TUCSON, Ariz. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to recognize this year's group of Thirty Under 30 Beach coaches, a group that includes Arizona assistant coach Makenna Martin. These rising stars are hard-working and passionate about teaching, and they are dedicated to helping grow the sport of beach volleyball.
"Receiving this award is truly an honor and motivating," said Martin. "It means the world to me, and it might sound cliché, however, the hard work that I put in has definitely come full circle and paid off. It could not have been scripted any better. I am beyond blessed to be doing what I love every single day."
Thirty Under 30 Beach honors up-and-coming coaches at all levels of beach volleyball and the recipients serve in a range of roles, from head coach to volunteer assistant to club director. Nominees had to be under 30 as of Dec. 31, 2022, to qualify for the award. This new group of Thirty Under 30 Beach coaches joins two previous classes of beach honorees.
"Steve Walker and Emily Friesen gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity to join their staff as a volunteer assistant coach in the Spring of 2022," Martin said. "I was ecstatic to be returning to my alma mater. Since then, I truly have been living out my dream. I am so blessed and honored to be back representing the Block A with some of the most amazing people in the world. My life has truly come full circle, I am now working for my former head coach who provided me and all my teammates with the most remarkable college experience ever."
Martin was a member of the Arizona volleyball program for four seasons and spent three seasons with the beach volleyball program. Upon graduation, she joined the beach volleyball staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2022 before being promoted to assistant for the 2023 season. She also has experience coaching with the East Valley Juniors in Phoenix and Walker Beach club volleyball program.
She graduated from the University of Arizona with BS in Mild to Moderate Special Education and a MA in severe and profound disabilities. After initially wanting to go into education due to her passion for teaching, she discovered she could match teaching with another of her passions – volleyball. Martin has been instrumental in the Wildcats 40 combined wins over the last two seasons and is a rising star on the beach volleyball scene.
Martin is from Gilbert, Arizona and attended Gilbert High School where she was a two-time all-state player on the indoor volleyball team.
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