Paula Weishoff (2005) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Paula Weishoff

Induction:
2005
Class:
1980

Paula Weishoff, the first woman to be a member of 3 U.S. women’s volleyball Olympic teams, was one of the most feared middle blockers and servers in her sport. A 1980 All-American when she led the Women of Troy to the AIAW national championship, she then joined the U.S. National team for the next 16 years and participated in the 1984, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games (winning a silver medal in 1984 and a bronze in 1992 when she was named the Games’ MVP). She played professionally indoors in Japan, Italy and Brazil, as well as on the beach in the U.S. She was the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Female Volleyball Athlete of the Year in 1984. She also was named to Volleyball magazine’s All-Time Indoor first team and USA Volleyball’s All-Era (1978-2002) team. In 1998, she was inducted into the International Volleyball Association Hall of Fame. After her playing career, she spent 7 years (1997-2003) as an assistant coach at USC (the Women of Troy won NCAA crowns her final two seasons) before becoming the head coach at Concordia University (twice) and UC Irvine and assisting the USA national team and pro teams.