Volleyball Star Deja McClendon Partners With She Plays as an Athlete Ambassador
The Athletes Unlimited Volleyball player is a former Penn State standout and brings plenty of experience from competing overseas.
By Alex Holmes
Deja McClendon, a former national champion and All-American at Penn State, is now a She Plays athletes ambassador. The outside hitter from Louisville, Kentucky, currently plays in the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball League, the only professional women’s indoor volleyball league in the United States.
“One of my main goals has always been to grow the sport of volleyball and to shine light on the amazing women and girls that play. That’s why I’m so excited to be the next athlete ambassador for She Plays,” McClendon said.
McClendon owns an extensive amount of professional volleyball experience. Prior to this season with Athletes Unlimited, she competed with top-flight teams in Italy, Poland, Azerbaijan, and Brazil.
Before playing abroad, McClendon had a successful college career at Penn State. She played with the Nittany Lions from 2010 to 2013, winning two national championships. After being named the 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, McClendon left University Park as a four-time All-America selection and four-time All-Big Ten performer. She led her team to three trips to the NCAA Final Four.
(SOURCE: Athletes Unlimited, Jade Hewitt Media)
Now, McClendon is making history by playing in the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited Volleyball. For the 2021 Athletes Unlimited Volleyball campaign, McClendon is partnering with Bald Girls Do Lunch, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness of alopecia areata and supporting women with the autoimmune skin disease. Fans can follow McClendon throughout the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season here.
As a She Plays athlete ambassador, McClendon will use her platform to promote volleyball and support the women’s sports landscape in the U.S. She Plays is a media platform for women’s professional sports leagues in the U.S. and provides fantasy sports for women’s leagues as well as daily sports news. For more information about She Plays, click here.
(Photo Source: Athletes Unlimited, Jade Hewitt Media)
