Austin, Texas—The H-E-B Center buzzed with anticipation this weekend as 300 tons of sand transformed the Austin, Texas venue in Cedar Park into an instant AVP beach volleyball paradise during Week 7 of of the AVP League regular season. For Austin Aces’ powerhouse women’s duo Taryn Brasher and Kristen Nuss—better known to their legion of fans as “TKN“—this weekend represented more than just another competition. It’s the Aces’ fourth and final regular season home event, a chance to harness the energy of their adopted city in pursuit of AVP League Cup glory.
Ahead of the Aces’ opening match against Miami Mayhem on Friday evening, I sat down with both Olympic veterans in what felt more like catching up with old friends than conducting a formal interview. Brasher, recently married in the offseason, sat alongside Nuss, who’s planning her own wedding next year. Their easy chemistry was immediately apparent—the kind of natural partnership that can’t be manufactured or coached.
New to AVP League?
The AVP League Cup represents the sport’s ultimate regular season achievement, awarded to the city franchise with the strongest combined win-loss record across both men’s and women’s duos. Each of the eight AVP League teams is comprised of one men’s duo and one women’s duo representing their city on the sand throughout the regular season.
Unlike postseason tournaments, there is no playoff for this award–this trophy, instead, demands consistency across an entire campaign, recognizing sustained excellence from all four athletes representing each city.
Beyond Victory: The Mental Game
When most athletes step onto the court, victory is the singular focus. When I asked about their mindset heading into this crucial weekend, expecting the typical competitive responses about winning at all costs, both athletes surprised me with their perspective on what truly drives them beyond simple conquest.
“We finally have the home team advantage, and to have the entire arena behind you simply because they’re proud of their city and state is always really fun,” Brasher explained with genuine excitement. The energy in her voice when discussing Austin’s volleyball community was infectious—this clearly means more to them than just another tournament stop.
For a city with such a massive beach volleyball following, having TKN call Austin ‘home’ creates a perfect storm of athletic excellence and local pride that certainly energized this action-packed weekend even more.
The Color of Champions
As our conversation flowed naturally, I found myself curious about how these elite athletes visualize their competitive energy. When I asked them to paint their Week 7 fire in vivid detail—if their energy could manifest as a color or element—their responses revealed as much about their personalities as their playing styles.
Brasher didn’t hesitate: “Pink! It’s fun, it’s vibrant, it’s loud, it’s exciting. And I feel like that’s all the things that happen on the sand volleyball court, especially when you have four back-to-back games and a ton of energy.”
Nuss took a more contemplative approach, connecting their partnership to deeper symbolism:
“From the beginning, our TKN colors have always been blue or teal. When you look at blue, it’s warm, it’s trusting and makes you think about the sky and water. Even though we’re not necessarily on a ‘beach’, hopefully when people come into [the H-E-B Center], they can visualize a beautiful ocean or sky. When you watch us play, we hope you see that [blue energy] on the court.”
The contrast in their responses—Brasher’s explosive pink energy versus Nuss’s calming blue presence—offered a glimpse into how their different approaches create such effective on-court chemistry.
Rhythm of Victory
“I think that the best music and the music that people relate to the most is the honest music that people feel themselves in it.”
–Morgan Wallen
This led to discussing their partnership dynamics, and I couldn’t resist asking them to describe their teamwork through the lens of music, in true Austin style. Their response perfectly captured both their shared love of country music and the playful dynamic that makes their friendship so genuine.
“We’re in Austin. You gotta go country,” Nuss declared with a smile, immediately confirming the duo’s musical preferences. But then the ‘sibling-like’ banter I’d been observing throughout our conversation came into full display as they playfully disagreed about their specific country tastes. Brasher described Nuss as enjoying “slower” country music, but Nuss was quick to counter, describing her palette as more ‘country-pop,’ citing artists like Morgan Wallen as not fitting that “slower” categorization.
“See, this is where we disagree to disagree,” Brasher pointed out cheerfully, their comfortable disagreement showcasing the kind of relationship that can weather both musical debates and high-pressure volleyball moments. “Basically, it’s country, it’s fun, we’re vibing!” Nuss concluded, and watching them interact, it was clear this lighthearted approach extends far beyond their music preferences into how they handle everything together.
‘Game-by-Game’ Breakdown
However, don’t let the joviality of our conversation fool you. The “TKN Mentality” is still synonymous with excellence, and with recognition comes pressure that extends far beyond the sand. There’s no doubt that the legacy Brasher and Nuss continue to shape for themselves and the entire sport is nothing short of extraordinary.
With legacy comes high expectations—often placed on athletes by even their most loyal fans, regardless of whether they asked for such pressure. I wanted to understand how they manage these external demands while maintaining their authentic selves. Both athletes shared remarkably similar philosophies, emphasizing the importance of staying present rather than getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture.
