"Beach is tough" - Ex-Nebraska Volleyball player Ally Batenhorst opens up on her volleyball transition after Huskers alumni match

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Ally Batenhorst talked about her transition from beach volleyball to indoor after the Nebraska Alumni match on August 16, 2025. Batenhorst and her fellow ex-Huskers posted great performances but fell to the Huskers in straight sets.

Aly Batenhorst, who played as an outside hitter till her junior year at the University of Nebraska, transferred to USC in her senior season. She was also drafted by the Pro Volleyball Federation later in 2024 and signed her first professional contract with the Omaha Supernovas on December 11, 2024.

She has recently transitioned to beach volleyball, pairing with world champion Sara Hughes, after the latter parted with her previous partner, Kelly Cheng. The ex-Nebraska Volleyball player graced the court of her alma mater for the alumni match on August 16, 2025. She led the alumni with 13 kills, while Lindsay Krause and Lauren Stivrins recorded 12 and 10 kills, respectively.

Despite their best efforts, the alumni couldn't secure the win, falling to the Huskers 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 17-25, 25-22). In a post-match press conference, Batenhorst opened up about her shift from beach to indoor and how the training has taken a toll on her physical health.

"At first I was super super like my timing was super off and then I adjusted and figured it out and it was like riding a bike and figured it out. But definitely a transition. Beach is tough, and we've been training super hard, so I'm pretty sore, but it was good." (via Hail Varsity YouTube)

The alumni match at the Bob Devaney Sports Center recorded 8,371 fans on Saturday night.

Ex-Nebraska Volleyball player Aly Batenhorst opened up on leaving her indoor and pro career to pursue beach volleyball

Batenhorst at the 2023 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship - (Source: Getty)

Aly Batenhorst was on to a great season with the Omaha Supernovas, having made her mark with a franchise record .667 hitting percentage and 10 kills in a match against Vegas Thrills in April 2025. But she made a career shift shortly after, pairing with Sara Hughes for beach volleyball.

Talking about her career transition, the outside hitter once sat in a conversation with NBC, sharing:

"I would say it's like a completely different sport. You have to learn little things like wind and you're outside and it's only two of you, so little things like that are an adjustment for sure. But at the end of the day, it’s volleyball.”

Ex-Nebraska Volleyball player, Batenhorst, was approached by Hughes on Instagram for the beach partnership. The two share a common interest in music, education, and faith, and both attended USC.

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder