May-Walsh Carry Torch for Pro Volleyball
by Stephen Edelson, Asbury Park Press
July 8, 2005 NEW YORK — As Kerri Walsh removed her sweat pants, revealing the skimpiest uniform in all of sports, even the most detached of city dwellers couldn't help but take notice of the beach volleyball court that had sprung up in the heart of the concrete jungle on June 30. It was much the way Walsh and her partner, Misty May-Treanor, caught the entire country's attention last summer when NBC made these good-looking athletes with gold medal-ability the centerpiece of their prime-time Olympic coverage from Athens.
Now, with their lives changed forever, the duo has emerged as the standard-bearers for both women's beach volleyball and the entire AVP Tour, once solely the domain of men. From a Super Bowl commercial featuring them playing on an ice field in their bikinis, appearances on every major interview show and a growing number of corporate endorsers looking to latch onto their Southern California charm, May-Treanor and Walsh are a sought-after commodity.
"I think they've handled their leadership role and their starring role tremendously," said Karch Kiraly, a three-time Olympic champion who spent nearly two decades occupying the spot May-Treanor and Walsh have now inherited. "Look at them. It doesn't look like they need any help from me. It's exciting to have two women who are such good people as the two biggest stars in the sport right now."
After winning their second straight world championship, they had their winning streak snapped at 50 matches on July 3 in the Cincinnati Open final by Elaine Youngs and Rachel Wacholder. Now they lead the AVP Tour back to the Shore area for the $175,000 Nissan Series Belmar Open, looking to begin another run of success.
In an era where fans simply can't relate to most athletes, May-Treanor and Walsh are a refreshing change, using their girl-next-door persona to help lead the way for the next generation of young athletes.
Walsh, a four-time All-American at Stanford, earned the nickname "Six Feet of Sunshine" because of her outgoing personality. Considered the best women's volleyball player in the world right now, she will marry fellow beach volleyballer Casey Jennings later this year.
May-Treanor was a volleyball prodigy who grew up on the beaches around Costa Mesa, Calif. She has a degree in kinesiology from Long Beach State, the 1998 NCAA volleyball champion, she immediately rose to the top of the beach game when she teamed with Holly McPeak, finishing fifth at the 2000 Olympics. She married Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor late last year.
"I think people really want their kids to look up to people like Misty and Kerri," AVP commissioner Leonard Armato said. "I think brands want to associate themselves with athletes like that. It's important for us to have players like Kerri and Misty at the forefront because of what they represent.
"As educated, articulate athletes, they really are perfect symbols for the AVP and what we represent: great competition and a terrific lifestyle."
None of this, however, would have been possible had May-Treanor and Walsh not established themselves as two of the finest female athletes, digging and spiking their way into the stratosphere of their sport. Their most recent winning streak was a little more than halfway to the record winning streak of 89 matches they set in 2003-04.
"It feels like we have lightning in a bottle," Walsh said. "I'm always busy. The media attention has increased 10-fold since the Olympics. The sport is growing and this is a really good time to be doing what we're doing. Misty and I, with our success, have been put in front in terms of being ambassadors for our sport and we're so proud to be in that spot because we love our sport. And if we keep winning, which is always the goal, we'll do it for a long time."
Added May-Treanor: "We really don't mind the weight of being in a leadership role. We've had a lot of good training. Holly was my first partner and she kind of led the charge for the women for a while. We're always around Karch, so there have been a lot of great athletes we've been surrounded by. We're honored to be in this position."
Last summer, May-Treanor was forced to skip Belmar due to an injury, and made the decision to sit out with an eye toward being completely healthy for the Olympics. Walsh picked up Jen Meredith as a partner and ended up finishing second. This week they'll look to make up for the disappointment from 2004 in Belmar.
"You always hate sitting out tournaments, especially one we enjoy playing in as much as Belmar," May-Treanor said. "But last year there was a bigger goal involved. And with the way we're playing right now, we're looking forward to every weekend."
While teams generally try to serve away from Walsh, opponents tried a different strategy in Cincinnati in the semifinals and final. Walsh appeared to struggle with teams serving at her, so she can expect more of the same in Belmar.
"I played two really terrible matches in a row, and that's never happened to me before," Walsh said. "I'm disappointed, but I'm thrilled to be coming to Belmar to make amends."
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