About West Wind Volleyball

Karolyn Kirby and Mary Jo Peppler founded West Wind Volleyball to offer opportunities for young people in sports, to help them grow as leaders, to promote team values, and to enhance healthy lifestyles. Liz Masakayan has joined Karolyn to form the Kirby-Masakayan Sand Academy within West Wind. All three women have vast international and collegiate playing and coaching experience and have spent the last decade training volleyball players and coaches. Mary Jo worked from 1997-2008 in junior sports management as a Club Director in San Diego, California.

Our Coaches:

Karolyn Kirby | Mary Jo Peppler | Liz Masakayan

About Karolyn Kirby

Learn even more about Karolyn on her website at www.karolynkirby.com.

Karolyn Kirby was born in 1961 in Brookline, Massachusetts. In her sophomore year of high school, she was a three-letter athlete but began specializing in volleyball. Soon she was selected to attend Scotty Mose's Junior Olympic Training Center in New York, which set her career in motion. In high school, she was volleyball captain for two years and in 1979 led her team to a State Championship title and was named Massachusetts High School 'All Scholastic Player of the Year.' She attended Utah State University on a full volleyball scholarship for three years, played for the University of Kentucky for a year, and graduated from Utah State. In college, Karolyn was a three-time All American and finalist for the Broderick Award.

Karolyn played indoor volleyball on the USA National Team from 1983-1987, she was an alternate to the 1984 Olympic Team, and then served as Captain through 1987. She distinguished herself as a top player in the world with recognition at numerous World Tournaments. After her play with the National Team, she played professionally in Italy and Brazil.

Despite her indoor accomplishments, Karolyn Kirby will probably be remembered for her total Beach Volleyball dominance. Her list of accomplishments is awe-inspiring and her presence on the beach court delighted many with tournament domination from 1989-1996.

Karolyn Kirby was the most dominant player on the world beach tour for over a decade, breaking every existing record for wins. In 1993, she teamed up with Liz Masakayan and they became the most successful team the pro circuit had ever seen, amassing a team record of 29 wins together. In 1991 and 1992, Kirby was selected to be the female Player Representative to the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and was a member of the World Council that established Beach Volleyball as an Olympic sport. In 1992, Karolyn Kirby won the very first Gold Medal for Beach Volleyball at Barcelona in the 1992 Olympics and was named 'MVP.'

Along the path of her career, Kirby has also won many other prestigious awards; she was dubbed the "Best Player in the World" by the FIVB for three straight years (1992-1994), WPVA Best Hitter, WPVA Best Offensive Player, WPVA Best Setter six times, and WPVA MVP four times. She was inducted into the 2004 International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts, 1993 Brookline High School Hall of Fame, and the 2005 Utah State University Hall of Fame. Karolyn spent 1997-2008 as a coach for a Club team in San Diego, California.

Throughout her career, Karolyn Kirby has distinguished herself as a supreme competitor and professional. She is an outstanding teacher with a wealth of knowledge to pass onto a new generation of volleyball players.

About Mary Jo Peppler

Mary Jo Peppler is one of the most decorated players in volleyball history. Her experience is rare as it spans over a half century in the sport and she has brought quality and experience to all levels of the game. Named the third most influential person of the last century in her sport, she brings excellence to every endeavor. Peppler has trained over 50 collegiate All Americans, numerous world champions, and has worked with a variety of colleges as a consultant. Still, she is best known for her innovative coach training programs and is a popular lecturer and author.

Mary Jo Peppler's international experience includes playing on the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team, on the 1967 U.S. Gold Medal Pan American Team (named to All Tournament Team), and at the 1970 World Championships where she was named the tournament’s ‘Most Outstanding Player.’ Peppler is a four-time USVA National "Open" Tourney Most Valuable Player. She played on four USVA National Championship Teams (1966, 1972, 1973 and 1981), and earned All-American honors 11 times.

Professionally, Peppler served as the player/coach for the El Paso Sol (1975) and Phoenix Heat (1976) of the Co-Ed International Volleyball Association as well as Major League Volleyball's New York Liberties in 1987 and 1988. She also played Professional Basketball (MLB). Mary Jo worked from 1997-2008 in junior sports management as a Club Director in San Diego, California. Playing nationally, internationally, and professionally, her playing career spanned more than a 30-year period.

Honors & Awards

Bertha Lucas—All Time Great Coach—Pioneer Division; USA Volleyball—All Time Great Coach, 2010
Junior Volleyball Directors Association, Hall of Fame, Inaugural Class 2008
Utah State University, Hall of Fame, 2007
USA Volleyball, 75th Anniversary Women’s Beach All-Era Players, 2004
USA Volleyball, All-Era Coaches (one of 17 and only one of two women), 2003
California Beach Volleyball Association, Hall of Fame, 1996
Named 3rd most influential person in the Century of Volleyball by the Volleyball Monthly, 1995
Cal-State Los Angeles, Hall of Fame, 1990
International Volleyball Hall of Fame, 1990
MLV—All-Pro Award, 1987
MLV—All-Star Honors, 1987 and 1988
Sullivan Ross State University, Hall of Honor, inaugural class 1986
Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, 1983
USVBA “All-Time Great Player”, 1982
Winner of the ABC Superstars, 1975

About Liz Masakayan

Learn even more about Liz on her website at www.lizmasakayan.com.

Liz coached sand volleyball in the last 2 Olympics; the 5th place team of Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs at the 2008 Beijing, China Olympics and the bronze medal team of Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs at the 2004 Athens, Greece Olympics. Throughout her playing career, she won 47 tournaments and has also been in the final four 61 times. Although she participated in several AVP events in 2005, placing 3rd in the San Diego tournament, Liz officially retired from domestic competition after the 2003 season. In 2001, she won the bronze medal at the FIVB season finale in Fortaleza, Brazil where Masakayan announced her retirement from international competition.

When Liz partnered with Elaine Youngs, they won 6 domestic and 3 international tournaments, including capturing the bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships. When she teamed up with Karolyn Kirby, they won the 1993, 94 and 95 Shootouts and U.S. Opens, the 1993 and 94 U.S. Championships and the 1994 Goodwill Games. 1994 World Champions, Kirby/Masakayan were both awarded the World’s Most Outstanding Player that year. Liz was the WPVA’s 1992 Most Valuable Player, 1993 co-Most Valuable Player (along with Karolyn) and the Best Defensive Player in 1991 and 92. In addition, she was the 1993 and 94 Best Hitter and the 1995 Most Inspirational Player after coming back from several knee surgeries.

As an indoor player, Liz was a member of the USA Volleyball Team for 5 years and a starter in the 1988 Seoul, Korea Olympics. She won bronze medals at the 1990 World Championships, 1987 Pan Am Games, and 1986 Goodwill Games. After winning the 1984 NCAA Championships at UCLA, Liz was given the Broderick Award for being the nation’s premier collegiate volleyball player. Masakayan is a two-time 1st team All-American, three-time 1st team All-Conference and was selected two times to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. Liz was then named the 1985-86 UCLA Female Athlete of the Year and has also been inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.