COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 1, 2019) – Brittany Hochevar may be best known these days as a U.S. beach volleyball player who competes on the AVP domestic tour and the FIVB World Tour.
But she started her volleyball career as an indoor player for the Colorado Juniors club team and then Long Beach State. She also played on the U.S. National Team and professionally overseas.
Her transition from full-time indoor to full-time beach took time.
“The transition from indoor to beach for me was progressive over five professional indoor seasons,” she said. “I was playing overseas indoor, then I would come back out and play on the beach during the summer months.
“That just became exhausting on the body. So I eventually broke down and had to choose.”
Here are some of the things she says about making the transition:
- You have to rely on yourself more in beach volleyball: “When you’re with your indoor squad, it’s the squad. It’s time in the weight room. It’s time in the dining hall. If you don’t show up on time everybody notices. If you don’t show up on time on the beach, you might have a couple people razzing you, but the accountability is different. It has to come from within.
- You have to work to work on the beach: “I have to dig my own dirt. I literally have to lay my own lines every time, and then go hook it up.”
- To be successful in beach volleyball, do the simple things: “Show up on time. Keep your appointments. Be of your word and work hard. Don’t cut corners. Listen and practice humility and you will get where you’re going so much faster.”
Some other things to think about when transitioning from indoor to beach volleyball
4. More touches: Obviously, with only two players, you are going to touch the ball more in beach volleyball and will need to work on ALL your volleyball skills.
5. More control: Coaches are not allowed to help during beach volleyball matches (except sometimes during timeouts). It is up to you and your partner to decide what to do from play to play. And no coach is going to sub you out if you make a mistake. It’s up to you to set it aside and move forward.