Kristen Nuss

Last updated

Kristen Nuss
Personal information
National teamUnited States
Born (1997-12-16) December 16, 1997 (age 26)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma mater Louisiana State University
Years active2021–present
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Sport
Sport Beach Volleyball
College team LSU Tigers
Turned pro2017
Partner Taryn Kloth (2021–present)
Achievements and titles
Highest world rankingNo. 2 (Dec 2023)
Medal record
Women's beach volleyball
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Tlaxcala Beach
World Tour Finals
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Doha Beach
World Tour
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Coolangatta Beach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Kusadasi Beach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 La Paz Beach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Uberlandia Beach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Espinho Beach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Gstaad Beach
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Hamburg Beach
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Paris Beach
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Brasilia Beach
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Gstaad Beach
AVP Tour
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2021 AtlantaBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2022 AustinBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2022 ChicagoBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2022 PhoenixBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2023 AtlantaBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2023 ChicagoBeach
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2024 Huntington BeachBeach
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 New OrleansBeach
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2021 ChicagoBeach
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2023 New OrleansBeach
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2023 Huntington BeachBeach

Kristen Nuss (born December 16, 1997) [1] is an American beach volleyball player, currently competing in the FIVB World Tour/Pro Beach Tour. She competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Taryn Kloth.

Contents

Early Life

Nuss was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana to Audrey and George. She is the youngest of four children, with older brothers Pete, Jeffrey, and Jordan.

Nuss was a multi-sport athlete throughout high school, leading Mount Carmel Academy to three indoor volleyball and two basketball state titles [2] , though beach volleyball was the sport she enjoyed most [1] . Nuss was a LHSAA Division I MVP and Gatorade Player of the Year candidate for indoor volleyball [3] .

College

Nuss attended Louisiana State University starting in 2017 and quickly found success on the sand with fellow freshman Claire Coppola. The pair accumulated nine wins over NCAA ranked teams, including seven against top-10 ranked teams. At one point during their freshman season, they won 20 of 21 matches, finishing with a 27-7 record and being named to Volleyballmag.com's All-America team. The pair's success grew in following seasons, compiling records of 31-8 and 33-4 over the following two seasons, winning the USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championship, CCSA Pair of the Year, AVCA All-America honors in back-to-back years. They were the first pair to win consecutive CCSA Pair of the Year awards. Their junior season also saw them top the Tigers' individual wins list at 81. Their 2020 season saw them reach the 100 wins mark, becoming the third pair to do so behind USC's Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng and UCLA's Megan and Nicole McNamara [3] .

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nuss began training with Taryn Kloth, an indoor volleyball player for Creighton who had transferred to LSU. Despite having never played beach volleyball before [4] , the pair went on to finish the 2021 season with a 36-0 record, the second ever team to complete an undefeated season and the NCAA title.

Nuss graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology, finishing her college career as one of the most decorated NCAA beach volleyball players ever with 136 total victories, three CCSA Pair of the Year and AVCA All-American awards, two USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships, and Volleyballmag.com Player of the Year.

Professional Career

2021–2023: Beginnings and Olympic Qualification

Nuss and Kloth turned professional upon graduating in 2021, with the goal of qualifying for the Olympics in Paris, but opting to keep their base in New Orleans instead of moving to Southern California. They initially struggled to qualify for international tournaments, but eventually broke through with Gold in the 2022 BPT Coolangatta Futures [5] . Shortly thereafter, the pair beat the Tokyo Silver Medalists, Australians Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy, en route to the Gold at the 2022 BPT Kusadasi Challenge (21-12, 17-21, 17-15) [2] [6] .

The pair started 2023 with wins in two of their first four World Tour tournaments, and followed it up with three medals in five tournaments during the European leg of the tour schedule. In the World Championships, the pair reached the semifinals, losing in three sets to their American counterparts Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes. They rematched with the Australian Olympic silver medalists Mariafe and Clancy to win bronze (15-21, 21-19, 15-8) at the World Championships. Nuss and Klothe then cruised to win Gold at the World Tour Finals, not dropping a single set, to reach the No. 2 FIVB ranking and qualify for the Olympics in Paris.

2024: Olympics

Nuss participated in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Kloth.

Personal life

Her grandfather, Ralph 'Putsy' Caballero, played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944, becoming the youngest ever player for the franchise at the time at age 16 [1] .

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kristen Nuss" . Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Who Are Olympic Beach Volleyball Players Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss? All About the Dynamic Duo". NBC Insider Official Site. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Kristen Nuss". LSU. July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ↑ "From LSU to Paris: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth's unlikely path to the Olympics". NCAA.org. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Kristen Nuss". USA Volleyball. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ volleyballworld.com. "Kuşadası, Türkiye - challenge - Beach Pro Tour 2022 - Schedule & Results". volleyballworld.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.



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