| Kelly Claes Cheng |
United States 
|
 |
| |
Photo: Ken Delgado
|
| Birth Date |
September 18, 1995 (27 years old) |
| Home Town |
Placentia, CA |
| Resides |
Fullerton, CA |
| Height |
6'2" |
| College |
Southern California |
| |
Best Finish |
Winnings |
| United States |
1st (3 times) |
$164,700 |
| AVP |
1st (3 times) |
$164,700 |
| International |
1st (6 times) |
$281,000 |
| FIVB |
1st (6 times) |
$281,000 |
| FIVB AGWC |
3rd (2 times) |
$0 |
| NORCECA |
1st (3 times) |
$5,925 |
| NORCECA |
1st (3 times) |
$5,925 |
| Other |
3rd |
$7,000 |
| Other |
3rd |
$7,000 |
| Overall |
1st (12 times) |
$458,625 |
|
|
Beach Bits:
• When Claes and Sara Hughes won the bronze medal in July 2013 at the FIVB Under 19 World Championships in Portugal, it marked the first time Claes had been out of the country.
• In New York City in 2015, Claes and Sara Hughes became the lowest seeded team (16) to ever reach the semifinals of an AVP tournament.
• In Chicago in 2017, Claes and Sara Hughes became the youngest team to ever win an AVP title. Claes was two weeks shy of turning 22 while Hughes was 22 1/2 years old.
2020: Claes and Sarah Sponcil finished third, fifth and second in the three AVP tournaments. During the season, the pair lost five matches, four of which came against teams seeded first or second. Claes led the Tour in kills (9.0 per set), was third in hitting percentage (.444) and fifth in blocks (0.9 per set). The duo played twice on the FIVB Tour, placing ninth and fifth.
2019: Claes began the AVP season playing alongside Brandie Wilkerson, placing seventh in the season opener. She then teamed up with Sarah Sponcil for four AVP events, advancing to the semifinals each time and to the championship match once (in their first ever AVP tournament as partners in New York City). The pair had a 13-8 match record on the AVP Tour, with six of the losses coming to teams seeded either first or second. Claes was third on the Tour in kills (7.37 per set) and ninth in hitting percentage (.447). Claes played in 15 FIVB tournaments, once with Kerri Walsh Jennings (finished in ninth place) and the rest with Sponcil. Claes and Sponcil won three medals, two silvers and one bronze. Between May and September, Claes played in tournaments in 16 of 21 weeks on five different continents. 2018: Claes formed a partnership with Brittany Hochevar, and they played in six AVP tournaments. The pair advanced to the semifinals each time, with a best of second once. Claes ranked second on the AVP Tour in kills (8.72 per set) and fourth in hitting percentage (.489). On the FIVB Tour Claes played once with April Ross, finishing 17th, then twice with Sara Hughes, finishing ninth both times. She then teamed up with Hochevar for seven events. In their first tournament together Claes and Hochevar advanced from the qualifier to reach the gold medal match. The duo advanced to one other semifinal but lost in the bronze medal match.
2017: Claes and Hughes competed in four AVP tournaments, winning in the season finale in Chicago. Claes led the AVP in kills (7.92 per set) and was fifth in hitting percentage (.466). Internationally Hughes played once with Kelly Reeves, then six times with Hughes, getting a best of fifth place twice.
2016: Claes and Hughes played twice on the AVP Tour, advancing from the qualifier both times, placing third and then second. In San Francisco the duo became just the second team to reach a championship match on the AVP Tour after playing in the qualifier. On the FIVB Tour they played two events with a best of ninth.
2015: Claes and Hughes played in two AVP tournaments. In New York City, the duo advanced from the qualifier and despite losing in the first round, they advanced to the semifinals, placing third. They also finished ninth in the Manhattan Beach Open. Internationally the duo played once on the FIVB Tour, losing in the qualifier.
2014: Played in one AVP qualifier with Hughes but did not advance. In the FIVB Under 21 World Championships the duo won the bronze medal.
2013: Claes and Sara Hughes won a bronze medal at the FIVB Under 19 World Championships in Portugal.
College: Competed in sand volleyball for Southern Cal. She graduated high school a semester early and joined the team in the spring of 2014. Her freshman season she played with Alexa Strange, finishing with a 33-7 match record. As a sophomore she paired with Sara Hughes and the duo went 44-3, winning the last 25 matches of the season. They won the AVCA National Championship, with Claes being chosen AVCA All-American. Claes completed a perfect junior season, finishing 48-0 in matches and losing just one set with Hughes. They won the National Championship again and for the second straight year Claes was named AVCA All-American.
