Misty May greets fans at parade

Olympian • Misty May served as the grand marshal at the City of Bellflower's Liberty Day Parade on Saturday. May autographed volleyballs and greeted fans during the event. Yuiian Danusastro/Online Forty-Niner

 

By Andrew J. Loyola
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

After winning the Women's Beach Volleyball Olympic gold in Athens, Cal State Long Beach alumni Misty May returned to California to take part in the City of Bellflower's Liberty Day Parade on Saturday Oct. 9.

May, the parade's grand marshal, joined local student organizations, marching bands, local merchant shops and Special Olympics Champion, Jason Lalla.

When asked how she felt about winning the gold medal for America May said, "It felt great, almost as great as it felt when we won the NCAA Volleyball Championship back in 1998."

"I owe a lot of my success to the great tutelage of coach Brian Gimmillaro, Debbie Green-Vargas and the great booster club that surrounds Long Beach State," she said.

For the past 15 years, Gimmillaro has been at the helm of a program that has amassed an outstanding overall record of 425-97, a win percentage of .814, and three NCAA titles, one that included May in 1998.

"I've known Misty ever since she was a young girl. Misty use to attend volleyball camps I coached in the summer," Gimmillaro said. "Then I got to coach her again when she played for us in college. Misty has always been a talented person. Not only talented but nice, caring and respectful to everyone around her and to watch a person with her great qualities to be successful, I feel as though she deserves to be that successful."

After the parade, May took pictures with her fans and signed volleyballs for a $10 donation at Thompson Park. The proceeds raised will go to youth recreational scholarships.

May was born in Costa Mesa, a product of athletic pedigree. May's father "Butch" played on the 1968 Olympic Volleyball team, and her mother played tennis while attending UCLA. May now resides in Long Beach and currently coaches Junior College volleyball and one day aspires to return to CSULB to finish up her master's degree and hopefully coach in tougher collegiate divisions.