams in club,” she said. “Last season when I stepped up for Sophia Overholt when she was hurt, it was a challenge. But that made me much stronger mentally, and in practicing and watching film I can see it.
“I know I might not be the tallest player, but I have the will and the strength to get there, and I know I can do it.”
What she can’t do much is adjust to balls in the air, because she’s expending so much energy on her leap. That makes timing much more important.
“It’s really hard, and a lot of the times I get frustrated going early or late,” she said. “There’s nothing much I can do when I’m actually in the air. So I just try to hit the ball as hard as I can. Sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn’t. But it does help me to use my mind more than anything, and to see where it’s going and where to hit.”
Other times, her stature is an advantage. She’s able to throw her body around a little bit and get to digs that taller players might not be able to make. Her reaction time is off the charts, and she’ll poke a fist out for a cross-court winner.
“That has so much to do with it,” she said. “I hate to see a ball hit the ground. I just go after it. Stick an arm out or something.”
Her play is earning her a share of the spotlight, but she’s no stranger there. She’s a frequent singer of the national anthem at Polk County events, she’s a tumbler on the cheerleading squad during basketball season, and she earned a Top 10 finish in the state in the shot put during her sophomore year, also throwing the discus.
Performing the anthem is something special to her.
“I’ve been singing for a really long time,” she said. “Just continuing to sing and knowing I love doing it I think I’ve just continuously gotten better at it. I’ve been doing it since seventh grade.”
Her tumbling ability is also something that gets her plenty of notice. It’s not uncommon to watch her do back-handsprings the length of the sideline during breaks in basketball games.
“Honestly, I think there was one point where I did 18,” she said. “Hearing the crowd react makes me so excited. I think that’s where I get the confidence to do it.”
And all that athleticism translates into the footwork to be an accomplished thrower on the track. Still, the mental side of that discipline is what attracts Cunningham.
“I think it’s just getting into the mental state to do it,” she said. “I’ve pretty much gotten my form down, and I’ve worked hard in the weight room. So when I get a chance to practice, it’s just about the technique and being in the right mental state.”
She’s also a leader in the locker room.
“She’s fun, she’s loud, she’s smiling all the time,” Hill said of Cunningham. “Everybody kind of looks to her, because they know she’s confident in what she’s doing. She told our freshmen that volleyball is her passion, and she’s here because she wants to give it everything and it means so much to her. You can tell that. And I think anyone who watches her can tell that.”
That passion was born early, and it’s something she wants to continue in the future.
“I remember in elementary school, I used to play volleyball in the gym,” she said. “No net or anything, just passing the ball around. I’d be diving all over the place. I started my career in middle school, and played JV in eighth grade, which was really hard for me. I beat myself up about it. But I did my best, and I got a spot on varsity and I think I’ve really made the most of it.
“It’s harder for me because of my size, but this is something I really want to do past high school. I’m going to try to excel and do the very best I can.”
