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Misty Eyeing Gold in 2008
by Tim Reynolds, Associated Press
April 11, 2007
MIAMI (AP) - She's considered the most dominant player in beach
volleyball, perhaps the best to ever compete on the sand.
And Misty May-Treanor still wants more.
It's not enough that she swept every big award on the AVP Tour last
season. Team of the year (with another star, Kerri Walsh) for the
fourth straight year. Best offensive player for the third consecutive
time. She was league MVP for the second season in a row, and even took
home best defensive player honors.
A new beach season opens this weekend in Miami. But a bigger goal
serves as May-Treanor's as her primary motivation -- she wants to win
another Olympic gold medal at Beijing next year.
The calendar says 2007. May-Treanor doesn't deny her eyes are already
seeing 2008.
"As soon as the last ball dropped last year, Kerri and I started
getting real focused on being ready for '08," May-Treanor said.
"Obviously, we've got to think about '07 first. The AVP is actually
going to prepare us because a lot of the best U.S. teams are on this
tour and we'll be competing against them every weekend."
The AVP format is for two-player teams, with men's and women's
divisions, and the Miami tournament is the first of 18 on this year's
docket. May-Treanor and Walsh will be huge favorites to open the
season with a win, which isn't surprising since they prevailed in 13
of the 15 AVP events they played in 2006.
The 29-year-old May-Treanor is getting a home-field advantage of
sorts: She and husband Matt Treanor, a catcher for the Florida
Marlins, make their home in Coral Springs, Fla., about a 45-minute
drive north from downtown Miami.
"I like it down here because of things like all the colors and the
ethnicity," May-Treanor said. "It's just a much different vibe."
The Miami event will be held next to the AmericanAirlines Arena, home
of the NBA champion Miami Heat, and at least two basketball players --
one current, one former -- will be among the thousands of fans
expected by tournament officials.
"I'm a huge fan," said Heat forward Jason Kapono. "I tried
to play
volleyball. I'm not very good. But it's exciting that it's coming
here. I'll be out there. I'm a supporter and a fan."
So, too, is former Heat center Rony Seikaly, who last played in the
NBA during the 1998-99 season. Seikaly has entered Friday's qualifying
tournament, trying to earn a spot in the men's main draw, and his mere
presence gives the field a name that will resonate with the common
sports fan.
Meanwhile, May-Treanor may not exactly be a household name among all
sports fans. Among anyone who knows volleyball, though, the 5-foot-10
powerhouse is a huge star.
As a setter, she led Long Beach State to the 1998 NCAA championship --
with an undefeated record. She was a three-time NCAA first-team
All-American, and many thought she was the future on-court leader of
the U.S. women's indoor volleyball program.
But she turned to the beach, and the results can't be questioned. She
was the fastest American woman ever to win $1 million on the sand, yet
acknowledges that the indoor game is still something she holds dear.
"I miss it. I really do miss it," May-Treanor said. "It
was just a
much different game. When I play beach volleyball, I'm touching the
ball every rally. Indoor, as a setter, you're involved in every play
but it's kind of a cat-and-mouse game. You're the quarterback, running
the team. Outdoor, you're involved in every situation."
And for now, beach volleyball is the right situation.
The AVP is offering $4 million in prize money this year, up $500,000
from a year ago, and is splitting it equally among men's and women's
teams. The money is growing because the tour has seen a huge spike in
popularity in recent years -- with the success of May-Treanor and
Walsh perhaps the biggest reason.
"We're definitely on an up-curve because we keep having to add more
tournaments throughout the year," May-Treanor said. "People
want it.
People want it to come to their cities. It's a nice problem to have.
It definitely is growing and it will continue to grow."
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