DALLAS (AP) — Bethania De La Cruz won the second Athletes Unlimited volleyball championship, outscoring runner-up Natalia Valentin-Anderson in a pro league that awards titles to athletes instead of teams.
De La Cruz scored 4,652 points over the five-week season featuring 43 players that wrapped up Saturday night at Fair Park Coliseum near downtown Dallas. New teams are formed each week in the league.
An Olympian from the Dominican Republic, De La Cruz was the runner-up to Jordan Larson of the U.S. in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited season last year.
De La Cruz went to the top of the leaderboard with two weeks remaining in the season and stayed there. The 34-year-old was the league leader in kills (233) and service aces (18).
Former Stanford standout Morgan Hentz won the top defensive award after recording a league-high 229 digs. Athletes Unlimited is planning a third season in 2023.
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