NOVUS Partners With Professional Beach Volleyball Player, Terese Cannon
Team USA Professional Beach Volleyball Player, Terese Cannon Joins the NOVUS Athlete Program
Who is Terese Cannon?
From playing indoor volleyball in her hometown of Rochester, NY to playing for Team USA as a Professional Beach Volleyball Player, Terese Cannon has certainly set the bar high in the world of volleyball.
A University of Southern California alumni where she was a two-time National Champion, Terese is now playing on the AVP Tour for Team USA and has her eyes on the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Terese made her first debut as a volleyball player in high school in Pittsford, NY. Her love for the game led her to Georgetown University where she spent her freshman year playing indoor volleyball. Terese spent her summers playing beach volleyball and ultimately decided to pursue it more seriously on the collegiate level.
“My high school volleyball coach was always encouraging us to play beach volleyball in the summer—and I fell in love with the sport,” said Terese Cannon. “Being able to be outside in the sunshine and the fact that there’s only two playing in you’re involved in every single play takes the game to a whole new level, mentally.”
In 2015, she transferred to the University of Southern California and played beach volleyball with the Trojans from 2015-2019. During her tenure at USC, she was a 2-time team captain, 2-time PAC12 All-Conference team pick, and a 2019 AVCA All-American.
“I actually walked onto the team at USC—it was a big chance, and I couldn’t say no,” said Terese Cannon. “At that point, I was very unproven, I was from upstate NY, I didn’t have a ton of film of me playing beach volleyball, but they decided to take a chance on me and it’s been a great ride.”
Terese is now on tour with Team USA Beach Volleyball and is hoping to claim her crown with a bid to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“It’s funny because I didn’t start playing volleyball until I was in eighth grade. But I always wanted to play beach volleyball in the Olympics,” said Terese Cannon. “I grew up playing indoor volleyball in high school and in college for a year—and it wasn’t until I got to SC and played beach volleyball as a collegiate sport, that the Olympic dream seemed more in reach.”
NOVUS Clothing Company and Volleyball
NOVUS’ annual CAT Volleyball Tournament ultimately lead to the partnership with Terese Cannon. Every summer, NOVUS hosts and outfits a 16-team tournament to raise money for causes they care about. The event brings together a melting pot of friends, players, coaches, and referees with a common mission in mind—play the game and raise money for charity.
“Our partnerships and athletes are all connected—and this one was the direct result of our annual CAT Volleyball Tournament,” said Garrett Bernardo, Owner & CEO of NOVUS Clothing Company. “We’ve done custom branded lines for high school volleyball, but never anything on this level.”
Through the CAT tournament and growth partner Chris Hosley, NOVUS Clothing Company was introduced to the Volleyball League of America (VLA). The VLA is an amazing grassroots professional volleyball league that plays in tournaments all over the country. Most importantly, the VLA has an unbelievable volleyball network of people, which NOVUS was excited to get involved with.
“Through the VLA, we met Terese Cannon’s high school volleyball coach, CJ Denk,” said Nick Bernardo, Owner & COO of NOVUS Clothing Company. “The relationship was built very organically, through Chris and CJ and next thing you know we’re on a Zoom call with Terese.”
Terese Cannon Signs on as a NOVUS Athlete
By seeking out athletes with a similar vision, drive and passion to the brand, NOVUS has formed partnerships with Harrison Butker from the Kansas City Chiefs, George Odom from the San Francisco 49ers, and now Terese Cannon, Professional Volleyball Player.
“We’re not looking for just anyone, we know the platforms professional athletes have and the influence they can have on people, which is why we want to choose the right ones,” said Garrett Bernardo. “There was a lot of synergy in our first call with Terese, like doing things with a purpose, knowing you have a platform to make an impact and serve.”
NOVUS athletes have become a huge part of the brand and Terese clearly fits the mold both on and off the court.
“What I think really drew me to this, is the fact that everyone has their own story, and mine is that I’m from Upstate NY, so being able to work with a company that’s based in Albany just feels like home,” said Terese Cannon. “I’m very proud of where I came from and I love being able to represent Upstate NY.”
What’s Next for NOVUS and Volleyball?
Volleyball and NOVUS have a deep-rooted history. With over a decade of experience hosting the annual CAT Tournament to working with Thayer Hall at the University of Florida. NOVUS plans on making big moves in the volleyball world, and the partnership with Terese Cannon is a prime example.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better role model out there as a person and someone that’s achieving excellence in their sport and also off the court,” said Garrett Bernardo.
The company has successfully built out a roster of young athletes and plans on supporting them as they move forward in their athletic careers and lives. Follow us on social media and check out our CrownCast podcast as we share the latest on Terese Cannon’s Olympic journey and more!