One of the most naturally-gifted female players, Misty May-Treanor, along with partner Kerri Walsh, captured gold at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, an historic first for U.S. Women’s Volleyball. May-Treanor and Walsh didn’t lose a single set in the seven Olympic matches they played that year. Following the epic triumph in Athens, May-Treanor and Walsh (known as the “California golden girls”) are looking to claim gold again in Beijing. This will be her third stab at the Olympics.
In 2003, May and her then new teammate Kerri Walsh were named AVP Team of the Year after an undefeated season at 39-0 and winning a total eight tournaments. The pair went on an impressive and record-breaking 89-match winning streak in 2003-04 and collected 50 straight match victories from July 2004 to July 2005. She and Walsh have been named AVP Team of the Year four years in a row (2003 through 2006). May-Treanor herself was named Most Valuable Player in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07, Best Offensive Player in 2004, ‘05 and ‘06 and Best Defensive Player in 2006. She finished the 2005 season ranked second in hitting percentage (.489), third in (916), and fourth in kill percentage (.570). In 2006 she was third in hitting percentage (.511), fourth in kill percentage (.578), and fifth in both digs (5.50 per game) and kills (6.92 per game). Fast forward to 2007, May-Treanor’s 19 wins (both domestic and international) tie her for the most victories ever in her sport.
Nicknamed "Turtle," May-Treanor graduated from Long Beach State where she was part of the 1998 NCAA Championship and awarded the NCAA Championship Co-MVP. She received several other collegiate accolades including 1998 NCAA Athlete-of-the-Year and First-Team All-American from 1996-98. Born in Los Angeles, May spent her high school years in Costa Mesa where she attended Newport Harbor High School. She didn’t have to go far to learn her skills: father Robert "Butch" May was on the 1968 U.S. volleyball team that placed seventh at the Mexico City Games and her late mother, Barbara, played tennis at UCLA. Cousin Taylor Dent was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic tennis team. During the offseason, May-Treanor is assistant coach to the women's volleyball team at Irvine Valley Junior College. After her volleyball career, she plans to do more college level coaching, earn a Master's degree, and spend more time with her two dogs and husband Matt Treanor, catcher for the Florida Marlins.
