By From the courts to the pool, Long Beach has produced athletes who have transformed their sports and left a lasting mark on the world stage.
Among them are Misty May-Treanor and Danielle Scott-Arruda, volleyball icons and LBSU alumni, alongside Susie Atwood, a Long Beach native and a two-time Olympic swimmer.
Few athletes in the history of volleyball can compete with May-Treanor’s resume after an extraordinary collegiate career where she led The Beach to NCAA women’s volleyball’s first undefeated season and championship.
May-Treanor made her mark on the global stage in beach volleyball while partnering with Kerri Walsh Jennings. The duo won three Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012) and became the most decorated team in the sport.
“It is a memory that will always play in the back of my mind when the national anthem plays, but that one especially to bring home a gold for U.S. women’s volleyball as a whole,” May-Treanor said.
The pair set various records throughout their partnership, including a winning streak of 112 consecutive matches in 2007–2008, breaking their previous record of 89 consecutive match wins.
“You know, families, we were like, ‘Why doesn’t Kerri just come out to the beach and just try and see if she likes it or not?’” May-Treanor said. “So she came out and tried the beach and then never looked back.”
Even after a ruptured Achilles tendon on Dancing with the Stars and doubts from many, May-Treanor returned to competition and went on to win another gold.
“When you’re part of a team, the team believes, and the coaches believe that’s all you need,” May-Treanor said.
As a cornerstone of LBSU’s success in the early 1990s, Scott-Arruda led The Beach to the 1993 NCAA National Championship and earned National Player of the Year honors for both volleyball and basketball. She became the first Big West student-athlete to earn all-conference accolades in two sports in one season.
“It was really special for me to be able to bring my daughter back there and say, ‘Hey, that’s my number retired there,’ ” Scott-Arruda said. “People see my picture or my name, they think of someone who you know was dedicated and worked hard as a team player.”
Danielle Scott-Arruda, a five-time U.S. Olympic volleyball player and a Long Beach State standout who led her team to a national championship, proudly displays her legacy as a two-time silver medalist. Her career embodies a remarkable journey of skill and achievement in the sport.
Photo Credit: LBSU Athletics
Her remarkable collegiate career set the stage for international success as she went on to represent the United States in five Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012,) a record for U.S. female indoor volleyball players. She is one of six players in the world to ever accomplish the feat and is a two-time silver medalist.
After her third Olympics and a fifth-place finish, she walked back to the village reflecting on her performance, and realized she still had more to offer.
Her dedication to her country was strong, and she felt a deep connection to it, often saying she “bleeds red, white and blue.”
Feeling in shape and confident in her abilities, Scott-Arruda believed she still had more to contribute and would have pursued a sixth Olympic appearance if possible.
While volleyball may reign in Long Beach, Susie Atwood brought global attention to the city through her achievements in swimming. A native of Long Beach, Atwood’s Olympic dream began at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics when she was 15 years old.
“The Olympics had been a goal of mine since I was ten years old,” Atwood said. “I couldn’t believe it, to be with so many Olympians that I admired and still admire…I was now on the same team as my heroes.”
Atwood’s true success came in the lead-up to the 1972 Munich Olympics where she set world records and established herself as one of the top backstroke swimmers in the world.
However, her Olympic performance didn’t live up to her expectations due to a disappointment she attributes to a calculated risk during training.
“We kind of took a calculated risk of not resting for the Olympic trials, and that was a mistake. With rest comes speed,” Atwood said. “I was happy to be there, happy to get a couple of medals and be a part of the Munich Olympics.”
Despite this, she still earned a silver medal in the women’s 200-meter backstroke and a bronze in women’s 100-meter backstroke.
In 1992, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, an achievement she called the culmination of her life’s work.
“It was a proud moment for me, something that can never be taken away from you,” she said.
