SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY at the Third Annual Mike Whitmarsh Beach Volleyball Tournament! June 3, 2017.

Join us for a great day at the beach and see Mike’s daughters Jaden, KK and the entire Whitmarsh family to celebrate Mike’s life and love for volleyball!

THIS SATURDAY June 3rd at Dog Beach in Del Mar at the corner of Coast Highway 101 and Via de la Valle!

Parking is limited but off site parking will be available at Earl Warren Middle School ( 155 Stevens Ave. Solana Beach, CA 92075 ) with shuttle service courtesy of Aubry 858-248-0383 – call him when you need a ride from the school to the beach! He’ll be running shuttles all day.

Registration starts at 8:15am and there will be a meeting at 9am!

The legends game will be at 11am! All play will stop to watch. Gold Medalists Eric Fonoimoana and Karch Kiraly, Stein Metzger, Casey Jennings, Mike Lambert, Canyon Ceman, Luke Walton, Jud Beuchler, Chris “Geeter” McGee, Matt Unger, Scotty Lang and more!

To ensure you are signing up for the correct youth age group, click here are the “age definitions” for this event.

Mike’s daughters Jaden and KK!

The legends game will be at 11am!

All play will stop to watch.

1. Gold Medalist Eric Fonoimoana

2. Gold Medalist Karch Kiraly

3. Stein Metzger

4. Casey Jennings

5. Mike Lambert

6. Canyon Ceman

7. Luke Walton

8. Jud Beuchler

9. Chris “Geeter” McGee

10. Matt Unger

11. Scotty Lang

And more!

Partial proceeds from this tournament will go to the Starlings Volleyball Clubs USA!

Beginning with a single inner-city San Diego team in 1996, today Starlings is the largest junior volleyball club in the nation ─ serving some 3,000 girls in 50-plus clubs across America.

For more info, starlings.org

Revering a Legend

Though much sadness is associated with the recent passing of Beach Volleyball Silver Medalist and AVP Champion Mike Whitmarsh, I can remember a wonderful moment that will be forever embedded in my memory.

It was the 2002 AVP Best of the Beach Tournament in Las Vegas. The veteran team of Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman ousted eventual 2008 Gold Medalist Todd Rogers and Sean Scott and reached the semi finals where they faced Lee LeGrande and Mike Lambert.

The match was a battle of great defense by Ceman and monster blocks by Lambo (Lambert) and Whitty (Whitmarsh). Ceman and Whitty won the first set and LeGrande /Lambo battled back to win the second. In the third deciding set at 14-12 match point for Canyon/Whitmarsh, Lambo decided to test Whitty’s blocking abilities at the net.

The serve went to Lambo, whose fiery arm had just left the U.S. National Team. LeGrande set his partner a buttery 50/50 set and Lambo unleashed on the ball (which probably sent his shoulder straight to the operating table). The ball went straight into the block of the Great Wall of Whit and was blocked so hard that it bounced straight down off the sand and over the bleachers. It was astounding, unbelievable and the best block I had ever seen in my life, match point, game over. All the excitement of the win overshadowed the block, but it was something that I will never forget.

There are a lot of other great things about Mike Whitmarsh that he will always be remembered for, his quick study of the game and rise to greatness, his Olympic Silver Medal in Atlanta in 1996, his 28 tournament victories, the $1.6 million career earnings, his transitional setting, the list goes on and on. But on that hot desert night in Vegas I witnessed a great moment in volleyball and reminiscing the event puts a smile on my face and reminds me of what a great volleyball player and human being Mike Whitmarsh for which he will be immortalized.

February 23, 2009
By Kirstin Olsen
ESPNRISE.com