The incredible story of Hall of Fame inductee Flo Hyman: From an all-time great volleyball player to collapsing on court at the age of 31

Flo Hyman, an American volleyball player, was recently added to the Class of 2025 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame posthumously. She competed for the American team from 1974-84, bagging multiple international victories, including Olympic, World Championships, and Pan American Games.

Hyman will be inducted into the Class of 2025 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in a ceremony on July 12, 2025, in Colorado Springs, alongside other elite athletes, including Gabby Douglas (artistic gymnastics), Allyson Felix (track and field), Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball), Phil Knight (Nike founder), and Serena Williams (tennis). The late American volleyball great enjoyed a remarkable career. However, it was short-lived as Hyman passed away on January 24, 1986, at the young age of 31.

Following her international career, Hyman played professionally for the Daiei team in Japan. During a faceoff on January 24, 1986, she was substituted from the game, moments after which the American collapsed to the ground.

It was later discovered that the volleyball player suffered from Marfan’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes weakness in the body's connective tissues, including heart and blood vessels. Hyman's death occurred due to a tear in a major artery near her heart.

Flo Hyman's volleyball career

Flo Hyman of the United States Olympics Women's Volleyball Team. (Photo by Getty Images)

Flo Hyman is one of the greatest volleyball players in the history of the sport. After starting her collegiate journey at El Camino College, she transferred to the University of Houston the next year after becoming the school’s first female scholarship athlete. She competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Games after missing out on the 1980 Olympics due to the US-led boycott. She forfeited her collegiate eligibility to compete at the 1984 Games.

At the 1984 edition, Hyman contributed to the team's success in winning a silver medal after a faceoff against China. She also helped the team clinch a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships and the 1983 Pan American Games. In her honor, the US Volleyball Association presents the Flo Hyman Memorial Award to the best female player in the United States every year.

Flo Hyman's awards and honors

Flo Hyman has received multiple recognitions in her volleyball career and even posthumously. She was honored with the Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) in 1977, which is bestowed on the top collegiate female athlete in twelve different sports. She has been a three-time All-American.

In 1976, Flo Hyman earned the Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Player of the Year award. She has also been inducted into the USAV Hall of Fame in 1985, the University of Houston Hall of Honor in 1988, and the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1988.