Professional Beach Volleyball

PROFESSIONAL BEACH VOLLEYBALL requires supreme teamwork and athletic ability. During the 2003 season, nobody showed more of those traits than Kerri Walsh and Misty May.

In the American pro beach circuit, May’s quickness and Walsh’s power ruled the sand. The duo went undefeated in all eight American events. With the 6-foot-2-inch Walsh dominating the net with 104 blocks in the season and the speedy May making 254 digs, this team had the perfect combination. And the pair ended the 2003 season with a bang by winning the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It marked their fifth victory on the world tour.

May and Walsh narrowly defeated the Australian team of Natalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson in the semifinals—in a match where May and Walsh had to fight off two match points. Then in the finals, the Americans beat the Brazilian team of Adriana Brandao Behar and Shelda Kelly Bruno. Not only were Behar and Bruno the defending world champions, but May and Walsh looked up to this pair and tried to learn from them. Again the going was difficult for the U.S. team, but it pulled out the key points to claim a 21–19, 21–19 victory.

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POINT Kerri Walsh and Misty May experienced a dream year in 2003. Of the 16 biggest beach volleyball events (eight on the American tour and eight more on the world tour), the pair took first 13 times and claimed one silver, one bronze, and one fourth-place finish. Time after time, Walsh and May were able to win the big point. With perfectly complementing styles, the duo proved nearly impossible to beat.

God wants his followers to be part of an unbeatable team as well. Wise King Solomon wrote that two people are better than one because they can help each other. Of course, it’s even better to have three on our team—especially if the third player is God.

GOAL! Do you like competing in individual or team sports better? Why?