Part 2 of my Misty May-Treanor Interview

Stretching out before a match during the last olympics in Athens

May Celebrates Victory with Kerri

For Part 1 of the interview click here

The Manhattan Beach AVP tour stop (Aug 12, 13) has been called the Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball, what separates this tournament from all the rest?

The name stands out from the rest of the AVP tournaments. Growing up and following the AVP when I was a little kid it was the granddaddy of all the events and a lot of players go their start in Manhattan beach plus you get your name on the pier if you win a tournament which makes it very special.

How would you describe your bond with Kerri Walsh, are you as good friends off the court as you are on the court? We don't hang out that much because we each have different hobbies and we're both married and we live in different cities and I hate battling L.A. traffic. But we're together 24/7 on the road.

You did a cameo on CSI Miami this year, in an episode where a body is uncovered during a beach volleyball tournament, what was that experience like?

It was fun… Because I watch CSI Miami all the time it was kind of funny to see how everything is done and to see what they could come up with. I just had a few lines like 'timeout'. I had done one previously on Eve [UPN] after the Olympics and on that one I had more speaking parts.

According to Google Trends (which measures search volume by city), you have more fans in Minneapolis than any city in the world, do you have a special affinity for the twin cities?)

No, I don't know. Chicago would be the only tour stop close to that area. They're probably big fans because they watch on T.V. and don't get to see us every other weekend

How big is your playbook, do you and Kerri have more options than an NFL quarterback when you are going on the attack?

There are different shots we use but they're not necessarily set plays. If my teammate sets up the ball I try to help her out and give her a call on where the defense is but she has to be able see the court too because sometimes you make wrong calls.

If you could switch places with any other professional athlete for one day just to see what it's like in their headspace, who would you switch with?

I'd switch with my husband Matt Treanor [ who plays catcher for the Flordia Marlins]. Though I don't think it would be fun to be hit with those balls. That and it's easy for us to sit on the side and say 'ah cumon hit the ball!' I've been at batting cages and tried to hit the slowest pitch possible and it's not easy.

Your husband Matt receives high praise for his uncanny plate blocking-ability, can he stop any of your shots from hitting the sand on a Volleyball court?

Well usually play together on the same side but whenever we pep rally, all he wants me to do is crush him with the ball

Is your boxer Gruden named after Tampa Bay Bucaneers Coach Jon Gruden?

Oh yes he is. I've always liked Gruden as a coach. It's always funny because they can be killing a team but he's never satisfied he's always jumping around and putting on his faces.

Do you think you could beat some of the Men's teams on tour?

It's a completely different game, so I don't want to say yes. Obviously they're stronger and they have more power but maybe if they played on the women's nets [which are lower] and then we can serve'em. But really it's two completely different games.

Karch Kirali is in his mid 40s and he's still at it, do you see yourself still playing competitively at that age?

Well we hopefully want to have a family in a couple years. It's harder for women because we have to take time off but if I can still play and be competitive I'll still do it but once I have a family that would take priority.

You've reached so many milestones AVP team of the year three years running, over 50 tournament wins, the record 89 consecutive match win streak ( 2003-3004), career earnings in excess of a million dollars and an Olympic Gold. What's next on your Beach Volleyball to do list?

We're really focused on Beijing 2008, that's the next big big thing there's lot of tournaments before that, and were also trying to save for retirement.

This article first ran in the August issue of Belltv Magazine

Copyright © Mike Dojc, 2006

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