“If you’re looking at the big picture, it’s going to be very overwhelming, but as soon as you start breaking it down, game by game, tournament by tournament, point by point, it makes [these expectations] a lot more consumable,” Brasher explained with her wisdom as a well-balanced, yet highly competitive professional athlete.
Nuss echoed this approach: “Yeah, I think taking it ‘game by game’, every game, is the same exact thing– you’re stepping into the same court dimensions, the same net height. Yes, it’s new, but it’s also the same sport so there’s no reason you should look at each individual game in a different way.”
What struck me most was how they’ve learned to find perspective even in the highest-pressure moments. Brasher described their mindset shift: “We stop to think about how we’re literally in the middle of Austin, Texas, and all of these people are here to watch us play a really fun game of beach volleyball.”
She recalled their recent trip to Switzerland a few weeks back, taking in the fact that they were actually in the Alps while preparing for matches—a reminder of the incredible opportunities their sport provides.
“I think it’s about giving your mind something else to think about other than what is currently happening on the court,” Nuss added. “It’s those little things that when we see it in each other or it is a high pressure moment and maybe it’s even throwing in a funny little comment here and there simply to take your mind off of ‘we’re playing volleyball.'”
Keeping Austin Weird, Keeping ‘Identity’ Real
What does it mean to embrace ‘small-town’ authenticity? While beach volleyball is technically a ‘team sport,’ Nuss and Brasher redefine the traditional parameters of what a “team” represents as a perfect forging of two human beings that genuinely share a love and passion for not just the game, but their own fanbase without diluting the complete Austin Aces identity.
Since Nuss’s initial foray into the sport, she has made it her career-long objective to change the narrative of the “professional beach volleyball player,” rewriting the script and creating her own unique identity.
“I want all those 5’6″ers and below out there to believe that they can do this. I want to shatter the beach volleyball stigma, and I think Taryn and I can do just that!,” she previously shared in her 2021 AVP Op-Ed.
Nuss and Brasher won the AVP Atlanta Open in their first event together and went on to win multiple AVP events in 2022. Nuss was also named AVP Defender of the Year and AVP Most Valuable Player in 2023. And of course, we can’t skip over their 9th place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Brasher, described as one of the most decorated NCAA beach volleyball players of our time, found in Nuss not just a playing partner but a genuine best friend. Whether you’re new to the AVP League or watching TKN for the first time, one thing becomes immediately clear—their dynamic on-court absolutely extends into their off-court relationship as best friends. But if there’s one thing they want their fans to understand, it’s that they remain grounded despite their success.
Olympic Dreams vs. Olympic Reality
Did the world’s biggest stage live up to childhood fantasies?
Perhaps the most revealing part of our conversation came when we discussed the mythology surrounding Olympic athletes—the perception that they’re superhuman during competition, physically perfect, mentally unshakeable, emotionally bulletproof. I wanted to know if this image masks a more human truth.
Brasher’s response was illuminating: “If anything, I mean, people say all the time it was like something you can’t actually prepare for. And the amount of pressure and all the excitement and the adrenaline and everything that you feel specifically in like the Olympic Village. And that is all very true. And I can’t put words to it unless you have experienced it. So, yeah, everything that you would guess, it’s even more.”
Nuss offered a different perspective on the Olympic experience: “I feel like once we’re in there playing, it was like, wait, this is just like another volleyball game that we pretty much do every single weekend. Whereas as a kid, I feel like when I was watching the Olympics, it was like, oh, my goodness, they only do this every four years? Like this exact moment where it’s like, you know, all of these people they’re playing knew all of the teams. We played them a thousand times in the 18 months.”
Both athletes shared their enjoyment in interacting with players from other countries, especially newer athletes. “We like to hear their story and how each country does things a little bit differently [compared to the United States],” they explained, revealing the global perspective their sport provides.
According to Nuss, the beach volleyball community feels particularly special because of its niche nature: “We get to travel all around the world and see these people–even fans that we’ve seen in multiple tournaments. And to hear everyone’s journey of how they got there is pretty cool.“
Week 7 and heading into Dallas
Given Week 7 is the Austin Aces’ final regular season home event, one thing becomes crystal clear: TKN’s success stems not from superhuman abilities or perfect circumstances, but from authentic friendship, strategic adaptation, and the ability to find joy and perspective even under the brightest spotlights.
In a sport where individual excellence must merge seamlessly with partnership dynamics, Brasher and Nuss have discovered something rare—a professional relationship built on genuine friendship that enhances rather than complicates their competitive edge. Whether they’re debating country music subgenres or supporting each other through food poisoning at world championships, their bond remains the foundation of their success.
For Austin volleyball fans and new Aces fans alike, watching both Brasher and Nuss compete this weekend offered more than just elite athletic entertainment—but rather, a masterclass in how authenticity, communication, and mutual respect can elevate performance to championship levels while keeping both feet firmly planted in reality.
Fun facts: Brasher’s favorite sports film is “The Blind Side” (2009), while Nuss prefers “Miracle” (2004)—perhaps reflecting their different but complementary approaches to competition and teamwork.
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