| |
| 1895 |
|
William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's
Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decides to blend
elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create a game
for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact
than basketball. He creates the game of Volleyball (at that time called
mintonette). Morgan borrows the net from tennis, and raises it 6 feet 6
inches above the floor, just above the average man's head. |
| 1920s |
|
There are unconfirmed whispers of men’s teams playing
on the beach in Hawaii, but most accounts place the sport's origin in
Santa Monica, California where the first Volleyball courts are put up on
the beach at the Playground. Families play 6 vs. 6. |
| 1927 |
|
Beach Volleyball crosses the Atlantic Ocean. It becomes
the principal sport in a French nudist camp founded in Franconville, a
north-western suburb of Paris. |
| 1930s |
|
The first two-man beach volleyball game is played in
Santa Monica, California. |
| 1930s |
|
Beach volleyball appears in Palavas, Lacanau and Royan
(France), around Sofia (Bulgaria), Prague (Czechoslavakia), and Riga
(Latvia). |
| 1930s |
|
In the US, people escape the depression by going to the
beach; 4 vs 4 and 3 vs 3 games are played. |
| 1947 |
|
The first official two-man Beach Volleyball tournament
is held at Will Rogers State Beach, California with no prize money. It
is organized by Bernie Holtzman and won by Manny Saenz and Harris. |
| 1948 |
|
The first tournament to offer a prize is held in Los
Angeles, California. It awards the best teams with a case of Pepsi. |
| 1950s |
Parks & Rec |
The first circuit is organized by the Parks &
Recreation Departments on five beaches in California: Santa Barbara,
Will Rogers State Beach, Sorrento Beach, Laguna Beach, and San Diego. In
the database, this era is referred to as Parks & Recreation (P&R). |
| 1950s |
|
In Brazil, the first tournament sponsored by a
newspaper publishing company takes place. |
| 1950s |
|
The beginning of "Beachmania": Beach Volleyball becomes
an entertainment show with Beauty Contests included in the official
program. |
| 1957 |
Parks & Rec |
Bernie Holtzman and Gene Selznick win an event that
features Greta Tyson, star of "Pajama Tops", as Queen of the Beach.
Beach volleyball becomes more than a sport; it turns into a real show.
|
| 1960s |
|
In France, the winners of 3 vs. 3 games earn about
30,000 French Francs in tournaments in La Baule and les Sables d'Olonne.
|
| 1960s |
Parks & Rec |
Open tournaments are held on thirteen beaches in
California: Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Will Rogers State Beach,
Manhattan Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, San Diego, Mission Beach,
Newport Beach, Rosecrans, Sorrento Beach, Marine Street, and Laguna
Niguel. The first Manhattan Beach Open takes place in 1960. |
| 1960s |
Parks & Rec |
President Kennedy attends the first official Beach
Volleyball event in Sorrento Beach, Los Angeles. |
| 1965 |
Parks & Rec |
The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) is
founded. Tournament organizers meet to coordinate schedules and define
the rules of the game. |
| 1970 |
Parks & Rec |
The first Hermosa Beach tournament is played with Ron
Von Hagen and Henry Bergman capturing the title. |
| 1975 |
Parks & Rec |
Winston Cigarettes becomes the first commercial company
to sponsor a tournament which takes place in San Diego, California with
250 spectators. A total of $1,500 in prize money is offered with Dennis
Hare and Fred Zeulich winning the event. |
| 1976 |
Parks & Rec |
Olympia Beer presents the Inaugural Professional
Championships of Beach Volleyball at Will Rogers State Beach with a
$5,000 first prize. The event is won by Jim Menges and Greg Lee. It is
estimated that close to 30,000 spectators enjoy the competition. |
| 1976 |
Parks & Rec |
Events Concepts is founded to promote and expand the
beach tour.
|
| 1976 |
Parks & Rec |
The first event played outside of California takes
place on the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Fred Sturm and Gary Hooper
take home 1st place. |
| 1976 |
Parks & Rec |
Ron Von Hagen retires with record 62 Open Wins. Von
Hagen is now considered the Babe Ruth of Beach Volleyball. |
| 1978 |
Parks & Rec |
Jose Cuervo Tequila enters as the sport's first major
sponsor. |
| 1979 |
Parks & Rec |
Prize money for the major US events doubles to $10,000.
|
| 1979 |
Parks & Rec |
The King of the Beach tournament in Manhattan Beach
offers $11,000 prize money. |
| 1979 |
Parks & Rec |
Tournaments are held in four states, California,
Hawaii, Colorado, and Nevada. |
| 1980 |
Parks & Rec |
The first sponsored tour in the US begins with seven
events on the calendar and $52,000 prize money. The tour includes stops
in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Laguna Beach ($5,000), Manhattan Beach
($10,000), The King of the Beach ($12,000), and The World Championships
($15,000). |
| 1981 |
Parks & Rec |
Miller Brewing Company joins Beach Volleyball as a
major sponsor. |
| 1982 |
Parks & Rec |
The tour becomes national with the first east coast
tournament held in Clearwater, Florida. With Miller Brewing as a
sponsor, $69,000 in total cash prizes are awarded for six tournaments.
|
| 1982 |
|
Beach Volleyball becomes popular on the beaches of
Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| 1983 |
Parks & Rec |
$137,000 in total cash prizes are awarded for twelve
tournaments. The tour expands with stops in New York, and Chicago. |
| 1983 |
AVP |
On July 21, the Association of Volleyball Professionals
(AVP) is formed to protect players' interests and to preserve the
integrity of beach volleyball. |
| 1984 |
AVP |
Players strike at the World Championships in Redondo
Beach. The AVP begins running its own tour. |
| 1985 |
AVP |
Bolle Sunglasses joins the AVP as a major sponsor. The
total tour prize money reaches $275,000. |
| 1985 |
AVP |
The AVP Tour includes stops in eight states (
California, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Arizona, and Hawaii).
|
| 1986 |
FIVB |
The first international Beach Volleyball exhibition in
Rio de Janeiro is held with 5,000 spectators. |
| 1986 |
FIVB |
Brazilian Volleyball Champions, like Renan, Badá,
Montanaro, William, Jackie Silva, Isabel Salgado, Vera Mossa, Regina
Uchoa, along with the 1984 Olympic Volleyball Champion, Pat Powers and
the King of the Beach, Sinjin Smith become leading figures in the
world-wide growth of Beach Volleyball.
|
| 1986 |
FIVB |
The Australian Pro Beach Circuit is born. |
| 1986 |
AVP |
AVP Pro Beach Volleyball receives cable television
coverage via "Prime Ticket", and Pro Beach Volleyball makes its network
debut on ABC's Wide World of Sports. |
| 1986 |
WPVA |
The Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA)
is created when a group of professional women that include former
Olympic and collegiate All-American volleyball players join together.
