Grant Fund Will Honor Flo Hyman

A memorial fund in honor of Flo Hyman has been established to benefit young female volleyball players who aspire to participate in international competition. Hyman, an Olympic silver medalist, died of a ruptured aorta at age 31 while playing in a game at Japan earlier this year.

The Southern California Olympians, of which Hyman was a member, and Transamerica Life announced initial $5,000 contributions and said more money will be raised from the public. The announcement came Tuesday at a ceremony at the headquarters of the Amateur Athletic Foundation, the group distributing Southern California’s share of Olympic surplus funds.

Anita de Frantz, the Southern California Olympian president, said the fund will make 10 grants of $500 a year each January to girls mostly between 15 and 18 to finance further training, travel and equipment for their participation in international events.

Any woman who plays on a regionally ranked team in the United States will be eligible to apply for the grants. The application deadline is Nov. 30. De Frantz can be reached through the Olympic foundation. A committee including Southern California Olympians, a member of the Hyman family and a volleyball expert will select recipients.

Southern California has traditionally been the center of American amateur volleyball. The 6-foot, 5-inch Hyman, a three-time All American, came from Morningside High School in Inglewood. She competed in the 1978 and 1982 World Championships, the 1977 and 1982 World Cup tournaments and was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Women’s Olympic volleyball teams.

An autopsy revealed that she was the victim of Marfan Syndrome, a congenital disease that particularly strikes tall, thin people.