20 Female Volleyball Players and Their Fitness Tips

What does it take to ace, dig and forearm pass your way to the top? Hard work and a dedication to athleticism, as exemplified bu these amazing female volleyball players. Zhu Ting reflects on the support that ignited her passion for the game, while Sheilla Castro unveils the secret to her success through hard work and determination. Jordan Larson, Ekaterina Gamova, Annie Drews, and others, give you look into their training, fitness routines, and the sacrifices they've made to achieve greatness on the court.

1. Zhu Ting

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Zhu Ting opened up about her success in volleyball in an interview. She says that she had a lot of supportive people encouraging her. "My parents were very supportive of me taking up volleyball. My first coach in volleyball was probably the next person who influenced me and sparked my interest in the sport."

2. Sheilla Castro

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Sheilla Castro revealed the secrets for her success in volleyball in an interview. “I was one of the ones in school that studied all the time. In volleyball, that one that preps more. It’s not like I’m the best because I was born the best. I’m the best because I’m working hard to be the best.”

3. Jordan Larson

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Jordan Larson opened up about what she’s learned from playing volleyball to UsVolleyball.org. “I think the biggest lesson it has taught me is how to be a part of a team. I have been a part of a lot of great teams and many talented players, but the ones that stand out the most are the ones who had to fight and grind to be the best. I think in life things don’t just come to you by chance, you must fight and grind your way to the top.”

4. Ekaterina Gamova

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In an interview on TV Centr, Ekaterina Gamova shared her approach to playing volleyball and what she’s good at. “Ability to see the court. Growth and jump. I can predict where the players will stand. I do not only need strength to play but also the head. The decision must be taken in a split second, and then you can understand it was good or bad. Volleyball pleases me because any action can be corrected in order to come to the desired result.“

5. Annie Drews

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In an interview with Commercial News, Annie Drews revealed how she started playing volleyball. "I started out with just some friends who play volleyball,'' she said. "Obviously, I come from a basketball family, but we have always been a sport-oriented family and volleyball just kind of happened for me. I'm thankful that it did and I haven't looked back.''

6. Kara Bajema

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Kara Bajema opened up about her career in an interview with Volleyball Magazine. “I wouldn’t have changed that for the world,” Bajema said. “To be introduced to some of the best volleyball in the world is a great way to start. And it was like, OK, this is where I am and this is the standard and this is where I need to get to. My choice to go to Poland was that I needed to develop myself a little bit and I needed to take a step back and I think that’s exactly what happened. I had a great coach (Stephane Antiga) who coached me and a good team alongside of me. I think I was able to grow myself and grow my game.”

7. Kim Hill

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In an interview with Jamthegym.com, Kim Hill opened up about how she prepared for being a volleyball player. “Not only does beach expand your game so much as far as ball control and seeing the game better, beach is so much easier on your body than the pounding of indoor. I highly highly recommend to younger plays to not only play beach but to continue playing other sports as long as you can. I know there’s a whole argument around early specialization but I played basketball and volleyball all through high school and I think that’s why I’m nowhere close to being burned out and I’ve been very fortunate as far as injuries go (knock on wood).”

8. Hannah Tapp

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Hannah Tapp opened up about recovering from an injury to VolleyballMag.com. “I’m doing PT regularly, which is, you’re just so used to, when you’re a professional athlete, you work out all the time, and your so used to just being strong, being fit. And then when you just kind of lose all that, you kind of get lost and you have to remember. You just have to remember it’s part of the process.”

9. Rachael Adams

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In an interview with SpaceNK, Rachael Adams opened up about a change she made to her diet. “Back in 2014 when I was playing professional volleyball in Italy, I decided to take the plunge and go dairy-free. I was 24 years old at the time and suffering from acne and heavy inflammation, despite trying literally everything up until that point to ease it. After researching ‘natural ways of curing acne’ I learned about the effect that diet has on our skin, so I eliminated dairy and boom, after a month my skin was 80% clear.”

10. Christa Harmotto Dietzen

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In a 2015 interview with SELF, Christa Harmotto Dietzen opened up about her fitness routine. "In pro sports, it's easy to just look out for yourself," Dietzen says. "But for us, it's about the women to our left and right." She says that she does things like shoulder raises and rotations to help.

11. Kelsey Robinson

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Kelsey Robinson makes sure to eat healthy. Especially during the Olympics. She shared that she likes breakfast bowls with ESPN. “When I'm in California I use fresh avocado or maybe some leftover salsa from tacos we've had the previous night," she says. "If I'm living and playing in Istanbul, I'll use tomatoes, cucumbers and a lot of herbs. It's fun to keep this recipe dependent on the local ingredients you have."

