Long Beach’s favorite volleyball player comes home to play in the AVP’s Long Beach Open, which she will win
All photos courtesy Holly Stein/AVP

Misty May-Treanor inhabits that rarified athletic air reserved for those who not only dominate but define their sport. You know the names: Roger Federer in tennis, Tiger Woods in golf, Lance Armstrong in cycling. Their presence at an event makes it, and their absence breaks it. Quick: who’s leading the Tour de France? All other players, even their bitterest rivals—Federer’s Rafael Nadal, Woods’s Phil Michelson, May-Treanor’s Elaine Youngs—are in some way measured against them. They become bigger than the game they play—no minor trick in May-Treanor’s case, since she’s managed to make the women’s portion of the professional beach volleyball tour—the AVP—more popular than the men’s. In fact, her all-time iconic status in the sport is rivaled only by Karch Kiraly.

That standing, of course, is based on success: she’s won more women’s tournaments than any player in history, and she and current partner Kerri Walsh are the sport’s reigning world and Olympic gold medallists. But, like the others, it also has something to do with the way she’s gone about her success. In a sport dominated by height, she’s a pedestrian 5-foot-9; in a sport known for high flyers, she jumps just high enough. She has no particular skill that wows you . . . except, well, all of them: the offensive player who plays defense, the setter who hits.

“She doesn’t have a weakness,” says Holly McPeak, a former partner and the woman whose record for tournament titles May-Treanor passed earlier this year.

And so, like great players with names like Montana and Magic, her particular talent becomes winning itself, the singular ability to perform at precisely the moment she has to.

“She can do that because she has a great amount of confidence that comes from having a real gut feeling for the game,” says McPeak. “When other players are going crazy, she’s calm. She plays a very calm game.”

Those who began following May-Treanor when she was at Cal State Long Beach know this very well, since her beach success has been a continuation of a college career that included her twice being named National Player of the Year and saw her lead the 49ers to the 1998 NCAA championship with a perfect 36-0 record.

Her coach at Long Beach, Brian Gimmillaro, who’s had other exceptional players such as Danielle Scott and Tara Cross, has admitted that even among that company May-Treanor stands out, her talent, her mere presence, being transformative.

“I always have felt that Misty’s style . . . changed the game,” he told the Press-Telegram’s Doug Krikorian in 2004 on the occasion of May-Treanor being inducted into the 49er Hall of Fame. “She understood the subtleties of the sport so well, and that’s what separated her from the others.”

It still does. As May-Treanor heads back to Long Beach for the first AVP tournament held here since 1985, she and Walsh are still the team to beat. But there have been changes. She turns 30 at the end of this month, and she’s now married to Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor, who played his high-school ball at Mater Dei.

Some things change—she tried her hand at coaching last year—and some things remain the same—the girl loves her some Schooner or Later. We talked to Misty about cruel summers, staying hungry, and what Long Beach means to her.

We think of summer as a time for fun and relaxation, but for you it must be like being out on tour with the Stones—you know: “If it’s Thursday, this must be Ft. Lauderdale.” With the schedule you keep, here and in Europe, how do you manage to keep yourself sharp physically and mentally?
With it being my eighth season on the tour, I hopefully have learned what works for me. I think the hardest thing physically, besides playing, is the travel and being able to get appropriate rest. Some may think that the plane trip is rest, but really it’s not. Kerri and I find times to practice while on the road, even if it is just for one day. I get body work done (massage/stretching) by either the physiotherapists that travel with us or I find a facility. It can get very difficult mentally preparing each and every week, especially when we are competing for 22 weeks in a row. I am always revisiting why I am here and what my (our) goals are as a team. Plus, I know that there is always room for improvement.

One relationship question, then I promise I’ll give Barbara Walters back her notebook. You were single when you started on the tour and now you’re married, and I’ve seen you quoted that you really enjoy being at home with Matt. How hard are the summers on the two of you, considering he’s also in the midst of his season?
This is the difficult thing about being married to another professional athlete, especially if they aren’t in the same sport. We knew it would be tough. I do enjoy my time with my husband. He is my best friend. Each year the off-season seems to fly right by, and before we know it we are going our separate ways again. We don’t enjoy it, but we understand each other’s career, and for now we deal with it. We don’t see each other very often during the summer, except if either of us is on TV. I may see Matt (and this could be a generous number) a total of two weeks—a day here, two days here.

