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Misty Embarks on Wild Odyssey
by Doug Krikorian, Long Beach Press-Telegram
May 24, 2007
In the wonderfully frenetic life of Misty May-Treanor, where records
fall, frequent flyer mileage totals are immense and adoring crowds cheer
her heroic weekend beach volleyball exploits, she departed Long Beach
Wednesday for a six-week odyssey that will include visits to Kentucky,
Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, France and Norway.
"I'll be back in town for a day in early July, and then be gone for
another couple of weeks before returning to our summer event here,"
she says, referring to the July 19-22 Bud Light AVP Long Beach Open that
will be staged at Marina Green Park. "It seems like I'm always on
the go during the AVP season. I won't have a weekend off until the end
of September."
There also will be the usual FIVB-sanctioned international tournaments
in which she and her partner, Kerri Walsh, will participate in during
this span that, in addition to France and Norway, will include trips to
Austria, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Brazil, Thailand and Mexico.
"The foreign tournaments take on a greater importance this year because
they are involved in the Olympics qualifying process," she says.
"It's important we do well not only to assure us of qualifying, but
also of getting a good seeding in the Olympics."
If one goes by what Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have accomplished
in recent times - they won a gold medal in the Athens Games in 2004 and
have been AVP Team of the Year for the past four seasons - they well could
wind up with the No. 1 seed.
As you might have heard, May-Treanor last Sunday reached a historic milestone
in her sport, as she won her 73rd title, eclipsing the mark set by her
former partner, Holly McPeak.
"It's nice, I guess, but it's really something I've never thought
about because I'm in a team sport," she says. "I never could
have reached such a level without having terrific partners like Holly
McPeak and Kerri Walsh."
She also says she couldn't have reached such a level without the assistance
she received from her coaches at Long Beach State, Brian Gimmillaro and
Debbie Green.
"I don't think I'd be where I am without those two people,"
she says. "Brian runs a very tough program, and emphasizes character
and discipline and hard work. I remember I used to ask myself, `Why's
Brian being so hard on me?' Now I understand, and you appreciate the lessons
he was trying to teach you like playing for each other instead of for
yourself. It's carried over in my outlook on so many matters in my life.
"Everything I learned setting-wise came from Debbie, who was a great
setter herself. Learning setting from Debbie was like learning painting
from Picasso."
Misty May-Treanor also has kind words for Holly McPeak.
"Holly paved the way for me in beach volleyball," she says.
"She took the challenge of starting me on the beach, and she was
like a mom to me on the court. I respect her so much both as a player
and a person."
Although she resides during the offseason with her husband, Florida Marlin
catcher Matt Treanor, at a home they own in Coral Springs, Fla., Misty
May-Treanor has kept her Long Beach roots.
She also has a home here, and keeps involved in local activities like
last Saturday night's big Long Beach State athletic scholarship fundraiser,
the Jewels of the Night, where she gave a speech and donated auction items.
"You don't forget your past, and the people who helped you get to
where you are now," she says.
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have become so successful - they once
had an 89-match winning steak - that they've inspired unreasonable expectations.
Indeed, on those rare occasions when they actually fail to win a tournament
- as they did in the AVP opening event in April in Miami when Elaine Youngs
and Nicole Branagh wound up with the top prize - the reaction among their
followers is stunned disbelief.
"It seems like it's the end of the world to some people when we get
beat," says May-Treanor. "People just can't believe it and ask
us, `What's wrong?' Well, there's nothing wrong. There are some days when
we just don't play that well and other teams play better. Other teams
keep improving and keep getting better."
With a new coach, Troy Tanner, now in tow, May-Treanor feels she and Kerri
Walsh also are getting better.
"Troy's been really working on our serving and defense and strategy,"
she says. "You always look to be more consistent. I think we're better
now than we've ever been. But the competition is also far better."
During their seasons which roughly coincide, Misty May-Treanor and Matt
Treanor maintain the quintessential long-distance marriage.
"I've seen Matt for only two and a half days since February 15,"
she says. "We do talk twice a day on the phone, but our schedules
just keep us apart. We've gotten kind of used to it, and we both know
it won't last forever. It's just the way it is. Baseball is a spring and
summer sport, and so is baseball."
May-Treanor will turn 30 in July, and plans to continue playing at least
until the Beijing Olympics next year.
After that, she doesn't know what she will do.
"I definitely want to have a family," she says.
But, in the meantime, she's making quite an income from her work on the
beach - her tournament earnings are now above $1.3 million - and from
endorsing such products as Gatorade, Bolle sunglasses, Mikasa volleyballs,
XBox video games and Nautica apparel.
"Life, obviously, is good these days for me," she says. "Sure,
I'm on the go a lot. But I'm making a decent living. And having some fun
while doing it. I have no complaints..."
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