Payton Carter Steps In As Women’s Beach Volleyball Coach

She started her journey at Liberty University as an outside hitter for the indoor volleyball team, and now Payton Carter is coming full circle as the new women’s beach volleyball head coach.

Carter played for the women’s indoor team for four years during her undergraduate studies until Kaleb VanDePerre, who was head coach at the time, sought her out at an intramural match. He convinced her to stay an extra year to finish her master’s and play on the club beach team. She rediscovered her love for the sport during that year.

“I had never played beach volleyball competitively before,” Carter said. “I ended up loving beach volleyball; it’s a totally different sport than indoor.”

Carter’s plan after graduation was to move back home to South Carolina, yet the Lord had other plans for how he would use her. Spending an extra year at Liberty as a GSA studying elementary education, Carter decided to stay in Lynchburg after graduation to teach sixth grade.

“I am so glad the Lord’s plans work the way they did,” Carter said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

After taking two years away from Liberty, previous Head Coach Jessica Nelson asked Carter if she would be the assistant coach for the team. In her time away, Carter coached a travel team and a middle school team, and she fell in love with coaching volleyball in the process. When asked to return and reunite with the team, she couldn’t imagine anything better. 

“From the time I played to now, I could see the growth that has been made,” Carter said. “I want to be a part of that.” 

When Nelson decided to leave Lynchburg and move to Washington to be closer to family, she asked Carter if she would be interested in the head coach position. Without hesitation, Carter confidently said yes.

“If you had asked me years ago when I first came to Liberty if I would be there coaching, I never would have had that in my plan,” Carter said.

The Liberty beach volleyball program focuses on more than just the sport. Carter was instantly drawn to the community-based program.   

“Playing beach volleyball at Liberty made me love volleyball even more than I already did,” Carter said.

While the beach season officially opens in the spring, the team has a couple of tournaments scheduled in the fall. Carter describes this team as one that is cohesive, competitive and connected. With 13 returning players and six new faces, the team has developed tremendous chemistry in a short amount of time.

“The purpose of playing volleyball is to use our talents to glorify the Lord,” Carter said. “Having the same mindset is really exciting.”

Young is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.