Dain Blanton
Encyclopedia
Dain Blanton is an American beach volleyball player won the gold medal in Beach Volleyball in the 2000 Olympic Games, with partner Eric Fonoimoana
. He returned to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece with partner Jeff Nygaard
, becoming the first and only two-time U.S. male Beach Volleyball Olympian.
He attended Pepperdine University where he was an All-American and guided The Waves to a National Volleyball Championship in 1992 as a sophomore.
He is known for his fast serve holding the AVP record for 11 aces in a single game to 15 in Vail, Colorado in 1997.
After winning gold at the 2000 Olympics, Blanton and Fonoimoana broke their partnership because of rule changes that went into effect in 2001. (Rally or Point per Play scoring as opposed to having to traditional Serve to Score a point; court size changed from 30x30 feet per side to 8x8 meters). Height became a deciding factor because the new rules provided an advantage for a full-time tall blocker at the net. They went separate ways in search of Big Blockers. In the 2004 Olympics, Blanton and Nygaard were seeded eighth, but failed to advance out of pool play.
Currently Dain is the Analyst for Professional Beach Volleyball worldwide covering the FIVB (Federation of International Volleyball), AVP, NVL (National Volleyball League, and the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Series as well as the Sideline Reporter for the NBA Los Angeles Clippers. His new career in Sports Broadcasting has involved working with ABC, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports Net and Universal Sports Network. He is covering many sports including NBA, Beach Volleyball, MLB, College Basketball and College Football. Dain also does many motivational speaking events each year to inspire and be a role model to many.
Dain was the runner-up to Andrew Firestone
on the third season of ABC television network reality show The Bachelor.
Eric Fonoimoana
Eric Fonoimoana is an American volleyball player who currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California. He was born in Manhattan Beach, California, and attended UCSB, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity . He is most notable for winning the gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games. He has...
. He returned to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece with partner Jeff Nygaard
Jeff Nygaard
Jeff Wayne Nygaard is an American beach volleyball player who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics with partner Dain Blanton in Athens, Greece. In 1996 and 2000 he was a member of the Men's Olympic National Indoor Team.Jeff Nygaard attended Robert M...
, becoming the first and only two-time U.S. male Beach Volleyball Olympian.
Career
As a high school senior in 1990, Blanton was named the Orange County Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player of the Pacific Coast League and earned all-American honors at the Junior Olympics. Blanton was also an All-State Basketball player who led Laguna Beach to the CIF Finals in 1990.He attended Pepperdine University where he was an All-American and guided The Waves to a National Volleyball Championship in 1992 as a sophomore.
He is known for his fast serve holding the AVP record for 11 aces in a single game to 15 in Vail, Colorado in 1997.
After winning gold at the 2000 Olympics, Blanton and Fonoimoana broke their partnership because of rule changes that went into effect in 2001. (Rally or Point per Play scoring as opposed to having to traditional Serve to Score a point; court size changed from 30x30 feet per side to 8x8 meters). Height became a deciding factor because the new rules provided an advantage for a full-time tall blocker at the net. They went separate ways in search of Big Blockers. In the 2004 Olympics, Blanton and Nygaard were seeded eighth, but failed to advance out of pool play.
Currently Dain is the Analyst for Professional Beach Volleyball worldwide covering the FIVB (Federation of International Volleyball), AVP, NVL (National Volleyball League, and the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Series as well as the Sideline Reporter for the NBA Los Angeles Clippers. His new career in Sports Broadcasting has involved working with ABC, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports Net and Universal Sports Network. He is covering many sports including NBA, Beach Volleyball, MLB, College Basketball and College Football. Dain also does many motivational speaking events each year to inspire and be a role model to many.
Dain was the runner-up to Andrew Firestone
Andrew Firestone
Andrew Boulton Firestone is an American TV reality show personality. He is the son of Brooks Firestone, a grandson of Leonard Firestone, and a great-grandson of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey Firestone and Idabelle Smith....
on the third season of ABC television network reality show The Bachelor.
Awards and honors
- 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist (Beach Volleyball) partner:Eric Fonoimoana
- 2004 Olympian (Beach Volleyball) partner:Jeff Nygaard
- All-American NCAA Collegiate Volleyball 1994
- AVP Best Offensive Player 2003
- AVP Special Achievement 1997
- AVP Team of the Year 2003