Misty May-Treanor - The Unstoppable
VOLLEYBALL - OLYMPIAN - TEAM USA - AVP - FIVB
ARCHETYPE: THE UNSTOPPABLE
Day 87/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Misty May-Treanor is one of the most exceptional beach volleyball players of all time. For over a decade, she and partner Kerri Walsh-Jennings dominated in the AVP, FIVB, and Olympics.
May grew up as a multisport athlete, enjoying soccer, tennis, and dance throughout her youth. In high school track and field, May was an elite high jumper, who won second in the California State championship meet.
But it was in volleyball where she really showcased her superior athleticism, leading her high school team to a state championship in 1992 and 1994. In 1993, she was selected as Division I All-CIF team Player of the Year, and in 1994, USA Today chose May as the best high school girls' volleyball player in the nation. In 2014, May-Treanor was inducted into the inaugural class of the Newport Harbor High School's Hall of Fame.
In college, May played indoor volleyball for the Long Beach State 49ers, leading the 1998 team to an undefeated 36-0 season, winning the Division I NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. After 20 service aces—a tournament record—May was co-winner of the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player award.
She briefly played for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, but decided to leave for fear of burnout and because of internal politics. That’s when she shifted to beach volleyball, pairing with Holly McPeak and qualifying for the 2000 Olympics.
The following year, in 2001, she partnered with Walsh-Jennings. The pair were instantly in sync, with May-Treanor the perfect defender behind Walsh-Jennings’ blocking. In 2003, they signed with AVP, went undefeated (39-0) domestically, and won “Team of the Year” honors.
Until the duo took a hiatus in 2008, they just kept winning. This included both an 89 consecutive match win streak that they later broke with a 112 consecutive match win streak, 19 straight tournaments that lasted from August 2007 to August 2008.
Her honors are aplenty and a-many and a-ridiculous:
In College:
NCAA Division I First Team All-American 1997, 1998
National Player of the Year 1997, 1998
Honda Sports Award 1998–99
NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, 1998
As a Pro/Olympian:
5x Best Defensive Player
8x Best Offensive Player/Attacker
3x Best Setter
8x Most Valuable / Outstanding Player
She’s also won Sportswoman of the Year, been inducted into the volleyball Hall of Fame, and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Character Archetype: The Unstoppable
Misty May-Treanor won a high school indoor volleyball California state title. In college, she led Long Beach State to an undefeated season and NCAA title. Then, after turning to beach volleyball and partnering with Kerri Walsh-Jennings, she REALLY caught fire.
May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings dominated the AVP, FIVB, and Olympics for over a decade. With May-Treanor's precision and expert defending, the team was literally unstoppable. Their win streak of 89 consecutive match wins and 15 straight tournaments seems astounding… until you realize that they broke their own record, winning 112 consecutive matches and 19 straight tournaments, including TWO Olympic Games.
In the end, the only person that could stop the duo was May-Treanor herself, who decided to retire in 2012, after winning her third straight Olympic gold medal. It’s never easy to leave the game you love, but when it’s time, might as well go out on top.