Team USA’s Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss (also known as TKN) have catapulted onto the world stage since going pro in 2021.
The beach volleyball duo went into the Olympics as the No. 2 ranked team in the world. Their goal is to “rewrite the script” of beach volleyball to prove you can succeed in the sport even if you're not training California.
TKN has seen major success at the Olympics so far, beating Canada’s Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec on July 27 and Australia's Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy on July 29. On Thursday, August 1, the duo is playing against China's Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia.
Taryn and Kristen have been playing together since they were students at Louisiana State University. They are a unique pair. Kristen is five feet six inches–the shortest shortest woman to be on the women’s US Olympic Beach Volleyball team since 1996–and Taryn is six feet four inches. But the two have been the dream team since they began playing together in 2020.
After playing together for so long, they began to develop some habits. These days, they have a specific pre-game ritual to ensure their success.
Before a beach volleyball match, referees will call the players to the backline before calling players into the court, Kristen explains. And, every time TKN steps over the backline, they do the same thing.
"Every single time we have played, I have to look at Taryn and I have to say, "Here we go!' and give her a high-five. And then we walk out," Kristen said. They have been doing this since they began playing together at LSU.
Before one game, Taryn stepped over the line before Kristen could high-five her. For the rest of the match, Taryn said she was thinking "We have to win this game because if we don't, it's because I ruined it for Kristen."
Beyond this superstitious ritual, the women also share AirPods when getting ready to play. They said jamming out to the same song helps them get hyped up and get in sync.
"You know when you're listening to something and you're bopping a bit, and then you start sining a little bit–if the other person has no idea what you're listening to, it's not even fun," Taryn said.
Olympics Merch 2024
Ralph Lauren Team USA Closing Ceremony Cap
Ralph Lauren Team USA Polo Bear Jersey Tee
Ralph Lauren Team USA Utility Tote
Skims Cotton Rib Olympic Tank
Skims Signature Swim Olympic Scoop Neck One Piece
Skims Fits Everybody Olympic Scoop Bralette
J.Crew Limited-edition USA Swimming Heritage Fleece Short
J.Crew Limited-Edition USA Swimming Bucket Hat With Ties
Gap Team USA Rugby Polo Shirt
Nike Dri-FIT ADV Basketball Game Jacket
Salomon XT-6 Sneaker
Lacoste Women's 1924 Paris Heritage Sport T-Shirt
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Team USA Socks
Pacsun Olympics Team USA Rings Sport Tube Top
Clutchink Olympics Shirt
Sela Breen (she/her) is the 2024 summer editorial intern at Women's Health. She is a rising senior at Northwestern University, where she studies journalism, international studies and theatre. She previously interned at Dotdash Meredith, worked on the Northwestern campus magazine and contributed to the Northwestern Medill Investigative Program.
