Kiraly, Timmons Plan to Leave U.S. Volleyball Team

The U.S. Olympic volleyball team, which rose from near obscurity to win two straight gold medals, will soon be rebuilding again. Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons are retiring.

Timmons and Kiraly, two of the best players in the world and the key men in the winning of the consecutive Olympic titles, will leave the national team after the Brown Jordan USA Cup at the Forum July 1.

The official announcement will be made today at a Forum press conference.

Before joining the national team, Kiraly was a three-time All-American at UCLA, and Timmons a two-time All-American at USC. Under their leadership, the United States, which had failed even to qualify for the 1980 Olympics, became the most powerful team in the world.

The Americans won the gold medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Games, with Timmons being named most valuable player, and then completed volleyball’s triple crown by taking the World Cup in 1985 and the World Championships in 1986.

Kiraly is widely regarded as the best all-around player in the world. Since he succeeded Chris Marlowe as captain in 1985, the United States has gone 211-35. He was named most valuable player in the 1988 Olympic tournament, and Timmons, a superb hitter and leaper, was named outstanding blocker.

“I guess we’re trying not to call it a retirement, but maybe more of a graduation,” said Kiraly, who will become a full-time player on the beach tour with partner Brent Frohoff.

“Since June of 1981, between school and the national team, I haven’t had much time to spend with myself or my family,” Kiraly said. “Now I will have that opportunity.”

America has won each of the previous five USA Cup titles. The Soviet Union, the silver medalist at the Seoul Games, and Brazil, the bronze medalist, will compete along with South Korea in the four-city event that begins June 27 in Seattle, moves to San Francisco the next night and to UC Irvine June 30 and concludes at the Forum.