UNMC Off The Clock — MMI’s Livermore on beach volleyball tour

On weekdays, Chestnut Livermore analyzes human chromosomes as a cytogenetic technologist at UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute.

But on many weekends, she heads to sunny beaches around the country and smashes volleyballs at breakneck speeds past other women as part of the Extreme Volleyball Professionals Tour.

A passion developed from playing volleyball her entire life drives the landlocked Livermore to jet set on weekends to play the sport in the sand.

Chesnut Livermore, a cytogenetic technologist at UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute, spends many of her weekends playing in a professional beach volleyball tour. This is the second season Livermore, who was a standout volleyball player at Dana College, has played on the tour.

“I love playing the perfect game — the games that you don’t have to think about anything. They just flow,” said Livermore, who was a standout volleyball player at Dana College in Blair. “I strive for that.”

This is Livermore’s second year on the EVP Tour, which is composed of contracted men and women players who are paid a small stipend to participate. The tour begins in April and runs into November. She and teammate, Tracy Blair, qualified for the EVP tour by placing second at tour event in Kansas City, Kan., two years ago.

Now, on any given weekend during the season, Livermore and Blair play up to eight matches in double-elimination tournaments. During the week, they practice by playing in a men’s sand volleyball league at Spiker’s in Gretna.

Q&A with Chestnut Livermore How does it feel to be a professional athlete? It’s a dream come true. What’s it like to get a volleyball spiked in your face? It’s pretty embarrassing. I’ve only been hit once and it was while we were playing with guys. It blew the sunglasses off my face but I didn’t let on that it bothered me. I asked the guy who did it, “Is that all you got?” OK, so how does it feel to spike a volleyball in someone’s face? I’ve done it a couple times. At first you feel kind of bad for the other player but then after you realize they’re not hurt, you think, “Yeah, I’m a stud.” What’s the best perk about being on the tour? It’s cool to get rock star treatment and seeing the thrill our young ball girls get from being around the players is really cool, too. Who misses you more on the weekends, your dog or your husband? My dog pouts pretty bad, her lip sticks out. But I gotta say it’s harder on my husband. He misses me a lot.

Blair also has UNMC ties. She is the niece of UNMC faculty member Audrey Paulman, M.D.

Livermore said her colleagues at MMI, particularly her boss, Warren Sanger, Ph.D., professor and director of the MMI Human Genetics Laboratory, are supportive of her volleyball career.

“His son, Travis, is aspiring to become a professional fisherman, so Dr. Sanger understands how passionate people can be with activities outside of work,” Livermore said.

Her husband, Derek, and their dog, Daisy, also support her participation in the tour, although, Derek misses her on the weekends, she said.

“He gets stuck with a lot of housework,” Livermore said.

She enjoys interacting with the fans who support the sport.

“The fans who come to watch us are always so positive and fun,” Livermore said.

Great sportsmanship and Midwest congeniality have earned Livermore and Blair the title of “the nicest team on the tour.”

Livermore also has been given the nickname, “Tenderfoot.”

“It seems I’m always doing something to my feet during the match, a cut or a scratch,” she said.

Livermore and Blair’s next tournament is June 9 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Some of the tournaments are televised on Comcast SportsNet and Attitude Sports and Entertainment Television. Click here to see blog entries from Livermore about her experience on the tour this season.

For the EVP tour schedule, see www.evptour.com.