Beach volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor is trading her bikini for some dancing shoes. From the hardwood to queen of the beach, and success in the recent Beijing Olympics, the former Long Beach State setter is taking on a new challenge: ballroom dancing.
May-Treanor is one of the 13 celebrities competing in the seventh season of “Dancing with the Stars.” She is partnered with ballroom professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who is in his fifth season with the show.
The three-night premiere began Monday with the couple dancing the Foxtrot. May-Treanor and Chmerkovskiy’s performance received generally positive critiques from the “Dancing with the Stars” judges, who gave them a combined score of 21 points out of 30.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba applauded May-Treanor for the ferocity she put into the dance, while judge Bruno Tonioli cautioned her on the balance of her turns.
In the introduction video that was played before the couple’s first performance, May-Treanor stated that she wants people to see that she can be feminine and not “just a jock.”
The second night of competition had May-Treanor and Chmerkovskiy dancing the Mambo. The rehearsal video showed May-Treanor having trouble moving her hips, but she was able to put on a great performance in the live show. The judges, again, gave the couple a score of 21.
According to LBSU head volleyball coach Brian Gimmillaro, dancing is not one of May-Treanor’s strong points, but her competitive nature and work ethic will allow her to advance in the competition.
“She might be the worst dancer I know,” Gimmillaro said.
He also said that “Dancing with the Stars” is the perfect competition for May-Treanor.
“This competition fits her, not because of her dancing ability, but because she has a great personality and she’s really funny,” he said. “She’ll have fun and learn how to dance at the same time.”
Gimmillaro believes May-Treanor can win the competition.
“She’ll be the most entertaining and one of the best,” he said.
May-Treanor graduated from LBSU in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology. As the starting setter on the 49er women’s volleyball team, May-Treanor led the team to a 36-0 record in 1998 and helped them win the Division I NCAA Championship. She also holds numerous Big West Conference and NCAA awards and honors.
“Dancing with the Stars” airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC, with the results show airing on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.