SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter

Mailbag! AVP Goes International! Olympic Qualification Series? NCAA Players Better Than AVP?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:59:42 +0000

Welcome to the fan question, or mailbag, episode of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter takes on all of your beach volleyball and volleyball questions and attempts to answer them as best as he can. This week, he's chatting:

Is the AVP allowing international players a good thing or bad thing for beach volleyball? (hint: It's AWESOME)
Could this year's Olympic qualifying for the USA Volleyball women be the most competitive yet?
Are NCAA Beach Volleyball Players better than AVP players?
Can the AVP League survive?
What mental skills do you need to make the jump to the next level?

And so much more.

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 25 PERCENT off all Mikasa products with our code, SANDCAST and play with the ball. played with the best in the game. Head to Mikasa's website and get your bag of balls today!

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

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UCLA Dominates NCAA Championships; Brasilia Goes Bonkers; AVP League Roster Breakdown

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 May 2026 11:15:46 +0000

Welcome to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have a breakdown of the most recent -- and very full -- weekend of beach volleyball, which includes:

UCLA beach volleyball's dominant showing in Gulf Shores, winning their first NCAA Championship since 2019. Jenny Johnson Jordan has now won as a player, assistant coach, and head coach
Audrey Koenig and Alexis Durish getting snubbed as the Player of the Year, despite being one of three NCAA teams ever to go undefeated, so they are our Slunks College Players of the Year
Savvy Cory and Devon Newberry going bonkers in Brasilia, winning a bronze medal out of the qualifier.
Is Sweden's Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson the best team in the world? There's room for that discussion!
And, alas, a full roster breakdown of the 2026 AVP League

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 25 PERCENT off all Mikasa products with our code, SANDCAST and play with the ball. played with the best in the game. Head to Mikasa's website and get your bag of balls today!

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

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NCAA Champs Preview! Why 2026 Is "The Most Exciting, The Most Dramatic" Year Yet

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:43:12 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Madison Fitzpatrick is taking over the mic for the week. She's talking about the upcoming 2026 NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She breaks down the bracket, pondering:

If this will finally be Stanford's year to win the NCAA title
Texas shocking the NCAA world with its conference victory in the MPSF, taking out UCLA twice and USC
Can FSU, on the heels of its second best regular season ever, deliver on the national stage?
Will Jenny Johnson Jordan and the UCLA Bruins return to the top?

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Geena Urango: The Longevity Queen of Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:43:21 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the veteran of all veterans: Geena Urango. She sits down with Tri to talk about:

Her return to international beach volleyball, and why she is considering playing on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour
Why she loves playing with Megan Rice, and the intimidation factor she brings to the table
Differential learning, and the creative approach she's taking to the game
USA Volleyball's overhauled system, and why it's so promising

Chapters with Geena Urango
00:00 Introduction and Career Longevity
01:59 Training Against Young Guns and Age Dynamics
03:53 National Team System and Centralized Training
06:00 Impact of Practice Environment on Performance
07:57 Player Partnerships and Team Building Strategies
10:00 International Play and Domestic Priorities
12:00 Mental Resilience and Mindset Development
13:57 Balancing Competition and Personal Growth
16:05 The Role of Technology and AI in Training
17:50 Energy Work, Meditation, and Hypnosis in Sports
19:52 Science of Energy and Healing in Athletic Performance
21:59 Using AI for Personal Coaching and Performance
23:59 Managing Emotions and Referee Interactions
25:57 Building Strong Partnerships with Self-Assessment Tools
27:57 Love Languages and Communication in Partnerships
30:01 The Power of Creativity and Differential Learning
31:47 Deepening Skills Through Unconventional Practice
33:57 The Mind-Body Connection and Brain Waves
35:58 Healing and Autoimmune Recovery Through Energy Work
38:00 The Science and Mysticism of Energy and Faith
40:11 Future of AI and Energy Science in Sports
42:05 Practical Applications of Meditation and Hypnosis
44:00 Using Technology to Track Brain Waves and Energy States
45:59 Overcoming Trauma and Stress with EMDR and Hypnosis
48:09 The Power of Subconscious Mind and Visualization
50:06 The Intersection of Science, Energy, and Spirituality
52:10 Innovations in Coaching and Performance Enhancement
53:55 Upcoming Competitions and Personal Goals
55:51 The Reality of Qualifiers and Tournament Pressure
58:08 The Joy of Playing in Front of Fans
59:48 Reflections on Refereeing and Game Management
01:01:58 The Future of Volleyball and Personal Aspirations

