Pepperdine Alum Blanton to Enter USA Volleyball Hall of Fame as All-Time Great Beach Athlete
1/25/2024 5:45:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
MALIBU, Calif. – Dain Blanton, a 2008 Pepperdine Hall of Fame inductee and men's volleyball notable alumnus, will enter USA Volleyball's Hall of Fame as All-Time Great Beach Athletes at the institution's annual Hall of Fame banquet and ceremony this year.
The ceremony will be on May 22 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus, Ohio.
Blanton played four seasons with the Waves (1991-94) as an outside hitter, and was a key member of the 1992 NCAA championship team. In 1994, he was named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation second team and received AVCA All-American honorable mention awards as a senior. Blanton still stands in the Pepperdine record book, holding the record for career-digs per set with 2.30, and ranks third for single-season digs in the sideout era with 237.
After graduating from Pepperdine in 1994, Blanton became a part of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and achieved a total of 11 first-place tournament victories, comprising nine on the domestic front and two on the international stage. In 1997, he made history as the first African American to secure a major beach volleyball title by winning the AVP Hermosa Grand Slam, also earning an AVP Special Achievement award. In the same year, Blanton and partner, Kent Steffes, won a bronze medal at the 1997 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Blanton was honored as the AVP Best Offensive Player in 2003 and played a pivotal role in securing the title of AVP Team of the Year in that same year.
He made his first appearance in the Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Games, where Blanton and partner Eric Fonoimoana won a gold medal. Later, he became a two-time Olympian when he and partner Jeff Nygaard played in the 2004 Athens Games. This made him the first two-time U.S. male beach volleyball Olympian.
Now serving as the head coach for USC beach volleyball and in his fifth season, he led the squad to back-to-back NCAA Championships (2021, '22) and one Pac-12 conference title in 2022. He has a 73-10 (.880) overall record as USC's head coach.
To receive the All-Time Great Player Award, an athlete must have completed a minimum of five years as a member of a U.S. national team and must have competed on a minimum of five top-level international teams. Blanton will be honored alongside Karolyn Kirby at the ceremony.
The ceremony will be on May 22 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus, Ohio.
Blanton played four seasons with the Waves (1991-94) as an outside hitter, and was a key member of the 1992 NCAA championship team. In 1994, he was named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation second team and received AVCA All-American honorable mention awards as a senior. Blanton still stands in the Pepperdine record book, holding the record for career-digs per set with 2.30, and ranks third for single-season digs in the sideout era with 237.
After graduating from Pepperdine in 1994, Blanton became a part of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and achieved a total of 11 first-place tournament victories, comprising nine on the domestic front and two on the international stage. In 1997, he made history as the first African American to secure a major beach volleyball title by winning the AVP Hermosa Grand Slam, also earning an AVP Special Achievement award. In the same year, Blanton and partner, Kent Steffes, won a bronze medal at the 1997 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Blanton was honored as the AVP Best Offensive Player in 2003 and played a pivotal role in securing the title of AVP Team of the Year in that same year.
He made his first appearance in the Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Games, where Blanton and partner Eric Fonoimoana won a gold medal. Later, he became a two-time Olympian when he and partner Jeff Nygaard played in the 2004 Athens Games. This made him the first two-time U.S. male beach volleyball Olympian.
Now serving as the head coach for USC beach volleyball and in his fifth season, he led the squad to back-to-back NCAA Championships (2021, '22) and one Pac-12 conference title in 2022. He has a 73-10 (.880) overall record as USC's head coach.
To receive the All-Time Great Player Award, an athlete must have completed a minimum of five years as a member of a U.S. national team and must have competed on a minimum of five top-level international teams. Blanton will be honored alongside Karolyn Kirby at the ceremony.
