Elaine Youngs

Who is Elaine Youngs?

Elaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball player.

As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with teammate Holly McPeak. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP.

Youngs graduated from UCLA in 1993, where she majored in history. She was a four-year starter for the volleyball team and led the Bruins to the Final Four all four years, as well as earning All-American honors those four years. Youngs was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame on October 6, 2006.

Youngs was on the USA Volleyball indoor team and played in the 1996 Olympics where the women placed 7th.

Nicknamed "EY", Youngs beach career started on 1997 winning third place in her first pro beach tournament. In 1997 and then 1999 - 2000 Youngs partnered with Liz Masakayan who later became Youngs coach from 2004 through 2008. The duo missed going to the 2000 Sydney Olympics by 50 points. In 1998 Youngs partnered with Nancy Reno until Nancy retired from pro beach volleyball. In 2001 Youngs partnered with Barbra Fontana, and from 2002 to 2004 partnered with Holly McPeak, winning the Beach Volleyball bronze medal together in the 2004 Athens Olympics. She teamed with Rachel Wacholder for the 2005 and much of the 2006 season. In August 2006, Wacholder left Youngs and partnered with Jennifer Kessy Boss and Youngs replaced Wacholder with Nicole Branagh for the 2007 AVP season. Branagh and Youngs achieved 5th place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and continued playing together in the 2009 season. In 2010, Nicole Branagh partnered with Misty May-Treanor, replacing Kerri Walsh. Currently, EY is playing with Rachel Scott.