12. Misty May-Treanor

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In an interview with Women Fitness, Misty May-Treanor revealed how she achieved Olympic Gold. “The first Olympics that I played in was the Sydney Olympic Games with Holly McPeak. We finished 5th, so that certainly lit the fire to get back to another Olympics and do better. I believe that the hard work you put into something pays off, I spent many extra hours training because I had a goal and I didn't want to short change myself. My parents, sponsors, coaches, and fans also were factors in my being successful but I also had great teammates.”

13. Kerri Walsh

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Prior to competing in the 2016 Olympics, Kerri Walsh revealed how she stays motivated with her training with GQ. “I do have to keep reminding myself that it’s okay to be a work in progress. If I have a bad game it crushes me, but you can learn and grow a lot as long as you don’t stay in that place of devastation.”

14. April Ross

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April Ross shared some of her favorite workouts with POPSugar. She says that she does a lot of ab workouts. "If you don't first have a strong core, it's hard to do anything else," she explained. "It's always a priority for me." Ross says that she loves hanging knee tucks in particular. “It's super painful, but that's one of the best ones."

15. Sarah Sponcil

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In this post on her website, Sarah Sponcil talked about her training regime. “When I get asked this question about training, there are two different sides of me. One is to stay in shape and continue completing my USA volleyball workouts. The other side of me wants to try new workouts and movements I've never done before or had the time to try. I've always loved challenging my body and throwing some curveballs at it every now and again to work the muscles that never get worked in my day-to-day beach. It's important to do both. Good balance is always a great recipe!”

16. Alix Klineman

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Alix Klineman opened up about her training process to The Zoe Report prior to the 2021 Olympics. “We train about five days a week,” said Klineman. “We have practice for a few hours a day, we lift weights for a couple hours, I see [a physical therapist] for my body and movement training, so that’s another hour of therapy or deep tissue massage. So, it can add up to four to seven hours of commitment [a day]. But, because a lot of these things are very physical, it can be very taxing.”

17. Jen Kessy

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Jen Kessy shared some of her workout tips with USA Today. “I see people at the gym and they’re sitting at their machine and they do five reps or 10 reps, and then they sit there, and they stay on the machine,” she says. “And for me, to burn as many calories and to be as efficient as you can be with your time, let’s say you have one hour. You need to pick three machines, or three exercises, so you’ve got your leg extension, your leg curl and your shoulder press, and then you’re gonna pick a cardio. I’ll do 10 shoulder press, then I go directly to the leg extension, do 10 there, then I go directly to the leg curls, I do those. Then, I’ll go to the bike and do a minute sprint. I do that five times, and then that’s one circuit. By the end of that, you’re toast. That’s one. So then, you do one more and then you do another one, just keep it moving. I’m trying to burn as many calories as possible and trying to be efficient.”

18. Sara Hughes

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Sara Hughes opened up about training for beach volleyball in an interview with VolleyballMag. “You have two options here: you can give up, quit, sulk, why did this happen to me, or you can get better and push it aside, move on, and keep going after what you want, and that’s what I decided to do,” Hughes said. “No matter what happened, I still want this more than anything. I said my peace with it and got back on the volleyball court.

19. Emily Day

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In an interview with AVP.com, Emily Day talked about her daily routine. She says that she makes sure to eat pretty healthy. Day shared her favorite breakfast in the interview. “I don’t start my days with coffee, because I’m fine if I can get up and get a workout in. Breakfast is always Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. Like every single morning, without fail.”

20. Sarah Pavan

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Sarah Pavan opened up about how she honed her volleyball skills as a child to VolleyballMag. “My dad was my club coach and my high school coach until I left for college. He helped develop my technical foundation. He’s very much like me. He’s a perfectionist. I wasn’t allowed to get away with anything or any shortcuts, I was forced to develop my skills at a very high level when I was young. We were in the gym together almost every single day between high school, club, and extra practices, too.”

WNBA star Kelsey Plum is giving fans a look at the typical low-impact workout she swears by. Plum, 29, shared a video of herself wearing her Las Vegas Aces kit of black shorts and a red jersey, going through a functional training mat workout at the gym. “Chop wood 🪵 Carry Water 🪣,” she captioned the post, referencing a Zen proverb. “Love this!” a fan commented. Plum works hard to stay fit and focused—here’s how the athlete prioritizes her health and strength through diet and exercise.

1. low-Impact Training

Plum’s workout regimen is focused on lower-to-no-impact exercises. “I’m just doing a lot more non-impact training,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “A legit swimming workout is as hard as any workout that you’ll do. Those moments definitely improve my cardiovascular system in the off-season and I’ve also just started boxing. I really enjoy that, and I think the cardio element is there in boxing as well. And then I’m really big into Pilates and yoga and that’s not just off-season. In the season I think Pilates and yoga helps you to stay strong and also nimble and flexible.”

