Top Walter Pyramid Moments #3: Misty May's Jersey is retired on Senior Night
11/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 18, 2009
Long Beach, Cailf. - When a truly great one retires, their jersey's ascension is never far behind. In rare cases, when a player has meant an incredible amount to their team, that ceremony can take place mere moments after retirement. For Misty May, the face of Long Beach State athletics and one of the greatest volleyball players of all time, it actually happened before she was done playing for the 49ers.
On the last home match of the regular season in 1998, the university officially retired May's #5 jersey, as she led the 49ers to yet another victory--that season they finished undefeated, which had never happened before in NCAA history. A few weeks after the retirement ceremony, the Pyramid was host to an NCAA Regional, and May powered her team to sweep wins over Southern, Arizona, Illinois, and Texas, earning a berth into the Final Four, where they ultimately defeated Penn State for the National Championship.
That year--after her jersey had already been retired--May won the Honda Broderick Cup, awarded annually to the best female collegiate athlete, as well as the NCAA Championship's Most Outstanding Player award.
In the years since her jersey was lifted to the rafters, no athlete has more publicly, or proudly represented Long Beach State--and May has done it on the world's biggest stages, earning back-to-back Beach Volleyball gold medals, and dominating the AVP Tour with partner Kerri Walsh. When May finally calls it quits, her number may end up being retired by the entire sport of volleyball--or they can take a cue from Long Beach State and the Walter Pyramid, and not waste any time waiting.
TOP 15 WALTER PYRAMID MOMENTS
- #15 | Unranked Women's Volleyball Upsets No. 8 Florida
- #14 | First NCAA Tournament match played in the Walter Pyramid
- #13 | Men's Basketball defeats UC Riverside for regular season Big West Championship
- #12 | Men's Basketball defeats UCSB in Homecoming comeback
- #11 | Women's Volleyball defeats No. 14 Hawaii in front of 5,015
- #10 | No. 2 Women's Volleyball defeats No. 4 Stanford
- #9 | Men's Basketball erases 23-point deficit on Homecoming
- #8 | Men's Basketball defeats USC
- #7 | Women's Volleyball defeats Texas to advance to the Final Four
- #6 | Men's Basketball gets first overtime win in the Walter Pyramid
- #5 | Women's Volleyball defeats Southern without allowing a point
- #4 | Women's Volleyball defeats UCSB and sets all-time attendance record
