Sarah Sponcil

Sarah Sponcil fell in love with beach volleyball at age 8; basically the first time she hit the dirt courts of Phoenix. After three indoor and beach seasons at LMU, Sarah transferred to UCLA and led the Bruins to their first (and only) National Championships in 2018 and 2019. Having made a name for herself as arguably the best collegiate defender, Sarah partnered up with USC rival Kelly (Claes) Cheng and experienced immediate and astounding success. The young duo became a formidable force on the AVP and the World Tour. Sarah and Kelly were thought to have no chance at qualifying for the Olympics; they just had too much ground to make up for in too little time. But in the eleventh hour of the Tokyo Olympic qualification period, Team Slaes defied the odds, winning the final two FIVB events and clinching the Olympic berth. They became the youngest team in history to represent the USA in beach volleyball and earned 9th place. Sarah and partner Terese Cannon won their first AVP title together at the 2022 Hermosa Open in front of Sarah’s entire family.

Sarah loves volleyball, but it’s certainly not her whole life. Most of the time, you can find her laughing (loudly) with friends and family, riding a unicycle, watching the Bachelor, or standing in line waiting for her Avocado Quinoa salad at Mendocino Farms or a sample at Costco. She is also obsessed with Mexican food, primarily because of the free chips and guac (and margs on the weekends). Despite being in the sand 24/7, she prefers tennis shoes over sandals any day of the week. And yes, she knows this makes her a freak.