We are pleased to announce our new Team Smack Athlete Kenzie Ponnet.
(Kenzie at the FIVB tournament)
Kenzie played Division I collegiate beach volleyball for 4 years at Grand Canyon University. After she graduated, she decided to pursue her dream of playing professional beach volleyball, so she packed up and moved to California. She is committed to pursuing her dream by consistently practicing, and bettering herself on and off the court. These past few months she has been working hard on the sand and in the gym to improve her speed and agility, as well as improving her knowledge of the game.
Kenzie recently won 1st Place at the NORCECA Tournament where she will represent USA in the upcoming NORCECA tournaments in April. “I feel incredibly lucky to be able to represent USA with Kim Smith at three NORCECA tournaments as the A1 team,” Kenzie stated. “Kim and I have great chemistry on the court and our competitive drive and perseverance to work hard for every point makes us such a successful team. I feel that qualifying for NORCECA is just the beginning of what we can accomplish as a team this year. With the constant support from our coach Heather Lowe, and our trainer Dr. Cynthia Butler at the Center for Movement Fluency, I know that we will continue to get better and become a more successful team.”
(Kenzie and Kim taking 1st Place at the NORCECA tournament)
Smack continues to grow it’s brand and having such a footprint in the beach volleyball world is nothing short of the athletes and support from the volleyball family. Kenzie is going to be a great fit for Smack and we are proud to brand such elite athletes. The new partnership with Kenzie and returning Smack Athlete Kim Smith will be the team to watch this season!
“I am excited to work with Smack Sportswear for this season to help keep me supported and looking good throughout the 2018 season. I know with such a great team that we will find a lot of success this season. I can’t wait to turn some heads and really surprise people with our ability, work ethic, and love of the game. If they don’t know our names now, they are going to this season.” — Kenzie Ponnet
(Kenzie at the AVP Tournament)
Our returning athletes are all prepping for this upcoming season but we’d like to take a second and give you a little insider scoop as to what these athletes do to prep for the professional tournaments. Here’s Kim Smith with a little insight to the hard work and determination to get to the next level….
(Kim with CEO and President Bill Sigler at the SMACK Headquarters)
“Hey there! Professional Beach Volleyball player and Smack Athlete Kim Smith here. I have never been more excited for an upcoming volleyball season. This winter has been vital in preparing me for Summer 2018. Since October, I have been training 2-3 times a week with my coach Heather Lowe. I moved out to Hermosa three years ago and began playing beach after a lifetime playing indoor. Heather and her beach volleyball club partner, Jen Pavley, taught me nearly everything I know about the sport. Leading up to my fourth season, Heather has been able to focus more on strategy and individual skills now that I have learned the basics of the game. In addition to my continued training sessions with her, this offseason I have been introduced to and blessed by other individuals that have helped reach my goals this year.
Dr. Cynthia Butler, a chiropractor and the owner of the Center for Movement Fluency, has been treating me twice a week for three months now. She is like no one I have seen before, a miracle-worker specializing in applied kinesiology. She has changed my posture and body movements vastly in the last 90 days. Soft tissue work coupled with unique and effective exercises have increased the strength of my stabilizing muscles and reduced my overall pain and inflammation. She keeps me healthy as I daily wear down my body on the beach.
Ryan Foose, the owner of Strong Mind Performance Consulting, has helped focus and quiet my mind. He’s brought to light things about my performance that I have never noticed, and then together we work through the issues and tackle them head-on. I have also seen nutritionists and been able to resolve long-standing health issues. Overall, even though I have not been formally competing, I have still dedicated most of my life over the last five months to bettering my game and preparing for 2018.
