May-Treanor is FIVB Beach Sportswoman of the Year

FIVB November 12, 2010

Photo: FIVB

Misty May-Treanor, left, and Nicole Branagh show off their third-place hardware won in July in Stavanger, Norway.

Courtesy of the FIVB

Lausanne, SWITZERLAND (Nov. 12, 2010) – U.S. beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor (Santa Monica, Calif.) was named the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour Sportswoman of the Year and was the runner-up for Best Hitter, the organization announced Thursday.

May-Treanor, who returned to the international tour this season after missing 2009 due to an Achilles injury, teamed up with Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) in 2010 to rank as the No. 11 team with three 'final four' finishes together.

Several other U.S. women’s beach players also received votes for various SWATCH FIVB awards including Angie Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Branagh, Jen Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Tyra Turner (Fort Meyers Beach, Fla.).

Brazil's Juliana Felisberta Silva was named the most outstanding women's player on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour for the second straight season.

The accolade underlines the 27-year-old's success in overcoming her disappointment at missing the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games due to a knee injury.

The results of the voting for the top competitors on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour by SWATCH representatives, players, coaches, referees and officials on the international Beach Volleyball circuit were announced here on Thursday. Juliana and her partner Larissa Franca were the top 2010 honorees as the pair captured their fifth tour team championship in the last six seasons.

In addition to becoming the first women's player to be named the tour's most outstanding player in back-to-back seasons, Juliana was also named the FIVB's top blocker and offensive player, receiving the former award for the second year running.

Juliana's misfortunes in 2008 began with her right knee injury at an event in Paris. After attempting a comeback two weeks prior to the Olympics, Juliana had to withdraw from the Olympics two days before the start of the competition and had knee surgery in the following weeks.

Larissa, the 2006 SWATCH MOP and runner-up for the 2010 season, was named as the 2010 tour's top setter and hitter. She has now won the setting award for the past five seasons, including in 2008 when she shared the accolade with Greece's Vasso Karadassiou. Larissa was also the tour's top hitter in 2008 and best defender in 2009.

With seven gold medals in 2010 after winning eight events in 2009, Juliana and Larissa retained the tour championship after previously winning the top team honours in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. For their efforts this season, Juliana and Larissa shared US$351,300 in earnings for 12 events.

Since forming their partnership in 2004, Juliana and Larissa hold the SWATCH record for team gold medals with 36 titles in 84 FIVB events with 66 podium placements, 70 'final four' finishes and $2,088,450 in winnings.

Also capturing 2010 individual awards were Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of the Czech Republic, Taiana Lima of Brazil, Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands, Xi Zhang of China and Great Britain's Denise Johns, who was honored as the SWATCH FIVB World Tour's most inspirational player.

Kolocova and Slukova tied for the 2010 rookie-of-the-year honour by edging Marta Menegatti, who captured the first-ever women's silver medal for Italy with Valeria Rosso at the season finale in Thailand. Kolocova and Slukova finished as the 12th-ranked team on the SWATCH tour, the highest finish by a team from the Czech Republic since the 2004 season.

Playing her first full season on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, Lima was the most improved player as she teamed with Vivian Cunha to rank as the 22nd team in earnings ($50,950) in 2010. Lima and Vivan finished second to Juliana and Larissa at the Austrian Grand Slam along with a fourth-place finish in Finland. In advancing to both semi-finals, the Brazilians had to win Country Quota and qualifying matches to reach the Main Draws in Austria and Finland.

Xi Zhang was part of the third-ranked women's team on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour as the Chinese pair resumed their partnership after playing in 2009 with different partners.The bronze-medal winners at the Beijing Olympics, Zhang and Xue captured three titles in 2010 with seven podium placements in 15 events.

A 2008 junior world champion, Van Iersel was the top server on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour with a season best of 85.6 km at the Polish Grand Slam in Stare Jablonki. As part of the ninth-ranked team on the tour, Van Iersel posted the top serve in seven of her 12 tournament appearances with Sanne Keizer. Van Iersel's season best serve ranks third all-time in women's tour history.