Led by Pepperdine volleyball coach Nina Matthies, the formation of the
WPVA is the first step to organizing the women's pro beach volleyball
events which had previously been played as amateur games or as the
accompaniment to the men's professional game. |
| 1987 |
FIVB |
The first international FIVB sanctioned Beach
Volleyball tournament is held at Ipanema Beach ( Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
with $22,000 in prize money. Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos win the
tournament. |
| 1987 |
WPVA |
The WPVA holds its first Women's Professional event in
Newport Beach, California on May 16-17. Linda Chisholm and Jackie Silva
win the event and split $300 in prize money. Chisholm dominates the
inaugural season winning eight out of nine tournaments with two
different partners, Jackie Silva (seven) and Nina Matthies (one). |
| 1988 |
AVP |
The AVP awards cash prizes for twenty-seven
tournaments. The AVP signs a three-year contract with Miller that
results in a total of $4.5 million in prize money. Miller hires the AVP
to produce twenty-three Lite Beer events.
|
| 1989 |
AVP |
After winning two indoor Olympic gold medals with USA
volleyball and playing indoors professionally in Italy, Karch Kiraly
turns to the beach full time and wins four events with Brent Frohoff.
|
| 1990 |
FIVB |
The first FIVB Beach Volleyball International Circuit
offering $140,000 in total prize money, named the World Series, is
created with men’s tournaments in Brazil, Italy, and Japan. The
Brazillian event sells out with thousands of people outside the stadium
wanting to get in. Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos are the Men's World
Champions. |
| 1990 |
AVP |
NBC Sports makes its debut on the beach volleyball
scene, broadcasting the Hermosa Beach event. |
| 1990 |
AVP |
In the AVP, Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos top the
$200,000 mark in a single season, each winning $221,438. Karch Kiraly
teams up with a young Kent Steffes to win two events out of ten before
returning to win five of thirteen with Brent Frohoff. |
| 1990 |
AVP |
Long time partners Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd play their
last tournament together on July 14th-15th in Milwaukee. Hovland and
Dodd hold the second longest partnership with 163 tournaments together
dating back to 1981.
|
| 1991 |
AVP |
The AVP adds the King of the Beach Event to their
schedule. This event features a unique format where players play
round-robin with different partners to determine the "King of the
Beach." One of the event's creators, Karch Kiraly, wins the inaugural
title. |
| 1991 |
AVP |
NBC Sports provides the first live coverage of an AVP
tournament in Milwaukee. |
| 1991 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series stops in four
countries (France, Italy, Japan and Brazil) and offers $200,000 in total
prize money. The 1990/91 Men World Champions are once again Sinjin Smith
and Randy Stoklos.
|
| 1991 |
FIVB |
In September the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World
Council gathers in Lausanne to determine the program for Beach
Volleyball. |
| 1992 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes dominate the AVP winning
sixteen of nineteen events together including thirteen in a row to tie
the all-time record for consecutive wins. Karch and Kent also become the
first players to top $300,000 in a season with Kent winning $332,740,
and Karch, who missed the first six events, winning $327,100. |
| 1992 |
WPVA |
Gail Castro and Lori Forsythe end the longest women's
partnership at Atlantic City, July 4th-5th. Castro and Forsythe played
70 tournaments together dating back to 1988. The partnership produced
just three victories, all coming during the 1991 season. Forsythe will
go on to play with Barbra Fontana beginning in 1993 to put together a
tie for second longest partnership at 51. Before retiring in 1995,
Forsythe will reunite with Castro for four more events bringing their
record setting total to 74. |
| 1992 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series offers $950,000
in total prize money for six events. |
| 1992 |
FIVB |
Beach Volleyball is played as a demonstration sport in
Almeria, Spain with over 100 players representing the five continents
while the Olympic Games are being held in Barcelona. The first women's
FIVB Beach Volleyball competition also takes place in Almeria, Spain
from August 5th-12th. The first Women World Champions are Karolyn Kirby
and Nancy Reno. |
| 1992 |
FIVB |
Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, enter into legendary
status by becoming World Champions for the 5th time. |
| 1992 |
FIVB |
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) sets up
a Beach Volleyball Department. |
| 1992 |
FIVB |
The Confederação Brasileira de Volley-Ball (CBV), the
Brazilian National Federation creates a 24-leg National Championship. |
| 1993 |
AVP |
NBC Sports broadcasts a record ten AVP Tour events in a
year in which prize money totals $3.7 million and more than 600,000
people attend AVP tournaments. |
| 1993 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly wins his third straight AVP Championship
and his third straight King of the Beach crown. Karch and Kent Steffes
once again dominate the AVP tour winning eighteen of twenty-four events
together en route to becoming the first players to top $400,000 in a
season. Karch wins $467,877 and Kent nets $409,877. |
| 1993 |
AVP |
Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos play their last
tournament together in San Antonio, May 8th-9th. Smith and Stoklos hold
the records for most tournaments played together at 235 and the most
victories as a partnership at 114. Smith and Stoklos first played
together in 1982. |
| 1993 |
AVP |
The AVP holds women's events at sixteen of the men's
tour stops. In a unique format, eight players comprising four teams,
exchanging partners weekly, battle all season with prize money paid at
the end of the year. Holly McPeak wins the tour championship with eleven
victories to claim the $65,000 first prize. |
| 1993 |
WPVA |
With eight of the top players moving to the AVP tour,
Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan begin the most dominant era in the WPVA
winning eleven of twelve tournaments and splitting $74,550. Masakayan
and Kirby begin a partnership that will eventually tie for the second
longest among the women at 51 tournaments. |
| 1993 |
FIVB |
S.E. Sr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC President, Billy
Payne, ACOG President and IOC members attend the February FIVB Beach
Volleyball Finals held in Rio de Janeiro along with 140,000 spectators
(in one week). |
| 1993 |
FIVB |
On September 21, beach volleyball becomes an Olympic
sport when the International Olympic Committee grants the sport medal
status at Monte Carlo’s IOC meeting. Twenty-four men's teams and
eighteen women's teams will compete for the first Beach Volleyball
Olympic Gold Medal in the upcoming 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The AVP's
popularity, in coordination with its broadcast partner NBC who is set to
broadcast the games, pushes beach volleyball into the Olympics. |
| 1993 |
FIVB |
The first non-Americans Franco Neto and Roberto Lopes
of Brazil are the Men's World Champions. Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan
of the United States are the Women's World Champions. |
| 1994 |
AVP |
The Miller Lite/AVP Tour and its twenty-seven events
approach the $4 million mark in total prize money. Evian and Nestea join
the growing list of AVP sponsors with Evian opting for an indoor event
in Madison Square Garden.
