Kerri Walsh Jennings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kerri Walsh Jennings
Walsh Jennings after winning the FIVB Moscow Grand Slam in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings
Nickname	Six Feet of Sunshine
Born	August 15, 1978 (1978-08-15) (age 46) Santa Clara, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	157 lb (71 kg)
College(s)	Stanford University
Beach volleyball information
Current teammate
Years Teammate 2019–present Brooke Sweat
Previous teammates
Years Teammate 2013–2017 2011–2012 2010 2001–2009 April Ross Misty May-Treanor Nicole Branagh Misty May-Treanor
Medal record Women's beach volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Beach Gold 2008 Beijing Beach Gold 2012 London Beach Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Beach World Championships Gold 2003 Rio de Janeiro Beach Gold 2005 Berlin Beach Gold 2007 Gstaad Beach Silver 2011 Rome Beach World Tour Gold 2002 Madrid Beach Gold 2002 Gstaad Beach Gold 2002 Montreal Beach Gold 2002 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2002 Maoming Beach Gold 2003 Gstaad Beach Gold 2003 Marseille Beach Gold 2003 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2003 Carson Beach Gold 2004 Fortaleza Beach Gold 2004 Rhodes Beach Gold 2004 Gstaad Beach Gold 2004 Marseille Beach Gold 2004 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2005 Portugal Beach Gold 2005 Paris Beach Gold 2005 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2005 Brazil Beach Gold 2005 South Africa Beach Gold 2006 Greece Beach Gold 2006 Gstaad Beach Gold 2006 Mexico Beach Gold 2007 Paris Beach Gold 2007 Montreal Beach Gold 2007 Berlin Beach Gold 2007 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2007 Brazil Beach Gold 2007 Phuket Beach Gold 2008 Berlin Beach Gold 2008 Paris Beach Gold 2008 Stavanger Beach Gold 2008 Dubai Beach Gold 2010 Phuket Beach Gold 2011 Beijing Beach Gold 2011 Moscow Beach Gold 2011 Klagenfurt Beach Gold 2012 Gstaad Beach Gold 2013 São Paulo Beach Gold 2013 Xiamen Beach Gold 2014 Fuzhou Beach Gold 2014 Moscow Beach Gold 2014 Stavanger Beach Gold 2014 Long Beach Beach Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Beach Gold 2016 Fuzhou Beach Gold 2016 Cincinnati Beach Gold 2016 Moscow Beach Gold 2016 Long Beach Beach Gold 2019 Jinjiang Beach Silver 2002 Marseille Beach Silver 2002 Mallorca Beach Silver 2002 Vitória Beach Silver 2003 Stavanger Beach Silver 2005 Acapulco Beach Silver 2006 Italy Beach Silver 2006 Paris Beach Silver 2011 Brasília Beach Silver 2011 PAF Beach Silver 2011 The Hague Beach Silver 2012 Moscow Beach Silver 2015 Long Beach Beach Silver 2016 Vitória Beach Silver 2016 Gstaad Beach Silver 2019 Kuala Lumpur Beach Silver 2020 Qinzhou Beach Bronze 2002 Osaka Beach Bronze 2003 Rhodes Beach Bronze 2004 Stavanger Beach Bronze 2006 Brazil Beach Bronze 2006 Thailand Beach Bronze 2007 Stavanger Beach Bronze 2015 Fuzhou Beach Bronze 2016 Xiamen Beach Bronze 2019 Chetumal Beach Bronze 2019 Sydney Beach Bronze 2019 Moscow Beach
Last updated: 2024

Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings, born on August 15, 1978, is a famous American beach volleyball player. She has won three Olympic gold medals and one Olympic bronze medal. By 2016, she had won more beach volleyball tournaments than any other player, with 135 wins.

Kerri Walsh Jennings and her teammate Misty May-Treanor were an amazing team. They won gold medals in beach volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics, and 2012 Summer Olympics. They also won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007. This pair set many records, including winning 112 matches in a row between 2007 and 2008. Many people call them "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time."

Early Life and School Years

Kerri Walsh was born in Santa Clara, California. She grew up in Scotts Valley, which is about 6 miles (10 km) north of Santa Cruz. Before high school, her family moved to San Jose.

Kerri went to Archbishop Mitty High School. She played on both the volleyball and basketball teams. She helped her school's volleyball team win three state championships in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Her basketball team also won a state championship in 1995. In 1996, she was named the best high school volleyball player in the country. She was also the top volleyball recruit in the nation in 1995. While in high school, she even played against Misty May-Treanor, who would later become her famous beach volleyball partner.

College Volleyball Career

Kerri Walsh received a volleyball scholarship to attend Stanford University. During her time there, she was chosen as a first-team All-American for four years in a row. This made her only the second player in college volleyball history to achieve this honor.

Her Stanford volleyball team won over 90% of its matches, with a record of 122 wins and only 11 losses. The team won four Pac-10 titles. They also reached the NCAA Final Four three times, winning the championship in 1996 and 1997. In her senior year in 1999, they lost in the championship game. Kerri was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Final Four in 1996. She was also named co-National Player of the Year in 1999. She was the first player in PAC-10 history to get over 1,500 kills, 1,200 digs, and 500 blocks. Kerri Walsh is known as one of the best all-around players in college volleyball history. She graduated from Stanford in 2001 with a degree in American studies.

Professional Beach Volleyball

Walsh (right) at Grand Slam Moscow, 2012

Kerri Walsh Jennings plays professional beach volleyball on the U.S. AVP Tour and the international FIVB World Tour. For most of her career, she played with Misty May-Treanor. They became the most successful beach volleyball team in AVP history.

