Talita Antunes (Brazil)
Talita Antunes is a legendary Brazilian beach volleyball blocker who began her international career in 2002 and became the first woman to compete in 200 FIVB events. She was named FIVB Rookie of the Year in 2005, won 36 World Tour titles with multiple partners, and earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Known for her longevity and consistency, Talita has medaled in 75 international tournaments across five continents and remained a top competitor for over two decades.
Alix Klineman
Alix Klineman began as an indoor standout, earning four NCAA All-America honors at Stanford and 2010 national player-of-the-year honors before playing professionally in Italy and Brazil.
After missing the 2016 Olympic indoor roster, she switched to beach volleyball in 2017, partnered with April Ross, and immediately won their first FIVB 4-star event in 2018.
Over the next four seasons, the pair collected four FIVB World Tour golds, the 2019 World Championship silver, swept all three 2020 AVP events undefeated, and capped the run by capturing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medal, making Klineman an Olympic champion in her new discipline.
Kelly Cheng
Kelly Cheng (née Claes) began as a dominant collegiate indoor player, earning AVCA All-American honors at USC before switching full-time to beach.
She broke onto the world stage with partner Sara Hughes, winning back-to-back FIVB U-21 world titles in 2014-15 and the 2017 FIVB 4-star Huntington Beach Open.
After teaming with Sarah Sponcil, she qualified for Tokyo 2020 and, in 2023, joined forces with Betsi Flint to capture the World Championships silver medal and finish the season ranked #1 on the FIVB World Tour.
Sara Hughes (USA)
Sara Hughes (born 14 Feb 1995, Costa Mesa, CA) started playing beach volleyball at age eight, idolizing Misty May-Treanor on the Huntington Beach sand.
She became the first athlete to accept a four-year beach-only scholarship, enrolling at USC where she captained the Trojans for three seasons, earned four AVCA All-America awards, won five NCAA titles (two pairs, three team) and posted a school-best 120-8 record while reeling off 103 consecutive match victories with partner Kelly Cheng .
Turning pro in 2017, Hughes and Cheng immediately became the youngest duo ever to win an AVP event (Chicago) and later that year claimed the FIVB U-21 world crown.
After the pair split, Hughes teamed with Summer Ross to win two 2018 AVP titles and a four-star FIVB gold; she later added AVP wins with Brandie Wilkerson (2019) and Kelley Kolinske (2022), engraving her name on the Manhattan Beach Pier in 2023 after a dramatic MBO comeback victory.
Internationally she has captured seven FIVB golds, one silver and three bronze medals, including the 2023 World Championship in Mexico with Cheng, five Beach Pro Tour victories and the 2022 Tour Finals title.
A member of Team USA since 2012, Hughes earned Youth-U21 medals every year from 2012-2014, and in 2024 made her Olympic debut in Paris, finishing fifth.
Currently rehabbing an Achilles injury, she has set her sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Games with new partner and indoor-convert Ally Batenhorst
Holly McPeak (USA)
Holly McPeak grew up on the Manhattan Beach sand, won three California state titles at Mira Costa HS and, after earning 1987 Pac-10 Freshman-of-the-Year honors at Cal, transferred to UCLA, where she set NCAA single-season (2,192) and single-match (97) assist records and led the Bruins to the 1990 NCAA championship.
Turning pro on the beach at 18 in 1987, the 5-7 defender collected 72 open titles (then a record) with seven different partners, including 53 domestic and 19 FIVB victories, two FIVB Grand Slams and the 1997 World Championship silver.
A trailblazer for women’s prize money, she became the first female millionaire in beach volleyball in 2002 and retired with more than $1.5 million in earnings, ranking third all-time behind only May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings.
McPeak competed in the first three Olympic beach tournaments—Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 (both fifth place) —before finally reaching the podium with the bronze medal alongside UCLA teammate Elaine Youngs at Athens 2004, the first Olympic medal ever won by U.S. women in the discipline.
Renowned for relentless work ethic, she earned five tour-MVP awards, eight Defensive-Player-of-the-Year honors, and after retiring in 2009 has remained a leading television analyst and 2009 International Volleyball Hall-of-Fame inductee
Juliana Silva (Brazil)
Juliana Felisberta da Silva (born 22 July 1983 in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, ES) traded indoor youth titles for beach volleyball at 15, exploding onto the world stage by winning the 2002 FIVB U-21 World Championship with Taiana Lima before tearing an ACL that sidelined her for eight months.
Returning in 2004, she formed a decade-long partnership with Larissa França that captured five consecutive FIVB World Tour season titles (2005-09), 19 Tour golds, and set a then-record $1 million in career prize money after only 43 events together.
The duo collected World Championship silver in 2005, silver again in 2009, and finally gold in 2011 Rome, while also dominating the Brazilian domestic circuit with a staggering 87-5 match record and 14 national titles across 18 tournaments between 2005-06.
