Athletes

Volleyball star Liz Masakayan dominated both indoor and beach competitions throughout her career. She is fourth in all-time wins (47), fifth in all-time tournaments played (181), sixth in prize money, and with Karolyn Kirby is part of the No. 2 team of all time in the world. Included in the duo’s 29 total wins is the inaugural beach volleyball event at the 1994 Goodwill Games. In four out of the seven 1999 national events Masakayan and Kirby were ranked No. 1 in the U.S. wing. The partnership’s victories include the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Shootouts and U.S. Opens and the 1993 and 1994 U.S. Championships, earning them the most team victories in Women’s Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) history. Masakayan’s volleyball prowess earned her the World’s Most Outstanding Player at the 1994 World Championship and the WPVA’s 1992 Most Valuable Player, 1993 co-Most Valuable Player, the 1991 and 1992 Best Defensive Player, the 1993 and 1994 Best Hitter and the 1995 Most Inspirational Award. Overall, Masakayan collected 47 tournament wins and 61 final four finishes. A five-year USA Volleyball team member, Masakayan took home bronze medals at the 1990 World Championships, 1987 Pan Am Games and 1986 Goodwill Games. With an equally illustrious collegiate career, Masakayan still holds single season and career records at UCLA, where her team won the 1984 NCAA championships. She was awarded the Broderick Award and was named a two-time first-team All-American, three-time first-team all-conference selection, two-time NCAA All-Tournament Team member and the UCLA Female Athlete of the Year (1985-86). She was selected for the 1980s UCLA All-Decade Team and the 1999 Volleyball Magazine’s All-Millennium Team. UCLA further honored the all-star alumna by inducting Masakayan into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. Taking a sideline position, Masakayan turned to coaching and administrative work for the volleyball tour and coached the bronze-medal team of Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs at the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2002 she became the Volleyball Vice President of the Beach Division after serving as the FIVB Women’s Player Representative and Permanent Committee Board Member. Masakayan entered the entertainment world with a role on the HBO show “Arli$$”. One of the three elite female athletes in a Reebok fitness video, Masakayan has also been on the cover of Volleyball Magazine four times.(8/08)

For more information on Liz, visit www.lizmasakayan.com.