Welcome to the official AVP profile for Elaine Youngs. We'll be bringing you pictures, videos, and updates throughout the year so come back often. EY will be checking in from time to time, while the page is maitained by the AVP, so it may take some time to get back to you if you send a message.
Bio:
Elaine or "EY" as she's known on the sand, was named 2002 AVP MVP, Best Offensive Player and Best Blocker, but her greatest accomplishment was winning the Bronze Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens alongside her former partner Holly McPeak. The two made history as the first U.S. women to medal in beach volleyball.She has won at least one title in all 10 of the seasons she has played professional beach volleyball in which there was a domestic tour. Her current streak of nine straight years with at least one title is just one year shy of the all-time women's record (10 by Janice Harrer). She currently ranks fourth among U.S. women in international victories, with 11. In Seaside Heights in 2006, Youngs became the third American woman to surpass $1 million in career earnings.In 2005, Youngs and her partner Rachel Wacholder were the only team to beat Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, ending the gold medalists' 50-match win streak. Youngs and Wacholder finished the 2005 season with three first-place finishes in Cincinnati, Ohio, Huntington Beach, Calif., and Boulder, Colo. The duo was in the top three at every tournament of the 2005 AVP Tour. They won twice more in 2006 before splitting up, with Youngs pairing with Nicole Branagh for the remainder of the season. Youngs won more money than any other player on the 2007 AVP Crocs Tour after collecting four victories including the coveted Goddess of the Beach title.The 2002 season was her most accomplished as she and McPeak earned five titles domestically and four international first place finishes.Statistically, Youngs led the 2006 AVP Tour in aces (1.06 per game), while ranking sixth in blocks (.87 per game), second in kill percentage (.606) and fourth in hitting percentage (.473).EY was born in El Toro, California on Valentine's Day (February 14, 1970) and grew up alongside four brothers, Ricky, Roy, Roger, and Ryan.EY attended UCLA and graduated in 1993 with a degree in history. While in college, she was a four-time All-American and her team took home the National Championship in 1991.Before her transition to the beach, EY spent three years on the National Indoor Team and competed at the Olympics in Atlanta. She went on to live in Rome and played in an Italian professional indoor league and then moved to Ankara, Turkey to play indoor professionally for an additional year.Youngs currently resides in Durango, Colorado with her three dogs Piggy, Zach, and Mesa.
