PRESIDENT CARTER SAW FIT TO HAVE THE UNITED STATES BOYCOTT THE 1980 RUSSIAN OLYMPICS, BUT IT WOULDN’T HAVE MATTERED TO THE MEN’S NATIONAL INDOOR VOLLEYBALL TEAM, WHO AGAIN FAILED TO QUALIFY…FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE TIME.

ON THIS TEAM WERE A SMALL NUMBER OF TALENTED, BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS, MOST NOTABLY SINJIN SMITH AND TIM HOVLAND, WHO HAD SEEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HEAD COACH DOUG BEAL GROW CONTENTIOUS.

IN THE COMING YEARS, BOTH SINJIN AND TIM WOULD DEPART THE TEAM FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS, ONE BEING A GENERAL DISLIKE FOR HOW “ENTITLED” THE BEACH PLAYERS WERE.