|
| 1994 |
AVP |
NBC's total broadcast time climbs to twenty-one hours
for ten events. |
| 1994 |
AVP |
Adam Johnson breaks Karch Kiraly's three-year reign as
King of the Beach, but Kiraly and Kent Steffes continue to dominate the
AVP circuit winning seventeen out of twenty-two tournaments together.
|
| 1994 |
AVP |
The AVP lures four more women's teams to play at
fourteen men's events. The format no longer consists of exchanging
partners and prize money is paid out at each tournament. |
| 1994 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series tops the $1
million mark in total prize money with twelve tournaments. |
| 1994 |
FIVB |
Beach Volleyball is included in the Goodwill Games held
in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Goodwill Games men's medallists are:
- Gold: Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn Maaseide (Norway)
- Silver: Carlos Briceno and Jeff Williams (United States)
- Bronze: Sinjin Smith and Bruk Vandeweghe (United States)
The women's medallists are :
- Gold: Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan (United States)
- Silver: Mônica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel (Brazil)
- Bronze: Barbra Fontana and Lori Forsythe (United States)
|
| 1994 |
FIVB |
Brazil, United States, and Chile host Women's FIVB
Beach Volleyball events. |
| 1994 |
FIVB |
The Men's World Champions are Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn
Maaseide (Norway) and the Women's World Champions are Mônica Rodrigues
and Adriana Samuel (Brazil). |
| 1995 |
AVP |
The season's biggest news is the injury to Kent Steffes
that forces Karch Kiraly to find another partner. Karch chooses Scott
Ayakatubby until Steffes' return. After reuninting with Kent, the two
only manage one win in four events, and Karch again turns to Ayakatubby.
The season proves to be a gold mine for Scott who wins eight times with
Karch in just thirteen events compared to seven prior victories in
thirteen seasons. |
| 1995 |
AVP |
The Miller Lite/AVP Tour grows to a record twenty-nine
tournaments. The Evian Indoor Series becomes a full pre-season circuit,
with events in Washington, DC, Boston, Minneapolis and New York. |
| 1995 |
WPVA |
In the WPVA, Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno return from
the AVP, who's women's tour folds, to end Karolyn Kirby's and Liz
Masakayan's dominance. McPeak and Reno win eight of fourteen tournaments
together when Liz Masakayan is sidelined with an injury that shortens
her season. Liz and Karolyn play just seven events together, winning
three. |
| 1995 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship Series
includes twenty-seven tournaments for both men and women and offers $3.5
million in total prize money. |
| 1995 |
FIVB |
Host Broadcasters present 100 hours of news, highlights
and broadcasting of FIVB events. |
| 1995 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Final Beach Volleyball Rankings serve as a
basis to qualify the best pairs in the world for the Olympics. Some 600
athletes representing 42 countries take part in the Olympic
Qualification season.
|
| 1995 |
FIVB |
Over 50 National Federations have set up a Beach
Volleyball National Council to promote the sport in their countries.
|
| 1995 |
FIVB |
Brazilian teams sweep the World Championships as Franco
Neto and Roberto Lopes are the Men's Champions setting a record with
seven victories for the season. Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires are the
Women's Champions despite a stellar performance from Nancy Reno who sets
the record with seven victories, six coming with Holly McPeak and the
other with Karolyn Kirby. |
| 1996 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly claims his fourth King of the Beach title
at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. |
| 1996 |
AVP |
AVP teams dominate the U.S. Olympic Trials in Baltimore
with the teams of Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes and Mike Dodd/ Mike
Whitmarsh advancing as the U.S. Olympic Team representatives. |
| 1996 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes cap off their incredible
year with wins at Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and the Great Texas
Shootout, where they take home the winner-take-all payout of $100,000.
Steffes is voted by his peers as Miller Lite/AVP Tour Player of the
Year. Kiraly breaks the single season prize money earnings record with
$492,081. Despite having such a great season, Adam Johnson and Jose
Loiola end their dominance and become threats on the tour winning seven
tournaments, including four in a row, while limiting Karch and Kent to
just eleven victories. |
| 1996 |
FIVB |
The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Series
once again holds twenty-nine tournaments for both men and women for a
record $4.3 million in total prize money. |
| 1996 |
FIVB |
The first Olympic Beach Volleyball competition takes
place from July 23 to 28 in Atlanta Beach, in a 10,000-seat stadium.
