January 2 marked the opening of the transfer portal season in college football. In a similar vein, the new year marked the unofficial opening of the beach volleyball partnership portal. Already, the biggest potential shift has happened, and the ripple effects will be vast: Kelly Cheng will now be blocking for Megan Kraft.
The move, while perhaps unexpected to some, given Kraft’s success with Terese Cannon, is undeniably intriguing. Kraft is picking up the most versatile player in America in Cheng, the most aggressive on-two threat in the world who serves well and can set a creative offense. Cheng, meanwhile, will now be blocking for the best defender not named Kristen Nuss, and Kraft is dangerous for different and not necessarily inferior reasons.
Standing 6 feet tall, Kraft is one of the most efficient transition players in the world and one of the most consistent offensive threats amongst defenders. She also comes wielding a dangerous float serve that more than atones for a slightly — key word: slightly — lower volume of digs than, say, Nuss, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Kraft cut her teeth as a professional blocking for Emily Stockman, and then made a moonshot of a rise defending for Cannon. They broke out in Gstaad of 2024, winning silver, which they followed with a bronze in Vienna and a pair of silvers in Rio de Janeiro and the Beach Pro Tour Finals in Doha. They became a certifiable top five team in the world and entered the World Championships as the No. 4 seed. In both AVPs in 2025, they finished second to Nuss and Taryn Brasher, and they had just a single finish outside of the top five on the Beach Pro Tour.
It’s an exciting pairing for USA Volleyball, one partnering a World Champion blocker in Cheng with one of the most consistent defenders in Kraft. Every one of Cheng’s partners, from Hughes to Sarah Sponcil to Betsi Flint to Hughes again to Molly Shaw, have enjoyed their most successful seasons with Cheng. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the same happen here.
Jordan Cheng, Kelly’s husband and longtime coach, will be the head coach, with new San Diego assistant Mike Placek assisting. Placek was the head coach for Cannon and Kraft and also James Shaw and Chaim Schalk.
“I’ve watched Meg grow into one of the most complete beach players in the world,” Cheng said. “We both share a deep drive to compete, improve, and represent our country with pride. But even more than that, we share a deep commitment to our faith. This partnership is about building something big together, not just for one season, but for the long run. We want to inspire the next generation of beach volleyball players here in the United States.”
Added Kraft: “Kelly is a fierce competitor and a proven winner. I think our playing styles and personalities fit really well, and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to compete alongside her with the ultimate goal being the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. That would be a dream come true.”
What are the ripple effects from here?
This year is a fascinating one in beach volleyball. It’s the season with the lowest risk in a partnership change, as there is no World Championships to qualify for nor an Olympic race to run. It’s the experimental season, a tryout for players to find their running mate for the Los Angeles 2028 race.
The trickle-down effect will begin with Terese Cannon, the 6-foot-3 blocker who is now in the driver’s seat of the defender draft.
Her options are nearly endless, as anyone she calls should at least pick up the phone, and everyone should, reasonably, consider saying yes, as Cannon is now the best blocker on the market. She does’t need to be in a hurry, either. For the same reason that this is an experimental year, it’s also a year to rest up and heal any niggling injuries or take a mental breather from the constant travel and grind that is the Beach Pro Tour. It should’t come as a surprise to see any number of players delay their 2026 debut, getting everything right before the breakneck Olympic race begins.
Depending on the status of Ally Batenhorst’s suspension, which she’s appealing, Cannon could call Sara Hughes, with whom she won bronze at the Itapema four-star in 2021. Hughes was tremendous in her lone event in 2025, at the Newport Elite, showing no signs of slowing down after her achilles injury that knocked her out of most of last year.
Lexy Denaburg’s rise has also been difficult to miss. A fifth at the World Championships with Julia Donlin, including a win over Anouk Verge-Depre and Zoe Verge-Depre, was notable. Though raw and new to full-time defense, Denaburg’s serve and offensive ability – to go along with excellent setting – make her a compelling prospect. Of course, she could just make the easy decision and stick with Donlin, as they won the 2025 AVP League and will have an automatic spot, not to mention they finished the year playing their best beach volleyball.
Corinne Quiggle and Hailey Harward would round out the most likely options, as both have high-level experience, a willingness to travel, points, and a proven ability to compete on the Beach Pro Tour.
Rick Atwood photo
Other beach volleyball partnership shuffles
Molly Shaw has returned to Toni Rodriguez, which makes sense in every possible way. They had a phenomenal finish to the 2024 season, winning three straight medals — silver in Haikou, China, bronze in Chennai, India, gold in Nuvali, Philippines — before Shaw got picked up by Cheng. Rodriguez was playing excellent in 2025, winning gold at the Xiamen Challenge with Kylie DeBerg until a shoulder injury knocked her out for the remainder of the year.
