Beach Volleyball is one type of Volleyball Game that technically differs from other variants, primarily in environment and participant numbers capacity. However, the playing criteria, scoring rules, and other game obligations remain the same.
Typically, Beach Volleyball competitions play on beaches where athletes bare footly and in the format of pairs compete on the sand. Unlike Indoor Games, Beach Volleyball doesn’t permit substitutes nor set positions for the players.
Contents
Read Also: Top 9 Beautiful Sports Trophies in The World
The gameplay of Beach Volleyball resembles the traditional one in which a Net in the center separates two teams, while athletes of both sides use their arms and hands to flip the ball back and forth while trying to drop it inside the opponent’s court.
Presently, the Governing Body of Beach Volleyball has sixty-one registered teams from different continents, including the United States, Russia, Brazil, Italy, China, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Cameroon, and Kenya.
Like any other modern-day sport, Beach Volleyball has strong ties with history. Surprisingly, the Sport was discovered as a Recreational Activity on the Sandy Beaches of Santa Monica, California, in the 1920s.
One decade later, in the 1930s, the game earned a bit of high fame in other regions of the United States. However, the first-ever men’s pair competition was held in the 1940s, while the sport’s pioneer circuit tournament was conducted in California in the 1950s.
The eventual growth of Beach Volleyball skyrocketed in the 1960s when it started to attract sponsorships. Interestingly, the Sport was listed in the 1996 Olympics and has remained a mainstay since ever.
While keeping a struggling history that comprises over 100 years, Beach Volleyball has now become a vital competitive sport for worldwide Nations that have Professional Beach Volleyball Teams for International Appearances.
It is pertinent to mention that Modern-age Beach Volleyball evenly promotes Men and Women’s Teams. Of course, Beach Volleyball Female Tournaments are Live Telecasts on International Sports Channels, such as ESPN, Sky Sports, etc.
Since the admission of Beach Volleyball in the Olympics and the involvement of International Volleyball Tournaments and Leagues, the world has witnessed some of the best Beach Volleyball Women Athletes ever.
We’re writing down detailed information on World’s Best Beach Volleyball Female Players that have separated themselves from other athletes owing to their talents, hard work, dedication, and precise playing methods.
Sr.No | Athlete Name | Country |
1 | Kerri Walsh Jennings | United States |
2 | Misty May-Treanor | United States |
3 | Jacqueline Jackie Silva | Brazil |
4 | Natalie Cook | Australia |
5 | Andriana Behar | Brazil |
6 | Holly McPeak | American |
7 | April Ross | American |
8 | Alix Klineman | American |
9 | Laura Ludwig | Germany |
Kerri Walsh Jennings
- 60 Medals in FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour
- 3 World Champion Titles
- 3 Olympic Gold Medals
It’s nearly impossible to understand the mechanics of Beach Volleyball without Jennings. The US Native started to play professional Volleyball in her College days and became a dominant figure at International Volleyball Courts.
Before appearing in International Tournaments, Jennings played for the Stanford University Indoor Volleyball Team and won two National Championships and four All-America Championship Titles for her side.
In 2001, she partnered up with Misty May-Treanor for International Beach Circuit, and the duo ended up in the fifth rank globally. Notably, the pair’s success wasn’t far as a year later, they grabbed the number one slot, and by 2003, they both set the world record of winning 90 games in a row.
The accomplished duo never settled on low and continued setting and breaking their world records. In 2006, they laid another milestone of winning 112 matches consecutively, a stat that still awaits to break.
Read Also: Top 5 Cornhole Players of All Time
Walsh Jennings’s professional career comprises 16 years, during which she won around 70 medals, including three gold medals at the World Championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007 and three-peat of gold in 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics.
The 6-Foot tall Jennings was impossible to bypass inside the court as she had mastered blocking shots and striking at a lightning pace. Notably, Jennings bagged 135 tournament victories and earned over $2.6 million as prize money.
Misty May-Treanor
- 112 Tournament Wins throughout Career
- Around $3 Million Career Winnings
- Inducted in International Volleyball Hall of Fame
- Won FIVB Most Outstanding Player Twice
Misty May-Treanor makes the other half of the iconic Jennings. The duo teamed up in 2001 and continued to dominate countless Domestic and International Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournaments and Competitions.
