Ally Batenhorst (Photos via TikTok and Instagram)
Ally Batenhorst might not be well known in her sport like others, but that will soon change after she was chosen to play alongside an Olympian.

Reigning beach volleyball world champion Sara Hughes is on a quest for an Olympic medal, and she has her sights set on Los Angeles in 2028.

Hughes made her first Olympic appearance last summer in Paris, but she and her partner Kelly Cheng finished tied for fifth.

Cheng and Hughes are going their separate ways ahead of the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Cheng started playing with AVP athlete Molly Shaw in March, and Hughes was on the hunt for a new partner after suffering a severe Achilles tendon injury in January.

She would soon announce her new partner would be professional indoor volleyball player Ally Batenhorst.

This was quite the shocking move since Hughes won the world title with Cheng in 2023.

Batenhorst plays for the Omaha Supernovas in the Pro Volleyball Federation and graduated from USC last season after spending three years at Nebraska.

The 6-foot-5 volleyball star and outside hitter led the No. 6-seeded Trojans to the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament, falling in three sets to No. 3 Texas (26-24, 25-20, 25-22).

However, she is encountering a bit of a problem with the volleyball transition from inside to outside.

Ally Batenhorst Won’t Be Rocking A Bikini On The Beach

Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers outside hitter Ally Batenhorst (14) celebrates with her teammates after scoring against the Omaha Mavericks during the third set at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Ally Batenhorst’s surprise move from hardwood to hot sand with Olympian Sara Hughes flipped U.S. beach volleyball upside down.

Batenhorst is leaving it all behind, embarking on a bold and unexpected journey to chase Olympic gold on the sand.

For fans, we are used to seeing the ladies in the sand and playing in bikini bottoms.

Batenhorst has never done that.

Hughes recently gave a sneak peek of them on the sand, and while she sported a bikini, Batenhorst opted for shorts.

At Nebraska, Ally Batenhorst did not wear a bikini while playing volleyball, just leggings. It is quite the adjustment that she brought attention to.

She does not want to wear a bikini, and she won’t be doing it since it is not required. She caught a ton of backlash over it in her comment section on TikTok.

It turns out that female beach volleyball players can wear a one-piece or two-piece bathing suit, shorts, and/or leggings with sleeved or sleeveless tops, or a full body suit in cold weather.

It appears that Ally Batenhorst is going to at least try out the bikini.