Monday, January 25, 1999

May elevates game

By Michelle Fithian

On-Line Forty-Niner

MADISON, Wis. - With her natural instinct, senior setter Misty May has changed the face of volleyball. Her light-hearted attitude coupled with a fierce sense of competition has elevated the game into national attention. It isn't easy to define her talent by a single skill.

Her ability to turn a bad pass into nectar sets at all angles with little effort makes her a natural. She jump serves with force and fluidity. She blocks like a brick wall. She hits into enemy territory with prowess and precision. She attacks in silence, her natural feel for the game taking over.

"Misty May is the best player maybe to play college volleyball," 49er Coach Brian Gimmillaro said. "Misty is tremendous. She's the hope and the future of our game. She's exciting and dynamic. I hope we center volleyball around her."

May is the nation's top setter, but a relative newcomer to the position and she is still learning. Imagine May getting better than she has been in her collegiate career. She came to Long Beach State as an outside hitter who had little experience in the middle. She then made the switch to setting in her freshman season.

Since then her rapid improvement has sent a tidal wave through the volleyball world.

"She possess a natural talent for the game," Gimmillaro said.

Focusing on her natural talent, the 49ers made the national championship their goal for the 1998 season, with May leading the way.

May has been the focal point of the Long Beach State 49ers and their successful drive to clinch the national title here on Dec. 19.

She knew the fate of her team early in the season according to fellow teammate Jessica Alvarado.

"Misty said early in the season that there is a sequence. Our first year, we went out in the second round. Our second year we went out in the regionals. Our third year, we got here and we lost to Stanford. It was our year, it was our time," Alvarado said.

She had won every major collegiate volleyball award given by the end of her junior year including being named the AVCA National Player of the Year and having her jersey retired before the end of her last season. She only wanted one thing more - the national title.

Even after being named AVCA Player of the Year for the second time consecutively, one day before the championship match in Madison, sharing company with fellow 49er Tara Cross, she could only think about - the national title.

"I'm excited. It's nice being up their with Tara Cross, but I want the national championship more," May said. "I want that ring."

She got it. She also got to jump around and scream, like she always wanted.

"I was just waiting for the last ball to go down so we could all start jumping around," May said.