In this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic welcomes professional beach volleyball player Chloe Loreen — AVP champion, Beach Pro Tour medalist, and one of the most resilient competitors on the sand.

Chloe’s 2025 season became a defining chapter in her professional career. After overcoming injuries earlier in her journey and building her foundation through college volleyball, she found herself at a crossroads — seriously considering stepping away from the sport to pursue a career as a firefighter.

Instead, the season shifted everything.

She went on to win silver at a Beach Pro Tour Challenger event, earn two 5th-place finishes at Elite 16 tournaments, and capture two AVP titles — including a major victory in Seaside. Those results reignited her belief and solidified her decision to continue pursuing beach volleyball at the highest level.

In this honest and powerful conversation, Chloe reflects on her injury history, her college career that shaped her competitive mindset, competing and medaling on the World Tour, and the moment she considered a different path. She also shares how spending summers in Alaska working as a climbing guide built resilience, independence, and perspective that now translate directly into her performance on the sand.

This episode is about perseverance, identity, and choosing to double down on your dream when the results begin to align with the work.

🎧 Topics include:

• Winning 2 AVP titles in the 2025 season • The Seaside AVP victory • Silver medal at a Beach Pro Tour Challenger • Two 5th-place finishes at Elite 16 events • Competing on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour • Overcoming injuries earlier in her career • Her college volleyball foundation • Considering a transition to firefighting • Choosing to continue pursuing pro beach volleyball • Working as a climbing guide in Alaska • The mindset behind breakthrough seasons

📍 Watch or listen now and hear why Chloe Loreen chose to keep chasing her professional volleyball career. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://bravobeachshop (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#ChloeLoreen #BeachSecretsPodcast #DJKlasnic #BeachVolleyball #AVP #BeachProTour #Elite16 #WorldTourVolleyball #ProBeachVolleyball #WomenInSports #AthleteJourney #HighPerformance #VolleyballLife #SportsPodcast

In this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic welcomes Kyle Friend — professional beach volleyball player, former indoor standout, Volleyball World commentator, and high-level coach.

Kyle’s journey is a masterclass in versatility and intentional growth. From his indoor volleyball career to transitioning to the beach game, he shares how he accelerated his development by volunteering, shagging balls for top professionals, and putting himself in environments that forced him to learn faster. Instead of waiting for opportunities, Kyle created them.

In this candid and insightful conversation, Kyle breaks down how he navigated multiple roles within the sport — competing professionally on the beach, stepping into the commentator booth for Beach Pro Tour World Tour streams, and building a coaching career alongside it all. He explains how constant learning, intentional positioning, and proximity to greatness helped him evolve in every phase of his career.

This episode delivers practical insight for athletes who want to grow faster, expand their skill set, and build longevity in the sport beyond just competing.

🎧 Topics include:

• Transitioning from indoor volleyball to beach • Volunteering and shagging balls to learn from top pros • Accelerating development through proximity and mentorship • Competing on the Beach Pro Tour • Becoming a commentator for World Tour streams • Building a coaching career while competing • The power of versatility in professional sports • Staying relevant by continuously learning • Expanding your career beyond just playing

📍 Watch or listen now and discover how Kyle Friend built a multi-dimensional career in professional beach volleyball. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

🌿 Sponsored by Polar Gold Extracts Huge thank-you to our partner Polar Gold Extracts, proud sponsor of the Beach Secrets Podcast. Their premium CBD products support recovery, mobility, and everyday wellness — trusted by elite athletes worldwide. 👉 https://shop.polargoldcbd.com/DJ

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://www.bravobeach.org (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#KyleFriend #BeachSecretsPodcast #DJKlasnic #BeachVolleyball #BeachProTour #WorldTourVolleyball #AVP #VolleyballPodcast #ProBeachVolleyball #VolleyballCoaching #SportsCommentator #AthleteMindset #HighPerformance #VolleyballLife #SportsPodcast

this episode of Beach Secrets, DJ Klasnic sits down with his beach volleyball partner Marko Makaric to break down what it truly takes to win a World Tour medal without federation support, infrastructure, or a professional league at home.

Coming from Serbia — a country with limited winter training facilities, no structured beach volleyball league, and minimal federation backing — everything depends on individual will, discipline, and passion for the game. No system. No safety net. Just commitment.

Recorded at the end of the 2025 season, this conversation dives into their journey competing across the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour in Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Greece. They reflect on the matches that defined their season, how they earned their medal, and what it takes to prepare at the highest level while living and training in completely different environments — Marko in Serbia with limited infrastructure, and DJ in the United States.

They discuss building a partnership across continents, maximizing limited training windows, adapting under pressure, and navigating the realities of competing internationally when you come from a small country without structured support.

This episode is a real look at resilience, ownership, and what it means to bet on yourself in professional beach volleyball.

🎧 Topics include:

• Winning a World Tour medal without federation support • Training in Serbia with limited winter infrastructure • Preparing in different countries and syncing as a team • Competing in Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Greece • Managing travel, logistics, and finances independently • Building a partnership across continents • The state of beach volleyball in Serbia • Making the most of limited training time • Lessons from the 2025 Beach Pro Tour season • Why passion and discipline matter more than systems

📍 Watch or listen now and discover how to compete — and win — when everything depends on you. ➡️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

🎧 Listen anywhere → https://linktr.ee/djklasnic

🌿 Sponsored by Polar Gold Extracts Huge thank-you to our partner Polar Gold Extracts, proud sponsor of the Beach Secrets Podcast. Their premium CBD products support recovery, mobility, and everyday wellness — trusted by elite athletes worldwide. 👉 https://shop.polargoldcbd.com/DJ

⚡ Supported by Bravo Health Founded by the team behind Spike N Go tournaments, Bravo Health creates clean, transparent supplements while reinvesting a portion of every purchase back into supporting U.S. beach volleyball athletes. 👉 https://www.bravobeach.org (use code BEACHSECRETS to get 20% BravoBucks Back!)

📌 If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe / Follow for weekly episodes with top AVP, World Tour, and Olympic athletes.

🔖 Hashtags

#MarkoMakaric #DJKlasnic #BeachSecretsPodcast #BeachVolleyball #BeachProTour #WorldTourVolleyball #ProBeachVolleyball #AVP #SerbiaVolleyball #AthleteMindset #HighPerformance #OlympicDream #VolleyballPodcast #BetOnYourself #SportsPodcast