A new group of Americans is ready to carry on the winning tradition in Olympic beach volleyball (2024)

PARIS (AP) — Three-time gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings have moved on, and so have April Ross and Alix Klineman, the women who restored the United States to the top of Olympic beach volleyball podium in Tokyo.

In their place is a new contingent trying to bring the prize home from the Paris Games.

Seven of the eight Americans competing on the sand are making their Olympic debuts in 2024, a turnover that they hope will maintain the United States’ historic dominance in a sport that was invented in Hawaii and Southern California.

“Ever since I knew what the Olympics were, I was watching Kerri and Misty, and then it was April and Alix,” said Kristen Nuss, the former LSU star who is paired with Taryn Kloth on the No. 2 team in the world.

“We want to go make them proud, and make our country proud, and maybe not necessarily focus on the results,” she said. “Just when they’re tuning in, are they proud of our fight? Are they proud of what we’re showcasing to the world what USA beach volleyball is.”

The United States is the most successful program in Olympic beach volleyball history, winning seven of the sport’s 14 gold medals since it was added to the Summer Games in 1996. (Brazil leads in total medals, 13-10.)

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Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won three straight from Beijing to London, and Ross won her third medal when she teamed with Klineman to claim gold in 2021. The new generation may not have a lot of Olympic experience, but their youth gives the Americans a group that could be returning to the Summer Games for a decade or more.

“It’s like the Olympic opening ceremony: We pass the torch along,” May-Treanor, who is in Paris as an analyst for the U.S. television broadcasts, said on Tuesday. “And I can’t think of a better group to pass the torch along to. The talent, the ages, it’s amazing.”

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All four women are in their 20s, and all had the benefit of a collegiate beach volleyball program that began in 2012. Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes were back-to-back NCAA champions at Southern California and the reigning world champions; Nuss and Kloth went 36-0 in their final season at LSU.

The American men are looking for their first medal since Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers won gold in Beijing in 2008. Dalhausser and fellow four-time Olympian Jake Gibb both retired in Tokyo, allowing for a complete refresh.

At 22, Miles Partain is the youngest American ever to play beach volleyball at the Olympics; he’s paired with Andy Benesh, who’s 29. Chase Budinger, who spent seven years in the NBA before giving the beach a try, and partner Miles Evans are both in their mid-30s.

“Jake and Phil have been staples for our program for the last 16 years. Those guys have been great for so long,” Budinger said. “So them on their way out, and the new young guns coming in, it is definitely passing the torch. And we’ve got some big shoes to fill.”

Cheng, who finished tied for ninth in Tokyo with Sarah Sponcil, is the only American with Olympic experience. Though, to be fair, her experience came in a pandemic games with no fans or family in the stands.

“Tokyo was Tokyo. So, I’m just taking this as a completely new experience,” Cheng said. “I shared with Sarah as much as I could. But I talked to so many Olympians before Tokyo, and it was nothing like anybody talked about.”

Budinger and Evans lost to the Netherlands on Tuesday to fall to 1-1 in pool play with one match remaining, against Spain on Friday. Partain and Benesh, who lost their first match, recovered to beat Morocco and improve to 1-1; they play Brazil on Thursday.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

A new group of Americans is ready to carry on the winning tradition in Olympic beach volleyball (2024)

FAQs

Where is beach volleyball in the 2024 Olympics? ›

The Eiffel Tower and beach volleyball venue is a hot Olympic ticket At the Paris Olympics, the beach volleyball stadium, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, has been one of the most in-demand venues. It's an energetic, club-like experience for the crowd, and the beach volleyball athletes who play there say it's iconic.

How many beach volleyball teams make it to the Olympics? ›

24 teams per gender compete in the beach volleyball tournaments at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a maximum of two teams per country per gender being able to qualify: 1. Host nation France is automatically granted one spot.

Where will beach volleyball be played in Paris? ›

This year's Men's and Women's Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics takes place at Eiffel Tower Stadium, built just steps from the Eiffel Tower.

