Misty at 43
ORANGE COUNTY, USA, July 31, 2020 - It has been almost eight
years since Misty May-Treanor has played on the international
beach volleyball tour and over four years since playing a
competitive match, but the three-time American Olympic and world
champion is still involved with the sport.
A winner of 112 international and domestic events in 199
appearances, May-Treanor resigned from her four-season coaching
position in April and resumed her broadcasting career as part of
the announce team for NBC Sports and Prime Video the past two
weekends at the restart of the American domestic tour at a venue
next to an arena where the volleyball competition was held at
the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
"Since I feel like birthdays just blend in with every other day,
I will be spending July 30th at home with Matt and the kids
hopefully by the pool," said May-Treanor, who celebrates her
43rd birthday today. "Matt is having a minor surgery tomorrow.
Since I share birthdays with my father in law, we went out to a
birthday dinner last night with Matt’s parents. We went to our
favourite restaurant - The Anaheim White House."
As for the last four months with the coronavirus pandemic, May-Treanor
said she was "Decluttering. I don’t think I have ever had this
much time off. We also moved a year ago and are still
rearranging the house. I also am giving private lessons when I
can work it in. I fortunately have been able to stay busy during
this time."
As for stepping down as the volleyball and beach volleyball
coach at Long Beach Community College, May-Treanor said she is
"spending more time with her family and on travel when allowed,
I am reuniting with friends and family, doing the television
commentating and playing a lot more golf and tennis.
During her four seasons at Long Beach City College, May-Treanor
led the Vikings’ indoor team to a 79-22 overall record and 34-2
in the South Coast Conference (SCC). The 'Vikings' made the
playoffs every year under May-Treanor and won a pair of
conference titles. She was the SCC coach of the year twice. On
the beach, May-Treanor led the Vikings to a 37-13 overall record
(16-4 SCC mark).
As for playing on her birthday, May-Treanor played three FIVB
World Tour matches on July 30 highlighted by a 2005 gold medal
win (2-0 (21-17, 21-15) in 46 minutes) over Brazilians Juliana
Felisberta and Larissa Franca in Paris.
"Paris was always a great event," said May-Treanor, who teamed
with two different partners to win 43 FIVB World Tour gold
medals. "I was sad when they took it off the schedule. I
remember feeling relieved after that match. Larissa and Juliana
were always so tough. I think my dad was with me and we went
shopping after the finals and of course had a crepe with Nutella
and coffee."
Another birthday win was the London 2012 Olympic Games where she
and Kerri Walsh Jennings posted a 2-0 (21-14, 21-19) win in 36
minutes over Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of the Czech
Republic.
"It was my 35th birthday, and again it was a relief that we
won," said May-Treanor, who did not lose any of her 28 matches
in three Olympics with Walsh Jennings. "I celebrated with a
drink after the match. My family met at the hotel and then I got
into my hotel room for ice bath and late night meal. I think the
crowd sang happy birthday which was really neat and thoughtful.
Again, we were there on a mission, so I didn’t think much of
it."
When asked about her memories playing on the FIVB World Tour,
May-Treanor said there are "too many to write down. I feel like
I grew up on the international circuit. The player parties were
always fun. My birthday always fell during the Klagenfurt event
and I would celebrate at my favourite restaurant."
May-Treanor teamed with Walsh Jennings to win five gold medals
(2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2011) in Klagenfurt as the pair also
placed fifth in 2006 and ninth in 2001. The legendary American
pair posted a 41-2 record in Klagenfurt with both losses to
Chinese Olympic pairs in 2001 (Rong Chi/Zi Xiong) and 2006 (Jia
Tian/Jie Wang).
Married to former professional baseball player Matt Treanor and
the mother of three, May-Treanor also remembers "the crazy train
rides, cab rides, so many different countries visited, the many
great fans I met, the many wonderful friends and competitors I
got to meet and play against. As a player I will never forget
the winds in Marseille or the torrential downpour that flooded
the court in Toronto when I played with Holly (playing in trash
bags). I won’t ever forget winning our first FIVB in Portugal
with Kerri or winning our first cowbell (Gstaad) and sword
(Stavanger). I am so thankful for the journey."
As for opponents on the FIVB World Tour, May-Treanor said the
"Brazilian teams were always tough. Their ball control is always
amazing and the passion they play with is like no other. I
learned so much from them as well. Adriana (Behar) and Shelda
(Bede) but also Juliana and Larissa. Don’t get me wrong, the
world tour was tough. Every country had their own style and I
appreciated being pushed to our limits every time we played the
other teams."
As for her favourite beach volleyball venues, May-Treanor added
“I really do like everywhere I have played. Gstaad and
Klagenfurt have a tight hold on my heart."
May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won six gold medals (2002, 2003,
2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011) in Gstaad as the pair compiled a 51-3
match mark in the Swiss Alps village. The 2007 Gstaad title was
at the FIVB World Championships where they defeated two Chinese
teams (Chen Xue/Xi Zhang in the semifinals and Jia Tian/Jie Wang
in the finals) that they would share the podium with at the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
One of world most idolized beach volleyball players, May-Treanor
noted "I got to play with and against my idols growing up (McPeak,
Liz Masakayan, Elaine Youngs and Barbra Fontana) with Jackie
Silva being one of those that I idolized. Also, not on tour but
at the Beijing Olympics I got to meet another of my idols and
take a picture with her that I am framing It was Cuban star
Mireya Luis."
As for her partnership with Walsh Jennings, May-Treanor was
quoted in an olympic.org article in November 2019 (How May-Treanor
and Walsh Jennings "danced" to victory) that "if there was a bad
dig, I knew Kerri would go and make the best play she could for
it. Because we wanted our partner to succeed, it gave that
partner freedom to make mistakes. We knew the other person was
there to help."
In 13 seasons on the FIVB World Tour playing with three
partners, May-Treanor competed in 99 events with appearances in
61 finals and 75 semifinals and placement on 69 podiums. She won
over $1-million in prize money and posted a 541-85 match with an
all-time best winning percentage of 86.4.
May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings' record was more impressive as
the American posted a 435-55 match mark with an all-time best
winning percentage of 88.8. May-Treanor and Walsh competed in 77
FIVB events with 40 gold medals, 54 finals, 60 medals and 63
semifinal appearances.
“If you play together for years and years, you kind of feel it,"
said May-Treanor about her partnership with Walsh Jennings in
the olympic.org article. Volleyball is really a dance - you see
those professional dancers; they know what the next move is
without verbalizing and that is how Kerri and I were. We had
played together for so long; you get used to seeing movement and
you think the same. If you go in with a game plan and you think
alike, that is when the dance happens.”
To support May-Treanor credentials, the players and coaches on
the FIVB World Tour honoured her as the international circuit's
most outstanding performer in 2005 and 2008. She was also named
the World Tour’s best offensive player (2005, 2007 and 2008),
best defensive player (2007, 2008 and 2011) and top sportsperson
(2007, 2008 and 2010) three times and the best setter (2005) and
most inspirational (2011) once. |