Long before Hagen Smith began chasing a spot on Team USA, the future beach volleyball star faced a life-changing scare in the waters off Southern California. At just 15 years old, Smith had finished competing in a volleyball tournament when he went for a swim at Dockweiler Beach and was bitten by a shark. The attack left him needing around 20 to 30 stitches, but he refused to give up the sport. Now, at 31, the former UCLA standout hopes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

With beach volleyball set to be held in Long Beach, the Games will take place close to the area where Smith grew up. For him, competing at a home Olympics would be something special. “It’s been a dream of mine since I can remember,” Smith told the New York Post.

For Smith, the Olympic dream began long before he became a professional athlete. His father, Sinjin Smith, is one of the most accomplished players in beach volleyball history. He became the first player ever to reach 100 professional beach volleyball tournament victories and finished his career with 139 titles. Sinjin also represented the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the first Games to feature beach volleyball as an official medal sport.

Watching his father’s success firsthand left a lasting impression on Hagen. “My dad, being who he is, what he’s done for the sport and being in the first Olympics, it’s always been that dream, that goal of mine,” Smith said.

Growing up around the sport gave Hagen a close look required to compete at the highest level. Although his father’s legacy helped to inspire him, he has worked for years to carve his own path. His breakthrough in beach volleyball was in 2023 when he won the Virginia Beach Open at the AVP Tour. He followed that with a runner-up appearance at the AVP Denver Open.

Smith also found success internationally. In 2024, he won the Beach Pro Tour Futures event in Battipaglia, Italy. Those results have strengthened his Olympic ambitions, but qualifying for LA28 remains a difficult challenge. Unlike many established Olympic contenders, Smith has not yet settled on the partner he hopes to make his Olympic push with. Throughout his professional career, he has competed alongside several partners, including Robbie Page, Jake Dietrich, Billy Kolinske, Logan Webber, and Ryan Ierna.

But now finding the right partnership will be one of the biggest steps in his pursuit of an Olympic berth. So, the clock is ticking toward Los Angeles, but Smith remains focused on the opportunity in front of him. “There’s a long way to go,” Smith said. “But that is the ultimate goal.”

Before the Olympic spotlight arrives in Long Beach, Smith is expected to compete at events held at the future Olympic venue. “It’ll be cool to be the test run for the Olympics,” he said. “That’ll be a good opportunity for us to see how it plays down there.” But while Smith is now dreaming of competing at LA28, beach volleyball was not the sport he focused on growing up.

Smith turned a lifelong passion into a professional career

Growing up, Hagen Smith was surrounded by the sport because of his father. Despite that upbringing, he didn’t focus only on beach volleyball. As a kid, he played indoor volleyball for school and club teams, competed in beach volleyball during the summers, and even surfed competitively along the Southern California coast.

His talent continued to grow at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, where he played as both a setter and outside hitter. Smith helped the school win a Mission League championship and reach the CIF Championship final and California state finals. He was named to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 recruiting list and also played for Manhattan Beach Surf.

For Smith, choosing UCLA was an easy decision. He is a third-generation Bruin, with deep family ties to the university. His grandfather earned a PhD from UCLA, his mother attended the school, and his father became a volleyball star there before building a legendary beach volleyball career. Smith once said he chose UCLA because he had “been a Bruin from Day One.”

From 2014 to 2017, Smith played for the Bruins and made a name for himself. Although he was originally recruited as a libero, injuries on the team led to a switch to being a setter. The move proved successful, as he became one of UCLA’s main playmakers.

Even during his UCLA years, Smith remained active in beach volleyball. In 2014, he represented the United States at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships in Cyprus. Then, in 2017, he and teammate Jackson Bantle finished second at the inaugural USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships in Hermosa Beach. By the time he graduated, he ranked fourth in career set assists.

After graduating from UCLA in 2017, Smith decided to focus fully on beach volleyball. It was a natural next step for someone who had spent his entire life around the sport.