Barnett, a veteran of 350 international matches, is one of the few athletes in the world to be a dual-sport Olympian, having represented Australia in indoor and beach volleyball.

She competed for Australia at the 2000 Sydney Games indoors, and after injuring her knee a few years later, crossed over to beach volleyball, partnering dual Olympic medallist and four-time Olympian Natalie Cook to fifth at the Beijing Games. Named a Volleyball Victoria ambassador earlier this month, she has made the Dandenong stadium her training base while being mum to her new son, Arch, and wife to top Australian men's beach volleyballer, Al Hinchley.

"I'm trying to get back on the beach volleyball world tour and qualify for the London Olympics. It's going to be a tough year with the baby, and we [husband Al] are trying to do a lot of it by ourselves.

"Volleyball Victoria has helped us out by allowing me to train at Dandenong, which is a world class indoor facility and as close to beach court conditions as you can get."

Barnett-Hinchley said injuring her knee in the finals of the Spanish league was a blessing as it led to her changing from the boards to the sand and becoming Cook's partner.

"I'd been successful at indoor, and didn't really want to switch, but I guess having the injury was a bit of a blessing. It gave me a chance to reassess where I wanted to go."

In 2008, Barnett-Hinchley was voted Australian female beach volleyball player of the year and the third-best blocker on the world tour.