Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly born November 3, 1960 in Jackson, Michigan, is an American volleyball player who is the only person to have won Olympic gold medals in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport. Kiraly started for the Mt Carmel High School Sun Devils beach volleyball team and his father Laszlo was instrumental in helping found the program. The Sun Devils with Kiraly were runners-up in 1976 to San Clemente High School and won the CIF SS title in 1978 over Laguna Beach High School under Coach Rick Olmstead.
Kiraly won Most Outstanding Player in 1981 and 1982. He was inducted into UCLA's Hall of Fame in 1993. At UCLA, Kiraly studied biochemistry and graduated cum laude in June 1983 with a 3.34 cumulative GPA. Kiraly was popularly called the "Thunderball in Volleyball." He went on to become a fixture on the national team through much of the 1980s as a passer/outside hitter in the "two-man" or "swing hitter" serve reception system created by Doug Beal in 1983. Team USA would win Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 with Kiraly. He was team captain for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, wearing #15, and was also named by FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) as the top player in the world in 1986 and 1988.
After the 1988 Olympics, Kiraly retired from the national team. After a stint of professional club volleyball in Italy with Steve Timmons (playing for Il Messaggero Ravenna), he returned to the U.S. to play beach volleyball full time on the AVP tour. Kiraly has won 148 professional beach volleyball titles, and partnered with Kent Steffes to win the first men's Olympic beach volleyball tournament in 1996.
Kiraly resides in San Clemente, California, with his wife Janna and two sons, Kristian and Kory. His father, Laszlo Kiraly, played for the Hungarian national volleyball team. Kiraly was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001. Kiraly has been named as one of 2009's inductees into the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
London 2012 Olympics will be held from 27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012. Place your beach volleyball ticket or other event ticket order online and secure your Olympic Tickets today. Olympic 2012 Tickets are available at Global Ticket Market on the best price in the market. London Olympic Tickets are guaranteed and delivered on time well before the start of the event.
Kiraly won Most Outstanding Player in 1981 and 1982. He was inducted into UCLA's Hall of Fame in 1993. At UCLA, Kiraly studied biochemistry and graduated cum laude in June 1983 with a 3.34 cumulative GPA. Kiraly was popularly called the "Thunderball in Volleyball." He went on to become a fixture on the national team through much of the 1980s as a passer/outside hitter in the "two-man" or "swing hitter" serve reception system created by Doug Beal in 1983. Team USA would win Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 with Kiraly. He was team captain for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, wearing #15, and was also named by FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) as the top player in the world in 1986 and 1988.
After the 1988 Olympics, Kiraly retired from the national team. After a stint of professional club volleyball in Italy with Steve Timmons (playing for Il Messaggero Ravenna), he returned to the U.S. to play beach volleyball full time on the AVP tour. Kiraly has won 148 professional beach volleyball titles, and partnered with Kent Steffes to win the first men's Olympic beach volleyball tournament in 1996.
Kiraly resides in San Clemente, California, with his wife Janna and two sons, Kristian and Kory. His father, Laszlo Kiraly, played for the Hungarian national volleyball team. Kiraly was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001. Kiraly has been named as one of 2009's inductees into the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
London 2012 Olympics will be held from 27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012. Place your beach volleyball ticket or other event ticket order online and secure your Olympic Tickets today. Olympic 2012 Tickets are available at Global Ticket Market on the best price in the market. London Olympic Tickets are guaranteed and delivered on time well before the start of the event.
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