A DND addict who is full into anime, video games, Dungeons and Dragons and calls herself a Comic Con Conqueror. Does it strike you as someone who could be a world-leading beach volleyball star? A nerd may be, but a star athlete? Hard to believe, but it’s true; we are talking about Kelly Cheng, the beach volleyball prodigy who is representing Team USA and the Paris Olympics. Indeed, Kelly Cheng is a league apart from other athletes.

Cheng, the three-time All-American with USC, has dominated the volleyball court since high school. So, what’s the story behind Cheng, an ace at volleyball and a pro video gamer?

Early Life and Background

Kelly Cheng was born to Paul and Quincy on September 18, 1995, in Fullerton, California. Her father, Pual, was a dab hand at baseball and played for San Diego State. Kelly has two brothers, Ben and Danny, and a sister, Kristi. Unlike Kelly, who shared sporting talent with her father, Kristi instead found her calling in writing and now is a scriptwriter at Warner Brothers Animation.

Education and Early Volleyball Career

Kelly’s volleyball career began its upward trajectory in high school, where she excelled at the game. She joined El Dorado High School in Placentia, California, and made a name in volleyball through her skills in the game. Kelly will eventually earn All-CIF Division 1A, Orange County Register, and All-Orange County first-team honors, further cementing her reputation as a star volleyball player. Her brilliance at the game will take her to the podium at the U19 World Championships in 2013. Kelly, with her partner Sara Hughes, will claim the bronze at the event. Continuing their brilliant run, the dynamic duo will clinch silver at the 2014 U21 World Championships.

College Career at USC

After high school, Kelly Cheng joined the University of Southern California (USC), pushing her volleyball career to the next level. Leaving her old partner Sara Hughes, Kelly joined hands with Alexa Strange to continue her game. Not finding the congruence she shared with Sara Hughes, Kelly returned to her old partner, and the move paid off well.

The duo won the AVCA Pairs National Championship, and Kelly Cheng earned the 2015 AVCA All-American title as well. The partnership will flourish leaps and bounds as the duo will spearhead the USC Trojans to win consecutive NCAA Championships in 2016 and 2017. Kelly would graduate in 2017 with a degree in sociology, but not before claiming the inaugural Pac-12 Player of the Year award and leaving an extraordinary legacy for future students.

Professional Career

The partnership between Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes continued as they stepped into their professional careers as well. The duo rocked the beach and won the 2017 AVP Gold Series Championships in Chicago. The incredible thing is they became the youngest team to win an AVP event—Kelly was 21, and her partner Sara was 22 then. 2018 again saw a split between the dynamic duo as Kelly Cheng joined forces with Sarah Sponcil. The new partnership will bloom into a successful endeavor as they will clinch silver at the 2019 FIVB four-star event in the Hague and also secure a berth in the Tokyo Olympics. Fast forward to the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, and again we saw the magic of Kelly Cheng and Sarah Hughes. Kelly Cheng, alongside Sara, aced the event and won the gold. The duo will also bag a bronze in the 2024 BPT Doha Elite 16, reaffirming that together they are invincible.

Personal Life and Family Values

Kelly Cheng tied the knot with Jordan Cheng, a beach national team independent contractor coach, in 2022. Praising her Christian heritage, Kelly Cheng has expressed gratitude for the strength that God has given to her and her parents’ support on multiple occasions. It’s perhaps her values and her belief system that have propelled her to the unprecedented heights of her game.