Misty May-Treanor

Misty Elizabeth May-Treanor (née May; born July 30, 1977) is a retired American professional beach volleyball player. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and as of August 2012, was the most successful female beach volleyball player with 112 individual championship wins in domestic and international competition.[1]

"Misty May" redirects here. For the anime character Misty May, see Otaku no Video.

Misty May-Treanor
May-Treanor in 2007
Personal information
Full nameMisty Elizabeth May-Treanor
NicknameThe Turtle
Nationality United States
Born (1977-07-30) July 30, 1977
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight159 lb (72 kg)
College(s)Long Beach State
Beach volleyball information
Years Teammate
2011–2012
2001–2009
1999–2000		 Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Holly McPeak
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Women's beach volleyball
Olympic Games
2004 Athens Beach
2008 Beijing Beach
2012 London Beach
World Championships
2003 Rio de Janeiro Beach
2005 Berlin Beach
2007 Gstaad Beach
2011 Rome Beach
Women's volleyball
Pan American Games
1999 Winnipeg Indoor

May-Treanor and teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings were gold medalists in beach volleyball at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. They also won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. They have been called "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time."[2][3][4][5]

May-Treanor retired from competitive play on August 8, 2012 after she and Walsh Jennings won gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics.[2][3] She was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Early life and education

May was born in 1977 in Los Angeles to Barbara (née Grubb), a nationally ranked tennis player, and Butch May, a member of the 1968 United States men's national volleyball team. She has two older half brothers, Brack and Scott.[6] She grew up playing beach volleyball with her parents at the Santa Monica Pier, and at age 8 teamed with her father to play in her first beach volleyball tournament. May also played soccer and tennis, as well as participating in dance. She attended primary school at Brightwood Elementary School in Monterey Park and Roosevelt Elementary School in Santa Monica. As a child, she was baby-sat by Karch Kiraly, future national volleyball player and United States women's national volleyball team head coach.[7]

In her 2010 autobiography, May-Treanor stated both of her parents were alcoholics.[7] She also asserted her mother would at times become violent when drinking.[7] From the age of 4 to 15, she lived with her grandparents. In 1988, her father committed to living his life sober after an automobile accident in which he struck and nearly killed a motorcyclist.[7]

Education

High school

May grew up in Costa Mesa, California,[8] attending Newport Harbor High School from 1991 through 1995.[9] She helped her team win the state championship in volleyball in both her sophomore and senior years, 1992 and 1994.[10] During her junior year in 1993 she was named the Division I All-CIF team Player of the Year,[11] and the following year she was selected by USA Today as the best high school girls' volleyball player in the nation.[12]

While at Newport Harbor High she also competed in track and field, excelling in the high jump. At the CIF California State Meet in 1993 she finished second in the high jump to future heptathlete, Tracye Lawyer.[13]

May-Treanor was later inducted into the inaugural class of the Newport Harbor High School's Hall of Fame in 2014.[14]

College

May-Treanor played volleyball for the Long Beach State 49ers from 1995 to 1999. The 1998 team that May captained was the first women's NCAA volleyball team to have an undefeated season. She graduated with a BA in kinesiology and fitness in 2002 and was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.[15]

During her tenure there, she racked up numerous Big West Conference and NCAA awards and honors, including the Honda Sports Award for the nation's best female volleyball player, and the Honda-Broderick Cup for the best overall female collegiate athlete for 1998–99,[16][17] and back-to-back National Player of the Year awards in 1997 and 1998.

1998 NCAA championship

As the starting setter in 1998, May-Treanor led Long Beach State University to the Division I NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship with a 36–0 record. She shared the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player award after setting a tournament record with 20 service aces.

Graduate school

She attended Concordia University in Irvine, California to earn a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration.[18] Her degree was conferred on May 4, 2013.

