Tara Cross-Battle, 2017

Tara Cross-Battle, 2017

Tara Cross-Battle won California State High School titles at both Southern California Christian and Cerritos’ Gahr HS as a dominating power hitter. She then became the top national college recruit of the middle 1980s and Coach Brian Gimmillaro was fortunate to sign her for Long Beach State. She led the 49ers to their first NCAA title in 1989 and was named Tournament MVP.  She was a 4-time AVCA college All-American, two-time College Player of the Year and graduated as the all-time NCAA kill leader (2767).Tara won the Honda-Broderick Award as the top college VB player as a senior and later made the NCAA All-Decade team. Cross-Battle became the first USA volleyball player in history to compete in 4 Olympic Games—1992, 96, 2000, 04.

Tara helped the United States to the bronze medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She started for the USA in three FIVB World Championships (1990, 94, 2002), as the USA won the bronze medal in 1990 and a silver in 2002. Cross-Battle also played a key role in the USA winning gold medals in the 1995 and 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix, plus bronze medals at the 2003 FIVB World Cup and World Grand Prix. She won MVP awards in 1995 and 2001.She was named a member of the International VB HOF in 2014 and was selected to the USAV 75th Anniversary Team (1978-2003).