Flora Jean “Flo” Hyman was an American volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist, widely considered a major Black pioneer in the sport. She was born on July 31, 1954, to George W. Hyman and Warrene Hyman in Los Angeles, California, and was the second of eight children.
Hyman began playing beach volleyball at the age of 12 with her sister Suzanne. She attended Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, and began playing volleyball professionally at the age of 16. Known for her height. six feet five inches, she earned the nickname “Jolly Green Giant.” She graduated from Morningside High School in 1972.
After graduation, Hyman attended El Camino College for one year before transferring to the University of Houston (UH) in Texas. At UH, she became the first female athlete to receive a scholarship at the university. While there she also majored in mathematics and physical education.
Hyman joined the University of Houston Cougars women’s volleyball team, coached by Ruth Nelson. During her collegiate career, Hyman was named an All-American three times. In 1975, she joined the United States Volleyball Association’s (USVBA) year-round training squad and was named First Team All-American in 1976, 1977, and 1978. She also received the Broderick Cup (now known as the Honda Sports Award). Hyman left the University of Houston after her junior year to focus on her volleyball career.
Hyman played for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team under coach Arie Selinger. The team qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, but the United States boycotted the games, preventing the team from participating. Hyman competed in the 1981 World Cup and the 1982 World Championship, winning a bronze medal. In 1984, she and the U.S. Women’s Team competed in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, earning a silver medal after a loss to China. This marked the first Olympic medal for the U.S. women’s volleyball team since its formation for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Following the Olympics, Hyman moved to Japan and joined the Daiei Women’s Volleyball Team in the Japan Volleyball League. While living in Japan, her popularity surged, and she began a modeling and acting career. Tragically, on January 24, 1986, Hyman collapsed and died during a match against Hitachi Ltd. in Matsue, Japan, at the age of 31. An autopsy revealed that she had died from Marfan syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder.
Hyman was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. In 1988, she was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. She became the first woman inducted into the University of Houston’s Hall of Honor in 1998 and was also honored by the El Camino College and California Community College Sports Halls of Fame. Between 1987 and 2004, the Flo Hyman Award was given annually to recognize women’s activism.
