Karch Kiraly : Volleyball
Charles Frederick “Karch” Kiraly (born 3 November 1960) is a former American volleyball player. He started playing volleyball at the age of six with his father. During Kiraly’s high school years, he was invited to join the Junior National Team. He worked as a broadcaster for ESPN and an analyst for NBC Sports and also as a coach.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
The US National Volleyball Team won three gold medals during the 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also helped win the 1986 Paris World Championships and 1996 Moscow Goodwill Games.
Karch Kiraly won numerous awards including the FIVB Best Player in the World (1986, 1988), FIVB Best Player of the 20th Century, AVP Best Offensive Player, AVP Best Defensive Player, AVP MVP (6 times), AVP Sportsman of the Year (3 times) and even received the AVP Outstanding Achievement Award in 2004.
He was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001, the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2009.
Why Was He So Good?
Karch Kiraly is the only volleyball player in Olympic history to win three gold medals. He is known for his overall volleyball skill and laser-like concentration. Kiraly plays the sport with a hard driven passion. His competition is ferocious, his skill to shut the world out during playing is incredible.
What You May Not Know
- Karch entered his first beach volleyball tournament paired with father who was a member of the Hungarian National Team before leaving the country during the Hungarian national uprising in 1956.
- He played volleyball in high school where he was voted Sectional Player of the Year.
- He earned a B.S. degree in Biochemistry while playing with the UCLA Bruins team in college. Their coach was Al Scates who is also a talented volleyball player.
- “Karch” is from the Hungarian word “Karcsi” which can be translated as “Charlie”. “Kiraly” is “King” in Hungarian.
Was he a legend?
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