ATHLETICS Anna Stevenson Hall celebrates during the NCAA Regional game against Florida at Freedom Hall on December 9, 2021. overseas to play professionally in Turkey before joining Cuneo Granda Volley in the Italian professional league. The U.S. Women won the World Championships for the first time in 2014 and took silver in 1967 and 2002. They took third in 1982 and 1990, and tied for fifth at the last World Championships in 2018. Six players on the current U.S. Women’s National Team roster played on the 2021 team that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Marvelous Marvin Longtime athletics administrator wins highest staff award MARVIN MITCHELL HAS SPENT HIS career ensuring Cardinal athletes excel at class time as well as game time. His efforts were recognized in 2022 when he received UofL’s highest honor for staff members. Mitchell The native of Eastville, Virginia, won the George J. Howe Distin-guished Staff Award. It recognizes the contributions of an extraordinary UofL staff member who exemplifies the traits of its namesake, retired longtime UofL staff member George Howe (humility, generosity and excellence in leadership), as well as the Cardinal Principles. The award notes the career of the staff member who earns it has made an exceptional impact on the university and its vision to be a great place to learn, work and in which to invest. Mitchell, senior associate athletic director for student services and diversity, has 29 years of athletic adminis-tration experience and is in his 22nd year as a member of the Cardinal Athletics senior administration. Under Mitchell’s leadership, the academic success for student-ath-letes has flourished. More than half of all student-athletes are named each year in the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.0 grade point average each semester, and the student-athlete graduation rate improved to an all-time high. Since his arrival, significant growth has been made within the Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence (TACE) to help student-athletes excel in the classroom. The center now provides access to computers, tutorial services, objective-based study halls and a new student retention program. Mitchell serves as the depart-ment’s chief diversity officer and has active oversight of academic services, continuing eligibility, stu-dent development, student-athlete programming and TACE operations. He also is the sport administrator for the Cardinals’ track and field and cross-country programs. Mitchell’s career started at Wake Forest University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees while being on the football team. He worked at Wake Forest for five years before joining UofL in 1999 as the university’s first associate athletic director in the area of academics. Mitchell has spoken at multiple national athletics conventions and association meetings. He is also active in the community and has served on various boards. FALL/WINTER 2022 25 PHOTO BY ADAM CREECH/LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS PHOTO BY TARIS SMITH/LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS A Taking on the world former Cardinal middle blocker made her World Championship debut this fall. Alumna Anna Stevenson Hall ’21 played for the U.S. Women’s National Team at the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) World Championships. Held Sept. 23-Oct. 15 in Netherlands and Poland, Stevenson Hall was one of 14 elite players on the roster. The U.S. team finished fourth. Stevenson Hall was a leader on the 2021 Cardinals volleyball team that made it to NCAA semi-final game, losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin. The program’s first-ever Final Four appearance capped the best season in UofL history, with the squad finishing at 32-1 and going unbeaten in the ACC. Stevenson Hall was named the 2021-22 adidas High Performance Female Athlete of the Year at the Louies, Louisville Athletics annual celebration of student-athletes. Stevenson Hall transferred from Auburn University following her sophomore year. During her years at UofL, Stevenson Hall was named an AVCA First-Team All-American and was twice a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Team. Following college she headed
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