General Information

Birthdate: December 31, 1964
Birthplace: Quezon City, Philippines
Hometown: Santa Monica, Ca.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Ca.
University: UCLA 1982-85, 1991-92, 2003-4
Height: 5'8"
Seasons on Tour: 14
Hobbies: Hiking, cycling, snowboarding, tennis, reading, and animals.

Current Highlights

• Coaches the AVP's 2nd ranked team.
• Coached the 2004 Bronze Medalists, Elaine Youngs and Holly McPeak.
• One of the top beach volleyball players in the world.
• 2001 Santa Barbara Champion.
• Won three tournaments in 2000 -- FIVB Vitoria, Brazil, FIVB Espinho, Portugal, and FIVB Dalian, China.
• She was ranked 3rd in the United States and 4th in the world in points toward qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
• 1999 Volleyball Magazine's All Millennium Team and 1980's All Decade Team.
• 2002-4 USA Volleyball Vice President of the Beach Division and 2004-6 Board Member.
• 2000 and 2001 FIVB Women's Player Representative - Permanent Committee Board Member.

Overall in her career, Liz is:

• 4th in all-time wins with 47, 5th in all-time tournaments played with 181.
• Ranked 6th in prize money.
• Ranked as the No. 2 team (recently behind May-Walsh) of all time in the USA and the world with partner, Karolyn Kirby. Together they have a total of 29 wins (26 on the WPVA tour, and three on the FIVB World Tour, including the inaugural beach volleyball event at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia).

Career Highlights - Beach

AVP: (Associated Volleyball Professionals)
WPVA: (Women’s Professional Volleyball Association)
FIVB: (Federation of International Volleyball)
Overall: 47 wins, 61 final four finishes

• 2001 AVP Santa Barbara Champion
• 2000 FIVB Brazil, Portugal and China Open Champions
• 1999 FIVB World Championships Bronze Medal Winner - Marseille, France
• 1999 Winner of 4 out of 7 domestic events
• 1998 FIVB Ranked 6th in the world, 3rd in the U.S.
• 1997 WPVA Best of the Beach Champion
• 1996 WPVA 5 top five finishes
• 1995 WPVA Most Inspirational Award
• 1995 WPVA U.S. Open Champion
• 1995 WPVA U.S. Shootout Champion
• 1994 WPVA Best Hitter Award
• 1994 WPVA Winner of 11 out of 13 tournaments
• 1994 Goodwill Games Gold Medal Winner - St.Petersburg, Russia
• 1994 FIVB World Champion - La Serena, Chile
• 1994 FIVB World’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year
• 1993 FIVB Winner of the World Beach Series
• 1993 WPVA Co-Most Valuable Player & Best Hitter Award
• 1993 WPVA Winner of 12 out of 13 tournaments
• 1992 WPVA Most Valuable Player & Best Defensive Player Award
• 1992 WPVA Winner of 5 tournaments
• 1991 WPVA Best Defensive Player Award
• 1991 WPVA World Champion - Las Vegas, NV

Career Highlights - Indoor

• 1986-1990 USA National Team Member
• 1990 World Championships Bronze Medal Winner - Beijing, China
• 1989 USA National Team Coaches Award
• 1988 USA Olympic Team Member - Seoul, Korea
• 1987 Pan Am Games Bronze Medal Winner - Indianapolis, IN
• 1987 Zone Championships Silver Medal Winner - Havana, Cuba
• 1986 Goodwill Games Bronze Medal Winner - Moscow, Russia
• 1985-86 UCLA Female Athlete of the Year
• 1984 Broderick Award Winner - Nation’s Premier Collegiate Volleyball Player
• 1984 NCAA Champions - UCLA
  * 2-time 1st team All-American
  * 3-time 1st team All-Conference
  * 2-time NCAA All-Tournament Team

More Information

As an indoor player, Liz was a member of the USA Volleyball Team for five years and a starter in the 1988 Seoul, Korea Olympics. She was instrumental in leading UCLA to a National Championship in 1984 where she also won the tournament’s MVP Award. Liz clearly established herself as one of the greatest all-time players, not only at UCLA where she owns numerous single season and career records, but on the national level where she excelled as an aggressive hitter and an exceptional defensive player. In February 1996, she was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Liz Masakayan successfully transitioned from one of the premier collegiate and U.S. National Team members to one of the best on the beach. Her powerful jump serve and excellent ball control makes her and her former partner, Karolyn Kirby, the top winning team in WPVA history. She is also second in career earnings for the WPVA. Combine her outstanding physical skills with her intensely competitive nature and you get a world class athlete. She exhibits the rare combination of attributes that lead to greatness, yet she is personable and approachable. Her charisma sets her apart as a crowd favorite wherever she travels. In fact, in a survey of fans conducted by Volleyball Magazine in 1995, Liz was voted the most popular female beach volleyball player.

Liz is featured as one of the three elite female athletes in a fitness video currently being marketed by Reebok. She has been on the cover of Volleyball Magazine four times (May 1994, September 1993, December 1992, and July 1988 before the Olympics). In addition, Liz has been a featured athlete in Sports Illustrated, Harper’s Bazaar, Outside, Shape, Self, and Women’s Sport and Fitness Magazines along with appearing in television ads for Reebok, Evian, and Coors Light. She also had a speaking role in the HBO show, Arliss.