Twenty-four men’s teams and eighteen women’s teams compete for Olympic
medals as over 107,000 spectators attend the event. AVP teams dominate
the men's Olympic competition with a gold and silver medal sweep. Karch
Kiraly and Kent Steffes take home the gold as Kiraly becomes a
three-time gold medalist and the first indoor and outdoor Olympic
champion in volleyball. Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh win the silver
medal. Canadians John Child and Mark Heese outduel Americans Sinjin
Smith and Carl Henkel for the bronze medal to prevent three American
teams from appearing on the podium. In the women's competition, Brazil
dominates with Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires beating fellow Brazilians
Mônica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel for the gold medal. Australians
Natalie Cook and Kerri-Ann Pottharst win the bronze. |
| 1996 |
FIVB |
In November the IOC confirms that Beach Volleyball will
be included in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. |
| 1996 |
FIVB |
The number of National Federations which have regular
Beach Volleyball activities soars to 95. |
| 1996 |
FIVB |
Brazilians once again dominate the World Championships
with Zé Marco and Emanuel Rego winning the Men's Championships and
Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires winning the Women's Championships. Rego
sets the men's FIVB record for winnings in a season with $174,000, and
Silva and Pires tie the women's FIVB record for victories in a season
with seven. |
| 1997 |
AVP |
Jose Loiola wins the Miller Lite King of the Beach
Invitational after finishing as runner-up for the past three years.
Loiola joins Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson among an elite group of
"Kings." |
| 1997 |
AVP |
The 38th annual Manhattan Beach Open is canceled due to
legal issues and a lawsuit brought against the City of Manhattan Beach,
Los Angeles County, and the AVP by a small local interest group. The
event is moved down the coast to Hermosa Beach and renamed the Miller
Lite Hermosa Beach Grand Slam.
|
| 1997 |
AVP |
Dain Blanton becomes the first African-American
professional beach volleyball player to win a tournament on the Miller
Lite/AVP Tour, with partner Canyon Ceman at the Miller Lite Hermosa
Beach Grand Slam. This event also marks the most prize money for a
single tournament in the history of beach volleyball at $300,000. |
| 1997 |
AVP |
Jose Loiola becomes the first international player to
reach the $1 million mark in career earnings as he and partner Kent
Steffes win the Miller Lite Open at Chicago, one of twelve tournament
wins for the pair in 1997. Kent claims his 100th career win, teaming
with Jose at the Miller Lite Open at Milwaukee. |
| 1997 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly and new partner Adam Johnson go winless
until the end of July and then win four consecutive tournaments. At the
Miller Lite U.S. Championships at Hermosa Beach they defeat the rookie
tandem of Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers. With their second place finish,
Holdren and Rogers set a Miller Lite/AVP Tour record for the best finish
by a rookie team. |
| 1997 |
AVP |
The AVP business collapses under mounting financial
problems. AVP CEO Jerry Solomon is fired and Harry Usher, former US
Olympic organizer is hired to run 1998 AVP Tour. |
| 1997 |
WPVA |
Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce dominate what will be the
final WPVA season winning seven of twelve events. |
| 1997 |
FIVB |
Ericsson and Nike present the Men's and Women's Beach
Volleyball World Championships at the UCLA Campus. Men and women players
are rewarded on an equal footing with total $600,000 in total prize
money and the event is broadcast in more than 120 countries. Brazilians
dominate the World Championships with Rogerio Pará and Guilherme Marques
winning the gold medal over Americans Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman.
Brazilians Paulo Emilio and Paulão win the bronze medal. In the women's
competition Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires win the gold medal over
Americans Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce. Brazilians Adriana Behar and
Shelda Bede capture the bronze medal. Americans dominate the four-person
tournament with gold medals in both men's and women's competitions. The
medal results for the four-person tournament are:
Men
- USA
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Japan
Women
- USA
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
|
| 1997 |
FIVB |
Brazilians dominate the Tour Championships for the
third straight year as Zé Marco and Emanuel Rego repeat as the Men's
Champions and Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede win the Women's
Championships. |
| 1998 |
AVP |
Prize money is drastically cut as sponsors pull back on
their support of the AVP. The AVP continues to struggle under extreme
financial burden. |
| 1998 |
AVP |
Eric Fonoimoana is crowned King of the Beach at the
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. |
| 1998 |
AVP |
Emanuel Rego, the world's #1 ranked player signs with
the AVP and teams with Jose Loiola to create one of the tour's most
exciting teams. Emanuel earned AVP Rookie of the Year for his
outstanding play, winning four tournaments, two with Loiola, one with
fellow Brazilian Andre Gomes, and one with Kent Steffes. |
| 1998 |
AVP |
The first all Brazillian final is played in Cleveland.
Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego defeat Franco Neto and Roberto Lopes. |
| 1998 |
AVP |
Bill Berger and Dan Vrebalovich take over management of
the AVP as CEO and COO respectively. They immediately fund the day to
day business, and begin to restructure the AVP from a players
association to a for-profit, privately owned entity. The AVP is placed
into chapter 11 bankruptcy, the players are signed to new long-term
agreements as independent contractors and a long-term turnaround deal is
agreed to by the AVP's creditors. |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
For the first time in the FIVB World Tour, men and
women players are rewarded at the same level with $170,000 in total
prize money per Open event. |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
In March the Olympic qualification formula and the
competition program for the Olympic Beach Volleyball tournament are
established. National Federations and teams receive information almost
three years before the Olympics. Twenty-four men's teams and an equal
number of women's teams, will compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in
Sydney (Bondi Beach). |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
A massive TV campaign orchestrated by the FIVB
Marketing Department and Television Agency, will give tremendous
exposure to the World Tour. |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
The 1998 Goodwill Games feature Beach Volleyball
competitions from July 22 to August 2 in New York’s Central Park with
the world’s eight best men's and women's teams. The men's medallists
are, gold: Rogerio Pará and Guilherme Marques (Brazil), silver: Karch
Kiraly and Adam Johnson (United States), and bronze: Martin Conde and
Eduardo Martinez (Argentina). The women's medallists are, gold: Adriana
Behar and Shelda Bede (Brazil), silver: Pauline Manser and Kerri-Ann
Pottharst (Australia), and bronze: Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce (United
States). |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
Beach Volleyball is included in major sports
competitions such as the South East Asian Games, Central and
Pan-American Games, Universiade, etc.
