BIRTH: Aug. 15, 1978

HOMETOWN: Santa Clara, Calif.

RESIDES: Redondo Beach, Calif.

HEIGHT: 6-3

COLLEGE: Stanford

THE SKINNY: “Six-feet of Sunshine,” Kerri Walsh is on her way to becoming the best female beach volleyball player of all time after only playing professionally for six years. Walsh is a two-time AVP MVP (2003, 2004) and part of the Tour’s Team of the Year for the past four seasons. She has also been named Best Offensive Player in 2003. For the second straight season, she was chosen as the FIVB’s Best Hitter, Best Blocker and Sportsperson.

Along with partner Misty May-Treanor, Walsh had one of the longest and most impressive winning streaks in professional sports after winning 89 straight matches on the AVP Tour as well as the international circuit between 2003 and 2004. Walsh captured the public’s imagination in 2004 by bringing home a Gold Medal from the Athens Summer Games, starting a stretch of 50 consecutive match victories.

In 2006, Walsh became the fourth American woman to surpass $1 million in career earnings, accomplishing the feat in Chicago. She and May-Treanor established AVP team records for wins (13) and prize money ($408,800), while Walsh set the standard for season wins by an individual (14) and prize money ($242,650). She has led the AVP in both blocks and hitting percentage in both of the last two years. She has been the top-ranked player each season she has played domestically. In February 2007, Walsh won the individual exhibition event in Albany, N.Y.

Walsh comes to the beach with impeccable indoor credentials. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in American Studies. While there, she became only the second player in NCAA history to receive First-Team All-American honors all four seasons (1996-1999). She was also the first player in PAC-10 history to record 1,500 kills (1,553), 1,200 digs (1,285) and 500 blocks (502). Walsh is considered to be one of the best all-around players in collegiate history.

Born to Margie and Tim Walsh, Kerri grew up playing sports with her older brother Marte and her younger sisters Kelli and KC. She comes from an athletic background as her father played minor league baseball for the Oakland A’s and her mother was named two-time MVP in volleyball at Santa Clara.

Before her successful transition to the beach, Walsh had a thriving indoor career where she was a member of the United States National Team for two seasons (1999-2000) and was a right side hitter on the 2000 Olympic Team, helping the team play in the medal round and finish fourth in Sydney.

Walsh currently resides in Redondo Beach, California with her husband Casey Jennings, one of the top men’s volleyball players on the Tour. The two were married Dec. 4, 2005. Both players won in Seaside Heights in 2006, making them the second married couple to win on the same weekend, joining Mike and Patty Dodd, who accomplished the feat four times.

FAVORITES:

MOVIE - True Romance

BAND - Sade

TV SHOW - The Apprentice

MEAL - Mexican