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Team USA's beach volleyball uniforms for 2024 Paris Olympics designed by Baton Rouge artist

3 months 2 weeks 3 days ago Friday, June 28 2024 Jun 28, 2024 June 28, 2024 5:44 PM June 28, 2024 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Former LSU duo Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth will make their Olympic debut in Paris for Team USA in Women's beach volleyball.

The blue uniforms they will be wearing were designed by Baton Rouge native Kenneth Hilliard, who started his graphic design page - Hilliard Creative - on social media.

Hilliard said he loved playing sports video games and creating custom uniforms for the athletes when he was a child. He's turned that passion into a career.

The beach volleyball team, known as TKN, and apparel company Slunks held a contest to design the pair's Olympic uniforms. Hillard's love of uniform creation and beach volleyball drove him to enter the contest.

"I love designing uniforms. I mean it's fun to do. It gets your creative bubble out and then, especially for team USA, and them being former LSU athletes, and them playing beach volleyball which is like all things together all in one," Hilliard said.

Hilliard ended up making eight different designs of a beach volleyball uniform.

Then one day, TKN called. They told him his design for their blue uniform was chosen. He still gets choked up reflecting on it.

"They set up a video call with us and I was just like there's no way, this has got to be it," he said.

The blue uniform comes with a top and bottom piece. Both pieces are blue with red and white stripes. The top also features multiple white stars.

Even now, it's still surreal to Hilliard. In July, he will be surrounded by family and friends watching Kloth and Nuss compete in his creation.

"That's the funny thing. It's...one Louisiana player that trained in Louisiana that trained down where we played volleyball at. They're playing in a country that once, we were under their flag. You know it's this massive full circle if you think about it," Hilliard said.

Throughout this whole experience, Hilliard has been supported by his girlfriend Cassie Smith, who's been sharing his creation and journey all over social media. She says the apparel will be available for purchase soon.

"July 3 is when they will drop on the Slunks and TKN merch website. They have got the women's suit, the sports bra, and the women's bottoms. Then they're making men's shorts so everyone in the beach volleyball community can get their hands on them," Smith said.

The 2024 Paris Olympics begins with the Opening Ceremony on July 26 at 12:30 p.m. Beach Volleyball starts the next day.

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