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Supermoms, Death Stars, and Underdogs: BIG WEEKEND In Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:22:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a combo episode: A Beach Access, where Travis recaps a big weekend in beach volleyball, going over the Saquarema Elite on the Beach Pro Tour as well as the final AVP League qualifier while touching on new partnerships and potential ripple effects from there. We're discussing:

The new partnership of Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger
Where Miles Evans might go from here
Nina Brunner cementing herself as a SUPERMOM on the Beach Pro Tour
Why Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher are the new death star of women's beach volleyball

And more!

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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April Mailbag! What's Kent's Business Plan? Is Terese Cannon Back? Wyatt Harrison's Next Step

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 10:40:00 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have our April fan question episode! We're chatting:

Does Kent Steffes have an actual business plan?
When Terese Cannon comes back, who's she playing with?
What does Wyatt Harrison's future in beach volleyball look like?
Could we see an AVP event in Alaska?!

And more!

If you want to pre-order Travis and Gabby Reece's book, Volleyball for Dummies, head to Barnes and Noble here!

Our Saquarema Pickem is live! Make your picks here!

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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The One That Makes Sense: Favorites Prevail at AVP League Qualifier | Beach Access

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 11:46:00 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all things AVP League qualifier. Week two was the one that makes sense, in which the finals were battles of No. 1 vs. No. 2 on both the men's and the women's side, and Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft punched their ticket into the AVP League, and Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh did the same.

Happy Easter everyone!

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Everything is Bigger in Texas -- Including Beach Volleyball! W/LJ Luciano

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 00:17:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features LJ Luciano, the co-founder of ATX Beach in Austin, Texas, and the longest listener we've ever had on the pod. No joke: LJ has been with us since DAY ONE. LJ and Tri Bourne talk about the growing, thriving beach volleyball community in Texas, launching new events like the city vs. city series, innovation in the sport, and a whole lot more. Fun one, and a unique one for the pod.

Loved it all.

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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SUPERMOM Betsi Flint And Ageless Paul Lotman Punch Tickets Into 2026 AVP League | Beach Access

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:59:00 +0000

Betsi Flint and Kylie Deberg, and the ageless Paul Lotman and young Jedi Miles Partain punched their tickets into the 2026 AVP League with qualifier wins on Saturday in Manhattan Beach. Meanwhile, Evan Cory and Derek Bradford put on a show, as did Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft.

That and more from the first of three AVP League qualifiers.

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Miles Evans: Olympian, Manhattan Beach Open Champ, Hermosa Winner -- What's Next?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:55:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Miles Evans, who had a massive breakthrough year with Chase Budinger in winning the Manhattan Beach Open -- the year after competing in the Olympics and winning the Hermosa Open. What's next for Evans, perpetually underrated on the AVP and Beach Pro Tour? We find out in this conversation. Miles and Tri talk about:

Planning a schedule on the Beach Pro Tour and AVP, and the difficulty of having to peak in November
Why he and Chase Budinger continue to stick together amidst an off-season of partnership changes
The absolutely stacked AVP qualifiers, and how difficult it will be to qualify for them
Preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

We have a NEW BOOK! Pre-order your copy of Volleyball for Dummies today at Barnes and Noble!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Troy Field: Entering The Veteran Act of His Beach Volleyball Career

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:41:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features one of our most popular guests of all-time, and the single most popular guest of 2025: Troy Field. They talk about:

