Volleyball: May-Treanor to coach Long Beach City College

Misty May-Treanor, a Newport Harbor High product who won three Olympic gold medals in women’s beach volleyball, was named director of volleyball operations at Long Beach City College on Thursday.

May-Treanor will coach the women’s indoor and beach teams and oversee the men’s indoor program for the Vikings.

“We are thrilled to have an athlete of Misty’s caliber lead our volleyball program,” LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley said in a statement from the school. “She is an icon in her sport and a longtime Long Beach resident with deep roots in our community. She will serve as an inspiration to our students and a strong leader in our athletics department.”

May-Treanor, 38, who teamed with Kerri Walsh Jennings to win Olympic gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012, won 112 pro beach volleyball tournaments, which now ranks second all-time. She earned more than $2.1 million in prize money on the beach and competed in professional tournaments last summer, though she announced her retirement following the London Olympics to concentrate on having children.

She is a four-time Assn. of Volleyball Professionals MVP and was AVP Best Offensive Player 11 times.

She won an indoor NCAA championship at Long Beach State in 1998 and won two CIF state championships at Newport Harbor, from which she graduated in 1995.

May-Treanor, who is married to former major league catcher Matt Treanor, had worked as an assistant coach at Irvine Valley College, and had also assisted the women’s beach teams at Long Beach State and USC.

“I’m excited to join the LBCC family,” May-Treanor said in the statement. “My family lives in Long Beach and I want to help the next generation of players in my community. I’m very excited to help the players at LBCC and advance the volleyball program.”

— From staff reports