Even though the achievement fleet of May and Jennings has a load of Trophies and Medals, they both also settled multiple world records, including streaks of winning 90 and 112 games in a row though the 112 record still stands until writing.
In addition to countless victories in Team Competitions, the May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings have also won multiple acknowledgeable events, including winning gold medals in the World Championship and the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
Notably, Treanor has also been awarded the AVP Most Valuable Player Title four times in a row from 2005 to 2008, while she was also named the FIVB’s Most Outstanding Athlete Award in 2005 and 2008.
The other prominent honors earned by her are Best Defensive Player, Best Offensive Player, Best Attacker, Best Setter, and Sportsperson Awards, and she was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Jacqueline Jackie Silva
- Winner of First Official Beach Volleyball World Championship
- Earned Gold Medal in 1996 Olympics
- 12 World Tour Gold Medals
- Won Gold in Summer Olympics and World Championships
Jackie Silva is one of those veteran Volleyball players that earned big titles even when the sport was still developing. Like other athletes, Silva started his professional career after joining an Indoor Team.
At 14, she was selected by the Brazilian National Team, where she assisted her team in winning the first-ever Olympics medal in 1980. In 1987, she moved to Italy to start her career as a Beach Volleyball Athlete.
Interestingly, Silva hasn’t fit herself on Italian soil and decided to relocate to the United States after one year. In the US, she teamed up with American Linda Chisolm before joining Sandra Pires in 1993.
The match-up of Silva and Pires ran for a long-time, during which they earned a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics and the first-ever Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championships in Los Angeles in 1997.
It is pertinent to mention that Jackie Silva was known for her aggressive on-field behavior, for which he was dropped from the Brazilian National Team three times. Nevertheless, her skills and competitive nature aided her in earning imperishable achievements during a long-serving career that ended in 2004.
Natalie Cook
- Only Australian to play in Five different Olympic Games
- Won Gold Medal in 2000 Summer Olympics
- Honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia
- International Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductee
Natalie Cook is considered the Most Successful Australia Beach Volleyball player and probably the best of all outsiders in the United States. Cook holds the honor of participating in the inaugural Beach Volleyball Competition during the 1996 Olympics.
The most seasoned Natalie is the only Volleyball Player who has played in all six seasons of the Olympics from 1996 to 2012, competed in five different categories of Olympics games, and won a Gold Medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia.
Natalia Cook started his Volleyball Career in 1993 and served the International Volleyball Courts for 20 years. She also keeps the record of playing the most International FIVB Events, whose count is 165.
However, Natalie’s highest career achievement was winning a gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics, in which she forced up with Kerri Pottharst and defeated the iconic Brazilian duo Adriana Behr and Shelda Bede in the Finals to bring home the first-ever medal.
Moreover, the longtime stand between Cook and Pottharst also includes several other achievements, including a Bronze Medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2003 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. While recognizing their services, the Australian Government awarded the duo with the Order of Australia, the highest Honorary Award in the country.
Andriana Behar
- Won 30 International Tournaments
- Two-Times Olympics Silver Medalist
- Won FIVB Tour Championships for six time
- Earned over $1.2 Million in Career Earnings
Adriana Behar is a Professional Brazilian Volleyball player. She was born in 1969 and started a pro volleyball career at 13. In 1992, she began practicing Beach Volleyball, and in 1995, she partnered with Shelda Bede.
The pair turned out to be the Best in the history of Volleyball, as no other duo has won more gold medals and prize money in the FIVB World Tour than Behar and Bede. They remained FIVB World Champions in 1999 and 2001 while bagging bronze medals in 1997 and Slive in 2003.
Unfortunately, the Brazilian pair has never won a Gold Media in the Olympics despite qualifying for the Finals in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. During the 2000 games, they won the Silver Medals after losing to Australian pair Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst, while their 2004 Olympics defeat came at the hands of Kerri Walsh and May-Treanor.
Nevertheless, the pair holds the record of winning most Beach Volley Medals, including a gold in the 1999 Pan American Games. Their other dominant achievements include consecutive victories in FIVB Tour Championships from 1997 to 2004.