The 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar began in April and concluded in November with the final women’s events in China and Thailand. With $6.83-million in prize money, the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar featured 17 sites in 14 countries. The men’s award winners were announced in September where American Phil Dalhausser was named the most outstanding player while also earning honors as the top blocker, setter, hitter and offensive player.

2010 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Women’s Post-Season Awards - Results

Most Improved Player
1. Taiana Lima, Brazil
2. Anastasia Vasina, Russia
3. Marloes Wesselink, Netherlands
Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Sara Goller, Germany, Barbara Hansel, Austria, Hana Klapolova, Czech Republic, Emilia Nystrom, Finland, Erika Nystrom, Finland, Evgenia Ukolova, Russia, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands.

Most Inspirational Player
1. Denise Johns, England
2. Lucy Boulton, England
3. Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic
Also receiving votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Louis Bawden, Australia, Marie-Andre Lessard, Canada, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Ingrid Torlen, Norway, Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgium.

Rookie of the Year
1. Marketa Slukova, Czech Republic
1. Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic
3. Lenka Hajeckova, Czech Republic
3. Marta Menegatti, Italy
Also receiving votes - Elisa Cella, Italy, Greta Cicolari, Italy, Erika Fabjan, Slovenia, Simona Fabjan, Slovenia, Angelina Grun, Germany, Anna Hu, China, Jieqiong Jin, China, Jana Kohler, Germany, Luana Madeira, Brazil, Liliane Maestrini, Brazil, Valeria Rosso, Italy, Roos Van der Hoeven, Netherlands, Jantine van der Vlist, Netherlands, Yuan Yue, China.

Sportswoman
1. Misty May-Treanor, United States
2. Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgium
3. Chen Xue, China
Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Lucy Boulton, England, Natalie Cook, Australia, Janne Kongshavn, Norway, Marie-Andree Lessard, Canada, Ingrid Torlen, Norway, Tyra Turner, United States, Evgenia Ukolova, Russia.

Best Defensive Player
1. Xi Zhang, China
2. Larissa Franca, Brazil
3. Laura Ludwig, Germany
Also receiving votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic, Lenka Hajeckova, Czech Republic, Inguna Minusa, Latvia, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Marloes Wesselink, Netherlands.

Best Offensive Player
1. Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil
2. Larissa Franca, Brazil
3. Xi Zhang, China
Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Vassiliki Arvaniti, Greece, Sara Goller, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, April Ross, United States, Anastasia Vasina, Russia, Chen Xue, China.

Best Blocker
1. Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil
2. Talita Antunes, Brazil
3. Chen Xue, China
Also Receiving Votes - Nicole Branagh, United States, Sanne Keizer, Netherlands, Jen Kessy, United States, Sara Goller, Germany, Madelein Meppelink, Netherlands, Marketa Slucova, Czech Republic, Tyra Turner, United States, Anastasia Vasina, Russia.

Best Setter
1, Larissa Franca, Brazil
2, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands
3, Sanne Keizer, Netherlands
Also receiving votes - Katrin Holtwick, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Becchara Palmer, Australia, Maria Clara Salgado, Brazil, Stefanie Schwaiger, Austria, Ilka Semmler, Germany.

Best Hitter
1. Larissa Franca, Brazil
2. Misty May-Treanor, United States
3. Xi Zhang, China
Also Receiving Votes - Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil, Sara Goller, Germany, Ekaterina Khomyakova, Russia, April Ross, United States, Tyra Turner, United States, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands, Anastasia Vasina, Russia, Chen Xue, China.

Top Server (speed, event site)
1. Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands, (85.6 km, Stare Jablonki)
2. Maria Clara Salgado, Brazil (85.1, Seoul)
3. Angelina Grun, Germany (83.6, Stare Jablonki)
Other Top Servers - April Ross, United States (82.2, Shanghai), Larissa Franca, Brazil, (81.7, Shanghai), Sara Goller, Germany (81.5, Stare Jablonki).

Most Outstanding Player Award
1. Juliana Felisberta Silver, Brazil
2. Larissa Franca, Brazil
3. Xi Zhang, China
Also Receiving Votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Talita Antunes, Brazil, Sara Goller, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Chen Xue, China.

