Kerri Walsh is an American volleyball player. Walsh was born in the U.S. state of California in 1978 to Tim and Margie Walsh, and grew up in Saratoga. From her parents, she obtained an important advantage for volleyball, her height. At 6'3", Walsh is one of the tallest women volleyball players and one of the strongest blockers. As a high school student, she played on the varsity team at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Walsh continued on to Stanford University where she won a volleyball national championship, received the Player of the Year Award and earned a spot on the All American First Team. She has played both indoor and beach volleyball.

In the 2000 Summer Olympics, she played indoor volleyball where the United States team finished in fourth place. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Walsh and Misty May became the first American team to win the gold medal for women's beach volleyball. Winning an unprecedented ninety-one matches and 16 tournaments in a row, Walsh and May captured the gold without ever losing a game. Currently Walsh is ranked as the best female volleyball player in the world.

Athens 2004 Participation