Taryn Kloth to represent Team USA in beach volleyball, Creighton as first female Olympian
The former Bluejays All-American ‘blessed’ for opportunity to make history in Paris
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Former Creighton volleyball star Taryn Kloth is headed to Paris to compete in beach volleyball for Team USA.
“Representing USA and those three letters and everything that it means,” she said. “It’s so cool.”
She just never thought it would come in beach volleyball.
“I did not see myself as a beach Olympian ever,” she said. “That was never in my idea of what I wanted to do.”
Kloth was a two-time All-American outside hitter at Creighton, leading the Jays to four NCAA Tournament berths, including the Elite 8 in 2016.
She then used her remaining eligibility to play beach volleyball at LSU in 2019, where she experienced a bit of a learning curve.
“I was mortified because I was so horrible. It was embarrassing,” she said. “I couldn’t walk in the sand. I couldn’t jump. Someone would set me a ball and I would hit it into the bottom of the net every time. I think it took a year, year and a half until I realized that I could actually do this.”
Kloth went undefeated in 2021 for the Tigers alongside partner Kristen Nuss. The duo turned pro together, culminating in this moment at the Paris Olympics.
“To be able to put that jersey on every single time, it is very special to me,” she said. “They hand you the jerseys right before you play and when you see USA on one side and your name on the other, you’re like ‘alright, we have an opportunity here.”
An opportunity, to not only represent her country, but her alma mater as Creighton’s first female Olympian.
“That’s really special because there are a lot of people before me that did not get the same opportunities as me,” she said. “There are so many people and so many female athletes that made all of this happen. Honestly, just very grateful towards them and very grateful that Kirsten picked me to come to Creighton.”
When to watch: Taryn and Kristen leave for Paris this weekend, giving them a full week to get acclimated to the time difference. Competition begins Saturday, July 27. Tune into the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC 6 News.
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