Professional career

1999–2000: Early career with Holly McPeak
May serves while partner Walsh-Jennings provides defensive signals in 2008

May played her first professional match on the AVP tour in May 1999 while still a college senior.[19] After graduating from Long Beach State in 1999, she joined the United States women's national volleyball team. After a few months she quit the national team to focus on beach volleyball, teaming with Holly McPeak.[20]

The pair played their first tournament together on the FIVB tour in Salvador, Brazil in November 1999. Seeded 22nd, McPeak/May finished 9th.[21]

The 2000 season saw the team of May and McPeak find success, both in domestic and international competitions. They won their first tournament together in April at a USAV event, followed by two wins on the FIVB tour, and one on the now-defunct BVA.[22] May was selected as the BVA Rookie of the Year for 2000. With three FIVB tournament wins and no finishes lower than 5th, the pair qualified for one of the two US Olympic berths, a goal McPeak was looking for when she first partnered with May. At the 2000 Summer Olympics the pair won in the opening round and in the round of 16 before losing 16–14 in a hard-fought quarterfinal match against Sandra Pires and Adriana Samuel of Brazil. The quarterfinal loss left the team in a tie for 5th place at the 2000 summer Olympics.[23]

2001 to Beijing 2008: Dominance with partner Kerri Walsh

After completing the 2000 season with McPeak, May teamed up with a new partner Kerri Walsh,[24] playing as a defender behind Walsh's block.[25] Rather than play on the newly reformed AVP tour, the duo spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons gaining valuable experience competing on the international FIVB tour.[24] They won their first FIVB tour championship in 2002. In 2003, May and Walsh signed with the AVP. They received "Team of the Year" honors after having an undefeated domestic season, going 39–0 in match victories with eight tournament wins.[4] On the 2003 international tour, May-Treanor and Walsh went 52–4 in match victories.[4]

For nearly the entire period from their initial partnering in 2001, to their respective hiatuses in late 2008, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings dominated both the AVP and FIVB beach volleyball tours. At one point, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings had a win streak of 112 consecutive matches and 19 straight tournaments that lasted from August 2007 to August 2008, breaking their own previous record of 89 consecutive match wins and 15 straight tournaments, set before the 2004 Summer Olympics.[26]

After Beijing
Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor in 2012

Following their gold medal victory at the Beijing Olympics, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings returned to the 2008 AVP Tour. Their win streak of 112 matches was broken with an upset victory by fellow 2008 Olympians Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs at the AVP Shootout in Cincinnati, Ohio. May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings lost again on September 7, falling to April Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the semifinals of an AVP tournament in Santa Barbara, California, marking the first time since April 2007 that the duo missed reaching an AVP tour final.[27]

For the 2010 season, with Walsh Jennings taking a break from competition for the birth of her second son, May-Treanor teamed up with Branagh. The two won several tournaments together, but struggled for much of the year.[8][28]

Injuries

May-Treanor played much of her 2002 season with a torn PCL before undergoing surgery that September.[24]

Soon after winning her gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, May-Treanor ruptured her achilles tendon during dance practice for a performance on the show Dancing with the Stars.[29] It was successfully repaired, though she did not return to competition for nearly a year.[30]

Retirement

May-Treanor, just prior to teaming with Kerri Walsh-Jennings for a third straight gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, announced that she was retiring from beach volleyball. She confirmed this shortly after the Olympics victory.[31]

May-Treanor completed her Graduate Degree with Concordia University Irvine and received a master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration.

Coaching

May-Treanor was a member of the women's volleyball coaching staff at Irvine Valley College beginning in 2001,[32] though she is no longer listed as a staff member. IVC head coach, Tom Pestolesi, was her high school volleyball coach.[33]

As of July 2016, she serves as the Director of Volleyball at Long Beach City College where she coaches the women's indoor and beach volleyball teams.[34][35] The LBCC indoor and beach teams thrived under her leadership.[36] In the 2016–17 season, the Vikings went 16-5 and won their first conference title in 16 years, also qualifying for the state playoffs where they made it to the second round. For beach, they were successful in their inaugural year, making it to the state finals and having one of the teams win the state title.[37] In the 2017–18 season, the indoor team went 18-5 and again lost in the second round of playoffs.[38]

She also owns a beach volleyball club called Dream in Gold (DIG) to train the next generation of beach volleyball players.[39]

Olympic history
U.S. President George W. Bush visits May-Treanor (left) and Walsh Jennings (right) at the 2008 Olympics.

