Life’s a beach. At least, for Katie Pyles, senior graphic design major and captain and setter for NSU’s women’s volleyball team.
Pyles, a Colorado native, came to NSU because of her passion for beach volleyball. She went on to talk about playing volleyball for NSU and how the sport has influenced her life.
How did you get into volleyball?
“I was probably 14 the year I started. It was just a family friend who introduced me. I probably started playing just doubles on the grass, so like two and two, just for fun.”
Why do you play volleyball?
“I enjoy the competitive part of it…my favorite thing about volleyball is once the game is over there’s always another one, no matter if it’s playing on the beach for fun, with family, or competing for a championship.”
Have you had any influential coaches?
“I got in a lot of trouble my freshman year of high school, and one club coach, who was actually the director of the club…he was like, ‘Well, figure it out or you can’t play for my club,’ and that’s exactly what happened. He was a big push in showing me that there were college scholarships. I wouldn’t have even been here or been recruited if it weren’t for him being like, ‘You have potential and you could play in college.’ So I worked with him as much as I could. Every day when everyone else was at school I was in the gym.”
Why did you decide to play with NSU?
“They recruited me. I knew I wanted to come someplace where there was a beach, because of beach volleyball.”
What’s been your proudest achievement in volleyball?
“Making the national team, the USA Beach National Team…that was pretty exciting. It opened up a lot of doors and I met a lot of different people.”
What’s the most difficult thing about volleyball?
“As much as I hate to say it, it’s the mental part of it. You just have to forget about the last point. It’s tough. It’s probably the only sport where you stop in between every play and reflect on what’s happened even though you shouldn’t. It’s that quick turnaround that’s tough, especially when you have six people who are all thinking something different…That’s probably the hardest part: to get everyone to forget about it and move on to the next point in literally 30 seconds.”
What are your plans for after college?
“I’m going to go to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix to get my master’s in business.”
What do you like to do when you’re not playing volleyball?
“I enjoy my art, whether it’s school-driven or not. I like to go to yoga, and I love the outdoors and doing anything outside. The beach, obviously. [Although] coming from Colorado it’s hard to be here and not hike and stuff.”
Has playing volleyball influenced your life?
“Absolutely. I mean, that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to play professionally. The beach game is a little different because it’s more like a lifestyle. You go around and you travel and hopefully I’ll be able to travel around the world…[Volleyball’s] opened my eyes. I’ve meet a lot of people, like through the [national team].”
Caption: Katie Pyles is the captain of NSU’s women’s volleyball team.
Credit: M. Shattuck
