MIAMI (April 24, 2020) - Up next in our Q&A series is beach volleyball player Ashley Klassen. The hospitality and tourism management major went 2-2 during her abbreviated junior campaign.

Klassen hails from Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Canada, joining the stacked Panther lineup that includes international players from Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Slovakia.
 

Q: What made you want to play beach volleyball? When did you start playing?
A: "I started playing in the fifth grade, I loved watching my older sister play on her school team and my mom in a local competitive league. Until I was old enough to try out for a team, I went to all of their games eager to play solo against a wall or learn to pepper during their timeouts. Eventually, I decided to give beach volleyball a try and fell in love with it."

Q: How was it coming from Canada and adjusting to life in the US?
A: "It was definitely an adjustment at first, but I'm lucky to have such an incredible support system. Fortunately, my biggest struggles are converting Celsius to Fahrenheit and removing the U from 'colour' and 'favourite'."

Q: Why did you choose to play beach volleyball at FIU?
A: "I chose to play at FIU because it had everything to offer; a top-ranked beach program, excellent coaching, an incredible location, and a globally-ranked hospitality program. Our roster is made up of players from numerous different countries and it's a special feeling to have family all over the map."

Q: What are your favorite on the court and off the court memories with your teammates?
A: "My favorite on-the-court memories are from our South Beach home tournaments - especially playing with one of my best friends, Brooke McDermott. My favorite off-the-court memories are technically still on the court, we love playing night volleyball at the rec courts with the baseball team."

Q: Do you have any secret talents?
A: "I can throw a pretty decent spiral? Not my sport, so let's consider it a talent lol."

Q: Do you have any pregame rituals?
A: The best pregame ritual for me is simply hanging out with the team and getting into a good head space. My weirdest superstitions for game day are drinking only black coffee and using a certain chapstick."

Q: What's your favorite thing to do off the court?
A: "My favorite thing to do off the court is take a good nap, or go bug my roommates/best friends in their rooms."

Q: What are your post-graduation plans?
A: "Once I complete my bachelor's degree next spring, I'll begin my masters program (just received my acceptance!) and my fifth year of beach. One day, I hope to work in Europe and utilize my second language (French) and/or learn other languages while continuing to play beach."

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Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUVolleyball on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or @FIUBeachVB on Twitter, @FIU_Beach on Instagram and @FIUBeach on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.