CHICAGO (January 13, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best High School athletes, Gatorade today announced Milan Rex of Alexandria City High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year. Rex is the first Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Alexandria City High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Rex as Virginia’s best High School volleyball player

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award to be announced in January, Rex joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including Lexi Sun (2016-17, Santa Fe Christian School, Calif.), Jordan Larson (2004-05, Logan View High School, Neb.), Foluke Akinradewo (2004-05, St. Thomas High School, Fla.) and April Ross (1999-00, Newport Harbor High School, Calif.).

The 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter led the Titans to a 32-2 record and the Class 6 state championship this past season. Rex amassed 636 kills, 334 digs, 62 service aces and 37 assists, posting a .510 kill percentage and a .372 hitting percentage on the attack. A natural setter, Rex was the Class 6 Player of the Year and an American Volleyball Coaches Association Second Team All-American selection. She concluded her career with 1,346 kills.

Rex has volunteered locally as a youth volleyball and tennis coach, and she has donated her time to multiple community service initiatives through both her school’s National Honor Society and the National Charity League’s Port City chapter.

“Milan is a great player; her volleyball IQ is very high,” said Sharon Ponton, Head Coach of Justice High School. “She not only hits well, but makes very smart choices on locations to hit. She is a six-rotation athlete so she contributes in every statistical category.”

In the classroom, Rex has maintained a weighted 4.46 GPA. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of California, Santa Barbara this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Rex joins recent Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Players of the Year Akasha Anderson (2021-22, Herndon High School), Amanda Lowe (2020-21, Blacksburg High School), Sydney Reed (2019-20, Flint Hill School), and Krissy O'Malley (2018-19, Flint Hill School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

*** To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade. ***