Stein Metzger
Encyclopedia
Stein Metzger is a beach volleyball
player from the United States
, playing in the AVP
. In 2006 he played with his high school teammate, Mike Lambert, and they advanced to the Final Four in fourteen of the fifteen team events, winning five times. They formed the only team to not have a losing record against any other team that season.
Metzger made his Olympic beach volleyball debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece, where he and partner Dax Holdren
finished fifth, after having won the silver medal the previous year at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2005, Metzger teamed up with the 2004 Most Improved Player, Jake Gibb
. The duo won both of their first two events together, becoming the third team since 1990 to accomplish that. They won in Belmar
, then placed second in an FIVB Grand Slam event in Paris
, logging the highest finish by an American team in 2005. The win in Manhattan Beach
in 2005 made Gibb and Metzger the second team to win four domestic tournaments in a season since the turn of the century, and also marked the first time since the 2003 season opener that a number one-seeded team won an AVP open event.
Metzger led the 2005 Tour with four wins, as well as in points. He also led the Tour in digs in 2005 (950), ranked second in hitting percentage (.452) and third in kills (1,314). In 2006, he was third in kills (7.17 per game) and 10th in digs (4.12 per game). In 2001, with Kevin Wong
, Metzger won his first two AVP events, in Santa Barbara
and Manhattan Beach on consecutive weekends.
Prior to qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics, Metzger spent time competing internationally with former long-time partner Kevin Wong. The pair won the 2001 FIVB event in Switzerland
and the Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games
in Australia
. Metzger and Wong also won in Portugal in 2002. Metzger won a silver medal in Rio at the World Championships in 2003 with Holdren.
Originally from Honolulu, Metzger grew up surfing and playing beach volleyball at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu. He played indoor volleyball at Punahou High School. He was a three-time National Champion at UCLA where, as a setter, he earned AVCA All-American for three consecutive seasons, winning the 1996 NCAA MVP and William G. Morgan Award for most outstanding player. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies
.
On October 9, 2009, Metzger was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.
Recently, Stein has been involved in an instructional volleyball website known as Volleyball 1on1
involving the creation of instructional volleyball videos featuring coaching form himself and other well known players.
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 from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, playing in 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....
. In 2006 he played with his high school teammate, Mike Lambert, and they advanced to the Final Four in fourteen of the fifteen team events, winning five times. They formed the only team to not have a losing record against any other team that season.
Metzger made his Olympic beach volleyball debut 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...
in Athens, Greece, where he and partner Dax Holdren
Dax Holdren
Dax Holdren is an American professional beach volleyball player. Holdren is currently on the AVP tour playing with Jeff Nygaard....
finished fifth, after having won the silver medal the previous year at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
These page shows the results of the IV Beach Volleybal World Championships, held from October 7 to October 12, 2003 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the fourth official edition of this event, after ten unofficial championships all held in Rio de Janeiro.-Final ranking:-Final ranking:-References:*...
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2005, Metzger teamed up with the 2004 Most Improved Player, Jake Gibb
Jake Gibb
Jacob "Jake" Spiker Gibb is an American professional beach volleyball player, currently on the AVP Tour with current partner, Sean Rosenthal.With Rosenthal, they represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
. The duo won both of their first two events together, becoming the third team since 1990 to accomplish that. They won in Belmar
Belmar, New Jersey
Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,794. The Borough of Belmar is governed under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government....
, then placed second in an FIVB Grand Slam event in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, logging the highest finish by an American team in 2005. The win in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
in 2005 made Gibb and Metzger the second team to win four domestic tournaments in a season since the turn of the century, and also marked the first time since the 2003 season opener that a number one-seeded team won an AVP open event.
Metzger led the 2005 Tour with four wins, as well as in points. He also led the Tour in digs in 2005 (950), ranked second in hitting percentage (.452) and third in kills (1,314). In 2006, he was third in kills (7.17 per game) and 10th in digs (4.12 per game). In 2001, with Kevin Wong
Kevin Wong
Kevin Kahn Wong is a professional beach volleyball player who currently competes on the AVP tour. In 2000, he placed fifth paired with Rob Heidger at the Sydney Olympics. Wong was named to People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue in 2000. He currently lives in Hawaii. He is 6'7" and...
, Metzger won his first two AVP events, in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
and Manhattan Beach on consecutive weekends.
Prior to qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics, Metzger spent time competing internationally with former long-time partner Kevin Wong. The pair won the 2001 FIVB event in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Metzger and Wong also won in Portugal in 2002. Metzger won a silver medal in Rio at the World Championships in 2003 with Holdren.
Originally from Honolulu, Metzger grew up surfing and playing beach volleyball at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu. He played indoor volleyball at Punahou High School. He was a three-time National Champion at UCLA where, as a setter, he earned AVCA All-American for three consecutive seasons, winning the 1996 NCAA MVP and William G. Morgan Award for most outstanding player. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies
Environmental studies
Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...
.
On October 9, 2009, Metzger was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.
Recently, Stein has been involved in an instructional volleyball website known as Volleyball 1on1
Volleyball 1on1
Volleyball 1on1 is an interactive Volleyball website that was founded by former NCAA volleyball champion and businessman Andor Gyulai and entrepreneur and finance expert Vanessa Summers in March of 2009. The website is a resource for instructional volleyball videos, drills, practice plans as well...
involving the creation of instructional volleyball videos featuring coaching form himself and other well known players.