Karch Kiraly: A Volleyball Legend's UCLA Legacy and Beyond
Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly, born on November 3, 1960, is an American volleyball icon, celebrated for his achievements as a player, coach, and broadcast announcer. His journey from a young boy playing on the beaches of California to an Olympic champion and a successful coach is a testament to his dedication, skill, and passion for the sport. This article delves into Kiraly's illustrious career, highlighting his time at UCLA, his Olympic triumphs, and his transition to coaching.
Early Life and Introduction to Volleyball
Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, Karch was introduced to volleyball at the age of six by his father, Laszlo Kiraly. Laszlo had been a member of the Hungarian Junior National team before immigrating to the United States. Karch's father instilled a passion for the sport in his young son on the beaches of California. At age 11, Kiraly entered his first beach volleyball tournament paired with his father. He had the Hungarian nickname Karcsi (pronounced Karch-ee), which corresponds to the Hungarian name Karoly for Charles.
UCLA Bruins Career: A Collegiate Dynasty
In 1978, Kiraly enrolled at UCLA, where he majored in biochemistry and also was a brother of the Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. From his freshman year, he played outside hitter and setter on the Bruins' volleyball team, playing opposite junior Sinjin Smith in the Bruins' 6-2 offense. Under head coach Al Scates, Kiraly led UCLA to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship in his freshman season in 1979. In his sophomore season, the Bruins made it to the finals again but lost to crosstown rivals USC. UCLA reclaimed the top spot in Kiraly's junior season. Kiraly finished his college career with another title during his senior year. In his four years, the Bruins compiled a 123-5 match record, with titles in 1979, 1981, and 1982. UCLA was 126-5 during his career including two undefeated seasons (1979 & 1982).
Kiraly's impact on the UCLA volleyball program is undeniable. He was a four-time All-American and led the Bruins to three national titles. In 1992, Kiraly was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired after an All-American volleyball career with the Bruins. In 2001, he was inducted in the Volleyball Hall of Fame and in 2005 he was inducted into the AVCA Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Al Scates, the legendary UCLA coach, recognized Kiraly's exceptional talent from the start. Scates allowed him to roam on defense, a testament to his extraordinary ability to read the play.
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National Team Success: Olympic Gold and World Championships
Kiraly joined the national team in 1981. Playing outside hitter, he proved to be an extremely solid passer. Along with teammate Aldis Berzins, Kiraly was the foundation for the "two-man" serve reception system Doug Beal created in 1983. Along with covering half the court on serve receive and consistently delivering the ball to team setter Dusty Dvorak, Kiraly proved to be an excellent defender and a highly productive outside hitter. National Team to the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, overcoming a pool play loss to Brazil to defeat Brazil in the finals. The US National team showed their place as the world's best team by winning the 1985 FIVB World Cup, followed by the 1986 FIVB World Championship.
Kiraly was a central part of the U.S National Team that won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He was twice named the best player in the world by the international governing body.
Professional Career: Italy and the Beach
Following the 1988 Olympics, Kiraly retired from the national team. He and teammate Steve Timmons played professional volleyball for Il Messaggero Ravenna in Italy from 1990 to 1992. The team included Italians Fabio Vullo and Andrea Gardini, Roberto Masciarelli, and Stefano Margutti as team members.
Kiraly had a long career on the professional beach circuit, and with 148 career tournaments won is the 'winningest' player in the sport's history. He won at least one tournament in 24 of the 28 seasons he played in a career that spanned four decades. He claimed titles with 13 partners, and in domestic events, he made it to the semifinals over 80% of the time.
In 1996 Kiraly returned to the Olympics, this time competing in beach volleyball with his partner, Steffes. He is the only player (man or woman) to have won Olympic medals of any color in both the indoor and beach volleyball categories.
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Beach Volleyball Dominance
Kiraly played in his first beach tournament at age 11 as his father's partner. Kiraly has said as an 11-year-old he was thrilled to discover in beach volleyball he could compete with grown men on even terms. He earned his A and AA ratings on the beach at the age of 15 and his AAA rating at 17. Kiraly's first big beach breakthrough came at Hermosa Beach in 1978. As a 17-year-old who had just graduated from high school, he shocked Hermosa onlookers by gaining the finals before he and partner Marco Ortega lost to the day's dominant team on the beach, Jim Menges and Greg Lee. In the early 1980s, Kiraly made a successful beach team pairing with UCLA teammate Sinjin Smith.
Kiraly chose Kent Steffes as his doubles partner. Steffes was a talented younger player who had left UCLA early to start playing on the professional beach tour. Kiraly and Steffes soon became the dominant pairing on the tour, supplanting former teammate and doubles partner Smith and his partner Randy Stoklos as the beach's top team. Ultimately Kiraly won 148 professional beach volleyball titles, 74 of them with Steffes. The next closest player in total wins is Sinjin Smith at 139. Following Smith is his longtime partner, Randy Stoklos, at 122.
Coaching Career: Leading the Women's National Team
Kiraly has worked as a broadcaster for ESPN and provided color commentary for the AVP on NBC broadcasts. Kiraly began coaching at St.
In 2012, Kiraly was named head coach of the US National Women's Volleyball team to try to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In October 2014, Kiraly coached the Women's National Team to the FIVB World Championship, defeating China in the Gold Medal final. Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals. Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals. Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals. Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals. Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals.
Kiraly has helped the team claim several other big victories and medals. to bronze at the 2016 Olympic Game in Rio de Janeiro. opened the tournament by winning all five pool play matches. After a three-set quarterfinal win, the squad suffered a heart-breaking five-set loss in the semifinals. to historic success in the FIVB World Championship as well. went 5-0 during the tournament’s final round for that trophy. Before becoming the head coach, Kiraly served the team as an assistant coach from 2009 to 2012.
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Under Kiraly's leadership, the U.S. Women's National Team achieved historic success, including winning their first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, where the team went 7-1, sweeping longtime rival Brazil in the final.
Legacy and Recognition
Karch Kiraly's impact on volleyball is immeasurable. He is considered one of the greatest volleyball players ever. In 2001, the FIVB named Kiraly and Cuban middle blocker Regla Torres as the greatest players of the 20th century. Selected by the FIVB as the greatest volleyball player of the 20th century, Kiraly was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008.
He has earned countless accolades including: AVP Best Defensive Player (2002), AVP Best Offensive Player (1990, 1993, 1994), AVP Comeback Player of the Year (1997), AVP Most Valuable Player (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998), AVP Sportsman of the Year (1995, 1997, 1998) and most recently AVP Outstanding Achievement (2004). The FIVB has named Kiraly "Best Player in the World" twice, in 1986 and 1988.
Personal Life
Kiraly now lives in San Clemente, Calif., with his wife, Janna. Kiraly resides in Heber City, Utah, with his wife Janna, and two sons, Kristian and Kory. On the same day Kiraly led the national team to their historic gold medal win at the 2020 Summer Olympics, he revealed that he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017 and had to have doctors remove part of his colon in order to fight the disease.
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