Misty May-Treanor

Misty May-Treanor
Name	Misty May-Treanor
Birth date	30 July 1977
Birth place	Long Beach, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Professional volleyball player
Height	5 ft 9 in
Spouse	Matt Treanor

Misty May-Treanor is an American former professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist known for her partnership with Kerri Walsh Jennings and dominance on the FIVB World Tour, AVP Tour, and at the Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing, and London. She is widely regarded as one of the most successful athletes in volleyball history, earning numerous awards from organizations including the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, the Association of Volleyball Professionals, and the International Olympic Committee.

Early life and background

Born in Long Beach, California, she is the daughter of former professional baseball player Bobby Moegle and Johnny May, and grew up in a family connected to athletic institutions such as Long Beach State University and California State University, Long Beach. She attended Los Alamitos High School where she excelled in indoor volleyball alongside regional competitions affiliated with CIF Southern Section and national junior programs linked to USA Volleyball and High Performance. Her early training involved camps and clinics associated with organizations like NCAA, AAU, Junior Olympics, US Olympic Committee, and coaching influences tied to programs from Pepperdine University and UCLA.

Collegiate volleyball career

She played indoor volleyball at Long Beach State University under coach Marv Dunphy, competing in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship and earning honors from bodies such as the AVCA and Big West Conference. During her collegiate career she faced opponents from programs like University of Hawaii, University of Southern California, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley and participated in tournaments involving NCAA Final Four and Regional Championships. Her accolades included conference awards associated with Big West and national recognition linked to NCAA All-American selections and nominations by organizations like the ESPN and Sports Illustrated college awards.

Professional beach volleyball career

Transitioning from indoor play, she joined the professional beach circuit, competing on the AVP Tour and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour against teams from countries represented at Beach Volleyball World Championships and continental events like the Pan American Games and NORCECA. Partnering with various athletes before forming a long-term team, she won titles at tournaments run by entities such as the Major Series and events affiliated with Beach Pro Tour, competing in venues used by Olympic qualifying competitions overseen by the International Volleyball Federation and national federations like USA Volleyball.

Olympic achievements and honors

She won gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London alongside partner Kerri Walsh Jennings, becoming one of few athletes with three consecutive Olympic titles in a single discipline recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Her Olympic performances earned recognition from institutions such as the Hall of Fame bodies, awards from ESPN, honors from Time (magazine), and citations by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. She also received medals and awards linked to events like the Goodwill Games and was celebrated at ceremonies involving officials from United States Congress and sporting halls including International Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Playing style and partnerships

Known for her defensive prowess, court vision, and technical skills in sand play, she formed a legendary partnership with Kerri Walsh Jennings, combining with strategies studied in coaching curricula from FIVB and tactical analyses published by outlets like ESPN, The New York Times, BBC Sport, Sports Illustrated, and NBC Sports. Their complementarity matched trends seen in successful pairs from Brazil, Australia, Germany, and Russia on the world stage, and their rivalry and matches involved opponents from teams with players who competed at the World Championships, AVP Finals, and multi-sport events such as the Pan American Games.

Personal life and post-retirement activities

Off the court she married professional baseball player Matt Treanor and has family ties to communities in Long Beach, California, participating in charitable work with organizations like Special Olympics, youth initiatives linked to USA Volleyball, and community programs coordinated with Long Beach State University alumni events. After retiring she engaged in coaching, clinics, commentary and ambassadorship roles involving media organizations such as NBC Olympics, mentoring programs associated with U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and contributing to philanthropic efforts with foundations similar to Right To Play and international outreach via partnerships with sports bodies including FIVB and USOC.

Category:American beach volleyball players Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Long Beach State Beach women's volleyball players