A knee injury denied her the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but she bounced back to claim Olympic bronze with Larissa at London 2012, defeating China’s Xue-Chen/Zhang Xi in the medal match.
After splitting with Larissa in 2013, Juliana medaled with four new partners—most notably Maria Elisa Antonelli, with whom she won two more World Tour events and 2015 World Championship bronze—and has continued competing into her late-30s, mentoring Brazil’s next generation while pushing her personal medal haul beyond 60 international podiums.
Larissa França (Brazil)
Larissa França Maestrini—known simply as “Larissa”—grew up in Paragominas, northern Brazil, switched from indoor to beach at 18 and within six months cracked the FIVB rankings.
From 2004-2012 she and Juliana Felisberta formed one of history’s most successful duos: seven straight FIVB World Tour season titles, 19 Tour golds, World Championship gold 2011, silvers 2005 & 2009, and Olympic bronze London 2012; their 2005 Acapulco final versus May-Treanor/Walsh (1 h 40 min, 42-40 second set) is still called the greatest match ever played.
After Juliana’s retirement Larissa teamed with Talita Antunes, adding 16 more FIVB titles, 2015 Tour season crown, 2017 World Championship bronze, and a fourth-place finish at Rio 2016 in front of a home crowd.
Across her career she amassed 62 FIVB gold medals (most by any woman), five World Championship podiums, two Pan-Am Games golds, 10 “Best Setter” awards, 19 individual FIVB honors, and became the sport’s first female millionaire in earnings.
Inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2023, the 5-9 defensive wizard continues to compete on the AVP tour, mentor young Brazilians and inspire with her cut-shot artistry and relentless competitive fire.
April Ross (USA)
April Ross grew up on the sand at Newport Harbor HS, then won back-to-back NCAA titles at USC and turned pro indoors in Puerto Rico before switching to beach in 2006.
She captured 27 FIVB World Tour golds and 41 AVP titles—the most by any U.S. woman—while partnering with six different teammates.
With Jen Kessy she earned 2009 World Championship gold and 2012 London Olympic silver, then teamed with Kerri Walsh Jennings to sweep every 2014 AVP event and claim 2016 Rio Olympic bronze.
Ross completed the medal set in Tokyo 2020, going undefeated with Alix Klineman to win Olympic gold and become the first woman in beach volleyball history to own silver, bronze and gold.
Across her career she topped $2 million in prize money, earned five AVP MVP awards, set a record 27-match AVP final win streak, and in 2025 was named USA Volleyball’s Head Beach Coach for the LA 2028 cycle.
Misty May-Treanor (USA)
Misty May-Treanor was born into volleyball—her father Butch competed at Mexico City 1968—and by age 8 she was already winning junior beach events on Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach.
At Newport Harbor HS she captured back-to-back CIF indoor titles and was named 1995 USA Today National HS Player of the Year, then led Long Beach State to the 1998 NCAA crown, an undefeated 36-0 season and the Honda-Broderick Cup as the nation’s top female collegiate athlete.
Turning pro on sand in 1999, she took fifth at Sydney 2000 with Holly McPeak before joining forces with Kerri Walsh; together they re-wrote the record books: 112 consecutive match victories, 19 straight tournament wins, three straight Olympic golds (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012) without dropping a single set, and three consecutive FIVB World Championship titles (2003, 2005, 2007).
Individually Misty collected 43 FIVB golds, 66 AVP titles and 112 total open victories, earned over $2.1 million in prize money, was honored as FIVB Best Defender (2007-08), Best Offensive Player (2005, 2007, 2008) and Sportsperson of the Year (2007-08), and retired with an all-time best 86.4 % match-winning percentage (541-85).
Since stepping away after London she has coached at the collegiate and junior levels, published the autobiography Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life, served on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, and was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016 as the sport’s most decorated female player.
Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA)
Kerri Walsh Jennings was born in Santa Clara, California, grew up in Scotts Valley, and won three CIF state volleyball titles at Archbishop Mitty High School before earning a scholarship to Stanford.
At Stanford she was a four-time AVCA All-American, NCAA champion and two-time Honda Award winner, graduating in 2000 with the most career kills in school history.
She turned professional on the beach in 2001, partnered with Misty May-Treanor, and together they rewrote the sport: 112 consecutive match wins, 19 straight tournament victories, three consecutive Olympic gold medals (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012) without losing a single set, and three straight FIVB World Championship titles (2003, 2005, 2007).
After Misty retired, Walsh Jennings teamed with April Ross to win the 2014 AVP season sweep, 2016 Rio Olympic bronze, and 2017 World Tour Finals gold, becoming the first woman to medal in four different Olympics and the first to surpass $3 million in career prize money.
Across her career she has captured 49 FIVB golds, 74 AVP titles, 135 total open victories, five FIVB Best Blocker awards, four Best Offensive Player honors, two FIVB Tour MVP titles, and holds the all-time record for most beach volleyball wins by any player, male or female; she continues to compete toward Los Angeles 2028 while mentoring the next generation through her p1440 platform and youth academy.