Winning the first NORCECA qualifier as a team with Kenzie proved that all the hard work and commitment was more than worth it. Now, we’re headed to Mexico and Cuba to represent the USA and we could not be more excited! We continue to practice hard as we plan our travels, mentally prepare for the season, and bond as a team. Our sights are set high with goals to win both AVP and FIVB tournaments this season. Summer of 2018 is gearing up to be the best of our lives, and we’re stoked to be geared head-to-toe in Smack Sportswear! I had the privilege of being a Smack athlete last year and can’t get enough of their scoop bikini bottoms and tops with sleeves that actually fit my arms. Smack is a brand made for elite athletes of all heights and sizes, and I am proud to rep them all 2018 FIVB and AVP season.” Kim Smith
It is very clear that there is nothing short of commitment and perseverance here. That is how champions are made. It’s like they always say, ‘it’s not what you do when people are watching, it’s what you do when they’re not.’
(Kim at the AVP Tournament)
Another one of our returning Athletes Agnieszka Pregowska has her mind set for the bigger picture. Agnieszka was born in Warsaw, Poland but grew up in New Jersey. Since the age of 15 she’s been playing beach and running after a dream which was further to reach while on the East Coast.
(Agnieszka at the FIVB Tournament in Long Beach, CA)
Agnieszka moved to Southern California 3 years ago to pursue her dream of playing in the AVP and FIVB. She began playing AVP at the age of 18 when she played America’s Idols, Misty May and Kerri Walsh. She began to represent her country, Poland, on the FIVB Tour in 2012 and has her goals set on the Olympics. “I’ve had to overcome many obstacles in my life so far to get to where I am at, but that’s more fuel to keep me working towards my dreams. Those dreams will become a reality,” Nish stated. “This off-season has been focused and I have made huge strides mentally and physically. Sometime’s you need to reset your mindset especially once the game becomes mentally tough. I became very discouraged last season and I realized how much pressure I have put on myself over the past three years. This kept me from breaking through barriers….there are many incredible players going after their dreams and you have to find what will differentiate you from those players and I have become to realize what that is.”
(Agnieszka at the FIVB Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Agnieszka is going to represent Poland in the first FIVB tournament which is hosted by AVP in Huntington Beach in May. “I am honored to continue to represent my Country in these events,” said Nish, “but I also have my eyes set on the rest of the up-coming AVP season. Wherever this season takes me, I will continue to strive to follow my dreams.”
(Agnieszka at the Chicago AVP Tournament)
The season will be underway soon and our other Athletes are also training hard, from different parts of the country. Christina Alessi, 6’2, born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida had her start playing locally as she began her career playing in the NVL a few seasons ago. Alessi’s formative years was based on indoor volleyball, at Palm Beach Atlantic University where she played right side and became an All-American by her senior year. She continued to play post college and joined the PVL Florida Wave Team. Alessi has transitioned into the AVP Tour and Smack is excited to see where are career will take off to.
(Christina at the NVL Tournament)
Last but not least, Bruno Da Silva, our male Smack Athlete born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil has been traveling down to South America to train and all over the World playing Professsional Indoor Volleyball.
(Bruno skying over the block at the Huntington Beach, CA AVP Tournament)
His goal for this upcoming season is not to be better than anyone else but to be a better version of himself and to inspire the new generation. His worth ethic, drive, and passion for this sport will get him there. With his professional career starting in indoor playing overseas, he has now transitioned over to the beach game during his off-season. His life’s mantra is, “No matter what knocks you down in life, get back up and keep going. Never give up. Great blessings are a result of great perseverance.”
(Huge block by Bruno at the Huntington AVP Tournament)
The 2018 Beach Season will be a very exciting one. A lot of action to see and great Athletes to Follow. Check these athletes out on social media, Facebook, instagram. Follow them and give them a shout out, they would all appreciate the love!
Kenzie Ponnet: Insta — kenzphelpsponnet03
Kim Smith: Insta — kimesmith21
Agnieszka Pregowska: Insta — amp39
Christina Alessi: Insta — chris_thews
Bruno Silva: Insta — brunera16
Source: Original Smack Sportswear Blog
