From Sand to Court, Junior Kaylie McHugh Thrives as Dual-Sport Athlete
Aug 13, 2018 | Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS – Leading junior Kaylie McHugh is known not only for her talent in the sand but also for her power on the court.
The only athlete to currently play beach and indoor volleyball at Tulane, McHugh has proven her ability to balance life as a dual-sport athlete and as a student.
McHugh was named one of the first All-Americans in beach volleyball history during the 2018 season and also holds the third-highest single-season digs record for indoor, demonstrating few of her many athletic achievements in both sports.
Initially unable to decide which sport to pursue in college, McHugh made it a priority to choose a school that offered her both and has since proven capable of competing in each.
"I would never call it a struggle doing both. If anything, it's helped me to grow as a player, a student and just a person in general," she said. "I love not having a break. I'm already excited for beach and when it's the spring I'm excited for indoor. It's just this constant grind that I live for."
But transitioning from the court to the sand does come with its challenges, forcing McHugh to adjust her game and adapt quickly to the changing environments.
"The strategy in both games is the biggest difference," McHugh said. "In beach, there's only two people and you have to have a really good game plan and communication with your partner because it's a very different mind game. In indoor, my role is to pass, serve and cover while in outdoor I have to cover, hit, play defense, be the setter, be the hitter and be the passer."
The transferrable skills that McHugh has learned in each of her positions on both teams have proven to help her considerably in her different roles.
"Serving for indoor helps me for beach because the ball comes a lot faster on the court than it does on the sand," she said. "Playing defense for beach helps me for indoor because I move a lot quicker. Going from the sand to the court feels like a cloud."
What McHugh loves most about playing for beach and indoor is having the opportunity to learn something special from each group and then bring that back to both teams.
"I love having two families the most," she said. "They are two completely different personalities in terms of the team and the atmosphere, but that definitely makes me work harder in getting to know them and adjusting to what they like and how they see things. It's really opened my mind to accepting how other players play, see the court and love the game."
The constant support she has received from her family and her coaches has helped McHugh in becoming the athlete and the person she is today.
"I am grateful for my father for being my coach growing up and for my family for always pushing me to be the best I could be. They never gave up on me and fully supported me every step of the way," McHugh said. "My coaches are both so helpful with everything, understanding my love for both sports and how it helps me overall as a player."
Though playing two Division I sports without an offseason can be difficult, McHugh embraces the challenge and uses it to motivate her both academically and athletically.
"I never look at it as a job but as an opportunity many athletes don't get. I don't ever try to think, 'I'm playing two sports, this is difficult,' I try to rise above that and think, 'I'm playing two sports, be thankful for this opportunity,'" she said. "It's an awesome experience and I honestly wouldn't trade it for the world. No matter how hard it can be at times, I've learned to love the process."
