USA's Fendrick takes inspiration from family

In a video published by USA Volleyball, Fendrick describes her parents as “very do-it-yourself type of people” before going on to relate how her mother once took apart the family TV and spread the parts all over the room before fixing it and putting it back together.

“Through those experiences, I saw most things as possible,” says Fendrick, who competed in the Rio Olympics last year. She was later able to apply her parents’ attributes of hard work, focus and ingenuity to her life as a volleyball player.

“It was the example set by them that really showed me that path,” says Fendrick, who also cites her husband as a key influence.

Fendrick will be on the sand at the opening event on the 2017 FIVB World Tour at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the beginning of February (7-12), where she will play with new partner Sara Hughes. Fendrick and Hughes will be one of four teams representing the United States in the women's main draw, also including April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings, Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross and Lane Carico/Irene Pollock.

Fort Lauderdale Major - Main draw - Women's teams
Fort Lauderdale Major - Main draw - Men's teams

Partnered with Brooke Sweat, Fendrick tied 19th at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where the duo were one of two women's teams representing USA. The duo finished fifth at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015 after losing to Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany in the quarterfinals.

Read more about Lauren Fendrick on USA Volleyball and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: