Everyone tends to end up where they are supposed to be. Maybe that’s why one girl from Scottsdale, Ariz. and another from New Orleans came together to become one of the most dynamic beach volleyball pairs in the country and help propel a young program into national prominence.
Being from Arizona, Claire Coppola knew that if she were to leave home it had to be for somewhere where she felt there was a family. That’s what she found at LSU.
LSU found a player with the perfect mentality that it takes to be successful. When coach Russell Brock recruited her, he knew that she was the kind of player from whom he would get every ounce of potential.
For Kristen Nuss, she didn’t have to travel nearly as far as her partner. Being just a short drive down I-10 from campus, Nuss was LSU all the way.
The Tigers’ beach volleyball program was just starting up and LSU was looking for players, so when coach Brock came calling, she was on board.
Standing at 5-6, Brock saw in Nuss a player who made up for what she lacked in size with her hard work to become one of the best defenders in the nation today.
Throughout their freshmen fall semester, Coppola and Nuss never played together. Instead, they spent time playing with more experienced teammates, but as the season came calling so too did the formation of this formidable duo.
At the Purple-Gold Scrimmage one week prior to the start of the 2017 season, Coppola and Nuss played together for the first time as a pair. They had great chemistry off the bat, which has only grown stronger since.
Coppola, who stands seven inches taller than her partner at 6-1, is more of your prototypical beach volleyball player. Her long body allows her to make great blocks at the net. Nuss’ ability to glide across the sand on defense gives Coppola even more confidence to be aggressive at the net.
Coppola’s transition setting ability coupled with Nuss’s court vision and awareness finish the recipe for the dynamic pair that has led LSU to new heights.
Over two seasons, Coppola and Nuss have won 58 matches while dropping only 14 on the top court. They have been named to multiple All-America teams and were named the top pair in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association in 2018. The list of their accolades could go on and on.
The thing about collegiate beach volleyball, though, is that it’s a team sport and the rest of the Tigers have been very good the past two years as well.
LSU has been ranked in the Top 10 for the entirety of two straight seasons and has been one of the final eight teams to compete for the NCAA Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala., in each of those years.
Coppola and Nuss have obviously played a huge part in the success.
“Anytime you can establish a pair where you can throw them out on the court and genuinely expect a win,” said Brock, “that’s a really big piece to the puzzle.”
Another asset that Coppola and Nuss can bring to the team is their level of experience. Two weeks following the NCAA Championship last May, Coppola and Nuss traveled with fellow LSU pairs Olivia Powers and Hunter Domanski, and Megan Davenport and Emmy Allen to compete in the USAV Collegiate Beach Championship in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
The tournament featured the top collegiate pairs in the country from 19 other schools. LSU was one of just two schools to send three pairs to Hermosa Beach.
Coppola and Nuss faltered in pool play, but despite the early loss, found a way to advance to the next round.
“We had a lot of confidence going into it,” explained Nuss. “We knew we could go in and win it.”
The duo went on a run, playing what they described as some of the best volleyball they have ever played. With four consecutive wins, the pair won the entire tournament, which was just the start of a special summer.
Winning that tournament meant being able to represent the USA at the FISU World University games in Munich, Germany.
Coppola and Nuss trained with Team USA during the summer, flying back and forth from home to California for training sessions.
“It was an incredible experience,” said Coppola. “Playing for team USA is something you dream about for your entire life.”
“You had to be on your game every single match,” Nuss echoed. “You couldn’t take any games off, any matches off, any plays off. It was the best competition.”
It was preparation and competition that prepared them for the upcoming season. They have a hunger to continue to keep improving and want to taste even more success. When the top players are that hungry, it only trickles down to everybody else.
“It takes away all excuses,” coach Brock said of the pair’s craving for greatness. “It takes away any opportunity for anybody else to have a reason not to go hard.”
With a new season quickly approaching, the pair of juniors have just one thing on their mind. That’s not only getting back to Gulf Shores, but making more noise when they do.
“We all have that one goal of winning a national championship,” said Nuss. “I think it’s pretty evident at practice and in the weight room. We all want to push each other and we want to get better.”