Tag: LSU Beach Volleyball

Photos of former LSU beach volleyball stars Taryn Kloth, Kristen Nuss at 2024 Paris Olympics

Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss are off to a 2-0 start as they pursue a gold medal.

It’s been a nice start to the chase for a gold medal from former LSU beach volleyball stars [autotag]Taryn Kloth[/autotag] and [autotag]Kristen Nuss[/autotag].

The duo ranks No. 2 in the world and is off to a 2-0 start in pool play at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning its first two matchups in straight-set sweeps. Kloth and Nuss will wrap up pool play on Thursday at 3 p.m. CT when they face a team from China.

Related: Former LSU beach volleyball teammates Taryn Kloth, Kristen Nuss move to 2-0 in Olympics pool play

Here are the best photos of Kloth and Nuss through their first two matchups as they chase a gold medal.

Former LSU beach volleyball teammates Taryn Kloth, Kristen Nuss move to 2-0 in Olympics pool play

The dynamic duo of former Tigers continued its strong showing in Paris on Monday.

Former LSU beach volleyball stars [autotag]Taryn Kloth[/autotag] and [autotag]Kristen Nuss[/autotag] have remained teammates on the international stage, competing as a pair for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they rank second in the world and are among the favorites to take home the gold.

It’s been a nice start to pool play for Kloth and Nuss. They opened the Games with a win on Saturday in straight sets against Canada, and they earned another victory in impressive fashion against an Australian team featuring 2020 silver medalists Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy, winning both sets 21-16 on Monday to move to 2-0.

Kloth and Nuss will be back in action on Thursday as they take on a team from China featuring Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi.

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Former LSU beach volleyball stars Taryn Kloth, Kristen Nuss open Paris Olympics with a victory

The former LSU teammates are expected to compete for a gold medal in their Olympic debut.

Former LSU beach volleyball teammates [autotag]Taryn Kloth[/autotag] and Kristen Nuss have remained a dynamic duo as they compete together internationally, and the No. 2-seeded pair began its showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics in fashion.

The Americans won their opening match in two sets, winning the first 21-17 and the second 21-14 against an overmatched Canadian squad in front of a packed crowd. They will be back in action on Monday as they take on Australia.

“I think our coach, Drew Hamilton, really reminded us that we are literally playing the exact same game that we do every day at practice,” Kloth said, per On3’s Thomas Goldkamp. “And yes it’s a much bigger crowd and there are way more people, but it really is pass, set, hit and do what we do every day.”

“How do you describe that? That was just absolutely insane,” Nuss said. “Far exceeded my expectations. To pack this place out, it’s huge. This is just surreal.”

The former LSU athletes have been competing together since they graduated in 2021. They currently rank No. 2 in the world and are expected to contend for a gold medal after earning bronze in the 2023 Beach World Championships

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LSU beach volleyball’s Cati Leak named to AVCA 30 under 30

A former player at LSU, Leak has been on the staff as an assistant since 2019.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – LSU Beach Volleyball assistant coach Cati Leak was named to Tuesday’s AVCA Thirty Under 30 list.

“It is an honor,” Leak said of being named to the thiry under 30 list. “I cannot be in this position without my coworkers, our players, and mentors. They have poured their time, energy, and effort into my life and the programs I have been a part of. I am grateful to have been in the position to receive this. It is motivating to continue to give back to the sport that has been used to teach me so much. If I can share what I have learned and it impacts someone for the better, then I will do it forever!”

Leak has been an assistant coach with the Tigers since the 2019 season in a stretch where LSU has never been outside of the AVCA Top 10. Every year that she has coached has ended with a trip to Gulf Shores at the NCAA Championship with the Tigers. LSU was ranked No. 1 during when the 2020 season came to a shortened end.

On the court as a coach, Leak has coached five All-Americans at LSU, including the pair of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth who went undefeated in 2021 and won AVCA Pair of the Year. She has also coached 10 pairs that have earned AVCA Top Flight honors.

Leak’s presence from the very beginning has been a critical component to LSU’s rise to national prominence in beach volleyball. She was on the inaugural LSU Beach Volleyball team in 2014, helping build the program from the ground up. In four seasons as a player, Leak won 73 matches and as a senior she helped lead LSU to its first National Championship Tournament berth which since then, has become the expectation within the program.