Holly McPeak
- 2nd Most Richest Volleyball Player regarding Career Earnings
- Added into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2009
- Won 72 Titles during Pro-Career
- Third Women Volleyball Player with Most Title Wins
Holly McPeak is another accomplished Volleyball Player with 72 career titles. It is pertinent to mention that McPeak is the shortest player in Beach Volleyball history at 5 feet and 7 inches in height, but she is almost unbeatable inside the court.
Even though McPeak hasn’t won a Gold Medal in Olympics, her success fleet is decorated with Bronze Medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and a Silver in the 1997 World Championships. Perhaps, the most success of McPeak came from lower-level performances.
During her professional career, she won the NCAA Women’s Indoor Volleyball Championship while teamed up with UCLA Bruins in 1990. Her other astonishing achievements of McPeak include the Five MVP Awards and an AVP Outstanding Achievement Award in 2004.
Furthermore, McPeak has won 72 Titles throughout her Beach Volleyball Career, making her the third Female athlete to achieve, while Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor are on the top.
April Ross
- Won Silver Medal in 2012 Olympics
- Bronze Medal in the 2016 Olympics and Gold in 2022 Olympics
- Four-Time Winner of AVP Team of the Year Award
April Ross is another Notably Beach Volleyball Player belonging to the United States. She appeared in three Olympic seasons but with a different partner in each. During her professional career, Ross won third- Olympic medals.
Her first Olympic Medal came from the 2012 Olympics in London when she was teamed up with Jennifer Kessy, while she won a Bronze in the Rio 2016 Olympics with Kerri Walsh Jennings. In the 2000 Olympics, Ross earned the Gold Medal with Jennings again.
In addition to Olympic Achievements, April Ross also won the AVP Team of the Year award four times with three different partners, which makes her the most versatile and dynamic athlete of all time.
Alix Klineman
- Four Time All American Indoor Volleyball Champion
- Won 5 Seasons of Professional Indoor Volleyball
- Earned Rookie of the Year Awards in 2017
- Won Gold Medal in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Alix Klineman spent most career time as a partner with April Ross, and the duo didn’t do anything less than exceptional. However, before dominating the International Beach Volleyball Field, Klineman gained an admirable career during her university days.
It is worth mentioning that Klineman won the All-American Indoor Volleyball Player title four times at Stanford University. She played five seasons of professional indoor volleyball before switching to Beach Volleyball in 2017.
Klineman bagged the title of Rookie of the Year in her first Beach Volleyball season. One year later, she joined the experienced Ross, and the duo ended up winning the Gold Medal at the 2022 Tokyo Olympics.
Laura Ludwig
- Won Olympic Gold in 2016
- Four Gold Medals in the European Women’s Volleyball Championships
Laura Ludwig is considered the Best Beach Volleyball Player in Germany. Of course, she has a long serving history, during which she represented her country the most and bagged a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics while teaming up with Kira Walkenhorst.
Ludwig also keeps an appreciable playing record in various European Beach Volleyball Competitions, as she earned four gold medals in the European Women’s Volleyball Championships, making her a perfect contender for our list.
People also Ask
Q: Which Country has the Most Olympic Gold Medals in Women’s Beach Volleyball?
A: To your surprise, the United States is the most successful country in the Olympics Women’s Beach Volleyball Category, with four gold medals. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, as a team, won the first three medals for three consecutive years in 2004, 2008, and 2012, while the most recent came from the pair of Alix Klineman and April Ross in the 2020 Olympics.
Q: Who is the Most Hottest/Beautiful Beach Volleyball Female Player?
A: Even though Volleyball is a highly competitive sport that attracts worldwide fans, the athlete’s beauty and physique are other external contributing features to its utmost success. In recent years, some beautiful Beach Volleyball Female Athletes have stormed the world, and Samantha Bricio is one of them. She is also voted as the hottest/sexy athlete of all time.
Q: Who is the God of Volleyball?
A: The Indian Volleyball player Jimmy George is considered the God of Volleyball. Even though George didn’t win any Gold Medal for his Side, he was part of the team when they earned a Bronze Medal at the 1986 Asian Games. In addition to playing for Indian National Side, George also played for a Domestic Italian Club. Sadly, he died at 32 in a car accident.