Kacey Nady knows Oregon beach volleyball’s history well. It’s her third year with the team.
But this year is certainly different, due to the sport earning NCAA designation.
“We always have been competitive, but it definitely takes it to another level,” Nady said. “Just the word NCAA is a big deal. We’re more competitive and better this year, that’s for sure.”
In September 2015 the sport became the NCAA’s 90th championship sport. That brought along a few changes, like a name change (was sand volleyball before) and a Pac-12 Tournament for teams in the conference. Though all but one of the players on the team are indoor players converted to outdoor play, the Ducks have embraced the challenge head on.
“They love it and it’s a stress relief,” head coach Stacy Metro said. “That’s a talk we had to have. The last couple of years we’ve just given them a taste and we were a little more relaxed. While we’re still relaxed, it’s still like ‘Hey, it’s business. You guys have to treat it like business, just like you would indoor.’”
Metro, who has beach volleyball experience, said the team would like to one day have an on-campus facility to practice on. In the three years of the program, the Ducks have practiced on the courts at South Eugene High School.
“Our goal is to get courts on the Gerlinger Lawn, but we haven’t had serious talks about that,” Metro said. “It’s only been batted around.”
So far this season, the Ducks are 2-8. They own wins over Stanford and Portland. They’ll travel to Seattle this weekend for the regular season finale with Washington, before heading to the Pac-12 Tournament in Los Angeles.
“This is such a competitive group we have out here,” Amanda Benson said. “Yeah we’re young and indoor players and probably the tallest beach team around, but for us, we don’t really care who’s on the other side of the net. Whether it’s indoor or outdoor, we’re going to go in and attack them.”
Metro said when the beach volleyball team travels, it’s three Ducks to a hotel room, but when the indoor team travels, it’s two to a room. Beach volleyball uses “whatever is left” from the indoor budget.
Nevertheless, the Ducks feel confident. Over the weekend, they knocked off Stanford for the first time in school history in a 3-2 decision.
“I think we’re doing great for just being indoor players,” Nady said.
Freshman Lindsey Vander Weide, freshly removed from high school, said playing beach volleyball was important to her as she mulled over her college offers.
“It was definitely a big part in my decision to come here, to play beach volleyball as well,” Vander Weide said.
Vander Weide said a she’d like to see the team starting practicing earlier in the spring time and perhaps recruit players exclusively for beach volleyball. That’ll help the Ducks catch up to many of their Pac-12 foes on the sand.
“I want us to be known not as just an indoor school but an outdoor school too.”
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