Kerri Walsh Jennings Calls Former Teammate Misty May-Treanor ‘My Michael Jordan’
Kerri Walsh Jennings sat with The Seth Davis Show to discuss, among other things, her relationship with former teammate Misty May-Treanor. Jennings claims May-Treanor was her personal "Michael Jordan" during her formative years.
Kerri Walsh Jennings sat down with The Seth Davis Show to discuss, among other things, her relationship with former teammate Misty May-Treanor.
It’s funny how insulated the wide world of sports can be at times. Despite a globe full of athletes, oftentimes the greats come up in close proximity at the same point in time. That their orbits align is almost providential.
Olympic champion Kerri Walsh Jennings discussed as much with The Seth Davis Show in regards to former partner Misty May-Treanor.
“She was my Michael Jordan, hands down,” Jennings told Davis. “That’s Misty. She was gnarly to me. She’s only one year older than me, but she was it. She was kind of the trendsetter.”
“My dad always encouraged me to go and watch the best at anything, so I went and watched Misty as much as I could. And I learned from her. That’s how I learn a lot. Misty was the first person my age who I looked to and thought, ‘She’s rad. I’m going to steal her stuff and make it my own.'”
Originally a hardcourt player, Jennings had resisted sand volleyball on account of ego and not wanting to “look silly.” However, after a false-positive steroid test during the 2000 Olympics challenged her relationship with the sport, she soon changed course.
“It was for me. I tested positive for dope in Sydney. I found out half an hour before our first match where I was going to start, and they pulled me aside and said, ‘You can’t play, and you can’t talk about it. This is what’s going on.’
“I said, ‘I’m innocent. I didn’t do this.’
“So I had to fight my way back onto the court. That’s what broke my heart. I don’t want to be with people who don’t support me.”
Seeking a partnership forged on trust, Jennings found it in a familiar foe.
“In comes Misty May-Treanor, we had a tryout, and that was the start of everything.”
From competitors in their youth to three-time Olympic champions, Jennings is fully aware and appreciative of how her relationship with May-Treanor came full-circle.
“To be able to play with her so many years later was awesome.”
