Almost everyone has heard of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, probably the most popular beach volleyball players in the United States.
Watch any sports news show during the season, and you probably won’t hear much about volleyball, and what news there is usually features the men’s side. What a lot of people don’t realize is that beach volleyball is a popular sport around the globe.
The women who play volleyball are graceful and athletic in this highly cutthroat, fast-paced game. This list of great players gives them the recognition they deserve.
1. Marta Menegatti – A fantastic player from Italy who now plays with Victoria Orsi. She qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, losing in the quarter-finals to May-Treanor and Walsh from the U.S.
2. Talita Antunes- She was the FIVB World Tour rookie of the year in 2005. Talita finished fourth with her then-partner Renata Ribiero in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2013, she and her partner Taiana Luma were the Women’s FIVB Beach World Tour winner.
3. Sara Goller – Sara is player from Germany who has been playing since 2002. She and her partner, Laura Ludwig, have taken many European championships and defended Germany in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
4. Giada Benazzi – A relative newcomer to the beach volleyball circuit from 2010, Benazzi plays for Italy with Guilia Toti.
5. Elsa Baquerizo – A player from Spain, Elsa and her partner rank ninth on the 2014 FIVB World Tour as of Dec 15, 2014. She’s racked up a lot of wins since 2007 and represented Spain in the 2012 Olympics.
6. Larissa Franca – Larissa and her partner took the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in women’s beach volleyball. They took the gold in the 2011 World Championships held in Rome
7. Kerri Walsh – An American favorite, Kerri and her teammate, Misty May-Treanor have earned the gold in women’s beach volleyball in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics.
8. Maria Clara Salgado – This Brazilian, with her partner, is ranked 13th in the 2014 FIVB World Tour as of December 15, 2014.
9. Maria Virginia Sonta – An Argentinian who didn’t fare as good as hoped in the 2012 Olympics, she’s still coming on strong scoring well in the South American Continental Tour in 2014.
10. Sabia Altynbekova – While not a beach volleyball player, this beautiful Kazakhstan on the national volleyball team has taken the world by storm with her gorgeous looks.
These ten great players are by no means are the only great women in volleyball, just a list to give you inspiration from All Volleyball, a leader in volleyball equipment.