10:13am | The folks in front of the microphone had traveled a long distance to get back to their faithful at the Beach and talk volleyball Tuesday night.
Brian Gimmillaro had been in Bulgaria wooing a super talented recruit and Misty May-Treanor had just picked up some gold in Austria, her 38th FIVB gold medal and half of the winners’ $43,500 first prize check.
There aren’t too many teams in sports that have dominated the competition in the way that Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have in beach volleyball. It was their 4th FIVB Swatch World Tour win of the season and came at their favorite tour stop, the A1 Grand Slam in Klagenfurt, Austria. “I love that town,” Misty said, “when I walk in my favorite diner they just start cooking my favorite stuff.” And for Brian, well his decorated career has those NCAA titles, a gym full of player of the year winners, and glitzy out of town job offers that he routinely turns down.
Brian was effusive in his praise of Misty, “…not for her volleyball skills but because of the life she leads, helping people and never seeking any recognition.” BG of course is the undisputed V-ball leader this week as two a day drills test his young team in preparation for a live scrimmage this Saturday. After that is their annual alumni tussle the following Saturday and then the regular season opening tourney which includes predicted NCAA champion the University of Washington. “I do think that Washington could win at the end of the season but we want to sneak up on them before they get there.”
Do not misunderstand; Brian wants to return to being the hunted and not just a hunter. He is in close on one of the finest high school sophomore players in the country and has more recruiting fire and determination then in recent history. He also is working the community hard to underwrite the new LBSU Beach Volleyball team which he hinted might be a good place for Misty to return as head coach. “We have a couple of kids in this year that are excellent Beach players but the administration says we have to fully fund the program ourselves.” Tuesday night one booster said he would be able to furnish the tons of special NCAA quality sand. Misty offered to do a fund raiser to build out the existing on campus sand courts and the volleyball is rolling.
“Right now the sport is taking baby steps—just two other colleges in California will have teams in the first go round—Pepperdine and USC—but we will be fine” Gimmillaro says.
Meanwhile back to Misty, Brian tells his summer campers that the greatest player in the world used to sit as a 12 year old in the center of the court and watch and listen. Hearing Brian you would have thought that the spot was bronzed because the kids wouldn’t even put a sneaker down in the area where 22 years ago Misty began her volleyball school.
With two tournaments left to play this summer, Finland and Amsterdam, Misty (just turning 34) is looking forward to taking some time off and get her game face on for London and the 2012 Olympics. When a reporter asked her thought about playing on the new court being built on the Parade Grounds in front of Buckingham Palace, May launched a quip faster than her jump serve. “I think playing with those hats on may be difficult…” Hats? Oh yeah, Misty pulling my leg with an allusion to those feathery fashions that the royals wear to wedding and races.
So having sold their Florida house (that makes me jealous), Misty and Matt have moved back to CA and on this trip back to the States she brought her check book to pay some local bills and one that came via email from the traffic court in Kansas City. “It was a hundred bucks but at least I could pay on-line and see the film on the red light he ran!” –DR. DAN