2. Basketball Diet

Plum knows how important good nutrition is for her game. “I changed my diet significantly from when I entered college,” she told 2aDays. “I went from eating everything to being a pescatarian. I would advise young players to watch their sugar intake, especially refined sugars. It has a huge negative impact on your body. Also, I would suggest eating for recovery after hard practices. I love chocolate almond milk, with some protein to help your body recover.”

3. Mobility Workouts and Meditation

Plum approaches her training focusing on both inner and outer performance. “In basketball, there’s a lot of different elements that you need,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “You need strength, you need speed, but you need mobility. You need to be able to change direction and so working on those things has helped me to become a better athlete… When I think about being motivated or passionate about things, I really just try to stay present. I try to stay in the moment and whatever is in front of me, whether it’s a workout or whether it’s a game, a lift, I just try to be great in that workout.”

4. Weight Lifting As a Teen

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Plum has been lifting weights since she was a teenager, gradually increasing her workouts with age and athleticism. While it might sound too intense, experts say strength training is perfectly safe for younger people. “I started in middle school; I think I was 13 and lifted three days a week,” she told 2aDays. “Nothing crazy (no squatting or heavy weights), all functional movements, and core strength.”

5. Volleyball Family

Plum broke away from her family’s traditional favorite sport to become a basketball superstar. “Everyone in my family played volleyball,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “But I just didn’t have that passion for it. I just kinda wanted to do something different, so my dad took me to play pick-up when I was a kid, so I just started playing, and I loved it.”

Kerri Walsh is being honored – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the volleyball star shows off her washboard abs in a sports bra. “Excited to announce that I will be honored at the Great Sports Legends Dinner this September! 🎉 It’s a privilege to be recognized alongside so many incredible athletes. Looking forward to an evening of celebration and supporting The Buoniconti Fund’s mission. 🏆 #SportsLegendsDinner #MakingADifference,” she captioned the Instagram post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Volleyball

Kerri’s main form of fitness is volleyball. She does “three hours of beach volleyball practice a day,” she told Muscle & Fitness. According to one study, recreational volleyball played with fewer players on a smaller court can be an effective training modality to stimulate decrease in LDL cholesterol and resting HR.

2. Cross-Training

“I grew up playing a variety of sports, and I learned so much about my body by doing that. Today, I keep up a well-rounded cross-training system that challenges me from top to bottom. I try to make sure my body never gets comfortable, so it can keep evolving in the way I want it to,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

3. Protein

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Kerri makes sure to eat enough protein. “I want to be the best I can be, and there’s no way I can do that unless I’m fueling my body properly with the right nutrition. I’m a huge advocate of starting the day off right at breakfast. I’m a creature of habit, and as a crazy-busy mom I tend to make a lot of shakes for breakfast that I quickly drink while getting my family ready in the morning. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk like Almond Breeze, vanilla whey protein, kale or spinach, chia seeds, oats, and honey and blend it up to drink while I’m on the run. Between morning and afternoon workouts I’ll have another shake, or a protein bar, or a turkey sandwich on Paleo bread with mustard and avocado. It’s important to get protein in soon after my workouts. I also drink a lot of water since that helps with recovery, mood, and hunger,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

4. Weightlifting

“I also do fast-twitch workouts twice a week with Olympic lifting and plyometrics. Staying strong and flexible is how I stay healthy. I’m a big fan of weightlifting to make me strong and prevent injury. It’s also great for metabolism, confidence, posture, and bone density,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

5. Pilates

Kerri also does Pilates. “I do Pilates three times a week—on the reformer, the mat, and the beach,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “Pilates has helped me so much in my career as well. I worked hard to get my strength back in my core and strengthen my upper back, especially after breastfeeding.”

Canadian beach volleyball player Brandie Wilkerson is sharing some inspirational advice with her social media followers. Wilkerson, 31, posted a video of herself playing volleyball on the sand in black leggings and a long-sleeve shirt, a motivational message playing over her post. “If I learnt anything in the last year it’s environment is everything. So go where you’re valued. Protect your peace. Say it with your chest. It’s your world 💯,” she captioned the post. Here’s how Wilkerson stays active, fit, and happy.

1. Wellness Warrior

Wilkerson is happiest when she’s moving and being creative. “[My favorite wellness activities are] beach volleyball, yoga, spa days, creating art, making fresh foods, laughing, reading, dancing and hiking,” she told Herb Pharm (she is their athlete ambassador). “My morning routine starts with journaling, doing my virtual Volleyball Canada check-ins, getting dressed for practice and then sipping a warm Honey Turmeric Tea that I add Herb Pharm’s Ginger and Reishi extracts into.”

