Misty May-Treanor Leaves DWTS

Who would have ever thought, that after years spent throwing herself into the sand with reckless abandon as a world champion beach volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor's undoing would be a silly celebrity dance competition?

But that's exactly what happened on Monday when the Olympic gold medalist confirmed on live TV that she had injured her ankle and is leaving Dancing With the Stars.

"I'm out," she announced to the studio audience during Monday's live performance show.

Misty explained that, during rehearsal on Friday she "heard a pop doing the lindy hop... I didn't have an ankle, a foot."

Following the incident, Misty was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A., where she was diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

"I never thought in a million years I'd hurt myself in ballroom," she sighed. "It felt like I got hit in the back with a baseball bat."

Since news of Friday's injury became public knowledge, the show's producers had remained quiet on any final decision regarding Misty's fate. However, this morning, fellow celeb dancer Brooke Burke let it slip during a radio appearance that the volleyball star would be calling it quits tonight.

There are unconfirmed rumors that Kim Kardashian, who was eliminated last week, would be returning to fill the spot vacated by Misty.

Meanwhile, Misty’s partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy told OK! he's unhappy following the announcement of her injury. “I’m pissed, sad, emotional," he confessed. "What sucks is this week, I was really trying to make her happy.”

In other DWTS injury news, Brooke's dance partney Derek Hough had a scare of his own when he was knocked out during a Saturday rehearsal.

“I was practicing on the floor and tripped over a light, went flat on my back, hit the back of my head," he recalled to OK!. "I went unconscious, went to the hospital on a gurney and everything, checked my neck out to make sure it was okay.”

Last season, Derek suffered a serious neck injury while rehearsing with his then-partner, actress Shannon Elizabeth. But the experienced hoofer was able to continue with a sprained muscle in his neck and he was fine to go on this time, too.

Derek revealed that his injury took place at the same place in the floor where Misty and some of the other dancers also had accidents: “It’s like six injuries in that same place. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle of the floor,” he shuddered. Brooke said, “Let’s not go there!”

On Monday night, while the entire cast mourned Misty’s departure, the show had to go on — and Derek and Brooke are looking like the couple to beat, as they got a 28, the highest score of the night, for their graceful Viennese waltz.

By Carole Glines