"Volleyball was the complete opposite" - Merritt Beason makes feelings known on her transition from gymnastics to the team sport

Merritt Beason revealed she fell in love with volleyball's team aspect after transitioning from gymnastics, which is largely an individual sport. The outside hitter is fresh off an impressive collegiate career and was drafted as the No.1 overall pick by Atlanta Vibe.

Beason was speaking during an interview with USA Volleyball and revealed that she used to do gymnastics before transitioning to volleyball. When asked how she fell in love with the sport, she replied:

"I would say my first club season. So, even at the age of 12, coming from gymnastics, which was such a perfectionist sport and an individual sport. Volleyball was like the complete opposite, like you only score points making mistakes, and then you are playing with a team, and it's so team-reliant that it was like so new for me, and I was like okay." [11:30 0nwards]

The 21-year-old further pointed out that she loved being with her teammates, which was one reason why she decided to make a career for herself in volleyball.

"I loved that aspect of it, just like being around girls all the time like you have to rely on each other, so I really loved the relationship aspect of it," Merritt Beason added.

Beason played club volleyball for Alabama Performance and went on to become the first-team all-state selection in Alabama in 2020 for Gardendale High School and has never looked back since. She made her collegiate debut with the Florida Gators during the 2021-22 season and registered 217 kills in her freshman year.

She scored 348 kills in the following season before transferring to Nebraska for her remaining two years. Beason registered a career-high 455 kills in her first year at Nebraska and led them to the 2023 NCAA Finals. She scored over 300 kills last year as well and was drafted as the No.1 overall pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation, which made its debut this season in the US.

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"This is huge" - Merritt Beason on being drafted by Atlanta Vibe

Merritt Beason during the Division I Women's Championship - Teams vs Team - Source: Getty

Merritt Beason established herself as one of the best college volleyball players during her two years in Nebraska, and it wasn't a surprise when Atlanta Vibe used their No.1 overall pick on her. The 21-year-old termed the introduction of the league a huge moment for American volleyball players and said she was excited to be able to stay close to her home, which wouldn't have been possible earlier.

"Yeah, I mean. This is huge. Having a draft and obviously having Pro leagues in America is huge. It was something that wasn’t an option a few years ago and a lot of girls that came before me didn’t have the option to play here in the US. So, I’m super excited obviously to be staying in the US but also to be close to home," she said.

Beason made her professional debut on January 10 last month, against the Omaha Supernovas. She has since registered an impressive 108 kills with a 35.8% hit percentage and 48 digs in the 35 sets she has played in so far.