Flo Hyman

Flo Hyman is usually considered the greatest ever American women’s volleyball player but one whose life came to a tragic end. Hyman started college at El Camino College but then transferred to the University of Houston, where she was the school’s first female scholarship athlete. Hyman played on the US team from 1974-84, missing out on the 1980 Olympics because of the US-led boycott. In addition to her 1984 Olympic silver medal, Hyman won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games.

After the Olympics Hyman played professionally in Japan with Daiei team. In 1986 she planned to return to the United States but while playing a match on 24 January 1986, Hyman was subbed out, and while on the sidelines, collapsed and died. She was later found to have Marfan’s Syndrome, a congenital disease causing weakness of collagen in the body, which can manifest itself with weakness and enlargement of the arteries. Hyman was found to have died from a dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm. With her disease, she was considered fortunate to have survived as long as she did while playing volleyball.

Hyman received numerous honors posthumously. The Flo Hyman Memorial Award is given out annually by the US Volleyball Association to the best female player in the United States. The National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), is celebrated in all 50 states with a variety of activities, in her memory. Despite her relatively short international career, in 2000 Sports Illustrated named her #69 among female athletes on their all-century list.