Beach volleyball finally has a Hall of Fame

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The California Beach Volleyball Assn. founded a Hall of Fame for its sport back in 1992, but it wasn’t well-known because it didn’t really exist — not enough funding, no real location to house the exhibit, etc.

‘Some of the people in the Hall of Fame didn’t even know they were in it,’ said Hall of Fame committee member Kevin Cleary. ‘It just kind of sat there and accumulated names for 20 years. It was like a secret society.’

It’s without a home no longer.

The CBVA found a location for its Hall of Fame at the Hermosa Beach Community Center and raised some start-up funds to help build an exhibit. It won’t be completed for a few more months, but the CBVA is moving forward with its first Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night.

This year’s class includes former players Holly McPeak, Brian Lewis and John Hanley, and beach volleyball historian Art Couvillon.

There will also be a special ceremony for beach volleyball legends Ron Von Hagen, Ron Lang, Gene Selznick and Miki McFadden.

‘Even though they have been inducted they haven’t been honored,’ Cleary said. ‘And they’re the four horsemen of our sport, the icons.’

Ceremonies run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

— Mike Bresnahan