Beach volleyball: May out for six months

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Misty May, one of the top sand volleyball players

in the world, couldn’t play for her team Saturday in the inaugural Da

Dunes Pro-Am Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Newport Dunes waterfront

resort.

But May, who had surgery on her left knee two weeks ago to repair an

old ligament problem, could still serve for her team, the Zebras, who

were outfitted in Brazil carnival.

“It’s nice to have something like this back in Newport,” May said.

“It’s not a serious event. It’s a fun deal.”

May, who bought cat masks at a costume shop for her teammates, won’t

be returning to action any time soon.

In 1996, May partial tore her anterior cruciate ligament at Long Beach

State, where she was a three-time NCAA All-American setter and led the

49ers to two NCAA championships.

And, with the constant pounding on her knees playing on the sand, she

decided to finally get her knee fixed. She will be out six months.

But May, 24, is realizing a future after her playing career, despite

the fact that she has earned enough on the Federation International

Volleyball tour to buy a house in Long Beach near the Long Beach State

campus.

May, who is close to completing her bachelor’s degree, is an assistant

coach for the women’s volleyball team at Irvine Valley College under Tom

Pestolesi. May also plans to work on a master’s, and, ultimately, land a

head coaching job at the community college level.

“There are so many more things I want to do in life or accomplish,”

said May, who enjoyed a tremendous run on the FIVA Tour with Holly

McPeak.

May, who played in the first Olympic competition for women’s sand

volleyball at the 2000 Sydney Games, now has her sights set on qualifying

for the 2004 Athens Games.