LSU beach volleyball’s season ends vs. No. 4 FSU in national quarterfinal

The Tigers finish the 2023 season with a 27-13 record.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Gulf Shores, Ala. – The LSU Beach Volleyball team falls to No. 4 FSU in the National Quarterfinals 3-1 early Saturday afternoon.

“So proud of the season,” said head coach Russell Brock “Can’t believe it’s over. Definitely felt like we had another couple matches to play, but have no doubts that we gave our all today. I have a lot of respect for the teams who made it this far and to go out in a battle like that is nothing to be ashamed of. Very grateful for the effort and contributions that our seniors gave to our program and this season. I’m excited to see how they carry the Sandy Tig legacy forward as the leave our program, but never leave our family. Losing is never fun, but not winning the last match doesn’t define our level of success. This year was amazing and I’m honored to have a group that worked as hard and sacrificed as much to contribute to the pride and excellence of LSU.”

Melia Lindner and Amber Haynes lost Court 5, 17-21 and 14-21. Courts 1-4 went to three sets to determine the match. On Court 3, Hannah Brister and Reilly Allred lost the battle; 21-13, 15-21 and 7-15. Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank’s loss on Court 1 finished the duel for LSU; 21-17, 12-21 and 9-15. Courts 2 and 4 did not finish.

With the loss, the 2023 season comes to an end. The Tigers finish the season with an overall record of 27-13.

 

LSU 3, FSU 3

  1. Maddie Anderson / Paige Kalkhoff (FSU) def. Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank (LSU) 17-21, 21-12 and 15-9
  2. Anna Long / Jordon Polo (FSU) vs. Grace Seits / Parker Bracken (LSU) 21-18, 18-21, 0-0
  3. Raelyn White / Morgan Chacon (FSU) def. Hannah Brister / Reilly Allred (LSU) 13-21, 21-15, 15-7
  4. Audre Koening / Caitlin Moon (FSU) vs. Lara Boos / Ella Larkin (LSU) 21-23, 21-13, 5-3
  5. Makenna Wolfe / Alexis Durish (FSU) def. Melia Lindner / Amber Haynes (LSU) 21-17, 21-14

LSU beach volleyball set to face No. 12 FAU 1st round of the NCAA Tournament

The Tigers open their run in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Friday at noon CT.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Gulf Shores, Ala. – With coming into the NCAA Tournament with an overall 26-12 record, the Tigers are set to face No. 12 FAU in the first round on Friday at 12:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

“Feeling good about tomorrow,” said head coach Russell Brock. “I’m fully expecting us to play hard and well. I know our team will bring solid energy on and around the courts. There is no doubt that FAU will be prepared and will play well. Our job is to play with passion and fight. Can’t wait to watch the Tigers get after it!”

The No. 5 seeded Tigers had their last practice of the season Thursday at Gulf Beach Place in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The NCAA Tournament is a 16-team field that has moved to a single elimination tournament and with a win on Friday, LSU would face the winner of No. 4 FSU and No. 13 FIU at 11:00 a.m. CT Saturday morning.

All matches Friday will be streamed on ESPNU while each individual court will be streamed on ESPN+.

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LSU beach volleyball earns No. 5 seed at NCAA Championship in Gulf Shores

The Tigers open up their run against 12-seeded FAU on Friday.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Gulf Shores, Ala. – The LSU Beach Volleyball team has earned a spot as the No. 5 Seed in the NCAA Championship and will match up with No. 12 FAU at 1:00 p.m. CT on Friday on ESPNU.

The Tigers have played FAU once this season and won 3-0. In the win, Courts 1, 5 and 2 swept the Owls in straight sets.

The winner of the match will take on the winner of No. 4 FSU and No. 13 FIU at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

“FAU is a great team,” said head coach Russell Brock. “They pulled off a huge win last year at this event and we expect to get their best shot. We will work hard to be prepared at every court to play our best.”

LSU has made it to Gulf Shores every season since 2017 as one of the top eight teams in the country. This year the tournament will continue with the 16-team playing field, but has moved to a single elimination tournament over the course of three days.

“Really proud of our seed,” said Brock. “We battled all year and feel like we are playing our best at the end. I’m also confident that we can be a little better for this tournament and I’m really excited to get to work and prepare for this amazing opportunity.”

The ESPN family of networks is set to televise every match of the championship and live coverage of each individual court will be available on the ESPN App.

Every year LSU is one of the best represented participants in Gulf Shores with fans all over the region. Baton Rouge and Gulf Shores are separated by just a 4-hour drive. Tickets for the NCAA Championship are available.

