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Kent Steffes

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Kent Steffes
Personal information
BornJune 23, 1968 (1968-06-23) (age 56)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Beach volleyball information
Teammate
Numerous
Medal record
Men's beach volleyball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Beach
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Los Angeles Beach
Gold medal – first place 1993 Rio de Janeiro Beach

Kent Steffes (born June 23, 1968 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a former professional beach volleyball player.

Steffes received his AAA beach rating while still attending Palisades High School. He was named the 1986 National High School Player of the Year and was the nation's most highly recruited high school senior. In 1987, he won the World Championships in San Diego with his partner Forrest Smith. He enrolled at Stanford University and played for one season before transferring to UCLA where he graduated with a degree in Economics. While a Bruin he joined the AVP Tour full-time in 1988. Steffes earned the AVP No. 1 ranking at age 22, the youngest player to do so in the history of the sport.

Steffes and his playing partner Karch Kiraly won the gold medal in beach volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first to win the gold medal in this event. During the 1990s Steffes teamed with numerous partners to win over 110 events.

Steffes' career lasted from 1988 until 1999. Steffes is currently the winningest player to ever play the sport. Steffes has been elected to numerous Beach Volleyball Hall of Fames[1][2] and in 2020 was recognized by USA Volleyball as the All-Time Great Male Beach Volleyball Player[3]. Steffes is considered by many to be the G.O.A.T. in the sport or the Greatest Of All Time[4][5][6].

Steffes graduated from UCLA in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in economics. That same year he was a member of the AVP Board of Directors, and served as Secretary. In 2000 he enrolled in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford, where he graduated in 2002.

Steffes has two children, a son and Katharine Steffes who is a notable Softball player[7]. Steffes currently lives in Los Angeles where he writes and works in the financial industry.

Steffes is the co-author of the book Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball[8]. Together with his co-author Travis Mewhirter, they chronicle the rise of beach volleyball from a rebel culture in the 1970's to inclusion in the Olympic Games at Atlanta in 1996. The book features an in depth look at the quarterfinal match which many consider the "Match of the Century."

Awards and honors

  • AVP Best Up-and-Coming Player 1989
  • AVP Comeback Player of the Year 1996
  • AVP Most Valuable Player 1996
  • AVP Special Achievement 1996
  • Youngest number one player in the history of AVP (21)
  • Record most wins in a season (21)
  • Record most consecutive wins (13) (record shared with Kiraly, Jim Menges and Greg Lee)
  • Highest winning percentage in history of the sport (.482)
  • "Most dominant player of the 1990s"[9]
  • USA Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductee (2020)- All-Time Great Beach Player[10]
  • CBVA Hall of Fame (2004)[11]

References

  1. ^ https://cbva.com/Home/HallofFame. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ https://usavolleyball.org/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-induction/kent-steffes/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ https://usavolleyball.org/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-induction/kent-steffes/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ https://www.volleyball1on1.com/kent-steffes-the-greatest-beach-player-ever/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/kent-steffes-its-winning-time/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ http://bvbhof.com/buildio/player_detail.asp?p=311#:~:text=So%20staggering%20were%20the%20numbers%20and%20the%20hype%2C,the%20sport%27s%20essential%20skills%20at%20an%20elite%20level. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ https://www.palipost.com/steffes-catches-on/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Z7X70ESZ0STW&keywords=kent+steffes&qid=1663786585&sprefix=%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ https://usavolleyball.org/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-induction/kent-steffes/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ https://usavolleyball.org/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-induction/kent-steffes/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ https://cbva.com/Home/HallofFame. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)


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