|
| 1998 |
FIVB |
The FIVB offers new opportunities to mid-level players
and organizers by introducing Challenger, Satellite, and Amateur
tournaments, in addition to the major World Tour Grand Slam and Open
events. |
| 1998 |
FIVB |
More than 120 National Federations now have regular
Beach Volleyball activities. |
| 1999 |
AVP |
Berger and Vrebalovich form a partnership with Spencer
Trask Securities to form Major League Volleyball. MLV purchases the AVP
out of bankruptcy and funds the 1999 Tour. The AVP holds twelve events
with a total of $1 million prize money. |
| 1999 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly wins his 139th career open victory at the
Sunkist/AVP Dallas Open with partner Adam Johnson and ties Sinjin
Smith's all-time record for open victories. A few weeks later on the 4th
of July, Kiraly breaks the record as he and partner Adam Johnson win the
U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball in Chicago. |
| 1999 |
AVP |
David Swatik wins the his first event in Hermosa Beach
with partner Mike Whitmarsh beating world's #1 ranked team of Jose
Loiola and Emanuel Rego. These teams meet again in the finals of the
coveted Manhattan Beach Open and again Swatik/Whitmarsh prevail. Swatik
goes on to cap a dream season by winning the King of the Beach
tournament in Las Vegas. |
| 1999 |
AVP |
The AVP once again sanctions women's events at five
men's tournament tour stops. At the season ending event, combined with
the King of the Beach, Holly McPeak is crowned Queen of the Beach. |
| 1999 |
USAV |
On April 29, continuing on a commitment to increase
awareness of its all-new product line-up in the highly competitive
California market, Oldsmobile Division of General Motors announces
sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball series to determine
which athletes will represent America at the 2000 Olympic Games in
Sydney, Australia. Three women's and two men's tournaments are played as
part of the Oldsmobile Alero Beach Volleyball Series sanctioned by USA
Volleyball and the U.S. Olympic Committee. |
| 1999 |
FIVB |
The Olympic qualification process starts with a period
from January 1st 1999 until August 15th 2000. The best eight teams
results will count towards the qualification of the best twenty-four men
and twenty-four women's pairs at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. |
| 1999 |
FIVB |
The Men's and Women's World Championships are organized
in Europe for the first time. From July 21st to the 25th, Marseille,
France hosts these major competitions with the best athletes of the
planet. This event, which is organized every two years and has $600,000
in total prize money, is held in a special facility for 5000 spectators.
At the end of the competition the spectators total nearly 50,000. The
ranking points are double of any other Open event. |
| 1999 |
FIVB |
At the end of July, Beach Volleyball is included for
the first time in the Pan American Games which are held in Canada. In a
packed stadium of 5000 spectators, the men's Canadian team of Jody
Holden and Conrad Leinemann win against the Brazilain duo of Lula and
Adriano. Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede of Brazil win the women's
competition. |
| 1999 |
FIVB |
Brazilians dominate the World Championships again with
Men's Champions Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego and Adriana Behar and
Shelda Bede repeating as Women's Champions. Loiola and Rego tie the
men's FIVB season record with seven victories and Behar and Bede set the
women's FIVB record for earnings in a season with each winning $118,000. |
| 2000 |
BVA |
On January 12, the newly formed professional women's
beach volleyball tour titled Beach Volleyball America (BVA) announces
the schedule and purses for their inaugural 2000 season of play. The BVA
is created to guide and promote the growth of women's beach volleyball
in the United States. "A strong domestic tour is crucial in order to
develop US athletes for the top levels of international play, in
particular the Olympic Games in Sydney." said Charlie Jackson, tour CEO.
For this reason, BVA is working closely with the Federation
International de Volleyball (FIVB) and the Olympic Challenge Series
(OCS) to maximize opportunities for the women and avoid schedule
conflicts. |
| 2000 |
BVA |
In May, the BVA held its first tournament in Oceanside,
CA. Lisa Arce and Barbara Fontana capture the title and split the
$15,000 first prize. |
| 2000 |
AVP |
Veteran Mike Whitmarsh wins his first King of the Beach
title and Barbara Fontana is crowned Queen of the Beach at the combined
men's and women's season ending event |
| 2000 |
AVP |
In a season of parity, eight different teams win
tournaments in the eleven event season. Brazilian's Jose Loiola and
Emanuel Rego top the season with three victories. |
| 2000 |
BVA |
In its inaugural season, five different teams win in
the seven scheduled events. At the season ending Kyocera U.S.
Championships, volleyball greats, Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan
reunite and finish 5th |
| 2000 |
FIVB |
The second Olympic Beach Volleyball competition takes
place from September 16 to 26 in a specially constructed 10,000 seat
venue at Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia. Twenty-four men's and
women's teams compete for Olympic medals. Despite the perfect score in
qualifying, Brazilians Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego finish a
dissapointing 9th. The last team to qualify, Americans Dain Blanton and
Eric Fonoimoana win the gold over Brazilians Zé Marco and Ricardo Costa.
The 15th-seeded German team of Jörg Ahmann and Axel Hager are surprise
bronze medalists. Surprise women's top-seeded Australians Natalie Cook
and Kerri-Ann Pottharst held true to their seed in winning the gold
medal over the second-seeded Brazilians Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede.
