Kiraly became a legend on the beach volleyball circuit too serves as possible So he put Kiraly and teammate Aldis Berzins in charge of serve reception Kiraly’s pinpoint passing was vital to the US attack as the team rolled to the gold medal in Los Angeles That was the beginning of a legendary career Kiraly became US captain in 1985 and guided the team to the 6
1986 World Championship Then he helped the United States win Olympic gold again in 1988 Kiraly was named the US team’s Most Valuable Player MVP of the tournament Kiraly’s success reached beyond the hard court He is the winningest beach volleyball player of all time He won gold on the beach at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta Georgia with partner Kent Steffes That made Kiraly the first to win indoor and beach volleyball gold at the Olympics He ended his career with a record 148 beach titles SELF-SERVICE Kiraly’s phenomenal ball control led to plenty of great sets from his teammates which in turn helped boost his ability as an attacker He was so easy to set because he would pass the ball perfectly every time He’d practically set himself said Mike Lambert Kiraly’s beach volleyball partner in 2004 and 2005 The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball FIVB is the global governing body of the sport It named Kiraly the best male player of the 20th century One look at his commanding presence on the court makes it easy to see why 7
2 EARLY DAYS Take the high-flying action of basketball Mix it with a tennis net but leave the rackets out Throw in a bouncy ball made of leather This combination is the result of the game invented by William G Morgan in 1895 Morgan was the director of physical education at the YMCA in Holyoke Massachusetts He taught physical fitness classes It was his job to devise new sports and exercises Morgan took pride in his work His students appreciated him Attendance in his classes boomed US troops in the South Pacific play volleyball inside a bombed-out church during World War II 8
