Nora Hayd’s eyeliner traced a dramatic path from her tear ducts to her eyebrow piercings. Her bangs were dyed hot pink, and a septum ring dangled from her nose.

In other words, she was ready for her college beach volleyball team’s photo shoot.

“That makeup is not my full makeup — I definitely pulled back,” Ms. Hayd, 19, said in an interview on Tuesday in which she discussed her widely shared headshot.

Ms. Hayd, a sophomore at Boise State University and a member of the school’s Division I women’s beach volleyball team, has earned fans far beyond Idaho thanks to her distinctive look, which began circulating on social media last week.

In screenshots of her team’s roster, Ms. Hayd easily stands out among the blondes and brunettes with far subtler hair and makeup. She was quickly nicknamed the “goth beach volleyball player,” or “gothlete” for short.

The look was not particularly extreme for Ms. Hayd, who grew up just outside Seattle, in an area with no shortage of alternative fashion. Its reception has been both overwhelming and mildly amusing, she said as she reflected on the situation during a break between her painting and ceramics classes. (She is a visual arts major.)

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

How did you settle on a look for your roster photo?

A post shared by Boise State Beach Volleyball (@boisestatebvb)

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