SAN DIEGO — Six athletes with Southern California roots are gearing up to play beach volleyball in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
From San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange and Los Angeles counties, the players will represent Team USA in a game that got its start in their home state.
A variation of beach volleyball first appeared in Santa Monica in the 1920s, according to the official website for Paris 2024. Hundreds of players competed in the first beach volleyball circuit in the 1950s on California beaches.
Beach volleyball was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and became an official Olympic sport in 1996 in Atlanta.
Here are some San Diego and Southern California connections to beach volleyball at this year's Olympic Games.
Encinitas native, former NBA player
Chase Budinger grew up in Encinitas and went to Carlsbad's La Costa Canyon High School in the San Dieguito Union High School District.
Budinger told CBS 8 that growing up in Encinitas played a big part in his beach volleyball success.
"Living in a beach town and learning the game at Moonlight Beach gave me the passion to want to pursue this sport," he said via email.
Budinger played basketball for three years at the University of Arizona and started his professional career with the Detroit Pistons in 2009. He played in the NBA for seven years, retired in 2017 and started his professional beach volleyball career the following year. He is the first former professional basketball player to qualify for the Olympic Games in beach volleyball.
His recognition in both sports started early.
Budinger was named Volleyball Magazine National High School Player of the Year in 2005. In 2006, he was co-MVP with Kevin Durant for the McDonald's High School All-American Basketball Game. The same year, he won the 18s division of USA Volleyball Boys National Championships, as MVP.
Budinger remembers playing one of his first doubles games in Moonlight Beach and losing to older pros. They "made it look so easy," he recalls. They motivated him, helping him realize the importance of the fundamentals of the game.
"It’s a lifestyle," he told NBA.com of his love for beach volleyball. "You get to come to the beach every day. This is your practice facility. You get to come spend a couple hours in the sun and play beach volleyball, put on some tunes and practice."
More Southern California ties
Budinger is currently based in Hermosa Beach, along with his partner for the 2024 games, Miles Evans.
A Santa Barbara native, Evans played collegiate volleyball at Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara.
Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, both from Los Angeles County, are ranked fourth in the world.
Benesh went to Palos Verdes High School and played indoor volleyball at the University of Southern California, majoring in communication.
Partain grew up in Pacific Palisades and played indoor volleyball for three seasons at UCLA before leaving to compete for a spot at the Olympics. The 22-year-old will be the youngest U.S. player to compete in beach volleyball at the Olympics.
Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, partners for Paris 2024, grew up in Orange County and graduated from USC, too, playing in USC's beach volleyball program.
The duo led USC to win two NCAA titles in 2016 and 2017. They went on to win the 2023 world championships.
Hughes grew up in Costa Mesa. She studied business administration as an undergraduate at USC and received her master's degree in entrepreneurship and innovation. The Paris games will be her first time competing in the Olympics.
Cheng graduated high school in Placentia a semester early to join USC's beach volleyball program. This will be her second Olympic Games — she tied for 9th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Sarah Sponcil.
See the beach volleyball schedule for Paris 2024 here.
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