Kloth and Nuss Cruise Through Beach Volleyball Olympic Pool Play

PARIS – Former LSU Beach Volleyball stars Taryn Kloth and Kristen finished play in Pool B undefeated, taking down the Chinese pair of Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi of China in three sets on Thursday to advance to Round of 16 which begins single elimination at the Olympics.

Team TKN, the No. 2 ranked duo in the world, finished Pool Play 3-0 after a comeback victory against China after dropping the first set and then having to wait through a weather delay. Kloth and Nuss, playing all three of their pool play matches at 10 p.m. Paris time, have shined brilliantly alongside the Eiffel Tower.

On Kloth’s birthday in 2022 when the duo was still scraping to gain international points for a chance to reach the Paris Olympics, Nuss presented her with a special gift. It was an ankle bracelet that read TKN 8/11/24, the day of the closing ceremonies. Nuss told Kloth, “By this day this day, we will be Gold Medalists.”

Now that goal truly takes focus, four victories away from rewriting the script. Kloth and Nuss will play in the Round of 16 which will take place on Sunday and Monday. The official schedule will not be set until all of Pool Play concludes.

In their Olympic debut on Saturday, Kloth and Nuss took down Canada’s Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec in straight sets, 21-17 and 21-14. Nuss had 15 points on 14 kills and an ace, and Kloth scored 13 points on 10 kills and three blocks. Nuss also finished with 17 digs, showing her prowess as the world’s best defender in the sport. Despite the sweep, Kloth and Nuss still felt like they could play better.

“I would certainly say we are perfectionists and nothing is every going to be good enough,” Kloth said. “There are always more things to work on. But yes, it was nearly, exactly what we wanted.”

In TKN’s second match in Eiffel Tower Stadium, Kloth and Nuss faced off against Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho who claimed the Silver Medal just a few years ago in Tokyo. Kloth and Nuss first defeated the Australian pair in May of 2022 which, at the time, felt like an upset.

“Two years later, at the Paris Olympic Games, the only shocking thing would be if Australia beat Nuss and Kloth,” Travis Mewhirter wrote for VolleyballMag.

Kloth and Nuss were at their best against the Austalians on Monday, once again winning in straight sets, 21-16 and 21-16. Nuss registered a double-double with 14 points (12 kills, 2 aces) and 16 digs. Kloth joined Nuss with 12 kills and added four digs.

Thursday’s match against China marked the first time in the Olympics that Kloth and Nuss faced and true adversity, dropping the opening set, 15-21. They promptly won the second set in the rain, 21-16, to force a third. TKN was up 3-2 in the third set when the weather got too extreme to continue. But a 45-minute delay would not cool off the Americans who shut the door in the third set, 15-12. Kloth finished with 23 points (21 kills, 2 blocks). Nuss had another double-double with 16 points (14 kills, 2 aces) and 11 digs.