BATON ROUGE – The LSU beach volleyball team has announced the addition of four players to the team, one coming in as a transfer and three coming by way of the LSU indoor team, coach Russell Brock announced Monday, finalizing the team’s roster for the upcoming season.
After being named to three different All-America teams following her senior campaign, Taryn Kloth will transfer to LSU in the spring semester to join the Tigers after finishing up he indoor volleyball career at Creighton University. The All-American accumulated over 1,000 career digs at Creighton. A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kloth took home the Big East Championship MVP after leading her team to a 3-2 win over Marquette in the championship match of the 2017 Big East Tournament. In the prior season, Kloth lead the Blue Jays to the NCAA Elite Eight, earning her honorable mention All-American honors. Kloth is a three-time member of the Creighton Dean’s list and a three-time member of being named to the Big East All-Academic team.
“Taryn brings the ultimate level of volleyball experience and has performed in the brightest spotlights on the indoor volleyball stage,” said Coach Brock. “She has all the skills and tools necessary to make an elite blocker. We are excited to help her transition to the beach game and can’t wait to see how she impacts our program.”
Three seniors from the LSU indoor volleyball team will also join the beach squad to finalize the roster; Katie Kampen, Toni Rodriguez and Olivia Beyer.
Kampen was a defensive specialist during her indoor career where she accumulated over 380 digs and over 45 aces. Kampen helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, the first postseason appearance for LSU since 2014. Kampen has accomplished just as much off the court as she has on the court. Reigning from Metairie, Louisiana, Kampen led the team with the most community service hours and was recently named to the SEC Community Service Team.
“Katie came out last year for our Purple and Gold scrimmage and really surprised us with how quickly she improved as the day went along,” explained coach Brock. “Her ball skills and control will be a welcome addition to our daily training and competition. There are few people on campus who are as well respected as Katie and we are delighted to have her come contribute to our success on the sand and to help us build our positive culture.”
Rodriguez, standing at 6-1, was a vital part to the LSU volleyball program. After overcoming a high school knee injury, Rodriguez joined the Tigers in 2014. Throughout her career, Rodriguez played in over 300 sets and tallied over 675 kills. She picked up her first career double-double last season on November 4 against Alabama, gathering 11 kills to go along with 11 digs in the victory. Rodriguez helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, the first postseason appearance for LSU since 2014.
“Toni will bring a passion and intensity that is second to none,” said coach Brock. “She’s been excited to come back out and train, and work to compete, and we look forward to her athleticism in the sand. She is explosive and powerful and her game and beach experience will translate well to our program.”
Beyer is a native of Canton, Michigan, and played an important role for the Tigers on and off the court throughout her indoor career. Since 2015, Beyer accumulated over 500 kills and 275 blocks. During the past season against Georgia on September 21, Beyer had a career-high .500 hitting percentage, tallying 11 kills on 22 attacks and no errors. She recorded a career-high, 14 kills, on November 3, 2017 at Arkansas. Beyer holds the highest GPA among female athletes at LSU with a 4.102 and was recently named a first-team academic all-American.
“Olivia follows up a great indoor career and brings plenty of beach experience as she joins our program,” Coach Brock said. “We expect her to jump right in and enhance our ability to compete at the highest level. Her summers of beach competition and passion for the sport have put her in a position to contribute in a big way.”
Article Courtesy of LSU Sports Information Department
