Former Bruin Miles Partain makes Olympics as youngest US beach volleyball player
Former UCLA men’s volleyball setter Miles Partain dives for a ball. Partain was named the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year before transitioning to professional beach volleyball. (Courtesy of Beach Volleyball World)
By Una O'Farrell
July 17, 2024 5:08 p.m.
Miles Partain’s Olympic dream began when he was a teenager.
Now, it’s turned into reality.
After a rapid rise in the beach volleyball ranks, the former Bruin clinched a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 22-year-old – who was a member of UCLA men’s volleyball from 2021 to 2023 – will be the youngest United States beach volleyball player in Olympic history.
The Pacific Palisades, California, local began his beach volleyball pursuit at age 10, when he competed in his first tournament at Will Rogers State Beach. But when selecting a college after finishing high school a semester early as valedictorian, his journey took a slight detour to the hardwood courts of Westwood after realizing the NCAA does not sponsor men’s beach volleyball.
As a sophomore, Partain led UCLA to a nation-leading .374 hitting percentage and the NCAA semifinal against Long Beach State. The setter won MPSF Player of the Year in 2022 after pacing the team with 1,040 assists.
Early in the 2023 season, Partain stepped away from the indoor team after the FIVB announced the beach volleyball World Tour qualifiers for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. The junior managed to graduate early with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics.
After fully transitioning back to beach volleyball, Partain partnered with Andy Benesh – whose background in indoor volleyball at USC mirrored Partain’s – to focus on Olympic aspirations. After initially pairing up on the sand for the first time in November 2019 – when Partain was still in high school – the duo resumed their campaign in April 2023, having no experience in a Main Draw match of a professional international tournament.
Despite their inexperience, Benesh and Partain quickly made their mark on the international stage. They participated in several key tournaments, including the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour qualifiers in Espinho, Portugal, and Brasilia, Brazil, where they finished T-9th and T-5th, respectively. These performances were crucial in accumulating the ranking points needed to secure a top-17 spot in the FIVB Olympic Rankings and to secure a Paris Olympic berth.
By the end of the qualification period, Benesh and Partain were ranked 4th in the men’s FIVB Olympic Rankings, solidifying their entry into the 2024 Paris Olympics as the No. 1 pair for Team USA.
After becoming the youngest U.S. player to win a gold medal in a major FIVB qualifier, the former Bruin has a chance to continue his streak of success in Paris.
Benesh and Partain will open their Olympic campaign July 27 with a Main Draw match against Cuba at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.
