Season will be last for McPeak

Holly McPeak, one of the most accomplished women’s beach volleyball players of all-time, announced Tuesday that the 2008 season, her 18th as a professional, would be her last.

McPeak, 38, is a three-time Olympian who won a bronze medal with Elaine Youngs in 2004. She has 72 career victories worldwide, which is third only to Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh -- both of whom passed McPeak last year -- and she is a four-time AVP most valuable player and seven-time defensive player of the year.

McPeak is married to AVP Commissioner Leonard Armato, so she probably won’t be getting too far away from the game.

“I think any time you’re used to for 18 seasons playing volleyball every weekend and traveling, it’s going to be interesting when I’m done,” said McPeak. “But I’m looking forward to it.”

McPeak, a 5-foot-7 defensive specialist known for her intense off-court training regimen, is the women’s all-time leader in tournaments played with 310 -- more than 40 ahead of second-place Barb Fontana’s 267.

She had at least one career victory every year from 1993 to 2004, with the exception of 1998, when there was no women’s domestic tour, and is second to May-Treanor on the women’s career earnings list with $1,532,097.

But she hasn’t won since 2004, and last season she finished higher than seventh only five times in 18 tournaments worldwide.

She said she is healthy and focused and will play her final season with Angie Akers, a 6-foot blocker who shares McPeak’s passion for intense workouts.

“Angie Akers is probably one of the few who can keep up with me,” McPeak said. “So I’m looking forward to a fun season. It’s going to be interesting.”

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peter.yoon@latimes.com