McKenna Thomas is a sophomore from Laguna Niguel, California, and a captain of Pepperdine's beach volleyball team. She received the AVCA Top Flight award and was the 2022 WCC co-Freshman of the Year last year. She and her partner Simone Priebe had the highest win-loss percentage (.788) on the team last season with 26 wins and 7 losses overall. Outside of volleyball, she enjoys exploring and challenging herself outdoors, whether that be hiking, mountain biking or skiing. Last summer she climbed Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States.
 
Q: How is the team looking this year?
 
A: We just started preseason. There are a lot of new faces to the team with eight returners and eight new athletes coming in. I think it's looking really great this year. I'm happy with the turnout and there's a lot of potential that the coaches are going to be able to build on going forward.
 
Q: When going into preseason matches, is there any difference in your mindset or attitude compared to regular-season matches?
 
A: We had this discussion as a team last week! It is different from a regular-season match. You still want to compete with the same intensity, but it's more of a learning process. Especially in preseason, I take it as an opportunity to learn from a game and benefit down the line. Preseason, as much as you want to compete and win, is not the end-all, be-all. It's not going on your record, so if you lose you can still learn from it. So that mindset of learning from the preseason losses can really benefit the upcoming season.
 
Q: You were recently voted captain as a sophomore. What have you brought to the table to have earned this position?
 
A: I am very honored to have been voted into this position. I like to think that my leadership last year as a freshman was strong, and I competed for the team last year. Even more so though, I have that experience and know the responsibility and respect it takes to be captain. I also knew the respect that I needed to earn from my teammates, and I think I did a good job of earning that respect. My teammates know they can trust me and rely on me when they need it.
 
Q: What would you tell an athlete considering Pepperdine?
 
A: I would tell them to really understand the culture of the school. Something special about Pepperdine is that you have that opportunity available to you to get to know other teams and athletes in other sports. I think that's a great aspect of Pepperdine. For the beach volleyball team specifically, I would say I committed because of the amazing coaching staff. Pepperdine has a great support system from coaches to trainers, and I love how supported I have felt here.
 
Q: You're not only a successful athlete, but a successful student. What advice would you give to other student-athletes?
 
A: I think one of the biggest things any athlete has to learn is time management. Talking to your teachers, using the help you have available, like the tutors, and reaching out to all of those resources can be really helpful. Just be willing to sit down and sacrifice time to do schoolwork. Those time management skills are really important.
 
Q: What inspired your transition from skiing competitively to beach volleyball?
 
A: I ski raced for six years from age 6 to age 12. I started volleyball at age 12. My dad grew up playing volleyball, so when I was done with ski racing he asked, "Okay, what's next?" I was also playing soccer at the time. My dad got me into volleyball and I played that and soccer until eventually soccer was weeded out. Then it was just volleyball and beach volleyball. I loved volleyball ever since I started playing, and I would mainly attribute that love of volleyball to my dad.
 
Q: What did winning the AVCA Top Flight award and WCC co-freshman of the Year last season mean to you?
 
A: It really showed me how well my partner and I worked together. It showed us that we were able to compete together. Even against top teams like FSU, who got second in nationals, we were able to win by working hard and working together. The co-freshman of the year award was also a great honor. I was really happy to get that, and I attribute that success to my coaches' support.
 
Q: How was your experience climbing Mount Whitney this summer?
 
A: I have love everything outdoors, having grown up skiing, hiking and mountain biking. Hiking and mountain biking were my big things this summer. Going into that hike I did minimal training. We finished WCCs, we had two weeks, and then I did the hike. I trained for those two weeks doing eight miles at most, with a lot of elevation climbs. When we got to the hike we ended up doing one day, 22 miles. You can do either a single day or break it up into multiple days. The idea of doing it in one day was a big mental task for me. You get up at 2:45 in the morning, you're trudging in the dark, it's cold, and the food is weird. It's been on my bucket list to do, and it was very fulfilling to know that I did it, with how physical it is. When we got up to 13,000 feet, about two miles from the top, one of my party members got altitude sickness. So I finished the hike alone, and I looked around just looking at myself and appreciating what I was capable of. It's amazing to see what your body can do. That was the longest I'd ever walked, especially with the altitude gain, and I didn't really train for it. So that was a really memorable experience and I hope to do it again.
 
Q: What about hiking translates to beach volleyball?
 
A: I think the most immediate and apparent things is that it's outdoors. You have that nature aspect that is why I love both. One of the other big things is that you have to keep going. In beach volleyball there are no substitutes, if it's not going well you can't stop or quit. With hiking you can stop and turn around if you need to, but it's more self-motivated. Having that motivation to keep going in a volleyball game is really important, and being able to overcome and work through any challenges you have, being able to adapt, both in hiking and volleyball, is key.
 
Q: Does your mindset or motivation on the court change after a hike like that?
 
A: I am definitely more appreciative of the grind now. Experiencing something like that hike is unique. Most people's goal would be the end, but on Mt. Whitney it's just rock at the top. You think about it and appreciate that you did it, you made it to the top, but there is not much up there. So that made me really appreciate the process and getting there, hiking through the elevations. In the game you always have your goal in mind, you want to get to that win, to the top, to that end point, but the process is really where the beauty comes from. It made me appreciate the little moments in game as well, cheering with my partner after a point, or even the little moments that you enjoy throughout the game when you don't win. All of those moments are really important to look at and appreciate.
 
Q: Do you have any other hikes or adventures planned for this year?
 
A: I actually have a bucket list book, and a list on my phone. The next one I want to do is Half-Dome in Yosemite. I also plan to study abroad in Switzerland this summer, and there are definitely some great hikes I'd love to do there. I'm really excited about getting to explore Switzerland. There are a lot of national parks that I want to see too. So I'm looking forward to getting out to those parks, exploring, and getting outside this summer.