“This will be the most pressure we’ve faced this year…maybe in program history,” said Brock. “With the new format of single elimination, it will be vital to have great focus and ultimate confidence. We also know that our best version of our program is when we can out-team our opponents. We look forward to our whole team being involved in the energy and also the Tiger faithful joining us in Gulf Shores to cheer us on.”

The Tigers will enter the NCAA Championship with a 26-12 record, coming off a semi-final’s appearance in the CCSA Tournament.

No. 5 LSU beach volleyball travels to California for the East Meets West Invitational

LSU will face four top-10 teams.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 5 LSU Beach Volleyball team travels to California this week to play in the East Meets West Challenge.

“It’s always an incredible privilege to go out west and play against some on the top programs at Manhattan Beach,” said head coach Russell Brock. “There’s something special about playing in a place with such rich history in our sport and in front of really knowledgeable fans. It’s a great opportunity to show people who don’t know us very well what we are all about.”

The Tigers play four matches, all featuring teams in the AVCA Top Ten rankings before heading back to the bayou. On Friday, LSU takes on No. 2 USC at 11:30 a.m. CT and No. 3 UCLA at 3:00 p.m. CT. On Sunday, the Tigers face No. 7 LMU at 10:30 a.m. CT and No. 8 Hawaii at 2:30 p.m. CT before heading home.

“Playing against top 10 teams is always important,” said Brock. “We are at the point in the season where we know the challenges increase and we expect to rise to that challenge. There are no matches off this weekend and I’m planning to see our best ball this weekend.”

LSU is coming off the LSU Beach Invitational where the Tigers went 4-1 with a win over No. 13 Washington.

Live stats will be provided this weekend on StatBroadcast. For live updates follow @LSUBeachVB on Twitter.

Tigers beach volleyball goes 4-1 at the LSU Beach Invitational, moves to 17-5 overall

LSU’s lone loss came against No. 4 Florida State.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 5 LSU Beach Volleyball team goes 4-1 in the LSU Beach Invitational, falling to No. 4 FSU and moving to 17-5 overall.

“Overall, this weekend I think we grew as a team,” said head coach Russell Brock. “Proud of our fight and our focus. Today we hoped to get two wins, but had to settle for a hard-fought close loss again to a top team, and closed out with a strong quick win.”

The Tigers will travel to Manhattan Beach, California for the East Meets West Challenge on Friday and Saturday. LSU will face No. 2 USC, No. 3 UCLA, No. 7 LMU and No. 8 Hawaii.

“This is a big week to get ready for an important trip out to California,” said Brock. “Most importantly for the rest of today and tomorrow is to recover. When we start training, we have pinpointed some things that we know can help us be better by Friday. We only have Tuesday and Wednesday before we leave, so focus and energy in training will be crucial.”

The day started with a battle against No. 4 FSU where the Tigers lost 3-2. Hannah Brister and Reilly Allred starting things off with winning Court 3 in straight sets; 21-19 and 24-22. Grace Seits and Parker Bracken lost Court 2, 17-21 and 16-21. Brooke Blutreich and Amber Haynes battled on Court 5 and lost in three; 21-16, 12-21 and 12-15. On Court 4, Lara Boos and Ella Larkin fought to win in three; 21-18, 15-21 and 15-13. Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank lost the highly competitive Court 1, 35-33 and 21-14.

After a break, the Tigers came out hot sweeping Southern Miss 3-0. Book and Larkin took care of business on Court 4 winning, 21-12 and 21-8. Blutreich and Haynes won Court 5, 21-13 and 21-10. On Court 1, DeBerg and Shank won, 21-16 and 21-18, to finish off the day. Courts 2 and 3 did not finish.

