LSU beach volleyball’s Claire Coppola and Kristen Nuss have been deemed one of the best beach volleyball duos in the nation.
Coppola and Nuss were originally paired in the fall of 2017 after never being paired in the preseason practices. The first time the two were in the sand together, it was automatic chemistry.
“It was pretty immediate,” Nuss said, “Preparing for season, we were like, ‘We’re probably not going to play together,’ and then in our Purple and Gold Scrimmage, they put us together and it worked.”
The two complement each other in every aspect. Coppola is a stellar blocker while Nuss is a great defender.
LSU coach Russell Brock said Coppola’s transition-setting skills are her greatest talent. Those skills allow Coppola to make an attack off of a mediocre dig, which can lead to an attack. Nuss gets the opportunity to be an effective player after the defensive plays.
The two also have contrasting personalities that balance each other both in and out of the sand. Coppola is known to be more rowdy, and Nuss is known to be more calm. During a match, this evens everything out so both can be aggressive enough to make the attacks.
“In the grand scheme of things, you wouldn’t necessarily want to put two freshmen together their first year and play them high in the line up, but we knew from a mental perspective that they could handle it,” Brock said. “A lot of pieces fit in as the decision-making was going on. Every time we put them together, they were successful and played well.”
In the preseason, LSU competed in the Rally Volleyball Collegiate Beach Bash. It was there that Coppola and Nuss went undefeated, ultimately leading the Tigers to a victory. Even with the amazing stats the two put up, Brock wasn’t surprised.
“They’re clearly capable,” Brock said. “They played some of the best teams in the world in their age group over the summer and that builds confidence. They went into those events knowing they were good, but not knowing how good they really are. To have that success, just sets you up for a great confidence.”
Over the summer, Coppola and Nuss were able to represent the USA in the FISU World University Games in Munich, Germany. The opportunity came up after they won USAV Collegiate Beach Championship. The two trained with Team USA in California throughout the whole summer.
This environment helped mold the players into who they are today, both on and off the court. Their work ethic has increased, as well as their passion for the game. Both are excelling in practices, in competitions, in the classroom and in the locker room.
“[Coppola is] organized,” Brock said. “She’s somebody that has committed to being excellent in the sand for our program. She’s committed to being excellent in the classroom. She’s being a better leader so she doesn’t just hold herself accountable. She’s also learning how she can make her teammates better. She just great across the board.”
“One of the most amazing things about [Nuss], is when you see her on the court, it doesn’t matter who she’s playing with, who she playing again, nothing ever changes,” Brock said. “She doesn’t take it easy, she doesn’t slack up and she doesn’t take it lightly. She’s looking to wring every last drop of opportunity out. I can’t say anything bad about either of them.”
Going into the season, the two are focused and determined. It has yet to be released if they will continue as a duo, but either way they are ready for the season to start. Each have individual focuses they have been working on since practiced started.
“I think being consistent, just being able to hit good shots the majority of the time and minimizing our mistakes,” Coppola said on what she has been working on. “When you get to that level it can come down to a couple points.”
“Just improving all aspects,” Nuss said.” “For me specifically, probably serving. That’s something I definitely need to work on because at the higher levels you have to have a good serve.”
Everyone has high expectations for this duo and this season. The main goal is to go to the National Championship and that is achievable, Nuss said. With a deep team, the Tigers are excited for what’s to come.
“Their expectation and our expectations are to win them all,” Brock said. “It’s really tough to do. It hasn’t, maybe ever been done, but that would be the expectation. It’s fun. Every year as our program matures, we get deeper and deeper so we get more players that are capable.”