Karch Kiraly
Yekaterina Gamova
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Karch Kiraly leads 4 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Karch Kiraly at #1 and Yekaterina Gamova at #9.
The case for Karch Kiraly
The consensus greatest player in the sport's history and the only person to win Olympic gold both indoors and on the sand. Kiraly anchored the United States side that won back-to-back Olympic titles in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988, with the 1986 World Championship and the 1985 World Cup in between - the core of a team that revolutionised the men's game with its power swing. He then switched codes and dominated beach volleyball, winning Olympic gold in Atlanta 1996 and a record 148 career beach tournaments. A flawless all-court player who passed, set, dug and attacked at the highest level, he was named by FIVB the greatest volleyball player of the 20th century. He later coached the United States women to the 2014 World Championship and 2020 Olympic gold, making him a champion in three distinct chapters.
The case for Yekaterina Gamova
A 2.02-metre opposite whose combination of height and power made her one of the most physically dominant attackers the women's game has seen. Gamova led Russia to World Championship titles in 2006 and 2010, taking MVP honours in 2010, and won Olympic silver in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Hitting down over the block from a standing reach few could match, she was for a decade the go-to scorer whenever Russia needed a point, thriving in the era just after rally scoring rewarded terminal firepower. She also collected multiple European and club titles across a long career in Russia and abroad. Gamova never captured the Olympic gold her talent deserved, but her twin World Championships, imposing presence and sustained production place her firmly among the greatest opposites of all time and a template for the tall, powerful right-side attackers who followed, up to and including Paola Egonu.