Chattanooga Mocs Beach Volleyball Still Jamming

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Beach volleyball at UTC has been growing quickly in the four seasons since its inception.

News 12’s Brian Armstrong talks with players and coaches about the program and what it’s like to be a part of it.

Head coach Darin Van Horn: If you like sports and you like competitiveness, there’s always usually at least one court that’s pretty competitive, pretty close.

Neva Clark started playing beach volleyball because of her dad.

Said Clark: And he was like, I stopped dancing, and he told me that you need to do something. So I like the beach. And I liked indoor volleyball, and he was like, let’s try beach volleyball. And I’ve loved it ever since.

Now she plays for Chattanooga. As beach volleyball continues to grow at UTC in popularity and success, as it enters its fourth season.

Said Clark: It has grown drastically. I think our fan base is getting a little bit bigger every year. I think the sport as a whole in this region is getting bigger and bigger. You’re seeing it at the lower levels as well as the collegiate levels. So between club and collegiate, I think people are really making a push to make this a really relevant sport.

If you’re new to beach volleyball, there are a few things you need to know, like how different it is from indoor volleyball.

Said Clark: I think the biggest misconception about beach volleyball is that it’s way different than indoor. It’s a completely different sport. There are just two of you out there. The rules are way different. Adapting to the elements can be challenging sometimes, but we have tips and tricks for everything. When the wind’s blowing, like today, we know what the good side is. We know when to hit it into the wind, and how to use the wind to benefit our game.

Said Van Horn: You only have two people instead of six. I think a lot of ball control goes a long way, whereas indoor it’s kind of who’s the biggest, who hits the hardest a lot of the time. Whereas beach, there are a lot of different styles that you can play with and still be successful.

Clark: And the beach volleyball atmosphere is completely different from indoor. It’s so light-hearted. The refs also are awesome, and so chill. Just a great place to be.

Music in between is typical in many sports, but in beach volleyball, it becomes part of the game.

Said Clark: I would say most of the time it’s white noise. But if a tune comes on that I love, I’m jamming while I’m playing.