They Are Bullies of the Beach
When Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their 50th beach volleyball tournament last week in Santa Barbara, it marked a rather significant milestone: No other American women’s team has won as many and it is believed that no other team in the world had ever reached that mark.
Surely the champagne would be flowing, right?
Not quite. Asked what the milestone meant to her, Walsh responded not with romanticism or nostalgia, but with an unquestioned statement that she wasn’t done yet.
“Let’s double it, at least,” she said.
That quest for excellence is what makes Walsh and May-Treanor one of the most dominant sports team of this decade. Their Olympic gold medal in 2004 increased their visibility, but since teaming up in 2001, they have put together a five-year run that could be considered among the greatest in the history of sports.
They have played 75 tournaments worldwide, won 50 and finished second 12 times. They had a record 15-tournament win streak in 2003-04, and followed that with a nine-tournament streak in early 2004-05.
UCLA’s 88-game win streak in men’s basketball is considered the benchmark, but May-Treanor and Walsh surpassed that, winning 89 consecutive matches during one stretch of 2003-04.
They lost a tournament final earlier this month at an international event in Italy, but they have won five consecutive AVP events, including the first three this year, and have reached the finals in 29 consecutive tournaments worldwide, winning 23 of those. This weekend, they will compete in the Huntington Beach Open.
“I feel like I should never lose,” said Walsh, trying to explain her competitive drive. “I like being on top and I love the challenge of trying to stay on top. That is my motivation.”
Walsh, at 6-feet-3, is among the tallest players on the women’s tour and is unquestionably the dominant blocker. Add in May-Treanor’s ball-handling skills that made her one of the top setters in NCAA history and a court savvy that earned her the nickname of “best side out player in the world” and you have a combination that’s difficult to match.
“You have to be perfect against them to win,” said Elaine Youngs, one of the few players who have defeated May-Treanor and Walsh. “Each of them individually is a tremendous athlete and together they are a tremendous force.”
To outsiders, the 50-victory plateau is impressive, but to May-Treanor, it’s only a number.
“I only think about winning each match,” May-Treanor said. “And obviously if you do that, then you win tournaments. If you do that enough, you’re going to reach milestones, but you can’t get caught up in them because then you’d lose focus.”
May-Treanor is the more even-keeled of the two. Where Walsh gets extra-emotional over winning and losing, May-Treanor maintains a poker face most of the time. That doesn’t mean, however, that domination is any less a priority.
“I think anytime you partner up with someone, you have that goal,” she said. “Everyone envisions that when they get together.”
None, however, have been able to match May-Treanor and Walsh. Players continually switch partners trying to find the right combination. Youngs, for example, split with Holly McPeak after the 2004 Olympics even though they won a bronze medal -- losing only to May-Treanor and Walsh in the semifinals.
Because of the so-called target on their backs, May-Treanor and Walsh must continue to evolve as a team.
This year, May-Treanor entered the season 15 pounds lighter and in top shape. She also added hand setting to her game. Walsh added a devastating jump serve.
“You can’t take anything for granted,” Walsh said. “I feel like I have been blessed with ability and I want to maximize it. I don’t want to look back with regrets later in life.”
The long-term for May-Treanor and Walsh is the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Until then, they will continue their assault on the record books.
May-Treanor, who started playing on the beach two years before Walsh, is fourth on the all-time victories list with 56.
She needs five more to pass Brazilian Jackie Silva for third place.
Walsh is fifth on the list with 52. McPeak, with 72, is the all-time leader and Karolyn Kirby is second with 67.
May-Treanor and Walsh have averaged 14 victories a year for the past three years, so if they continue that pace, May-Treanor would pass McPeak’s career record midway through next season.
And looking at the long-term, there are approximately 60 more tournaments before the 2008 Summer Games. May-Treanor and Walsh won only two of their first 11 tournaments, meaning they have won 48 of their last 64.
And wouldn’t it be nice to make Beijing 2008 No. 100?
“I don’t think you ever put numbers to your goals,” Walsh said. “The only goal I have is winning and I never want it to stop. That’s the only motivation I need.”