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Ex-USC Men's Volleyballers Riley And Maddison McKibbin To Compete On CBS' 'Amazing Race'

Sep 22, 2020

Former USC men's volleyball standouts and pro beach stars Riley and Maddison McKibbin will form one of 11 two-person teams in the upcoming Season 32 of the popular CBS weekly adventure reality show "Amazing Race," with a $1 million prize going to the duo that arrives first at the show's final travel destination. 

The first episode airs on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 9 p.m. PT on CBS and CBS All-Access.  Season 32 was filmed prior to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The teams will travel the globe, beginning at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and then visiting Trinidad and Tobago, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Brazil and elsewhere. 

Riley was a setter at USC (2008-11) and led the Trojans to a pair of NCAA Championship appearances (placing second in 2009 and tied for third in 2011) while earning All-American first team honors in 2011.  He then played professionally indoors in Italy. 

Maddison was an outside hitter at USC (2010-12, 2014) on a pair of Trojan teams that played in the NCAA Championships (runner-up in 2012 after tying for third in 2011).  He then played pro indoors in Greece. 

The brothers, who grew up in Hawaii and attended Punahou School, have teamed up on the pro beach tour since 2015.  They form one of the most popular and distinctive teams on the domestic AVP tour, known as the Beard Brothers because of their long, bushy, ZZ Top-like beards.  They have posted nine Top 10 AVP finishes, including fifth in Chicago in 2019.  The ambidextrous Maddison won the 2017 Chicago AVP tourney with Ty Loomis (while Riley was injured). 

The brothers currently also run their own video production company and have a popular YouTube Channel and website focusing on all things volleyball. 

The McKibbins come from an athletic family.  Their younger brother, Jameson, is a junior setter at USC.  Their uncle, Owen, lettered on the USC men's volleyball team in the mid-1980s as the Trojans finished second at the NCAA Championships his final two seasons.  Their aunt, Claudia, was on the Women of Troy's 1980 national championship volleyball team.  Their mother, Diana McInerny McKibbin, played volleyball at Hawaii (1978-79) and on the beach.  Their cousin, Blaze, is a redshirt freshman quarterback at Fresno State. 

For more information on the "Amazing Race" and to view the Season 32 teams, which include NFL stars, Olympians, fathers/sons, husbands/wives and other pairings, click HERE . 

For the CBS bios of the McKibbin brothers, including a Q&A, click HERE .