Brazilians once again dominate the women's competition as Sandra Pires
and Adriana Samuel win the bronze. |
| 2000 |
FIVB |
Brazilians dominate the men's season with three teams
combining to win nine of the thirteen events. Jose Loiola and Emanuel
Rego win five events, World Champions ZéMarco and Ricardo Costa win four
and newcomers Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran win two. |
| 2000 |
FIVB |
The American women dominated the women's season with
three teams finishing in the top four in rankings and combining to win
seven of the thirteen events. World Champions Adriana Behar and Shelda
Bede of Brazil led all teams with four victories. The American teams of
Holly McPeak and Misty May, who finished ranked 2nd, and Liz Masakayan
and Elaine Youngs, who finished 4th, each won three tournaments while
fellow Americans Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, who finished
3rd, claimed the other victory for the United States. |
| 2000 |
BVA |
Holly McPeak becomes the richest women in beach
volleyball, passing Karolyn Kirby early in the season and topping the
$700,000 mark in career earnings. Holly's five victories in 2000 (three
FIVB, one BVA, and one OCS) moved her to 55 career victories just 12
behind all-time leader Karolyn Kirby and just three behind Jackie Silva. |
| 2001 |
AVP |
On May 31, Agent Leonard Armato and his company
Management Plus announce that they have acquired the Association of
Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and will unite the world's best men's and
women's professional beach volleyball players under one umbrella
organization. With this historic unification of the men's and women's
competition, the 2001 AVP Tour will be able to capitalize on having one
property that can maximize sponsor dollars, marketing opportunities,
media coverage and prize money. The AVP will now stand alone as the only
professional beach volleyball tour in the country. It will follow the
regulations set forth by USA Volleyball and the Federation International
de Volleyball (FIVB) and will allow its players to compete in official
tournaments en route to the 2004 Olympics. |
| 2001 |
|
Christopher "Sinjin" Smith plays the final match of his
impressive career, a 21-19 and 24-22 loss with George Roumain to Dax
Holdren and Todd Rogers in the 4th round of the contender's bracket at
the AVP Manhattan Beach Open. Sinjin retires as the leader in
tournaments played with 416, 2nd in all-time victories with 139, and 4th
in all-time winnings with over US$1.6 million earned. |
| 2001 |
FIVB |
The 2001 Goodwill Games feature Beach Volleyball
competitions from August 29 to September 4 in Brisbane, Australia with
the world’s sixteen best men's and women's teams. The men's medallists
are, gold: Jose Loiola and Ricardo Santos (Brazil), silver: bronze:
Martin Conde and Eduardo Martinez (Argentina), and bronze: Stein Metzger
and Kevin Wong (United States). The women's medallists are, gold: Sandra
Pires and Tatiana Minello (Brazil), silver: Adriana Behar and Shelda
Bede (Brazil), and bronze: Pauline Manser and Kerri-Ann Pottharst
(Australia), and bronze: Elaine Youngs and Barbra Fontana (United
States). |
| 2002 |
AVP |
With his 143rd career victory at the AVP Michelob Light
Santa Barbara Open Presented by Paul Mitchell, Karch Kiraly becomes the
oldest player to win a professional domestic beach volleyball
tournament. The win with Brent Doble, the 12th partner to taste victory
with Karch, comes at the age of 41 years, 225 days. |
| 2002 |
|
Holly McPeak becomes the first woman to win $1Million
in prize money. Winning her 62nd career title, the 6th with Elaine
Youngs, at the FIVB French Grand Slam in Marseille nets her $15,000 to
bring her career total to $1,001,927. |
| 2002 |
|
Karch Kiraly becomes the first beach volleyball player
to break the $3 Million mark in prize money. His share of the $7,500 for
finishing 3rd at the season ending Paul Mitchell AVP Shootout at the
Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas with Brent Doble brings his total career
earnings to $3,001,258. |
| 2003 |
AVP |
Misty May and Kerri Walsh cap off a perfect season with
their victory at the Las Vegas Aquafina AVP Shootout Presented by Bud
Light. May and Walsh not only won all eight AVP Nissan Series events
they entered, but they also compiled a perfect 39-0 match record -- the
first time any team has ever gone through an entire season without
losing a match. En route to their perfect record, Misty and Kerri only
lost five sets in compiling a 78-5 set record and outscoring their
opponents 1711-1236. Despite playing one tournament less than their main
rivals, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, Misty and Kerri also won the
points championship to earn each of them a one-year lease on a Nissan
vehicle of their choice. |
| 2004 |
|
Misty May and Kerri Walsh extend their match winning
streak to 57 after beating Jia Tian and Fei Wang of China in the
SemiFinals of the Brazil Open. With the victory, May and Walsh break the
longest known streak of 56 matches by Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan. |
| 2004 |
|
Misty May and Kerri Walsh extend their tournament
winning streak to 14 after beating fellow Americans Holly McPeak and
Elaine Youngs at the Hellas Open. Their streak of 14 consecutive
tournaments breaks the record of 13 shared by Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes
and Greg Lee/Jim Menges. |
| 2004 |
|
Holly McPeak ties Karolyn Kirby for the most career
tournament victories at 67 when she and Elaine Youngs win the China Open
over fellow Americans Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan. Holly also
leads all women in career tournaments played (228) and career winnings
($1,206,202). |
| 2004 |
|
With their 31st victory together at the Japan Open,
Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar become the winningest women's team of all
time. The Brazilian pair had been tied at 30 with Linda Hanley and Nina
Matthies since September, 2002 -- needing 14 tournaments to add the
historic victory. |
| 2004 |
|
In the semi-finals of the Manhattan Beach Open, Jenny
Johnson Jordan and Annett Davis snap the 89-match winning streak of
Misty May and Kerri Walsh by the score of 21-19 and 21-19 in 36 minutes.
The last time Misty and Kerri had been defeated was July 5, 2003 by Ana
Paula Connelly and Sandra Pires in the finals of the Norway Open. During
the streak, Misty and Kerri also won a 90th unofficial match over
Vanilda dos Santas Leão and Gerusa da Costa Ferreira in a U.S. vs.
