Danielle Scott-Arruda

Danielle Racquel Scott-Arruda^[1] (born October 1, 1972) is an American former volleyball player. She played at the 1996, 2000,^[2] 2004, 2008, and the 2012 Summer Olympics,^[3] breaking a U.S. female volleyball athlete record for Olympic appearances.^[4][5]

Danielle Scott-Arruda
Personal information
Full name	Danielle Racquel Scott-Arruda
Born	(1972-10-01) October 1, 1972 (age 52) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Spike	325 cm (128 in)
Block	302 cm (119 in)
College / University	California State University, Long Beach
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Number	2 (national team) 2 (Long Beach State)
Career
Years Teams 1990–93 1996–97 1997–98 2000–01 2001–03 2003–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 Long Beach State University Gierre Roma Leites Jundiaí Osasco VC Pioneer Red Wings Chieri Volleyball CD Macaé Osasco VC FV Castellana Grotte BMG/São Bernardo BMG/São Bernardo Banana Boat/Praia Clube
National team
1994–2012  United States
Medal record Women's volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Team 2012 London Team World Championship 2002 Germany Team FIVB World Cup 2011 Japan Team 2003 Japan Team 2007 Japan Team FIVB World Grand Prix 2001 Macau Team 2012 Ningbo Team 2003 Andria Team 2004 Reggio Calabria Team Goodwill Games 1994 Saint Petersburg Team Pan American Games 1995 Mar del Plata Team 1999 Winnipeg Team 2003 Santo Domingo Team 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team NORCECA Championship 2001 Santo Domingo 2003 Santo Domingo 2005 Port of Spain 2011 Caguas 1999 Monterrey 2007 Winnipeg

For her lifetime achievements in the sport, Scott-Arruda was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016.^[5]

Early life

Scott-Arruda was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.^[5] She attended Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, where she was an All-State athlete in volleyball and basketball.^[6]

College

Scott-Arruda played volleyball for Long Beach State. In 1991, she helped Long Beach State to the NCAA Championship match.^[7] In 1992, she was the Big West Conference Player of the Year and helped Long Beach State to the NCAA semifinals.^[7] In 1993, Scott-Arruda led the 49ers to the NCAA National Championship.^[5][7] She was American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Northwest Region and the Big West Conference Player of the Year, as she led the nation in hitting percentage.^[7] She was also the National Player of the Year.^[6] In 1994, she won the Honda-Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) as the nation's best female collegiate volleyball player.^[5][8]

In Scott-Arruda's collegiate career, she posted 1,778 kills, 693 digs, and 604 blocks in volleyball.^[6] She was a three-time AVCA All-American.^[9] She also earned All-Big West honors in basketball, becoming the first Big West student-athlete to earn all-conference accolades in two sports in one season.^[6]

In 1999, Scott-Arruda was inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame.^[10]

International competition

In her first major international competition, Scott-Arruda won a silver medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games in Saint Petersburg.^[11] In her career, she played in over 420 matches and won numerous medals, winning silver medals at the 2002 FIVB World Championship in Germany,^[5] the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.^[12] She reportedly had a spike height of 128 inches (3.25 meters).^[13]

Scott-Arruda carried the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.^[5]

Arruda with George W. Bush at 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

Sports Diplomacy

In 2019, Scott-Arruda visited Fiji as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. State Department's Sports Diplomacy Office.^[6][14]

Personal life

Scott-Arruda's parents are Charles Young and Vera Scott.^[6] She has one brother, Charles, and one sister, Stefanie.^[6] She was married to Eduardo Arruda, a former member of the Brazilian national team and they have a daughter Juliánné Arruda who is now 14 as of 2024.^[6][15] She learned to speak Portuguese fluently while living in Brazil.^[15]

Individual awards

• Three-time AVCA All-American
• 1994 Honda-Broderick Award
• 1999 Long Beach State Hall of Fame
• 2000 Summer Olympics "Best Blocker"
• 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix "Most Valuable Player"
• 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Scorer"
• 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Blocker"
• 2002 World Championship "Best Blocker"
• 2009 Pan-American Cup "Best Blocker"
• 2016 International Volleyball Hall of Fame