Donnie Rafter Inducted to UCI Hall of Fame

February 2, 2007

RAFTER TO BE INDUCTED INTO UCI HALL OF FAME

Irvine, Calif. -- Former All-American Donnie Rafter is one of a quartet of honorees that will be inducted into UC Irvine’s Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 3 during the Homecoming Alumni brunch at the Hilton – Irvine/O.C. Airport beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The 2007 includes Graham, Ed Ahlmeyer (men’s cross country/track and field), Scott Carnahan (men’s tennis), and Donnie Rafter (men’s volleyball). This year’s class joins 65 previous inductees. In addition, David Baker (men’s basketball) will receive the Varsity Club Alumnus of Merit Award. The new inductees will be introduced during the UCI-Cal State Northridge men’s basketball game that night at the Bren Events Center.

Rafter competed in men’s volleyball from 1996-99, earning second-team All-America honors in 1999. He became the first UCI player named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team in 1999, when he was selected as National Player of the Week once and twice was chosen the MPSF Player of the Week. Rafter ranks second at UCI in career service aces (93), third in digs (608) and seventh in kills (1,165). In single-season records, he is third and fourth in digs per game (2.33 in 1999 and 2.29 in 1998), third in kills per game (5.59 in 1999) and fourth in total digs (219 in 1999).

He is the first men's volleyball player to be inducted into UCI's Hall of Fame.