New clues revealed in mystery death of star athlete found in water near San Diego beach

New clues have emerged in the mysterious death of a star San Diego volleyball player found dead in the ocean at a popular beach.

Summer Nash, 34, was discovered floating in the water near Ocean Beach Pier on June 18 by lifeguards who recovered her body and pronounced her dead at the scene, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The cause of the top athlete’s death remains under investigation.

Nash was wearing a bikini and long sleeve shirt when her lifeless corpse was found washed up near shore on the south side of Ocean Beach Pier, a spokesperson for the Medical Examiner revealed Thursday.

The spokesperson said the Medical Examiner may take months to determine how Nash died. Nash’s friends said she was a strong swimmer who was learning to surf.

It wasn’t clear if a surfboard was found with Nash’s body or if she were surfing at the time of her death.

The powerful Pacific ocean swells that claimed the lives of beach-goers in Laguna and Santa Cruz were still pounding California beaches on the day Nash died.

Nash’s body was found near the seawall south of Ocean Beach Pier, where the strong currents from a popular surf break there push seashells ashore.

Nash was an accomplished volleyball player who played for San Diego State and Florida International universities before transitioning into coaching roles for lauded volleyball programs at Florida State and Stanford universities.

Nash appeared to have last coached at Stanford during the 2022-23 season.

Now, as friends and loved ones grapple with her sudden death, questions are swirling about what happened.

Deitre Collins, Nash’s longtime friend and head coach at SDSU, told The California Post that loved ones are buzzing with speculation over how she may have died.

“I just hope foul play wasn’t involved,” said Collins.

Collins said Nash was an integral member of SDSU’s championship volleyball team and was beloved by every player she shared the court with.

“It’s been amazing in terms of the number of people who have come out to just talk about what a special human being she was,” said Collins of Nash. “She deserves all of that.”

Matt Olson, executive director of San Diego’s WAVE Beach Volleyball club, told The Post he worked with Nash for years.

He called her a “wonderful coach” for the club volleyball organization and “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Olson described Nash as a very physical player who could “hit the snot out of the ball.”

“People didn’t serve her because they were scared of her physicality and her ability to crush the ball,” he said.

After her college sports career Nash transitioned to coaching beach volleyball and in recent years began to practice surfing at the SoCal beaches she considered home.

Olson said he took her surfing several years ago, but she had a “rough outing.” Still, he wasn’t surprised that she threw herself into the sport.

San Diego volleyball coach Nicholas Mercer said some of Nash’s friends have speculated that she died in a surfing accident.

“The last time I talked to Summer, a few months ago, she said she was learning surfing,” said Mercer, who coached Nash on the pro volleyball circuit and said she was his best friend.

Mercer said members of Nash’s family are planning a private ceremony to celebrate her life, while her friends from the beach are working on a public tribute.

“We’re trying to get a celebration going for her friends,” said Mercer.