Where can I watch beach volleyball? ›

Where to watch the Olympic beach volleyball on TV: In addition to streaming on Peacock, many of the beach volleyball matches that will be played during this year's tournament will be broadcast between the NBC, USA Network, E!, Telemundo, Universo, and CNBC.

Will volleyball be in the 2024 Olympics? ›

The volleyball tournaments at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are held from 27 July to 11 August 2024. 24 volleyball teams and 48 beach volleyball teams participate in the tournament.

Where will the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics be held? ›

On July 31, 2017, the IOC announced Los Angeles as the sole candidate for 2028, with $1.8 billion of additional funding from the IOC, allowing Paris to be confirmed as the host for 2024.

What does Olympic beach volleyball go to? ›

Beach volleyball shines at every Olympics, but nothing compares to Paris. With the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop, the venue is one of the most stunning spots of the 2024 Games. The location isn't the only impressive feature.

How to win in Olympic volleyball? ›

Each team has two players and the first team to win two sets wins the match. To win a set, it's the first team to 21 points by at least a two-point margin. A tie-breaking third set is played to 15 points, still by at least a two-point margin. 2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count?

What is the old name of the game volleyball? ›

Morgan introduced the sport -- called mintonette, the original name of volleyball -- at the YMCA Physical Director's Conference a year later at Springfield College, Massachusetts.

Does beach volleyball go to 21? ›

All Olympic beach volleyball matches are best two-out-of-three sets. The first two sets are played to 21 points by rally scoring. The third set, if necessary, is played to 15 points.

Is beach volleyball popular? ›

In 2023, approximately 3.92 million people participated in beach volleyball in the United States, representing a slight decrease on the previous year.

How long is beach volleyball? ›

Beach volleyball court size and equipment

As per FIVB guidelines, a beach volleyball court is 16m (52.5ft) long and 8m (26.2ft) wide. The beach volleyball net height is the same as that of indoor volleyball, i.e., 2.43m (7.97ft) tall for men's and 2.24m (7.35ft) tall for women's competition.

Who won the USA vs China in beach volleyball? ›

NBC Olympics. Highly-touted U.S. beach volleyball duo Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss outdueled China's Xue Chen/Xia Xinyi in a rain-delayed three sets at Eiffel Tower Stadium. The win clinched Kloth/Nuss a spot in the Round of 16, where they'll have one of the highest seeds following three straight victories.

Is beach volleyball its own sport? ›

Campers will have fun with other athletes while they improve on their beach volleyball skills. Beach volleyball is a modern day sport. The sport has grown in popularity within the last 30 years and is played by athletes around the world.

Is beach volleyball 6 on 6? ›

Scoring in 6v6 beach volleyball is the same as indoor volleyball, with teams playing a best-of-three or best-of-five set match. Each set is played to 21 points, with a two-point lead required to win.

Where are volleyball nationals 2024? ›

2024 Girls 18s National Championship: April 26-28 in Baltimore, Md. 2024 Girls Junior National Championship for 14-17: July 3-11 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Does Olympics have beach volleyball? ›

Although beach volleyball only joined the Olympic program in 1996, it quickly has become one of the Summer Games' most popular sports — thanks in part, no doubt, to the women in bathing suits, but also to an atmosphere that surrounds a fast-moving competition with a beach party vibe.

Where is the beach volleyball venue in the 2028 Olympics? ›

Westside
VenueEventsCapacity
Santa Monica State Beach and Venice BeachBeach volleyball12,000
3x3 basketball6,000
Riviera Country ClubGolf30,000
UCLAOlympic Village and Olympic Village Training CenterN/A
3 more rows

Are there two USA beach volleyball teams? ›

When it comes to Team USA, four men and four women will participate in the Olympics, split into two teams. The women will be represented by the duos of Taryn Kloth-Kristen Nuss and Kelly Cheng-Sara Hughes while the men will be represented by Andy Benesh-Miles Partain and Chase Budinger-Miles Evans.

References

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