Ally Batenhorst made the change from the inside volleyball to beach volleyball about a year ago. He is still criticized for wearing a bikini during the competition.
Although it took a little getting used to at first, the 23-year-old has come to love the court clothes (or lack thereof) and has learned to ignore the haters.
There is a very big difference between interior and exterior. volleyball. The uniform is part of it!
Who is Ally Batenhorst?
As one of the top recruits in the country, Batenhorst began her college volleyball career at Nebraska in 2021. The 6-foot-5 outside hitter actually played both indoor and outdoor. and outdoors for the Huskers. He posted an all-time record of 39-28 in the arena.
Batenhorst impressed much more in the gym. Nebraska relied on his strong right arm for more than two kills per set over the course of his three seasons in Lincoln. She also finished with 54 digs and 52 blocks as a junior. The Cornhuskers made a strong run in the NCAA Tournament all three years.
And then he went to Los Angeles. Ally Batenhorst transferred to USC In her final year of eligibility, she totaled 1,319 kills (3.94 kills per set) to rank fourth in the Big Ten and was named to the all-conference first team. Her impressive graduate season led to her being picked 15th overall in the 2024 Professional Volleyball Federation Draft. She joined the Omaha Supernovas.
Batenhorst played only one season with the PVF before Sara Hughes called her around this time last year with an interesting proposal. The Paris Olympian wanted to know if the interior professional star would want to return to the arena.
The answer was a resounding yes! Batenhorst decided to pursue the 2028 Olympics on the beach alongside a world champion.
Beach volleyball players wear a bikini as a uniform.
The transition from the gym to the beach has been a unique challenge for Ally Batenhorst. For example, he had to learn how and when to get off the block.
While it may seem like volleyball is volleyball is volleyball, it is not. There are many nuances between indoor and outdoor games. They are two different sports. There will be a learning curve.
However, the Hughes-Batenhorst duo is starting to find its rhythm. And you can’t train raw talent (or height)!
The arena’s newest couple won the bronze medal at the Challenge Tlaxcala in Mexico and the Challenge Bhubaneswar in India. They also finished fifth at the AVP Tour’s Huntington Beach Open.
In addition to the stylistic differences between indoor volleyball and beach volleyball, the uniform is also completely different. Batenhorst admitted that She was still getting used to the bikini. during his first months back in the arena.
Now she loves it. And she doesn’t care what other people think.
In fact, Ally Batenhorst and Sarah Hughes worked with Nike to design their own suits.
See this post on Instagram
Barbie bikinis made their on-court debut in May.
Each country can send a maximum of two sand volleyball teams per gender to the Olympic Games. Batenhorst and Hughes have approximately 12 months to improve their FIVB rankings to the point where they are in the mix for selection. It is very possible. One of the youngest duos in the sport is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with!
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