Wink Davenport attended Wesleyan University, graduating in 1964, where he was a three-year letterman in basketball and played on the golf team. He started playing volleyball at a YMCA in Binghamton, New York in the 1950s. Moving to California, he became a top volleyballer and made the 1967 Pan American Team, winning a gold medal. After the 1968 Olympics he played for the US in the 1969 World Cup and was on the US team through 1971. Knee injuries forced him from the sport so he became a volleyball referee. He would eventually officiate at multiple national and international events, including the Olympics and World Championships. Davenport was secretary of the International Federation of Volleyball Officials from 1992-96 and was a referee delegate to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He was a board member of the US Volleyball Association from 1971-77. Davenport’s daughter, Lindsay Davenport, became a professional tennnis star, winning three Grand Slam singles titles (Australia [2000], Wimbledon [1999], US Open [1998]) and the 1988 Olympic gold medal. His other two children attended college on volleyball scholarships.
United States