Brazil series. The loss also snapped May/Walsh winning streak of 15
consecutive tournaments and 13 straight domestic tournaments including a
perfect 8 for 8 in 2003. |
| 2004 |
|
Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs defeat Jenny Johnson
Jordan and Annett Davis in the Manhattan Beach Open 21-19, 16-21, and
15-12 in 76 minutes to give Holly her 68th victory and move her ahead of
Karolyn Kirby as the all-time leader in women's victories. The victory
is Holly's 12th with Elaine Youngs. |
| 2004 |
|
Karch Kiraly extends his record number of victories to
145 by winning the Manhattan Beach Open with Mike Lambert over Matt
Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings, 21-15 and 21-18 in 45 minutes. The
victory is the 1st for Mike Lambert, who becomes the 13th partner to win
with Karch. Karch also adds to his records as being the oldest player to
win at 43 years, 7 months, and 3 days and winning in his 23rd different
season. |
| 2004 |
|
In a repeat of the previous week, Karch Kiraly extends
his record to 146 career titles and Holly McPeak extends her record to
69 career victories as both win in San Diego. Kiraly and Mike Lambert
defeat Sean Rosenthal and Larry Witt 21-18, 14-21 and 15-8 in 59 minutes
while Holly and Elaine Youngs defeat Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson
Jordan for the second straight week 22-20 and 21-18 in 51 minutes. |
| 2004 |
FIVB |
The third Olympic Beach Volleyball competition takes
place from August 14 to 26 in a specially constructed 10,000 seat
facility within the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex in Athens,
Greece. Twenty-four men's and women's teams compete for Olympic medals.
Top-seeded Brazilian Emanuel Rego, competing in his third Olympic Games
takes the gold medal with new partner Ricardo Santos. Spain's
15th-seeded Javier Bosma and Pablo Herrera are the surprise Silver
Medalists while the 5th-seeded Swiss pair of Patrick Heuscher and Stefan
Kobel take the bronze. In the women's competition, top-seeded Americans
Misty May and Kerri Walsh capture the gold medal without dropping a set.
The Brazilian women continue their streak of medals with second-seeded
Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar taking the silver as they did in Sydney,
four years earlier. Fourth-seeded American Holly McPeak, also playing in
her third Olympic Games, wins the bronze along with her new partner
Elaine Youngs. |
| 2005 |
|
With their 34th victory together, in the
Austin Open, Misty May and Kerri Walsh become the all-time women's team
victory leaders, passing the Brazilian duo of Shelda Bede and Adriana
Behar. |
| 2005 |
|
With their $20,000 check for winning the Santa Barbara
Open, Misty May and Kerri Walsh join the Brazilian duo of Shelda Bede
and Adriana Behar to become only the second women's team to surpass $1
Million in career team winnings. |
| 2005 |
FIVB |
With her bronze medal finish at the Swiss Open in
Gstaad, Adriana Behar of Brazil becomes the first woman to eclipse the
$1Million mark in career FIVB winnings. |
| 2005 |
FIVB |
Citing favoritism for the American players for signing
a modified version of the player contract, players at the World
Championships in Berlin went on strike, halting play for 95 minutes.
FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta Hernandez met with the players and
reached an agreement that favors the continued success of the SWATCH-FIVB
World Tour and SWATCH-FIVB World Championships, powered by Smart, to
further the growth of the sport. Three "major" items were agreed with
the players, including the creation of Beach Volleyball Player's
Commission for each gender. The commissions will be made up of seven
players each and will meet at least once a year in Lausanne, Switzerland
in a date to be determined. |
| 2006 |
AVP |
With their win at the Santa Barbara Open, Misty
May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh become the first women's team with 50
tournament titles. |
| 2006 |
AVP |
With her win at the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington
Beach Open and the $50,000 paycheck, Misty May-Treanor becomes the
second American woman to top the $1 Million mark in career winnings.
Misty achieves the mark in just her 99th tournament, which is faster
than the other three millionaire women, fellow American Holly McPeak
(199 tournaments) and Brazilians Adriana Behar (107) and Shelda Bede
(101). |
| 2006 |
AVP |
Elaine Youngs' second place finish (with Rachel
Wacholder) in Seaside Heights pushes her career earnings past $1
million. She becomes the third American woman to achieve that mark. |
| 2006 |
AVP |
In Seaside Heights, both Casey Jennings (with Matt
Fuerbringer) and Kerri Walsh (with Misty May-Treanor) won titles,
becoming just the second husband-wife duo to win pro beach events on the
same weekend. They join Mike and Patty Dodd, who accomplished the feat
four times in 1989, but each time in different locations. |
| 2006 |
AVP |
Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor win in Chicago as
Walsh joins the millionaire club. She is the 18th person worldwide to
win over $1 million in her career, and did so in fewer events (90th
tournament) as well as being one of just four to reach the mark before
turning 28 years old. |
| 2006 |
AVP |
Kerri Walsh establishes the new AVP mark for women's
victories in a single season, as her title with Misty May-Treanor in
Lake Tahoe marked her 14th of the season. The event in Lake Tahoe also
featured light snowfall for the first time ever during a pro beach
volleyball tournament. |
| 2006 |
FIVB |
In Acapulco, Mexico, Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal won
the men's FIVB title while Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won the
women's, marking the first time since June 2003 that American men and
women won the same international event. |
| 2007 |
AVP |
Suffering a first-round loss in Huntington Beach, Mike
Lambert and Stein Metzger rebound to win the title after reeling off
eight straight elimination matches. They become the only known team to
lose in the first round of a 32-team draw yet win the title. |
| 2007 |
|
Misty May-Treanor becomes the women's all-time wins
leader by capturing her 73rd victory, surpassing Holly McPeak's record
by winning with Kerri Walsh in Hermosa Beach. She reached this total in
just 123 tournaments -- winning 57.5% of her events. |
| 2007 |
FIVB |
Jen Boss and April Ross emerge from the qualifier in
the FIVB Grand Slam in Stavenger, and as the 29th seed, win the
tournament. The duo became the lowest seeded women's team to win in the
15-year history of the FIVB.
