Karlyn Dyal, a sophomore on the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s beach volleyball team, is carving her own path in collegiate athletics. Despite coming from a family with a strong sports background—her father, Mike Dyal, played tight end in the NFL for five years with teams such as the Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers—she says there was no pressure to follow in those footsteps.
“I never grew up with the pressure to be an athlete,” said Dyal, who hails from Kerrville, Texas. “My dad was always humble about his career. We all went to the same high school that he did, so we were known as Mike Dyal’s kids. My sister is ten years older than me, and my brother is eight years older. I was the baby, by a lot! I grew up going to all of their games. It didn’t feel like an expectation, but I just thought I was going to be an athlete, too.”
Her brother Cade played football at Texas A&M-Kingsville and her sister Kendall played basketball at Schreiner University in Kerrville.
Dyal began her athletic journey playing indoor volleyball before transitioning to beach volleyball during her sophomore year of high school.
“I originally wanted to play basketball like my sister,” she said. “I wanted to do everything she did. Then I switched to volleyball.
“I had played indoor volleyball since the fourth grade, and then in high school I wanted to try beach to see if I liked it. I always found it interesting. I loved it! It’s outside, and it doesn’t hurt as much when you dive. It’s more ‘chill,’ and the vibes are always fun.
“It was interesting in teaching my family what volleyball was all about. They’re still learning. It took some pressure off of me too where I didn’t have to be who my sister was or who my dad and my brother grew up to be.”
Unlike her siblings who stayed close for college sports opportunities, Dyal chose a university far from home but received support from her family throughout the process.
“They told me that if this is where I wanted to go, they would support whatever decision I made,” said Dyal, who is studying applied sports psychology and counseling. “It was a little hard on my parents to see me go this far away, but when we came here, and they saw all the resources we had, they were very comfortable with it and excited for me. They come to all of the home matches, and depending on where we travel, they’ll come to some of those too. I’m very fortunate that they can do that.”
Dyal initially considered becoming a teacher like her mother Lisa but now hopes for a future career as a mental performance consultant within professional sports.
“I’d love to do that in the NFL,” she said. “I was talking to (Associate Athletics Director for Academics) Charlie Ball, and she told me about this new major. It sounded exactly like something I wanted to do.”
In addition to her athletic pursuits and academic interests—which focus on supporting athletes’ mental health—Dyal enjoys reading and baking cookies during her free time.
Looking ahead at her second season under new head coach Jose Loiola this spring semester at South Carolina , Dyal expressed optimism about both personal growth and team development:
“The transition has been very smooth, and we are all very excited,” she said. “The coaches are excited too. It’s been amazing! I’m excited for growth from last year. I feel like we’ve grown a lot. I really like all the people here.”