How he is entering the veteran act of his professional career, playing with the up-and-coming Ryan Wilcox
The power and influence of social media, and how to harness it for good
Why all beach volleyball players should invest in hiring a coach, as Troy did with Mike Placek, if they are taking the game seriously
Where Troy and Tri think the game is headed, and how to make beach volleyball's future better and brighter

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Different Name, Same GOLDEN Result for Kristen Cruz, Taryn Brasher | Joao Pessoa Recap

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:43:00 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, presented by Slunks, where Travis Mewhirter chats all things from the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Joao Pessoa Elite, including:

Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher might have new names, but they have the same result: GOLD medals for USA Volleyball
Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh medaling in their first tournament as partners
Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft medaling in their first tournament as partners
USA Volleyball's big showing early in 2026 thus far And more!

SHOOTS!

Check out Slunks here!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Mailbag! Most Exciting New Partnerships; AVP Coverage; Travis' Beach Volleyball Story

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, and welcome to the March Fan Question Mailbag episode! Thanks to all who submitted questions, as we chat:

Recapping the Bhubaneswar Challenge, where Florida State's Audrey Koenig and Alexis Durish balled out to win gold
Breaking down Sara Hughes' and Ally Batenhorst's play
What are the most exciting new partnerships in beach volleyball?
How do you break up with your beach volleyball partner and find a new one?
What is Travis' story of getting into volleyball, and memories from Bulldog Beach?

And so much more!

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Maddie Anderson Has Her Spark Back

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have, at the Florida State Beach Volleyball courts, second-year professional Maddie Anderson. We've been trying to get Maddie on the pod for some time, and Travis even coached her and Brook Bauer briefly at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite a year ago, but finally, we made it work, and we chat about:

How Maddie made the transition from NCAA to professional beach volleyball so well
Her new partnership with Alaina Chacon
Why living in California to become a professional volleyball player is no longer a necessity, and why she's doing it in Florida
How she almost lost her spark and love for volleyball, but reclaimed it and is now all in

And much more! Fun one with Mads.

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, click here and sign on up!

SHOOTS!

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Dr. Nate Zinsser: The Confident Mind, And The Most Powerful Sports Book Ever

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:43:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Dr. Nate Zinsser, or Doc Z, the author of The Confident Mind, which Travis considers the most powerful sports book of all time. Why? It changed his career – and the careers of everyone he has coached – forever. This one is an absolute powerhouse of an episode, in which the two chat about:

Exercises you can do to increase your confidence in all aspects of life
How you can make your biggest stage, whether it’s the Olympics or a huge presentation, feel totally normal
How to flip nerves into an incredible performance enhancer
The power of journaling, and specifically, journaling about effort, success, and progress

And so, so, so much more. Absolute slammer of an episode.

SHOOTS!

Get a copy of The Confident Mind here! https://amzn.to/4rdb2Ct

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, TRIANDTRAVIS26. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

If you want to receive our SANDCAST weekly newsletter, the Beach Volleyball Digest, which dishes all the biggest news in beach volleyball in one quick newsletter, head over to our website and subscribe! We'd love to have ya! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/

SHOOTS!

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Mailbag! NCAA Beach Preview, New Beach Pro Tour Format?! Olympic Partnerships

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 01:54:00 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis takes on fan questions for our February Mailbag episode. He answers:

Can you give us an NCAA Beach Volleyball preview?
What is this new Beach Pro Tour format we're hearing about?
Will we ever see a KOC or QOC again?
What are your optimum Olympic beach volleyball partnerships?

And a whole lot more!

Thanks as always for writing in!