|
| 2007 |
AVP |
Karch Kiraly plays the final match of his impressive
career, a 21-13 and 21-16 loss with Kevin Wong to Jake Gibb and Sean
Rosenthal in the 4th round of the contender's bracket at the AVP Seaside
Heights event. Injuries prevent Karch, who will retire at the end of the
2007 season, from playing any of the remaining events. |
| 2007 |
AVP |
In a championship match that lasted 1:41, Nicole
Branagh and Elaine Youngs defeat Jennifer Boss and April Ross 21-19,
18-21, 16-14 in Seaside Heights. The marathon set the record for the
longest match in rally scoring, men or women, in domestic or
international play. |
| 2007 |
AVP |
The semifinals in Chicago featured 14th-seeded Jenny
Kropp and Jenny Pavley, who became the lowest seeded team to ever
advance to the semifinals in AVP women's history. |
| 2007 |
AVP |
With their third straight Manhattan Beach Open title,
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have tied for the most consecutive
Manhattan Beach Open victories with the team which won the first three
ever held (Jean Brunicardi and Johnette Latreiile in 1966, 1967 and
1968). |
| 2007 |
|
Misty May-Treanor became the all-time earnings leader
on the women's side following her second place finish in Boston. She has
collected a total of $1,505,157.50 in her short career thus far (136
tournaments). Nine men's players have earned more money, but all have at
least 50 more tournaments played. |
| 2007 |
AVP |
As an indication of their dominance, Misty May-Treanor
and Kerri Walsh won the Cincinnati event, their 50th team title on the
AVP Crocs Tour. The other 59 team titles have gone to a combined 21
different teams. At the end of the season, May-Treanor is awarded the
Best Offensive Player, Best Defensive Player, and MVP honors for the
second straight season, the only player in history to receive all three
in the same year. |
| 2007 |
|
Karch Kiraly retires to close an impressive career on
the beach, leaving as the all-time wins leader and money earner. His
longevity was marked by the fact he won a tournament in 24 different
years, and he advanced to the semifinals in over 75% of all the events
he ever played and was named as the AVP's MVP a record-most six times.
|
| 2008 |
AVP HWN |
Hot Winter Nights, a series of 19 events in January and
February, kicks off in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma marking the first ever
indoor beach volleyball tour. Mark Williams and Nancy Mason are the
first winners in the "King of the Beach format" events. |
| 2008 |
FIVB |
Reigning Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri
Walsh set a record for team gold medal finishes on the SWATCH FIVB World
Tour in Berlin as the tandem for the United States defeated Jia Tian and
Jie Wang of China 21-18 and 22-20 in 45 minutes for the US$600,000 smart
Grand Slam title. May-Treanor and Walsh increased their career
international gold medal count to 32 to break a tie with Brazilians
Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos on the men’s list and Adriana Behar/Shelda
Bede in the women’s international record book. |
| 2008 |
FIVB |
A day after Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh set a
SWATCH FIVB World Tour team mark for gold-medal finishes at 32,
Brazilians Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos matched the Americans by
capturing the smart Grand Slam men's title in Berlin with a 25-27, 21-19
and 15-13 win in 73 minutes over Americans Phil Dalhausser and Todd
Rogers. Emanuel's share of the US$43,500 winner's prize also puts him
over the US$2,000,000 mark in career winnings (including three seasons
on the AVP tour). He becomes just the third player to top the milestone. |
| 2008 |
|
With their $25,000 pay check for winning the AVP
Boulder Open, Misty May and Kerri Walsh become the first team, men or
women, to top the $3 Million mark in career team winnings. |
| 2008 |
|
Misty May-Treanor becomes the first woman to win 100
career tournaments. She and Kerri Walsh defeat Nicole Branagh and Elaine
Youngs 18-21, 21-17, and 15-12 in 1 hour and 26 minutes at the AVP
Chicago Open. The victory is also the 16th consecutive tournament win
for the pair and 90th consecutive match win, breaking their own records
set in 2004. |
| 2008 |
|
In the finals of the AVP Slam Long Beach Open, Jake
Gibb and Sean Rosenthal defeat Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers 21-14 and
21-14 in 61 minutes to end their 37-match winning streak -- a modern day
record. The streak extended over four AVP and three FIVB events. |
| 2008 |
|
With their 21-17 and 21-18 win over Angie Akers and
Holly McPeak in the semifinals of the AVP Slam Long Beach Open, Misty
May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh stretch their match winning streak to 100. |
| 2008 |
FIVB |
Americans Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh become the
first team to successfully defend their Olympic Gold Medal by defeating
China's Jia Tian and Jie Wang 21-18 and 21-18 in 42 minutes. The victory
was also the 100th of Walsh's career and the team's 19th consecutive
tournament and 108th consecutive match win. Walsh becomes the fastest
player, man or woman, to reach the milestone, playing in just 141 career
tournaments, eclipsing May-Treanor's accomplishment just one month
earlier in her 153rd tournament. |
| 2008 |
FIVB |
The fourth Olympic Beach Volleyball competition takes
place from August 9 to 22 in a specially constructed 12,200 seat venue
at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, China. Twenty-four men's and women's teams
compete for Olympic medals. The United States becomes the first nation
to sweep gold medals in both genders. Second-seeded Phil Dalhausser and
Todd Rogers won the gold medal over Brazil's fourth-seeded pair of
Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz Magalhães. Defending gold medalists,
third-seeded Emanuel Rego, playing in his fourth Olympic Games, and
Ricardo Santos of Brazil captured the bronze. It was the third medal for
Ricardo who also won a silver in 2000. In the women's competition,
Americans Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh become the first team, men
or women, to successfully repeat as gold medalists. The host nation
displays their upcoming presence at the top level of beach volleyball
with top seeded Jia Tian, playing her third Olympic Games, taking the
silver medal with new partner Jie Wang and fourth seeded Chen Xue and Xi
Zhang, the youngest team in the competition at 19 years and 23 years,
respectively, taking the bronze. The two medals were the first ever for
China in beach volleyball. |
| 2008 |
|
Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs defeat Misty May-Treanor
and Kerri Walsh 21-19, 10-21, 25-23 in 1 hour and 45 minutes at the
final of the AVP Crocs Cup Shootout Cincinnati. The loss breaks the May-Treanor's
and Walsh's consecutive tournament victory streak at 19 and consecutive
match streak at 112. It was the first loss since August 19, 2007, also
against Branagh and Youngs at the finals in Boston. |
