Kerri Walsh
Born: Aug. 15, 1978
Hometown: Saratoga, Calif.
Resides: Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Height: 6-3
College: Stanford
Current Coach: Troy Tanner
Olympic History: 2000 women's indoor volleyball (fourth); 2004 women's beach volleyball (gold medal); 2008 women's beach volleyball (gold medal)
PERSONAL: Born Kerri Lee Walsh on Aug. 15, 1978, in Santa Clara, Calif. ... Daughter of Tim and Margie Walsh... Tim played minor league baseball with the Oakland A's organization and also played semi-pro basketball... Margie was a volleyball MVP at Santa Clara... Has an older brother, Marte, two younger sisters, Kelli and KC... Marte played basketball at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, while Kelli played volleyball at Santa Clara. KC is a setter at Oregon State... Kerri married Casey Jennings, a top U.S. men's beach volleyball player, on Dec. 4, 2005... Kerri graduated from Stanford University in 2001 with a degree in American studies... Graduated from Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose, Calif.) in 1996.... When she was a sophomore in high school, she asked Misty May for her autograph... Placed fourth with the U.S. women's indoor volleyball team at the 2000 Olympic Games... Won the United States' first women's beach volleyball gold medal with Misty May at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 - Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Kerri partnered with fellow Olympian Nicole Branagh to win the FIVB World Tour event in Dubai. The pair went 6-0 and did not lose a set. They beat compatriots Jen Boss and April Ross, 21-18, 21-19, in the final... Kerri and partner Misty May-Treanor, seeded second, won the 2008 Olympic beach volleyball tournament to become the first team to win two beach volleyball Olympic gold medals. The pair finished the tournament with a 7-0 record and did not drop a set. They defeated the top-ranked Chinese team of Wang Jie and Tian Jia, 21-18, 21-18, in the final. Kerri led all blockers at the Games with 27 blocks in seven matches and was fifth among all hitters with 87... The team finished the Olympic Games with a 108-match winning streak... Kerri underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason and reinjured the shoulder the weekend of May 2 in Huntington Beach, Calif., causing her and Misty to pull out of the early FIVB women's tournaments they had been planning to play. They returned to international play at the SWATCH FIVB World Tour Grand Slam event in Berlin on June 10-14 and won three straight international tournaments (Berlin; Paris and Stavanger, Norway). Winning the three events earned the team $65,250. 2007 - Won seven out of eight international tournaments and placed third at the other... Won third straight FIVB World Championship (Gstaad, Switzerland) without dropping a set in the tournament... Won $154,750 and finished the season ranked ninth overall, but first in Olympic qualifying points. Kerri was named the Most Outstanding Player of the FIVB events in Paris, France and Montreal, Canada. 2006 - Played in eight tournaments, winning three gold medals, two silver and two bronze... Won $100,700 and finished the season ranked ninth. 2005 - Netted six gold medals in seven tournament appearances... Won a second FIVB World Championship (Berlin, Germany)... Finished the season ranked seventh... Earned $131,500 in prize money. 2004 - Walsh and partner Misty May-Treanor went 7-0, winning 14 sets, to win the Olympic Games in Athens... Won four gold medals in five FIVB events... Received $91,000... Played part of the season with Rachel Wacholder while Misty May recovered from an abdominal strain. 2003 - Won the FIVB World Championship (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)... Claimed five gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal in eight tournaments...Finished the season ranked third...Earned $126,000 for her tournament appearances. 2002 - Won the FIVB Tour...Netted five gold medals, three silver medals in a bronze medal in 11 events...Finished the season ranked 1st...Received $97,570 in prize money. 2001 - Played in nine tournaments winning one gold, three silver and one bronze medal...Finished the season ranked seventh overall... Earned $60,500 in prize money.
DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS: Kerri and Misty have not lost a domestic volleyball match since Aug. 16-19, 2007 in Boston when they lost in the AVP final to Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs. 2008 – Kerri and Misty won the first three AVP events they played in before Kerri reinjured her shoulder the weekend of May 2. They came back the weekend of May 24 to win the AVP event in Louisville, Ky. They have won a total of 10 AVP events and $110,000. Going into Kerri has 99 tournament victories. 2007 - Played in 15 AVP events... Won gold at 13, silver at one and bronze at one... Won $162,250 and finished season ranked first. 2006 - Played in 16 AVP events with 13 first-place finishes and three second-places... Won $236,650 and finished season ranked 1st. 2005 - Played in 14 AVP tournaments, winning 11 and finishing second three times... Won $183,250 and finished season ranked 1st. 2004 - Played in 11 AVP tournaments with seven first-place finishes, three seconds and one third... Won $90,862.50 and finished season ranked 1st. 2003 - Won eight out of eight AVP tournaments... Claimed $71,550.00 and finished season ranked 1st. 2001 - Won one out of two Beach Volleyball America tournaments... Won $4,375.
PARTNERS: 2008 – Misty May-Treanor. 2007 – Misty May-Treanor. 2006 – Misty May-Treanor. 2005 – Misty May-Treanor. 2004 – Misty May... Rachel Wacholder (Kerri played with Rachel while Misty was recovering from an abdominal strain before the Olympic Games). 2003 – Misty May. 2002 – Misty May. 2001 – Misty May.
HONORS: 2007 – Named FIVB Sportswoman of the Year and Best Offensive Player with Misty May-Treanor. Kerri alone was named Best Hitter and Best Blocker... AVP Team of the Year and Crocs Cup Champion (with Misty May-Treanor). 2006 – Walsh became the fourth American woman to surpass $1 million in career earnings, accomplishing the feat in Chicago... Named FIVB Best Blocker, Best Hitter and Sportswoman of the Year... AVP Team of the Year and Crocs Cup Champion (with Misty May-Treanor) 2005 – Named FIVB Best Blocker, Best Hitter and Sportsperson of the Year... AVP Team of the Year (with Misty May-Treanor). 2004 – Named AVP Most Valuable Player... AVP Team of the Year (with Misty May). 2003 – AVP Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player... AVP Team of the Year (with Misty May).
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 1999 - NCAA First Team All-American. 1998 – NCAA First Team All-American. 1997 – Led Stanford University to the national championship... NCAA First Team All-American. 1996 – Led Stanford University to the national championship... NCAA First Team All-American.
