Elaine Youngs
Encyclopedia
Elaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball
player.
As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
with teammate Holly McPeak
. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP
.
Youngs graduated from UCLA in 1993, where she majored in history. An outside hitter, Youngs was a four-year volleyball starter and led the Bruins to four Final Four appearances. During Youngs UCLA career she was selected as 4-time NCAA All-Americans. Youngs was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame on October 6, 2006.
Youngs was on the USA Volleyball
indoor team and played in the 1996 Olympics
where the women placed 7th.
Nicknamed "EY", Youngs beach career started on 1997 winning third place in her first pro beach tournament. In 1997 and then 1999 - 2000 Youngs partnered with Liz Masakayan
who later became Youngs coach from 2004 through 2008. The duo missed going to the 2000 Sydney
Olympics by 50 points. In 1998 Youngs partnered with Nancy Reno until Nancy retired from pro beach volleyball. In 2001 Youngs partnered with Barbra Fontana
, and from 2002 to 2004 partnered with Holly McPeak
, winning the Beach Volleyball bronze medal together in the 2004 Athens Olympics
. She teamed with Rachel Wacholder
for the 2005 and much of the 2006 season. In August 2006, Wacholder left Youngs and partnered with Jennifer Kessy Boss
and Youngs replaced Wacholder with Nicole Branagh
for the 2007 AVP season. Branagh and Youngs achieved 5th place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
and continued playing together in the 2009 season. In 2010, Nicole Branagh partnered with Misty May-Treanor, replacing Kerri Walsh. Currently, EY is playing with Rachel Scott.
On September 8, 2007 Youngs won the Goddess of the Beach tournament for the first time in Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
Youngs currently resides in Durango, Colorado
. During the winter, she enjoys "everything outdoors," including snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, camping and cross-country skiing.
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
player.
As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
with teammate Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak is an American beach volleyball player.McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third and second respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball...
. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP
Association of Volleyball Professionals
The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....
.
Youngs graduated from UCLA in 1993, where she majored in history. An outside hitter, Youngs was a four-year volleyball starter and led the Bruins to four Final Four appearances. During Youngs UCLA career she was selected as 4-time NCAA All-Americans. Youngs was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame on October 6, 2006.
Youngs was on the USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....
indoor team and played in the 1996 Olympics
Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics featured beach volleyball for the first time as the official Olympic sport.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-External links:*...
where the women placed 7th.
Nicknamed "EY", Youngs beach career started on 1997 winning third place in her first pro beach tournament. In 1997 and then 1999 - 2000 Youngs partnered with Liz Masakayan
Liz Masakayan
Liz Masakayan is a championship athlete in both outdoor and indoor volleyball. She has 47 all-time wins and 181 all-time tournaments played. Her partner is Karolyn Kirby and they are the Number 2 women's volleyball team in the world.- Early life :Liz Masakayan hasn't always played volleyball...
who later became Youngs coach from 2004 through 2008. The duo missed going to the 2000 Sydney
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Olympics by 50 points. In 1998 Youngs partnered with Nancy Reno until Nancy retired from pro beach volleyball. In 2001 Youngs partnered with Barbra Fontana
Barbra Fontana
Barbra Fontana is a professional beach volleyball player from the United States who plays on the AVP Tour. Fontana was the seventh woman to earn $1 million on the AVP Tour....
, and from 2002 to 2004 partnered with Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak is an American beach volleyball player.McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third and second respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball...
, winning the Beach Volleyball bronze medal together in the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. She teamed with Rachel Wacholder
Rachel Wacholder
Rachel Scott is a model and beach volleyball player. She has eight beach volleyball championships with three partners, most recently with Tyra Turner in San Diego on the AVP Tour on August 3, 2008....
for the 2005 and much of the 2006 season. In August 2006, Wacholder left Youngs and partnered with Jennifer Kessy Boss
Jennifer Boss
Jennifer "Jen" Kessy is an American beach volleyball player who plays professionally on the Nivea AVP Tour. She won the AVP Most Improved Player award in 2004. Kessy competed with Olympian Barb Fontana in 2004 and Olympic Bronze Medalist Holly McPeak in 2005. Currently, she plays with fellow USC...
and Youngs replaced Wacholder with Nicole Branagh
Nicole Branagh
Nicole Branagh is an American volleyball player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently playing beach volleyball professionally....
for the 2007 AVP season. Branagh and Youngs achieved 5th place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and continued playing together in the 2009 season. In 2010, Nicole Branagh partnered with Misty May-Treanor, replacing Kerri Walsh. Currently, EY is playing with Rachel Scott.
On September 8, 2007 Youngs won the Goddess of the Beach tournament for the first time in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Youngs currently resides in Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
. During the winter, she enjoys "everything outdoors," including snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, camping and cross-country skiing.