Sydney 2000

Hobbled by an abdominal injury in her first Olympics,[40] May finished fifth with partner Holly McPeak in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Athens 2004

Riding a 90-match win streak, May and Walsh continued their winning ways through the 2004 Summer Olympics. In semifinal play, the pair defeated fellow Americans — and May's former partner — Holly McPeak and partner Elaine Youngs. May and Walsh defeated Brazil in the championship match to win the gold medal. The duo did not lose a single set in all seven matches.[41]

Beijing 2008

On August 21, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings repeated as Olympic gold medalists, defeating the first-seeded Chinese team in two games. They are the only beach volleyball team to repeat as gold medalists. May-Treanor was named the Most Outstanding Player for the women's competition.[42]

London 2012

May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In the preliminary round, they extended their Olympic winning streak to 32 consecutive sets without a loss with wins over Australia and the Czech Republic. The streak came to an end when they lost their first set to the Schwaiger sisters from Austria; May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings went on to win the match 17–21, 21–8, 15–10.[43]

May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings defeated fellow Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the final to claim the gold medal (21–16, 21–16).[44]

Politics and philanthropy

May-Treanor serves as a Sports Ambassador for Special Olympics Southern California and served on the group's Board of Governors.

In May 2018, May-Treanor was appointed, along with Bill Belichick, Mariano Rivera, Herschel Walker, by President Trump, to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition; she serves as a co-chair.[45]

Personal life

May began dating professional baseball catcher, Matt Treanor, in January 2004.[46] The two later wed in November of that year.[47] She and her husband reside in Coral Springs, Florida.[47] They also own a home in Long Beach, California.[48] May-Treanor gave birth to the couple's first child, Malia Barbara, on June 3, 2014.[49] The couple later welcomed fraternal twin girls, Mele Elizarin and Mia Kanoelani, on November 9, 2017.[50]

May-Treanor has two half brothers; Brack is a chef and competed on the Food Network show Chopped. Both May-Treanor's maternal aunt, Betty Ann Grubb Stuart, and maternal first cousin, Taylor Dent, were professional tennis players.[51][52]

In her 2010 memoir, May-Treanor revealed she had been sexually assaulted while in college, pressed charges against her assailant, and testified at the trial.[7]

A tattoo on May-Treanor's shoulder of an angel with the initials "B.M." is a dedication to her mother, Barbara May, who died of cancer in 2002.[53]

Television and film appearances

May-Treanor has made numerous minor television appearances, including Dancing with the Stars, episodes of CSI: Miami, Wizards of Waverly Place, and the Late Show with David Letterman.[54]

In 2008, she competed in season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. May-Treanor ruptured her Achilles tendon during a training session for the show, and was consequently forced to withdraw from the competition.[55]

Following the 2008 Olympics, May-Treanor appeared in an episode of the Disney series Wizards of Waverly Place.[56] On August 14, 2012 she appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[57]

May-Treanor appeared alongside Jennifer Kessy in the season 9 episode of Hell's Kitchen as chef's table guest in the red kitchen.[58]

Awards and honors
May (face not seen) celebrates with Kerri Walsh Jennings after defeating Brazil in the 2008 Beijing Olympics quarterfinal match

Big West Conference

May-Treanor's honors in the Big West Conference include:[59]

  • Big West Conference Freshman of the Year 1995
  • All-Big West First Team (4): 1995–1998
  • Big West Player of the Year (3): 1996–1998
  • Big West Player of the Week – 6 times

NCAA

AVP
  • AVP Best Defensive Player (3): 2006–2008[61]
  • AVP Best Offensive Player (5): 2004–2008[61]
  • AVP Crocs Cup Champion (3): 2006–2008 (all with Kerri Walsh)[61]
  • AVP Most Valuable Player (4): 2005–2008[61]
  • AVP Team of the Year (6): 2003–2008 (all with Kerri Walsh)[61]

FIVB
  • FIVB Best Defender (2): 2007–2008
  • FIVB Best Attacker (3): 2005, 2007–2008
  • FIVB Best Setter (1): 2005
  • FIVB Most Outstanding (2): 2005, 2008
  • FIVB Sportsperson (2): 2007, 2008
  • FIVB Tour Champion (1): 2002 (with Kerri Walsh)

BVA
  • BVA Rookie of the Year 2000[8]

Olympics
  • Most Outstanding Player at the 2004/2008 Summer Olympics.[42]

Women's Sports Foundation

Hall of Fame

May-Treanor has been inducted into the following Halls of Fame:

  • Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame (2004)[15]
  • Newport Harbor High School Hall of Fame (2014)[14]
  • International Volleyball Hall of Fame (2016)[63]
  • Southern California Indoor Hall of Fame (2017)[64]

