The International Volleyball Hall of Fame inducts its 2022 class on Saturday. We have profiled all six inductees, wrapping up with this feature on Kerri Walsh Jennings. You can watch the ceremonies in Holyoke, Massachusetts, live at 7 p.m. Eastern. Get all the information at www.VolleyHall.org.
Where to even start with the impact that Kerri Walsh Jennings has had on volleyball? Medals, accolades, winning streaks, Walsh Jennings has them all.
“I haven’t allowed myself to think about the legacy I’ve been living because I’m stressing out about the speech I have to give,” Walsh Jennings said about how she feels about her induction. “It means everything. It means that all of the blood, sweat, tears and love that I’ve put into this game has made an impact.
“It means that I’ve met the most amazing human beings, who have elevated me, and who I’ve learned from, and who have made my world and myself so much richer because of it,” she continued. “This game has given me everything. It gave me my husband and three children. It’s such a beautiful gift in life to have dreams that mean something to you, that help you develop who you’re becoming. And volleyball has been that for me.”
Born in California into an active and athletic family, Walsh Jennings grew up playing sports with her siblings, following in the footsteps of both of her parents. She played indoor volleyball at Stanford, where she became only the second player in NCAA history to ever receive AVCA First Team All-America honors in four seasons.
Regarded as one of the best players in collegiate history, Walsh Jennings became the first player in Pac 10 history to record more than 1,500 kills, 1,200 digs and 500 blocks.
She joined the USA indoors national teams and competed for two years internationally, including a fourth-place finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
You would think that someone with all of those accolades at such a young age was always outgoing and confident. Not so, says Walsh Jennings.
“Before I started playing volleyball, I was almost a mute,” she said. “I was so quiet and so shy and I never spoke. When I found volleyball when I was 10, something opened up inside of me and I think I found who I was.”
Another transformation happened when in 2001, Walsh Jennings joined with 2016 International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee Misty May-Treanor to play on the beach. They formed a partnership that turned into the greatest…
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