Women's SWATCH FIVB World Tour Award Winners

Most Outstanding
2010 - Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil
2009 - Juliana, Brazil
2008 - Xi Zhang, China & Misty May-Treanor, USA
2007 - Kerri Walsh, United States
2006 - Larissa Franca, Brazil
2005 - May-Treanor, United States

Best Blocker
2010 - Juliana, Brazil
2009 - Juliana, Brazil
2008 - Walsh, United States
2007 - Walsh, United States
2006 - Walsh, United States
2005 - Walsh, United States

Best Defensive Player
2010 - Zhang, China
2009 - Larissa, Brazil
2008 - May-Treanor, United States
2007 - May-Treanor, United States
2006 - Shelda Bede, Brazil
2005 - Shelda, Brazil

Best Hitter
2010 - Larissa, Brazil
2009 - April Ross, United States
2008 - Larissa, Brazil
2007 - Walsh, United States
2006 - Walsh, United States
2005 - Walsh, United States

Best Offensive Player
2010 - Juliana, Brazil
2009 - Ross, United States
2008 - May-Treanor, United States
2007 - Walsh & May-Treanor, United States
2006 - Juliana, Brazil
2005 - May-Treanor, United States

Best Server
2010 - Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands
2009 - Maria Clara Salgado, Brazil
2008 - Maria Clara, Brazil
2007 - Ana Paula Connelly, Brazil
2006 - Ana Paula, Brazil
2005 - Ana Paula, Brazil
2004 - Ana Paula, Brazil
2003 - Ana Paula, Brazil

Best Setter
2010 - Larissa, Brazil
2009 - Larissa, Brazil
2008 - Larissa, Brazil & Vasso Karadassiou, Greece
2007 - Larissa, Brazil
2006 - Larissa, Brazil
2005 - May-Treanor, United States

Most Improved Player
2010 - Taiana Lima, Brazil
2009 - Van Iersel, Netherlands
2008 - Nicole Branagh, United States
2007 - Tamsin Barnett, Australia & Laura Ludwig, Germany
2006 - Leila Barros, Brazil
2005 - Vassiliki Arvaniti, Greece

Most Inspirational
2010 - Denise Johns, England
2009 - Shelda, Brazil
2008 - Shelda, Brazil
2007 - Shelda, Brazil
2006 - Shelda, Brazil
2005 - Shelda, Brazil

Sportsperson(s)
2010 - May-Treanor, United States
2009 - Shelda, Brazil
2008 - May-Treanor & Walsh, United States
2007 - May-Treanor & Walsh, United States
2006 - Walsh, United States
2005 - Walsh, United States

Top Rookie
2010 - Marketa Slukova & Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic
2009 - Angie Akers, USA & Louise Bawden, Australia
2008 - Bibiana Candelas, Mexico
2007 - April Ross, United States
2006 - Chen Xue, China
2005 - Talita Antunes, Brazil

Team of the Year
2010 - Juliana & Larissa, Brazil
2009 - Juliana & Larissa, Brazil
2008 - Ana Paula & Shelda, Brazil
2007 - Juliana & Larissa, Brazil
2006 - Juliana & Larissa, Brazil
2005 - Juliana & Larissa, Brazil

Women’s SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Points Champions

Season Team, Country
1992-93 Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno, United States
1993-94 Kirby/Liz Masakayan, United States
1994-95 Monica Rodrigues/Adriana Samuel, Brazil
1995-96 Sandra Pires/Jackie Silva, Brazil
1996 Pires/Silva, Brazil
1997 Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar, Brazil
1998 Shelda/Adriana, Brazil
1999 Shelda/Adriana, Brazil
2000 Shelda/Adriana, Brazil
2001 Shelda/Adriana, Brazil
2002 Misty May/Kerri Walsh, United States
2003 Ana Paula Connelly/Pires, Brazil
2004 Shelda/Adriana, Brazil
2005 Juliana Felisberta Silva/Larissa Franca, Brazil
2006 Juliana/Larissa, Brazil
2007 Juliana/Larissa, Brazil
2008 Shelda/Ana Paula, Brazil
2009 Juliana/Larissa, Brazil
2010 Juliana/Larissa, Brazil