Before Kerri Walsh was a two-time gold medalist in beach volleyball and a household name every four years during the Olympics, she was a tall, lanky, promising prospect.
And before millions across the world watched as she dominated on the sand with partner Misty May-Treanor, Duke head coach Jolene Nagel had a hand in her early development.
Fifteen years ago, Walsh trained under Nagel in indoor volleyball for three weeks at the U.S. Olympic Festival, a program intended to develop athletes for Olympic sports. Walsh was only 17, but the 6-foot-2 rising high school senior stood out among the team composed mostly of collegiate players.
For Nagel, it was clear she was watching an Olympian in the making.
"I think everybody [saw a future Olympian] with Kerri Walsh," Nagel said. "She's a good 6-foot-2 and she was that tall going into her senior year in high school. She was phenomenal then-gifted-and she's just a team player, as well. It's exciting to see someone like that bloom and still be playing now. You knew she was special."
Nagel began as a venue coordinator, eventually moving on to becoming a head coach in 1995. With the coaches from each division at the festival able to use a lottery system to select the players who qualified, Nagel's team picked Walsh with one of its first picks because of her size and hitting strength.
"Kerri was tall, thin as can be," Nagel said. "Longest arms and longest legs you've ever seen and that's why it was so neat to watch her because she had such a whip on the ball.
"It's so unusual to see a kid at her age that good. She certainly had mastered her hitting and was well on her way."
Soon after their brief encounter, Walsh went on to play indoor volleyball at Stanford, capturing two national championships in 1996 and 1997. The acclaimed outside hitter and middle blocker went on to be named the Co-National Player of the Year in 1999.
But before all of the glory, before all of the medals and hours of NBC coverage, Walsh was an undiscovered phenom, competing against players who were nearly out of college.
It was a brief brush with sublime greatness for Nagel, but the chance to coach one of volleyball's best players of all-time proved unforgettable.
"She probably would still remember me, but it was 13 years ago I had that wonderful opportunity of coaching her," Nagel said. "And it probably taught me more than she possibly learned."
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