Houston Athletics, Volleyball to Retire Flo Hyman’s Jersey on Sunday

HOUSTON – Houston Volleyball will retire the late trailblazer Flo Hyman's jersey prior to its match against Arizona on Sunday.

Hyman, a volleyball pioneer and the first female scholarship athlete in Houston Athletics' history, was a three-time All-American for the volleyball program from 1974-76 before departing the team to advance volleyball on the national and international stage.

A 1998 inductee into the Houston Athletics Hall of Honor, she helped Houston post three top five finishes at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Championship, including the team's highest-ever finish - third place at the 1975 tournament. She was the 1976 AIAW National Player of the Year and the 1976-77 Broderick Award, later renamed the Honda Sports Award, winner for volleyball. She was the award's inaugural winner.

After leaving Houston following the 1976 season, Hyman joined the U.S. Women's National Team. Missing the 1976 Olympics, Hyman helped lead the team to a resurgence in the years following. The USA finished fifth at the 1977 World Championships but had their Olympic dreams dashed when the USA boycotted the 1980 Games in Moscow.

Hyman continued with the US National Team despite the setbacks, leading the team in the 1981 and 1982 World Championships, where Hyman and the team took bronze. Under Hyman's leadership, the United States won silver at the 1984 Olympics.

Following the runner-up finish at the 1984 Games, Hyman moved to Japan to play professionally. A star in the island nation, Hyman became an icon, pursuing modeling and acting in the country in addition to her volleyball career.

She intended to move back to the United States in the summer of 1986, but she never had the chance to do so. On Jan. 24, 1986, Hyman collapsed after subbing out of a match and died later that evening. Her family later discovered she had suffered from Marfan Syndrome which contributed to her death.

Hyman continued to shape the sport and women's athletics after her death. National Girls and Women in Sports Day was inspired by Hyman's spirit and success. It was first established by an Act of Congress in 1987 and continues to be celebrated annually by millions in the United States.

Hyman was inducted to multiple Halls of Fame posthumously. She's now a member of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (1988), the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (2015) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame (2025).

Now, her jersey will forever be displayed inside Fertitta Center.

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