As spring sports kicked off with tryouts during January, beach volleyball is now in full swing. The team is led by Coaches Tia Pappapietro and Christopher Yee. This is Pappapietro’s second year coaching beach volleyball, but it is her first time as a head coach at NDB.

Beach volleyball is a fairly new sport at NDB. Many schools do not have access to beach courts, yet NDB is fortunate to have four courts right on campus. After school, athletes make their way to the courts to start warming up. With the stress of school, the sport gives students time to wind down as well as exercise.

Beach volleyball is a great sport with low stress. Rather than feeling pressured to perform for the entire team, athletes play in teams of two. The sport is very independent, due to a different coaching style that indoor volleyball has.

While the sports are both generally the same, beach and indoor volleyball each require different techniques. Because indoor requires teams of six, there is an emphasis on power of athletes’ swings and the location of the digs.

It is the opposite for beach volleyball. Athletes are coached to focus on their placement of their attacks and to pass high up, so their partner can reach the ball with ease. Because there are no designated positions in beach volleyball, all players are coached on passing, setting and hitting. This makes the sport great for enriching all of the skills used in volleyball. Many indoor volleyball players play beach volleyball to improve their ball control.

Sophomore Adrianna Agresti plays both beach and indoor volleyball.

“Beach volleyball takes a lot of control because there is only one other person on your team,” Agresti shared. “It’s a good sport to play at the same time as indoor because it helps me to focus on skills that I always use.”

Weather is also a factor of beach volleyball, which does not affect indoor volleyball. With the heavy rainstorms that have hit the Bay Area this year, many of the practices have been canceled. These circumstances have brought great exposure to the athletes. Playing beach volleyball calls for the ability to perform in any weather conditions, just as every outdoor sport does. Wind is an aspect that can make or break the game, and rain changes the sand conditions, making the sand cold and stiff.

Although the extreme weather has been taxing on the beach volleyball athletes, it has given them the experience they need and helps to prepare them for the rest of the season ahead.