May and Walsh started playing together on the beach circuit in 2001. They finished that season ranked fifth in the world. In 2002, they became the number one ranked team. They continued to dominate in 2003, winning all eight tournaments they entered. They also set a record by winning 90 matches in a row. This included winning the world championships, where they beat the defending champions from Brazil.

In 2010, May-Treanor and Walsh extended their winning streak to 112 matches. This amazing streak ended when they lost to Olympic teammates Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh. Up to that point, the pair had won 19 tournaments in a row.

After Misty May-Treanor retired in 2012, Kerri Walsh teamed up with April Ross. Kerri then broke the record for most wins by a female professional volleyball player. She achieved her 113th career title by winning the FIVB Grand Slam in Xiamen, China. Walsh and Ross won the final match against a Brazilian team. This was their third title together in just five events since they became partners.

World Tour 2016 Highlights

In 2016, Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross played at the Long Beach, California Grand Slam. This event was part of the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The pair won all three of their pool play matches. They beat teams from Brazil and Canada.

In the semi-finals, Walsh Jennings and Ross played against a German team. They won in two straight sets. In the finals, they defeated a Spanish team, also in straight sets, to win the gold medal. Later that year, they competed at the World Tour Finals in Toronto. They finished first in their pool and moved on to the quarter-finals.

Partnership Changes (2017-2019)

In 2017, Walsh Jennings decided not to sign a new contract with the AVP. This was due to disagreements with the organization. April Ross then re-signed with the AVP, and her partnership with Walsh Jennings ended. Kerri Walsh Jennings then teamed up again with Nicole Branagh. They had briefly played together in 2010 when May-Treanor took a break.

In October 2018, Walsh Jennings announced a new partnership with Brooke Sweat. Brooke Sweat is known as a strong defensive player. They hoped to qualify for the Tokyo Games, which were postponed until 2021. However, the pair did not qualify for those games.

Olympic Games Appearances

Sydney 2000 Olympics

Kerri Walsh played in the 2000 Summer Olympics as an indoor volleyball player. She was an opposite hitter on the U.S. women's team. Her team finished in fourth place.

Athens 2004 Olympics

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won the gold medal in women's beach volleyball. They did not lose a single set in all seven of their Olympic matches.

Beijing 2008 Olympics

U.S. President George W. Bush visits Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor at the 2008 Olympics.

On August 21, 2008, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won their second Olympic gold medal. They defeated the Chinese team in the final match. May-Treanor and Walsh did not lose a single set in either the 2004 or 2008 Olympics. Their final match extended their unbeaten streak to 108 matches.

London 2012 Olympics

Walsh and May-Treanor played together for the last time at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. They continued their Olympic winning streak of 32 consecutive sets. This streak ended when they lost the first set to Austria in a preliminary round. However, they still won that match.

In the semi-finals, the pair faced China. They won a tough match to reach the finals. In an all-USA final, they defeated fellow Americans Jen Kessy and April Ross. Walsh and May-Treanor won the gold medal, making them one of the few athletes to win gold in three Olympics in a row.

Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics

Walsh Jennings partnered with April Ross for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The pair reached the semi-finals. There, they lost to a Brazilian team in two close sets.

In the bronze medal match, Walsh Jennings and Ross played against the top-ranked Brazilian team. Many thought this would be the gold medal match. Walsh Jennings and Ross lost the first set. They were down in the second set but came back to win. They won the bronze medal, which was Kerri Walsh Jennings's fourth Olympic medal. This made her the most decorated beach volleyball player in Olympic history.

Media Appearances and Personal Life

Walsh with April Ross and John Kerry

Kerri Walsh Jennings has appeared on several TV shows. In 2006, she was a guest star on an episode of CSI: Miami. She also hosted a weekly radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Walsh Jennings appeared on the Game Show Network show Extreme Dodgeball. She was part of the Detroit Spoilers team. She also appeared with Misty May-Treanor on the show Shaq Vs. in 2009. Kerri was featured in the "Body Issue" of ESPN The Magazine. In 2015, she and her husband were on Celebrity Wife Swap.

In 2005, Kerri married fellow professional beach volleyball player Casey Jennings. They have three children, two sons and a daughter. Kerri was five weeks pregnant during the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She trained in California, often at Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. She also did gym training.

Awards and Honors

Walsh (left) with Misty May-Treanor in 2005

Kerri Walsh Jennings has received many awards throughout her career:

• AVP Best Offensive Player (2): 2003, 2014
• AVP Crocs Cup Champion (3): 2006, 2007, 2008 (all with Misty May-Treanor)
• AVP Most Valuable Player (2): 2003, 2004
• AVP Team of the Year (8): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 (with Misty May-Treanor), 2014, 2016 (with April Ross)
• AVP Best Defensive Player (Blocker) (1): 2008
• FIVB Best Blocker (7): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014
• FIVB Best Hitter (5): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2016
• FIVB Best Offensive Player (2): 2007, 2014
• FIVB Most Outstanding (4): 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014
• FIVB Sportsperson (5): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012
• FIVB Tour Champion (1): 2002 (with Misty May-Treanor)
• Sportswoman of the Year Award (2): 2004 and 2006 (with Misty May-Treanor)

Major Achievements

• Most women's career tournament victories: 133
• Most women's career earnings: $2,561,635
• Record win streak of 112 consecutive matches and 19 straight tournaments. This streak lasted from August 2007 to August 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Kerri Walsh Jennings para niños