2. Volleyball Journey

Wilkerson is proud to represent Canada on the international stage. “I started playing indoor club volleyball at 18 years old when high school coaches and friends encouraged me to pursue it,” she told Blenders Eyewear. “After that, I quickly gained success on my varsity team at York University which opened the door to beach volleyball. I had friends that attended my university who were Canadian Beach Volleyball Team members, and they directed me to try out and train with the program alongside my varsity career. After graduation from university, I committed full-time to beach volleyball, making the National Team and traveling all over the world representing Canada.”

3. Always Curious

Wilkerson is always striving to learn and evolve. “I like to do anything that allows me to be creative or learn something new,” she told Wilson.com. “I love to explore new places, foods, music, art, and shops, it is a large part of who I am. Especially if I can share those moments with people I love.”

4. Advice For Young Athletes

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Wilkerson is grateful for the support she gets from fans and family, and has good advice for up-and-coming athletes. “My lifelong inspiration has been my mother,” she told Wilson.com. “She teaches me how to be a resilient, resourceful, honest, authentic, and a deeply joyful human which has translated into my game more than anything else. My piece of advice for any young beach volleyball player is to take risks, listen to your body, and be your own biggest fan. These three things have helped my game and success immeasurably.”

5. Motto For Life

Wilkerson has a personal motto she lives by. “‘Inner reality creates the outer form—stay present.’ To me, this means that our minds and the present moment are all that matters. Take care of it and it’ll serve you well,” she told Herb Pharm.

Professional volleyball player Alix Klineman is showing fans what a typical workout looks like for the athlete. Klineman, 34, shared a video of herself wearing blue leggings and a white shirt, using a kettlebell and resistance bands. “Thought I’d share a workout of mine that requires no crazy machines/equipment! Here, we’re working on power without loading my back, rotational strength, knee mechanics/glute strength, landing + triple extension, shoulder stability, and core strength. A lot of it transfers directly to volleyball (by design), but I think a lot of you would enjoy this workout regardless of if you play vb or not! Anyway, my rant is over 😅 let me know if you decide to try any of these exercises, they got me feeling 👌🏼,” she captioned the post. Here’s how this Olympic gold medalist stays strong, focused, and happy.

1. Olympic Training

Klineman’s training schedule is as strenuous as you’d expect. “We train about five days a week,” she told The Zoe Report. “We have practice for a few hours a day, we lift weights for a couple hours, I see [a physical therapist] for my body and movement training, so that’s another hour of therapy or deep tissue massage. So, it can add up to four to seven hours of commitment [a day]. But, because a lot of these things are very physical, it can be very taxing.”

2. Mental Health Awareness

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Klineman had surgery in 2022 for a rotator cuff tear, and the experience was harder than she expected. “I never realized just how good getting outside and moving every day was for my mental health,” she told KT Tape. “It was just part of my daily routine, and I never knew anything different. And so the first couple months after surgery I had “cabin fever” for sure. I was restless, anxious, and generally less happy. The lack of routine definitely took a toll on me.”

3. Cooking and Beach Time

Klineman relaxes by cooking and hitting the beach. “I love cooking and the creative aspect involved, so I always try to carve out time for that,” she told The Zoe Report. “I live close to the beach, so you’ll find me there on the weekends. Although, I’m one of those people who, on my off time, will never be caught playing volleyball. When I play, it’s really hard for me to do it leisurely, and just relax and have fun [with it] without worrying about winning. So, [if my friends are playing] I’m the one who sits on the towel on the sidelines.”

4. New Perspective

Klineman has a newfound appreciation for her career and her health. “Now I go to the beach, so grateful I get to do something I love while getting a workout in at the same time, and head back home energized, fulfilled, and happy from the hard work I just put in,” she told KT Tape. “Understanding the balance and correlation between physical and mental health has been the biggest lesson for me during this time, and just the perspective I needed to get back out on the court."

5. Injury and Recovery

Klineman is taking a different approach to injury and recovery these days. “One thing I’ve dealt with my whole career is a lot of injuries,” she told The Zoe Report. “This year, I finally broke off and found a place that, instead of giving you a few rehab exercises or referring you to a doctor, analyzes your movements and finds out where the mechanical breakdown is, what’s actually causing your injury. They’re determined to rewire your body and fix your mechanical issue so they’re treating the cause as opposed to just the pain. So, that’s been a really fulfilling and rewarding workout I’ve been doing. I really feel like I’m healing my body.”