Holly McPeak

Holly McPeak (born May 15, 1969 in Manhattan Beach, California) is a retired American indoor and beach volleyball player.

McPeak was three-times an Olympian in beach volleyball.

In the professional circuit, she garnered 72 career beach volleyball titles, with career earnings of $1.4 million USD.

She is ranked third in titles won (behind Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) and second in career earnings (behind May-Treanor) for female professional beach volleyball players.

During her junior year in the fall of 1985 the Mustangs went undefeated en route to winning the state championship, finishing the season with a record of 29–0.

In 1986 Mira Costa again went undefeated through the regular season and reached the championship match before losing in the finals to the Hueneme High School Vikings.

The team finished with a 23–1 mark.

Mira Costa head coach Dae Lea Aldrich, who had led the Mustangs to three state championships, two No. 1 national rankings, eight CIF titles and two state finals over a ten-year period, offered the following on McPeak: "She's a workaholic. She's a great athlete who will do anything you ask, and she'll do it twice as hard. She's the girl that does the extra mile and the extra lifting in the off season."

McPeak was a three-time All-Ocean League and All-Southern Section setter at Mira Costa.

Though short in stature at 5'7", she was heavily recruited. Volleyball Monthly magazine called her "the most coveted setter in the country." Among McPeak's top choices were scholarship offers from the UCLA Bruins and the Golden Bears of the University of California, Berkeley.

McPeak chose to attend college at UC Berkeley for its academic excellence.

At Cal, McPeak was named Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year in 1987.

At the conclusion of McPeak's freshman year Cal head coach Marlene Piper moved to teach and coach at UC Davis, and was replaced by Dave DeGroot.

The coaching change was problematic for the intense McPeak, who found DeGroot unwilling or unable to push the team.

For his part DeGroot was not happy with how McPeak was setting the team.

Commenting at the time, fellow Bear teammate Lisa Arce, who had played with McPeak at both Mira Costa High and Berkeley, said "Holly is definitely a competitor. She's not one to lose. She always plays to win, whether its a drill, a scrimmage or a game."

McPeak continued playing at Cal under DeGroot, leading the Golden Bears to two more playoff berths, making it three tournament appearances in three years.

However McPeak's conflict with the Cal head coach escalated to the point of an impasse.

After her junior season in 1989 DeGroot banned McPeak from the team.

She could continue her studies at Berkeley under scholarship, but she was not allowed to practice or play for the volleyball team.

Believing her college career was over, McPeak resigned herself to focusing on her academics.

However, a teammate encouraged her to consider transferring.

The one other school she wanted to play for was UCLA.

However, Pacific-10 conference policy required a transferring athlete to sit out two years before they can compete at another conference school.

McPeak spoke with UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski, who noted she was in a special circumstance as her scholarship school had banned her from further participation.

McPeak submitted a challenge to the transfer policy.

To win the appeal, McPeak's case had to be approved by faculty athletic representatives from each of the league's 10 institutions.

With Banachowski's help, McPeak succeeded in gaining the support of the athletic representatives from all 10 conference schools, including those from the University of California at Berkeley.

Joining UCLA for her senior season, McPeak was joining one of the top programs in the nation.

However, the Bruins were hungry to win a national championship, having fallen in the semi-finals the previous two seasons.

They were returning several key players, including the team's setter, Jennifer Gratteau.

UCLA began the 1990 season running a 6-2, with Gratteau and McPeak splitting time at the setter position.

They won their first three matches, then suffered a loss to perennial power Nebraska.

By the end of the month they were in a 5-1, and the Bruins were off to the races.

Against Stanford McPeak broke a UCLA record with 97 assists.

She won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with partner Elaine Youngs.

Though McPeak was considered short for a beach volleyball player at 5 feet 7 inches in height, she was one of the toughest players to beat on the tour.

McPeak was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California.

She attended Mira Costa High School.

While there she was a member of two CIF 5-A champion volleyball teams.