Kent Steffes

Kent Steffes:       [Stef-S]
Birthdate:          June 23, 1968   30 years old)
Hometown:           Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Training Site:      Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Height/Weight       6'4"/210
Years Pro:          11
College:            Stanford/UCLA
1998 Prize Money:   $
1997 Prize Money:   $273,433   #2
1996 Prize Money:   $387,581   #2
1995 Prize Money:   $154,455   #12 (injured)
1994 Prize Money:   $459,106   #2
Career Prize Money: $2,468,455 (as of 6-21-98)
Career Open Wins:   110

PERSONAL

Pronounced STEF-S...Resides in Pacific Palisades, Calif....Received his "AAA" rating while attending Palisades (Calif.) High School...Named the 1986 National High School Player of the Year...Nation's most highly recruited high school senior...Rated the nation's top amateur player while enrolled at Stanford University...Transferred to UCLA after one season, red-shirted, then opted out of scholarship to join the Miller Lite/AVP Tour full time in 1988...Graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in economics from UCLA...Is the youngest player to earn the No. 1 AVP ranking at age 24...Was a member of the AVP Board of Directors in 1993 as Secretary...Received 1992 Volleyball Monthly Miller Lite/AVP Tour MVP distinction...Appeared on an episode of "Baywatch" in 1995...Had shoulder surgery in April 1995 causing him to miss 13 events during the season...Sponsored by FILA, Hawaiian Tropic, FILA Volleyballs, Oakley Eyewear, and Power Bar.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Compiled 101 Career Open Wins prior to start of 1998 Season.
$2,428,452 Career Beach Earning total (as of 9-1-97).

1998 (PARTIAL)
       - Won five tournaments with Jose Loiola 
         (Clearwater, Ft. Myers, Dallas, Jacksonville, Daytona)
       - Won one tournament with Emanuel Rego (Corpus Christi)
       - Won two tournaments with Mike Whitmarsh (Chicago, Belmar)

1997   - Won 12 tournaments with partner Jose Loiola   
       - Began season by winning first tournament with new partner Loiola
       - Won the 1997 Miller Lite Open at Milwaukee with Loiola 
         (received his 100th win at 29 years of age)

1996 Olympics (Gold) in Beach Volleyball (first time event held)
       - Compiled 13 Open wins (with Karch Kiraly)
       - Named AVP Most Valuable Player, and Comeback Player of the Year 
       - Became only the second player in history to surpass the 
         $2 million mark in prize money at the 1996 Belmar Open.
       - $387,581 earnings 

1995 - Compiled 4  Open wins (with Karch Kiraly)
       - had shoulder surgery in April 1995, causing him to miss
          13 events during the season
       - $154,455 earnings

1994 - Compiled 17 Open wins (with Karch Kiraly)
       - won 17 of 22 tournaments
       - won US Championships
       - won all 3 Cuervos, second time in a row
       - played Manhattan Beach Open and Puerto Rico with
         Scott Ayakatubby; missed Milwaukee and Baltimore; all
         due to injury to Kiraly
       - won the Miller Lite Grand Prix
       - $459,106 earnings

1993 - Compiled 18 open wins (with Kiraly)
       - won 18 of 20 tournaments
       - won all five majors - US Championships, all 3 Cuervos,
         Manhattan
       - reached the $1 million mark in prize money at the
         Jose Cuervo Gold Crown in Santa Cruz, Aug. 21; youngest
         player to reach the mark.
       - won the Miller Lite Grand Prix with partner Kiraly

1992 - Compiled a record 18 open wins 
       - won 16 of 19 with Kiraly upon his return from the Italian
         league.
       - won 13 in a row with Kiraly, tying the all-time consecutive
         open wins record set by Greg Lee and Jim Menges.
       - won Ft. Myers Beach and Fresno Opens with Adam Johnson to
         start the season.
       - won the Miller Lite Grand Prix

1991 - Compiled 8 open wins
       - won two Jose Cuervo Gold Crown Series events with different
         partners (Kiraly and Tim Hovland). First time any player
         has done that in the same year.
       - Became the first and only AVP member to win with 
         three different partners; Hovland, Kiraly and Dan Vrebalovich;
         in the same year

1989   - Earned his first career victory in 1989 at the Seal Beach Open
         with Jon Stevenson.
       - AVP "Rookie of the Year".

1988
     - AVP "Up & Coming Player of the Year".