Team U.S.A Beach Volleyball Teammates Share Special Bond Heading To Paris Olympics
Jul 17, 2024, 5:16 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Team U.S.A. beach volleyball teammates Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes are no strangers to each other after playing together collegiately at USC. Add that this duo partnered from 2013 to 2018, and the former Trojans become one of the more experienced teams heading to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
A gold medal earned at the 14th Beach Volleyball World Championships in October secured a berth in the women’s beach volleyball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The win also etched their names in U.S. women’s volleyball history as the fifth pair to win a world championship and the first since 2009.
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From California to the Eiffel Tower. ✈️
Like Joe Manganiello said, no matter where the beach is, world champions Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes ARE the vibes. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/qCZ13GKHmK
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 26, 2024
Hughes and Cheng discussed the importance of communicating in their second go-around together.
“Teamwork is a huge part of our sport,” the three-time NCAA champion Hughes said. “There’s two people out there on the court; communication is key.”
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“Constantly growing up, I was trying to compete with my siblings, and they’re not terribly competitive,” Cheng said with a smile. “I’d just be pushing their buttons and wanting to compete.” Cheng was a 2015 AVCA national championship team member and played on two NCAA national title teams (2016, 2017) with USC.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
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