Sinjin Smith

Christopher St. John Sinjin Smith (born May 7, 1957 in Santa Monica, California) is a professional beach volleyball player. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Randy Stoklos.He began to compete as a professional in the two man beach volleyball tournaments of Southern California at age fifteen. He went to college at UCLA, where he played setter and outside hitter in head coach Al Scates 6-2 system. The UCLA Bruins won the national championship in Smiths freshman year. The following year the Bruins did not make the final four, but as a junior the team again reached the finals before losing to Pepperdine. Smith was selected to the all tournament team. In his senior year in 1979 the Bruins again reached the finals, defeating cross town rival USC to win the national championship. Smith was again selected to the all-tournament team, and was voted the championships most outstanding player. Smith was selected as an All American in both his junior and senior years.Smith won his first beach tournament with former UCLA teammate Stormin Mike Normand. His first Manhattan Beach Open was won in 1979 teaming with another UCLA alum, Jim Menges. In the early 1980s he made a successful beach team pairing with former UCLA teammate Karch Kiraly. They split up when Karch committed full time to the US National Men’s Volleyball Team. He moved on to partner with Randy Stoklos, and the two became the most dominant pair in mens beach volleyball. Smith was the first player to reach 100 career open tournament wins. He was a primary force behind the growth of beach volleyball as a sport, and the development of the Association of Volleyball Professionals, which formalized the sport as a professional athletic competition.

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