 

FSU-3, LSU-2

  1. Maddie Anderson/Paige Kalkhoff (FSU) def. Kylie DeBerg/Ellie Shank (LSU) 35-33, 21-14
  2. Anna Long/Jordan Polo (FSU) def. Grace Seits/Parker Bracken (LSU) 21-17, 21-16
  3. Hannah Brister/Reilly Allred (LSU) def. Chloe Charles/Carra Sassack (FSU) 21-19, 24-22
  4. Lara Boos/Ella Larkin (LSU) def. Caitlin Moon/Raelyn White (FSU) 21-18, 15-21, 15-13
  5. Alexis Durish/Makenna Wolfe (FSU) def. Brooke Blutreich/Amber Haynes (LSU) 16-21, 21-12, 15-12

LSU-3, Southern Miss-0

  1. Kylie DeBerg/Ellie Shank (LSU) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) 21-16, 21-18
  2. Elizabeth Masters/Parker Bracken (LSU) def. Taylor Pierce/Reagan Sandlin (USM) 21-17, 15-15
  3. Hannah Brister/Reilly Allred (LSU) def. Hallie Phelan/Kellie Garraway (USM) 23-21, 15-10
  4. Lara Boos/Ella Larkin (LSU) def. Morgan Perry/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-12, 21-8
  5. Brooke Bluetreich/Amber Haynes (LSU) def. Ashlyn Rough/Madison Cassidy (USM) 21-13, 21-10

No. 5 Tigers beach volleyball remains perfect with 5-0 record over the weekend

LSU is 9-0 to start the 2023 season.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 5 LSU Beach Volleyball team won both matches Sunday as they finished the weekend 5-0 in the Tiger Beach Challenge.

“Good weekend at home,” said head coach Russell Brock. “Really everything we could hope for. Perfect weather, good crowds, solid competition. Playing 5 matches over two days and having a roster that could continue to contribute to the success with different lineups is a really important component of navigating the season. We were tested enough to learn more about who we are and did a great job responding to those challenges.”

The sweep of North Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana led LSU to a 5-0 on the weekend and 9-0 overall.

“Next weekend will be a whole new test against a great TCU team,” said Brock. “We will do everything we can to be ready and I’m excited to see how we match up. There’s no doubt that they are one of the best teams in the country, so to play against them at their place will be an important measuring stick for where we are in the process of getting where we want to go.”

LSU will travel to TCU next weekend for the Horned Frog Challenge on Friday and Saturday. The Tigers will take on Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M Kingsville and No. 3 TCU twice before heading home.

The day started with a 5-0 win over North Alabama. Lara Boos and Ella Larkin took care of business on Court 4 winning, 21-15 and 21-11. Cassidy Chambers and Amber Haynes won Court 5, 21-19 and 21-14.

On Court 1 Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank battle it out in three sets winning; 21-14, 18-21 and 15-7. Grace Seits and Parker Bracken won Court 2, 21-13 and 21-19. Hannah Brister and Reilly Allred won Court 3, 21-15 and 21-13.

After a break LSU went to battle against Southeastern Louisiana and came out on top with a 5-0 sweep. All courts won in straight sets. Chambers and Haynes won Court 4 in straight sets, 21-11 and 21-16. Brooke Blutreich and Melia Lindner fought for the win on Court 5 winning, 23-21 and 21-13.

DeBerg and Shank won Court 1, 21-14 and 21-19. Seits and Bracken won Court 2 21-11 and 21-15. Boos and Larkin won Court 3 21-14 and 21-12 to finish out the day.

LSU 5, North Alabama 0

  1. Kylie DeBerg/Ellie Shank (LSU) def. Paula Klemperer/Taylor Seney (487) 21-14, 18-21, 15-7
  2. Grace Seits/Parker Bracken (LSU) def. Mackenzie Martin/Katy Floyd (487) 21-13, 21-19
  3.  Hannah Brister/Reilly Allred (LSU) def. Selma Robinson/Martha McLaurin (487) 21-15, 21-13
  4. Lara Boos/Ella Larkin (LSU) def. Nati Kordt/Jelena Girod (487) 21-15, 21-11
  5. Amber Haynes/Cassidy Chambers (LSU) def. Kati Anderson/Abby Robertson (487) 21-19, 21-14

LSU 5, SLU 0

  1. Kylie DeBerg/Ellie Shank (LSU) def. Mia McKinney/Jolie Hidalgo (SLU) 21-14, 21-19
  2.  Grace Seits/Parker Bracken (LSU) def. Eryn Wilks/Jackie McGee (SLU) 21-11, 21-15
  3. Ella Larkin/Lara Boos (LSU) def. Lauren Schlotzhauer/Meagan Scuderi (SLU) 21-14, 21-12
  4. Cassidy Chambers/Amber Haynes (LSU) def. Alexis Logarbo/Carley Petty (SLU) 21-11, 21-16
  5. Brooke Bluetreich/Melia Lindner (LSU) def. Mabry Ward/Ysabella Lockwood (SLU) 23-21, 21-13