Chapters
00:00 Welcome Back to Sandcast
01:53 Mixing and Matching Players
07:07 Recruiting Indoor Players for Beach Volleyball
12:22 AVP League Model and Future
16:06 King of the Beach Format
18:58 NCAA Beach Volleyball Preview
27:56 Olympic Qualification and Partnerships
31:59 Feedback on World Championships
38:06 New Beach World Tour Overview

Takeaways
The Confident Mind is a must-read for athletes.
Mixing players from different countries can create exciting partnerships.
USA Volleyball focuses on indoor talent due to financial reasons.
The AVP is committed to its league model despite challenges.
King of the Beach format could make a comeback.
NCAA beach volleyball is thriving with new talent.
End of the year is crucial for forming new partnerships.
Players enjoyed the World Championships in Adelaide.
The new Beach World Tour is still being finalized.
Simplification of tournament formats is essential for fan understanding.

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

SHOOTS!

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Savvy Cory Is Doing Beach Volleyball Her Own Damn Way In 2026

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:50:16 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, Bourne and good friend Savvy Cory -- the former Savvy Simo! – chat about all of the huge changes in the beach volleyball landscape, and especially Savvy’s own. She discusses:

Changing her own name to Savvy Cory after getting married to Evan Cory
How her and Devon Newberry became partners
Why she defected from USA Volleyball’s training group
Why she’s enjoying getting away from the beach volleyball ecosystem a bit this season

And so much more!

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taylor Crabb, Andy Benesh, And The Biggest Partnership Shift in Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 17:55:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hottest new team in the USA Volleyball landscape: Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh. They chat about all things partnership, including:

How the two wound up together
Why Benesh sought a switch in partners, and why he’s so excited about playing with Taylor Crabb
USA Volleyball’s new centralized system on the beach
Why winning an Olympic medal, not just qualifying, is the ultimate goal.

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. Check it out here!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Breaking Down The 2026 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Schedule

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:23:39 +0000

After a longer than expected wait, the 2026 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour schedule has been released in full. Per usual, I'd expect there to be additions in the fall and maybe a few during the summer, a la Newport Beach in 2025.

It's a season that will feature, for now, 29 Futures, eight Elites, and seven Challenge events, along with the debut of the ambiguous new Beach World Series coming in November.

This podcast covers the full schedule of the Challenges and Elites, with a breakdown and commentary on how 2026 looks.

Here is the YouTube video

And here is our write-up on the schedule

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SHOOTS!

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Life, Volleyball, and the Olympic Mindset | Carl Massey, Tri Bourne

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:57:54 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Bourne sits down with his personal life and mindset coach, Carl Massey, a strategist, coach, author, former Army Major and consultant to multiple Olympic Games

Chapters with Carl Massey

00:00 Introduction to the Journey

05:57 Transitioning from Military to Coaching

12:36 Personal Growth Through Adversity

19:56 The Reality of the Olympic Experience

26:10 Navigating Identity and Expectations

32:03 The Importance of Consciousness in Performance

39:02 Managing Expectations and Stress

46:12 The Role of Recovery in Athletic Performance

52:56 Mindfulness and Creativity in Sports

01:00:00 Conclusion and Future Directions

Bonus for SANDCAST listeners: Carl is offering all listeners a free audio copy of his latest book. To download it, visit: www.18waysbook.com/audio (http://www.18waysbook.com/audio)

Carl is also launching an Online Workshop: Overcome Self-Imposed Limitations starting February 6. The workshop follows a choose-your-own-price model (minimum $5), with a strong charitable component: 100% of ticket sales at $10 or under go to Bali Street Mums, and 25% of any amount over $10 is also donated. Learn more about the workshop here: https://www.balicocreation.com/overcome (https://www.balicocreation.com/overcome)

SHOOTS!

***

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Mailbag! How Do Volleyball Players Make it Financially? How To Get Points; Our Perfect USA Partnerships

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:05:37 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have our first solo episode of the year, with Mewhirter taking fan questions from his Tallahassee studios. He's answering:

How do beach volleyball players make it financially?
How do you get points on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour?
If we could make our dream partnerships for USA Volleyball, what would they be?
Will beach volleyball ever become as popular as the NFL?

And more!

SHOOTS!

