Elaine Youngs (known as "EY") made her WPVA debut at the 1997 Dallas Open
(in Irving), playing with Liz Masakayan. They took third place. She had
previously played on the WBVL 4-woman tour in 1993 & '94, and also in European indoor
leagues.
Youngs and Masakayan also teamed up for an attempt to get to the
2000 Olympics. They came heart-breakingly close. They took first place
in the last FIVB event before Sydney (in Dalian, China), beating the team
of Misty May and Holly McPeak in the finals. But because of the way the
qualification points are accumulated, the second place finish put May &
McPeak ahead of Masakayan & Youngs for the Olympics.
Ironically, four years later Masakayan coached the team of McPeak
and Youngs, helping them to win a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics.
