Women's Volleyball

AIC's Paola Soto Burgos Selected for AVCA Demonstrator Scholarship

Soto Burgos is One of Just 36 Players Selected.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its 2025 AVCA Scholarship Recipients on Friday, November 7. Among these scholarships is the Student-Athlete Demonstrator Scholarship, which will bring 36 current collegiate volleyball players to the AVCA Convention to be held in Kansas City, Missouri from December 17-21.

Among the recipients of the scholarship award is American International College graduate student Paola Soto Burgos.

Click here for the official AVCA release.

The scholarship, which covers event registration and hotel costs, provide student-athletes who are interested in pursuing a career in coaching the opportunity to attend educational seminars, network with current coaches at all levels, and gain personal and professional development. The student-athletes will additionally participate in a number of on-court sessions featuring both drills and live play, allowing the AVCA membership to share ideas as well as test the effects of potential rule adjustments in real time with high-caliber players.

“Receiving the AVCA Demonstrator Scholarship is a dream come true. It’s more than just an opportunity to attend the convention; it’s a celebration of hard work, passion, and resilience. To be recognized among student-athletes from all divisions across the country and to represent the East Region and the NE10 reminds me why I fell in love with this sport in the first place. Volleyball has given me so much, and this experience allows me to give back while continuing to learn and grow,” Soto Burgos said.

Since the program was founded in 2021, 135 student-athletes have been part of this program; Soto Burgos is the first from the Northeast 10 Conference. She is the second student-athlete to earn the scholarship for Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Eli Irizarry, who last year coached 2024 recipient Jasmine Brundage while at Daemen University.

The scholarship selection is another feather in the cap for one of the most decorated student-athletes in AIC’s history. Soto Burgos is a two-time AVCA All-American and three-time NE10 Champion. She was NE10 Tournament MVP in 2022, and her sister Victoria Soto Burgos winning the award in 2024 made the duo the only pair of sisters to both be NE10 Tournament MVP in the conference’s history.

In addition to her on-court accolades, Soto Burgos has been a champion on campus and in the community. She is a multi-year member of the AIC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board at AIC, and this year she is serving as its President. She has led a number of on-campus initiatives in her time, including the team’s annual breast cancer awareness walk and support for Team IMPACT.

She also is the creator of the Comfort Hearts Foundation, which provides heart-shaped support pillows for breast cancer patients, helping to make sleep more comfortable following surgical procedures relating to treatment. Click here for more information on the Comfort Hearts Foundation.

Soto Burgos earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College in 2024, as well as a master’s in science in 2025, and is pursuing a second master’s degree in education.

Release provided by AIC athletics.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
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