Personal: Her father, Paul, played baseball at San Diego State. Claes has two brothers, Ben and Denny, and one sister, Kristi. She was a 2014 Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection and was tabbed the top sand volleyball recruit in the nation.
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|
| |
- AVP Best Offensive Player 2022
- AVP Most Valuable Player 2022
- AVP VolleyballMag.com Best Offensive Player 2022
- AVP VolleyballMag.com Breakthrough Player 2017, 2018
- AVP VolleyballMag.com MVP 2022
|
| |
| 2014 |
AVP |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$0.00 |
60.0 |
121st |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 2015 |
AVP |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
$5,000.00 |
420.0 |
42nd |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2016 |
AVP |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$8,500.00 |
590.0 |
38th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2017 |
AVP |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
$18,950.00 |
1,404.0 |
18th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2018 |
AVP |
6 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$30,250.00 |
1,980.0 |
3rd |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2019 |
AVP |
5 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
$27,700.00 |
2,205.0 |
10th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2020 |
AVP |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
$12,500.00 |
0.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2021 |
AVP |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
$14,750.00 |
1,193.0 |
5th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2022 |
AVP |
9 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
$47,050.00 |
8,825.0 |
4th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total
(Rank) |
|
35
(259th) |
3
(64th) |
8 |
16 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
$164,700.00
(46th) |
16,677.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| |
| 2013 |
FIVB AGWC |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$0.00 |
112.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2014 |
FIVB AGWC |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$0.00 |
112.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2015 |
FIVB |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$0.00 |
20.0 |
283rd |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 2016 |
FIVB |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
$9,000.00 |
300.0 |
126th |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2017 |
FIVB |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
$23,750.00 |
1,080.0 |
31st |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2018 |
FIVB |
10 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
$27,750.00 |
1,990.0 |
42nd |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 2019 |
FIVB |
15 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
$49,000.00 |
3,600.0 |
11th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| 2020 |
FIVB |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
$4,000.00 |
390.0 |
14th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2021 |
FIVB |
9 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
$41,000.00 |
1,800.0 |
5th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 2022 |
FIVB |
8 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
$126,500.00 |
3,120.0 |
15th |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total
(Rank) |
|
56
(226th) |
6
(33rd) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
11 |
0 |
17 |
$281,000.00
(74th) |
12,524.0 |
|
0 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| |
| |
| |
| 2014 |
NORCECA |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$850.00 |
90.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2015 |
NORCECA |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$2,075.00 |
100.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2016 |
NORCECA |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$3,000.00 |
200.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total
(Rank) |
|
5
(158th) |
3
(21st) |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$5,925.00
(35th) |
390.0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
| Overall |
Total
(Rank) |
|
97
(191st) |
12
(47th) |
12 |
21 |
3 |
12 |
4 |
19 |
$458,625.00
(62nd) |
29,591.0 |
|
0 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| |
| Red denotes ranked 1st |
| |
| 1 |
8/30/2015 |
NORCECA |
Varadero |
Sara Hughes |
|
$1,500 |
| 2 |
7/3/2016 |
NORCECA |
North Bay |
Sara Hughes |
7 |
$1,500 |
| 3 |
8/7/2016 |
NORCECA |
Boqueron |
Sara Hughes |
1 |
$1,500 |
| 4 |
9/3/2017 |
AVP |
Chicago |
Sara Hughes |
12 |
$11,000 |
| 5 |
5/29/2021 |
FIVB |
Sochi |
Sarah Sponcil |
14 |
$10,000 |
| 6 |
6/6/2021 |
FIVB |
Ostrava |
Sarah Sponcil |
9 |
$10,000 |
| 7 |
5/29/2022 |
AVP |
New Orleans |
Betsi Flint |
1 |
$7,000 |
| 8 |
8/14/2022 |
FIVB |
Hamburg |
Betsi Flint |
10 |
$15,000 |
| 9 |
11/13/2022 |
AVP |
Huntington Beach |
Sara Hughes |
1 |
$4,000 |
| 10 |
11/27/2022 |
FIVB |
Torquay |
Sara Hughes |
1 |
$5,000 |
| 11 |
12/3/2022 |
FIVB |
Torquay |
Sara Hughes |
2 |
$15,000 |
| 12 |
1/29/2023 |
FIVB |
Doha |
Sara Hughes |
9 |
$75,000 |
|
|
