Beach Volleyball: Pensacola Catholic grad Kayla Carrell leads UT-Martin to NCAA Tournament

This past Monday was a particularly exhausting one for Division I student-athlete Kayla Carrell.

In a day that started with a 7 a.m. wake-up call and final exams, the University of Tennessee-Martin volleyball player embarked on nine hours of travel between bus rides and a plane trip to the Panhandle.

However, when her flight arrived at Pensacola International Airport later in the evening, the Pensacola Catholic alum was stunned to see who was there to greet her. Carrell’s family and roughly two dozen of her biggest supporters, many of whom were holding large signs and posters, welcomed her back home.

“It was literally the best thing ever. I had absolutely no idea,” Carrell said. “To show up back in my hometown and to see how many people I have around me to support me is one of the best feelings. It’s indescribable, it was awesome.”

The reason for Carrell’s visit is for a business trip as her Skyhawks will compete in the NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships in nearby Gulf Shores, Ala..

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Entering as a No. 16 seed after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, UT-Martin plays the University of Southern California, who is the defending champion and the top seed in the bracket, at 12 p.m. Wednesday from the Gulf Shores Main Public Beach.

“It’s honestly so awesome to have all my family and friends right down the road to be able to come and watch me,” Carrell said. “It’s truly rewarding. … It’s been truly hard to get everyone in one place, so to have me right down the road and for us to be together, it’s going to be so awesome.

Still some volleyball in the tank

Carrell had a solid high school career with the Crusaders, earning a spot on the PNJ All-Area first team as a junior and a senior. But when the libero graduated in 2018, she thought her playing days were over.

She didn’t initially chase a playing career at the next level, instead opting for a regular college life studying at Mississippi State University.

“I just wanted to be a normal college student,” Carrell said.

That mindset didn’t last long in Starkville.

Carrell recalls getting the itch to play again during the spring semester of her freshman year. And after a conversation with her father, Clay, the two scanned the college landscape to see what would be the best fit for her.

Enter into the equation UTM head coach Jaclynn Wilson, who offered the rejuvenated Carrell a chance to walk on before the libero eventually earned a scholarship. Grinding her way back into the volleyball scene, the Crusaders graduate not only was given another chance to lace up her sneakers, but an opportunity to quiet some people in town that may have questioned her decision.

“When Coach Jaclynn here gave me the opportunity to come play, it made a lot of people in my hometown question what on earth was I doing,” the junior said. “But this has really had everything come to a head and make it really worth it in the end that I prove to people that I can still play, I can still play at this level and it’s been super awesome to have this opportunity.”

Wilson granted Carrell’s wishes with one condition: in order to play on the hardwood in the fall, she had to commit to playing in the sand during the spring.

'We balance each other out'

There are numerous differences between indoor and beach volleyball.

Beach volleyball utilizes a different ball while there are only two players on the court at one time compared to six for indoor. That means the athletes have to play with much more speed and agility in order to cover more ground.

Lastly, each player has a fair amount of offensive responsibility, which was a change for Carrell, who always has had a defensive role. Understandably, it was quite the adjustment, one that was difficult for her to grasp during her debut season in 2020.

“When that spring rolled around, there were definitely days where I was so frustrated,” she remembered. “I was like, ‘I’m terrible, I suck, this is awful.’ And that probably went on for about a few weeks until I got my feet in the sand. Looking back now, I literally laugh at myself and the way I was in the sand because I’m way better. I’ve grown so much as a player and I think that it’s mentally made me more tough and stronger in those moments where I have to perform for my partner.”

On the cusp of making the NCAA Tournament last season with a conference runner-up finish, the Skyhawks have enjoyed their greatest campaign in their brief history (the program first started in 2017).

UT-Martin completed a 14-8 regular season to earn the top seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Championships. With a pair of 3-2 wins to open the tournament, the Skyhawks were crowned conference champions with a 3-2 victory on Saturday at No. 4 Morehead State.

“At the end of the day, our biggest strength is that we do not give up,” Carrell said. “We will do everything we can to keep that ball alive. And top to bottom, that has been proven through this entire season for us.”

Fourth in the team’s lineup, Carrell and playing partner Addison Conley went a perfect 3-0 during the three days of competition en route to earning OVC Tournament MVP honors.

They’ve been virtually unstoppable together in 2022, setting the program mark with a 24-1 record this season.

“Her and I make a really good pair because we communicate very well," Carrell said. "We are both very strong defensively and offensively, which is very hard to find in a lot of pairs. … We balance each other out and we bring a lot of strength to each other. She actually pulls out the best in me.

“I wouldn’t have (wanted) to play with any other person this season.”

Prior to the conference tournament, Carrell and Conley both were selected to the All-OVC second team. It was the second year in a row that Carrell has earned that honor.

“Show up and shock a lot of people”

UT-Martin had only hours to celebrate its OVC championship before learning it would play USC on Wednesday. The team quickly had to return its focus to the task at hand.

“We spent a few days soaking it in, but when (Monday) came, we knew it was back to business and we’re ready to roll,” Carrell said.

Since fielding a women’s beach volleyball team in 2012, no school has enjoyed more success than USC.

The Trojans have won four national championships, capturing the AVCA crown in 2015 before picking up NCAA titles in 2016, 2017 and 2021. The program also was the national runner-up in 2019.

This season, the Pac-12 champions are 32-1 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. They feature four AVCA All-Americans in Tina Graudina, Hailey Harward, Megan Kraft and Sammy Slater. Graudina has been named a first-team All-American on four separate occasions and represented Latvia in the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

Loaded with height, left-handed hitters and players with plenty of accolades, it’s easy to understand why USC is a heavy favorite against the Skyhawks. But UT-Martin revels in the role of the underdog.

“I know that a lot of people are seeing that we’re a No. 16 seed and we’re playing the No. 1 team in the country. And I know that a lot of people honestly don’t think that anything will happen from that except that we’re just going to get steamrolled,” Carrell said. “But at the end of the day, beach volleyball is such a game that whoever shows up to play that day is going to win. I think that our team is very capable and I have all the confidence in the world. Top to bottom, I think that our team is ready to show up and shock a lot of people.”

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Catholic grad leads UT-Martin beach volleyball to NCAA championships