INDIANAPOLIS — Kerri Walsh is following the plan.
Yes, she intends to play beach volleyball again. Right now, she must watch.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist is focused on her impending motherhood, fighting the urge to get out on those sandy beaches — or sandy indoor courts — while traveling with the AVP’s winter tour.
“You couldn’t pay me to put on a bikini right now,” said Walsh, who is six months pregnant. “I want to play, for sure. But you can learn so much from watching.”
For Walsh, Saturday’s stop in Indianapolis is a reunion of sorts.
Men’s gold medalists Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers will play in a match at Conseco Fieldhouse — recently transformed from the Pacers home into a temporary sand pit. Olympian Elaine Youngs and Indiana native Angie Akers also will compete.
Walsh’s job is to sign autographs, do interviews and build the fan base for a sport that thrives in beach communities and often gets overlooked in landlocked areas.
It’s the second straight year she’s missed the tour. She was out last season with a shoulder injury. But she’s already made stops in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Kansas City, Mo., and she’s relishing her role as the sport’s top ambassador.
“It is a little bit of a novelty, but it’s real. It’s not an exhibition,” she said. “We’re trying to expand the popularity of the sport and bring a little bit of warmth to those places in the Midwest that have been hit hard by winter.”
The biggest draw, clearly, would have been any match involving Walsh and longtime partner, Misty May-Treanor. But May-Treanor is recovering from a torn Achilles’ tendon sustained while practicing for the television show “Dancing With The Stars.”
And the 30-year-old Walsh is on her way to fulfilling the promise each partner made to have a baby after winning a second straight gold.
Walsh and husband, Casey Jennings, also a pro beach volleyball player, know the gender of the baby and have chosen names, but are not ready to make that information public.
Walsh still works out and wants to defend their title at the 2012 Olympics in London. She hopes to the successful partnership will remain intact.
“For me, personally, that’s a goal of mine,” Walsh said. “For Misty, I’m not sure. But if we do come back, I hope we do it together.”
They have been chatting, primarily by text message. Walsh, meanwhile, is staying busy.
She’s heading to the Super Bowl next week as a guest of Gatorade. She’s also shooting commercials and promoting the sport that has turned the duo into worldwide celebrities.
“I’m still active and I’m feeling really good,” Walsh said. “You’ve got four really amazing men and four really amazing women playing, and it’s fun to watch.”
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