Achievements
  • Most women's career tournament victories: 112[8]
  • Most women's career earnings: $2,132,733[8]
  • Most women's international career wins: 43[8]
  • Record win streak of 112 consecutive matches and 19 straight tournaments that lasted from August 2007 to August 2008[26]

References
  1. "Overall Career Individual Leaders". Beach Volleyball Database. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  2. Ackerman, Jon. "Best of 2000s: Team of the Decade – Misty May/Kerri Walsh". Universal Sports. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  3. "Meet Team USA: Women's Beach Volleyball". Harpo Productions, Inc. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  4. Dorfman, Blake (August 9, 2012). "Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh: Their Amazing Beach Volleyball Careers". Bleacher Report.
  5. "Inductee Gallery: Misty May-Treanor". Volleyball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  6. May-Treanor, Misty; Lieber Steeg, Jill (2010). Misty: My Journey Through Volleyball and Life. New York: Scribner. p. 181. ISBN 978-1439148556.
  7. Golen, Jimmy (June 16, 2010). "Misty May-Treanor Book: Alcoholism, Sexual Assault & More". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  8. Misty May-Treanor – Profile, Beach Volleyball Database
  9. "Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings share volleyball roots in California". CBS News. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  10. Szabo, Matt (March 30, 2007). "AVP MVP gears up". Daily Pilot.
  11. "Three from O.C. grab top honors". The Orange County Register. December 10, 1993.
  12. Osterman, David (December 20, 1994). "Misty May nationally recognized for her volleyball prowess". The Orange County Register.
  13. "California State Meet Results – 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  14. Virgen, Steve (May 21, 2014). "Newport Harbor announces first Hall of Fame class". Los Angeles Times.
  15. Adler, Niall (October 18, 2004). "Athletes, Coach, Physician to be Inducted into LBSU Hall of Fame". This Week @ The Beach. California State University, Long Beach. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  16. "Past Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Winners". Collegiate Women Sports Awards. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  17. "Volleyball: Misty bound for International Hall of Fame". Daily Pilot. July 3, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  18. "Olympic Medalist talks about MCAA". Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  19. Misty May-Treanor – Profile: 1999 AVP Pro Beach Tour, Beach Volleyball Database
  20. Pucin, Diane (October 13, 1999). "May's heart is on the beach". Los Angeles Times.
  21. Misty May-Treanor – Profile: 1999 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball World Tour, Beach Volleyball Database
  22. Misty May-Treanor – Profile: 2000 Beach Volleyball America, Beach Volleyball Database
  23. Abrahamson, Alan (September 23, 2000). "Only Bummer at Bondi Is Early Exit of U.S. Women". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  24. "AVP Fans Are Seeing Her Take the Beach by Storm". LA Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  25. "BRACKET CHALLENGE ROUND 1: BONNIE BLAIR OR KERRI WALSH JENNINGS AND MISTY MAY-TREANOR?". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  26. "Record streak snapped: May-Treanor, Walsh fall in Ohio". USA Today. August 31, 2008.
  27. "May-Treanor and Walsh lose again, this time in the semis". USA Today. Associated Press. September 7, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  28. Myers, Laura (July 17, 2010). "Misty May-Treanor, Nicole Branagh still adjusting as a team". Los Angeles Times.
  29. Keveney, Bill (October 7, 2008). "May-Treanor sits out this 'Dancing'". USA Today. p. D1.
  30. "Athletes: Misty May-Treanor". USA Volleyball. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  31. "MISTY'S DONE". AP. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  32. Irvine Valley College volleyball coaching staff (Internet Archive)
  33. "Irvine Valley coach talks Misty May". Orange Country Register.
  34. Long Beach City College - Mist May-Treanor Bio
  35. Guardabascio, Mike (June 23, 2016). "Misty May-Treanor hired as Long Beach City College's director of volleyball operations". Long Beach Press-Telegram. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  36. "Misty May-Treanor leading LBCC resurgence". Press Telegram. September 5, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  37. Editor, Mike Guardabascio Sports. "Long Beach City College Volleyball Thriving Under Misty May-Treanor". www.Gazettes.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  38. "2017 LBCC Women's Volleyball Schedule - Long Beach City College". www.lbccvikings.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  39. "Dream in Gold Beach Volleyball Club In Long Beach, Ca". Dream In Gold Beach Volleyball Club. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  40. Springer, Steve (August 13, 2004). "May shrugs off abdominal injury". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  41. "SUMMER 2004 GAMES: ROUNDUP; American Women Win Gold And Bronze on the Beach". The New York Times. August 25, 2004.
  42. Evans, B.J. "May-Treanor named Olympic Most Outstanding Player". USA Volleyball. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  43. Golen, Jimmy (August 1, 2012). "US beach women lose their first Olympic set". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  44. "May-Treanor, Walsh Jennings win". ESPN. August 9, 2012.
  45. https://lbpost.com/life/trump-to-appoint-misty-may-treanor-as-co-chair-to-the-presidents-council-on-sports-fitness-and-nutrition/
  46. Talking with pro volleyball player Misty May
  47. "May-Treanor biodata". USAvolleyball.org. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
  48. "Misty holds court in Long Beach". Long Beach Press-Telegram. July 19, 2007.
  49. "3-Time Gold Medalist Misty May-Treanor Has Baby". Fox Sports. June 10, 2014.
  50. Juneau, Jen (December 1, 2017). "Meet Misty May-Treanor's Twins! Olympian Introduces Daughters Mele and Mia Alongside Big Sister Malia". PEOPLE.
  51. May-Treanor, Misty; Lieber Steeg, Jill (2010). Misty: My Journey Through Volleyball and Life. New York: Scribner. p. 26. ISBN 978-1439148556.
  52. Moore, David Leon (August 12, 2004). "Beach volleyball's dynamic duo". USA Today.
  53. Wilstein, Steve (August 26, 2004). "Angel on her shoulder gives May a lift". NBC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  54. "Misty May-Treanor IMDb profile". IMDb.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  55. "May-Treanor has torn Achilles, Burke says". MSNBC. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012.
  56. https://www.tvguide.com/news/Misty-May-Treanor-Digs-17578.aspx
  57. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-14-2012/misty-may-treanor
  58. "Misty May-Treanor". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  59. "2008 Women's Volleyball Media Guide" (PDF). Big West Conference.
  60. "Volleyball". CWSA. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  61. "Player Awards". www.bvbinfo.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  62. "Sportswoman of the Year Award". Women's Sports Foundation. Archived from the original on July 22, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  63. "Five Legends Enshrined into International Volleyball Hall of Fame". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. October 22, 2016. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  64. Chan, Ed (January 5, 2017). "Southern California Indoor Hall of Fame announces 2017 inductees". Volleyballmag.com.

