Imagine being invited to train for an entire month with an Olympic team. That is exactly what happened to Pennsylvania resident and Keystone Region member Sarah Wood this past January. Wood was one of two up-and-coming beach volleyball athletes invited to train with Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss who will represent the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.
Wood comes from a volleyball family, her parents met while playing and subsequently, Sarah and her two siblings grew up playing volleyball. After competing in club volleyball for a few years, Sarah discovered a love for beach volleyball because of the relaxed and friendly atmosphere it offered, as well as the ability to do what she loves in the outdoors, especially on the beach.
She quickly garnered notice as a rising star by winning tournaments around the country in open divisions beginning at age 13 and becoming a main draw on the Pro Tour at the age of 14. Wood is currently on both the U19 and U21 USA Volleyball National Teams, training with them throughout the year and traveling abroad to compete.
Now home-schooled to accommodate her volleyball career, last year as a freshman she had the privilege of playing for her high school team with both of her sisters. Her oldest sister, now playing beach for the University of Miami, and Sarah were a dominating duo on the court last year. This year, she cheered on her middle sister, currently a senior, from the sidelines.
When not training or competing, Sarah spends time in the gym cross-training and doing High-Intensity Interval workouts to keep her strong and fit. She says she learned a tremendous amount during her month-long training with Kloth and Nuss in California, especially the importance of footwork. She hopes to make the Olympic team in 2028 or 2032 and is currently eyeing the big beach volleyball programs at universities in California and Florida.