PARIS: New Roster Ready for Pool Play at the Paris Games

PARIS, France (July 26, 2024) – With the Eiffel Tower in the background, four U.S. pairs – two women’s, two men’s – will compete in beach volleyball at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Kelly Cheng is the lone Olympic veteran out of the eight players. Cheng tied for ninth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Sarah Sponcil.

Cheng and partner Sara Hughes are joined in the women’s event by former LSU tandem and highest-ranking U.S. pair, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss.

Like Cheng/Hughes, the U.S. men are all California natives: Miles Partain, Andy Benesh, Chase Budinger, and Miles Evans.

Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss

The No. 2 ranked team in the world coming into the Paris Olympics, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss have medaled in four of their last five FIVB tournaments, including a win at the 2023 Beach Pro Tour Finals. Nuss and Kloth have been partners since 2021 and their college career at LSU, where they went a perfect 36-0 in their first year together.

“Just collectively we are very fortunate that we both have very large support systems,” Kloth said. “Having them all be here is definitely going to be very special.”

Kloth and Nuss lead their pool and begin play on July 27 when they face Bansley/Bukovec (CAN) at 1 p.m. PT (10 p.m. local). They then face Mariafe/Clancy (AUS) July 29 at 1 p.m. PT (10 p.m. local), followed by their final pool match with Xue/X.Y. Xia (CHN) on August 1 at 1 p.m. PT (10 p.m. local).

Sara Hughes/Kelly Cheng

Ranked No. 3 in the world, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes guaranteed the U.S. a berth in the Olympics with a win at the 2023 Beach World Championships while consistently staying in the top three of Olympic rankings for the last year. The former college teammates at USC have earned eight medals together on the FIVB Beach Pro Tour since re-partnering in late 2022.

Cheng and Hughes top their pool and begin match play on July 28 at 1 p.m. PT (10 p.m. local time) vs. Hermannova/Stochlova (CZE). They have two days off before their next match against Vieira/Chamereau (FRA) on July 30 at 6 a.m. PT (3 p.m. local). Their final pool match comes against Müller/Tillmann (GER) on August 2 at 1 p.m. PT (10 p.m. local).

Miles Partain/Andy Benesh

Miles Partain and Andy Benesh partnered in late 2022 and have earned seven medals together across FIVB and NORCECA tournaments. Benesh has played with three U.S. Olympians in his career (Phil Dalhausser, Nick Lucena and Casey Patterson), and now makes his Olympic debut alongside Partain, a 22-year-old former standout setter at UCLA who in 2022 became the youngest player to win a gold medal in a major FIVB event.

Partain and Benesh (No. 6) begin pool play on July 27 at 5 a.m. PT (2 p.m. local) vs. Alayo/Diaz (CUB). Their next match is July 30 against Abicha/Elgraoui (MOR) at 6 a.m. PT (3 p.m. local). Their last pool match is August 1 vs. George/Andre (BRA) at 6 a.m. Pacific (3 p.m. local).

Miles Evans/Chase Budinger

Miles Evans and Chase Budinger come to Paris for their first Olympics after partnering in 2023. Budinger made his transition to beach volleyball in 2017 after a seven-year career playing professional basketball in the NBA. The two have earned four medals across FIVB and NORCECA events. They secured the final spot to represent the U.S. in the final four FIVB Olympic points-scoring events of the qualifying period.

“I’m just very grateful that I was able to grind and work hard and play to my best ability to make it to the Olympic Games,” Budinger said. “I’m here to try to represent the United States as best I can.”

Evans and Budinger (No. 13) begin pool play vs. Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA) on July 29 at 7 a.m. PT (4 p.m. local). Their second pool match will be against Boermans/De Groot (NED) on July 30 at 11 a.m. PT (8 p.m. local). Their final pool match is August 2 at 6 a.m. Pacific (3 p.m. local) against Herrera/Gavira (ESP).