Further reading

May-Treanor, Misty; Lieber Steeg, Jill (2010). Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life. Scribner. ISBN 978-1439148549.

Sporting positions
Preceded by
 Adriana Behar
and Shelda Bede (BRA)		 Women's FIVB Beach World Tour Winner
alongside Kerri Walsh
2002		 Succeeded by
 Sandra Pires and
Ana Paula Connelly (BRA)
Awards
Preceded by
 Shelda Bede (BRA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Best Defender"
2007–2008		 Succeeded by
 Larissa França (BRA)
Preceded by
 Zhang Xi (CHN)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Best Defender"
2011		 Succeeded by
 Larissa França (BRA)
Preceded by
Inaugural		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Best Attacker"
2005		 Succeeded by
 Juliana Felisberta (BRA)
Preceded by
 Juliana Felisberta (BRA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Best Attacker"
2007–2008		 Succeeded by
 April Ross (USA)
Preceded by
Inaugural		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Best Setter"
2005		 Succeeded by
 Larissa França (BRA)
Preceded by
 Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Most Inspirational"
alongside Kerri Walsh Jennings
2012		 Succeeded by
 Laura Ludwig (GER)
Preceded by
Inaugural		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Most Outstanding"
2005		 Succeeded by
 Larissa França (BRA)
Preceded by
 Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Most Outstanding"
alongside Zhang Xi
2008		 Succeeded by
 Juliana Felisberta (BRA)
Preceded by
 Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Sportsperson"
alongside Kerri Walsh Jennings
2007–2008		 Succeeded by
 Shelda Bede (BRA)
Preceded by
 Shelda Bede (BRA)		 Women's FIVB World Tour "Sportsperson"
2010		 Succeeded by
 Juliana Felisberta (BRA)
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