I think people are fascinated with the likes of you, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods—people who not only win but manage to stay so hungry. You’ve got an Olympic gold medal, a couple of world titles, an NCAA crown, and the record for most wins on the beach. How do you stay motivated these days? And are you motivated by different things than when you were younger?
I stay motivated by knowing that everyone wants to beat us and that they are putting in hard work to get better. I also know that each week we are not guaranteed anything. There are many people out there that have not had the opportunities that I have had, and I try to play for everyone who can’t. A lot of people have dreams that they want to fulfill, and sometimes people aren’t able to have that happen. Sometimes it is out of their control. If I can spread enjoyment and excitement to others that come and watch me play, I have had a great day—whether I win or lose.

I’m a huge Magic Johnson fan, and I remember watching the evolution of his game: when he was young, a lot of flash; but as he matured, his game was stripped down, with no wasted motion. He let others get involved, then picked his spots at crunch time. I see a lot of similarities with your game. You seem to have become very good at picking your spots, letting Kerri carry the load at times, then turning it on when you’re really needed. Is that an accurate assessment? And how would you say your game has evolved over the last five years?
Well, as everyone knows, you tend to slow down and get a bit smarter the older you get. I would like to believe that I have gotten smarter over the years, and I have really tried to make my moving on the court more efficient. I feel like I am in the best shape. I feel like I have gotten stronger defensively. Kerri and I know when to bang the ball and when we can save it. We are there to help each other out. When one of us is having an off game, the other is there to pick up the load. That is what teammates do.

How important was Cal State Long Beach in your development as a player? What kind of player were you when you showed up, and what kind of player were you when you left?
I can’t even imagine where I would be had I not played for Brian and Debbie Green. The women I played with in college were the best teammates anyone could ask for. For us, Brian looked out for his players. Both Brian and Debbie made each and every one of us more disciplined through hard work. First off, I went into college a hitter, but came out a setter. Go figure. I felt that I was more disciplined both on and off the court, and I became more of a leader.

I see where you’ve been trying your hand at coaching community college (Irvine Valley College). We’ve seen a lot of great players in every sport have a difficult time translating what made them great to the players they coach. How was the experience for you? Did you get a sense at all that some players were in a bit in awe?
I love coaching and I really didn’t find it to be very difficult. The hardest thing is preparing the practice plans and lineups. As far as teaching, when I have to explain a skill to a group or individual, I feel that it helps my skills improve. I hope to pursue coaching once I am done. I feel like I have a lot of good information that I want to share with others; and watching the athletes succeed at something you have taught them and seeing improvement is very gratifying. Of course, sometimes I act like the kids, which isn’t good, but I have fun with them.

I’m sure people have started to ask you when you’re going to hang it up. Do you have a time frame, or are you just going to go with a gut feeling? Could you see yourself playing into your 40s, like Karch?
It is hard to say. I would love to spend time with my husband, and having a family of our own is in the near future. Playing till I am 40—I am not so sure [about that]. I can’t even compete with Karch there.

Finally, this is the tour’s first stop in Long Beach, but you played college ball here and don’t live far from it. Do you have any favorite places—restaurants, bars, delis, juice places—you love to go when you’re in Long Beach? Is there any kind of Long Beach vibe that you pick up on when you’re in town? And does it mean something extra for you to be playing in Long Beach?
I’m very excited to be playing in Long Beach. Matt and I love the city, and I love the people. For me, this is the perfect beach community. Here are some of our favorite spots whenever we have time to relax in the LBC: Tracey’s Bar and Grill (quick snack, lunch, dinner), Simone’s Donuts, the Yard House, Schooner or Later, Sakura Sushi, Taco Surf, Deli News, Johnny Rebs, Bake ‘n Broil. I’m looking forward to the tournament and being able to play in the city that supported me and my teammates all through college. I really appreciate all of the support the city has given to our sport and hope to win another title for Long Beach.

THE BUD LIGHT AVP LONG BEACH OPEN MARINA GREEN PARK 429 SHORELINE VILLAGE DR | LONG BEACH 90802 | JULY 19-22 | FOR TICKET PRICES AND OTHER INFORMATION VISIT AVP.COM

Tags: cal state long beach, misty may, Sports, volleyball