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Drinking Whiskey With The Crabbs -- Teammates Again! | Taylor Crabb, Trevor Crabb

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:38:30 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Taylor Crabb and Trevor Crabb -- teammates again! And, of course, whiskey.

Chapters with Taylor Crabb and Trevor Crabb

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene

02:59 Jet Lag and Offseason Reflections

06:04 Emerging Teams and Competition Dynamics

08:57 US Men's Volleyball Landscape and Future

12:01 Olympic Aspirations and Team Dynamics

14:59 Coaching and Transitioning Careers

19:52 Upcoming Events and Community Engagement

23:01 Personal Goals and Future Aspirations

26:59 Influencer Culture in Sports

29:59 Reflections on Enjoyment and Competition

32:58 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

Takeaways with Trevor Crabb and Taylor Crabb

The offseason is a time for reflection and relaxation.
Emerging teams in volleyball can disrupt established dynamics.
The US men's volleyball landscape is evolving with potential shakeups.
Olympic aspirations are a significant focus for many players.
Enjoying the game is crucial for long-term success.
Coaching can be a fulfilling transition for retired players.
Community engagement through events is important for the sport's growth.
Influencer culture is impacting how athletes approach their careers.
Personal goals evolve as players navigate their careers.
The balance between competition and enjoyment is essential.

SHOOTS!

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How to Build a Winning Team Culture | John Mayer, Billy Allen, Travis Mewhirter

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Jan 2026 16:50:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features the Coaching Your Brains Out crew: John Mayer of LMU Beach Volleyball and Billy Allen of Stanford Beach Volleyball.

Chapters with the Coach Your Brains Out Crew

00:00 Coaching Reflections and Achievements

03:06 Building Team Culture and Relationships

05:57 Practice Dynamics and Coaching Strategies

09:01 Feedback and Player Engagement

12:01 Exploring New Techniques and Learning

15:06 The Importance of Trust and Psychological Safety

18:11 The Role of Technique in Performance

21:02 Cultural Dynamics in Coaching

23:55 The Concept of Mudita in Team Success

SHOOTS!

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The 2025 Beach Pro Tour Player Awards Show

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:16:14 +0000

Welcome to the 2025 Beach Pro Tour Player Awards Show! For the third straight year, SANDCAST has curated and hosted the player-voted awards, with Travis Mewhirter detailing which players won:

Team of the Year
MVP
Best Offensive Player
Best Defensive Player
Best Server
Best Blocker
Rookie of the Year
Most Improved
The Sportsmanship Award
Event of the Year
People of the Year

SHOOTS!

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Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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2025 Year in Review Mailbag: Life Lessons, Biggest Takeaways, Fan Questions | SANDCAST

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 16:29:42 +0000

Merry Christmas!! Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter drop a Christmas Eve special 2025 year in review podcast, talking their biggest life lessons in a year in which they both had kids, Tri Bourne retired from professional beach volleyball, Travis Mewhirter dove into coaching full-time at Florida State while hitting his stride as a commentator for VBTV. They also take on a few fan questions, talking about the future of beach volleyball, whether it's a financially stable sport (or ever can be), the need for superstars, and, of course, a Christmas lightning round.

Chapters of SANDCAST with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter

00:00 Winging It: The Podcast Journey Begins

02:57 Christmas Traditions: Celebrating in Different Places

05:56 Parenting and Holiday Memories: The Joys of Family

09:01 Reflecting on the Year: Changes and Transitions

11:51 The Athlete's Transition: Finding New Purpose

14:57 Mindset Shifts: Embracing Parenthood

18:05 Balancing Work and Family: The Provider's Dilemma

21:13 The Future of Beach Volleyball: Challenges and Opportunities

24:06 Building a Legacy: The Importance of Superstars

26:57 Fan Engagement: The Role of Athletes in Growing the Sport

30:06 Funding the Dream: How Athletes Afford the Tour

32:57 The Business of Beach Volleyball: Finding the Right Model

35:59 Starting Sandcast: The Podcast's Origin Story

39:01 The Future of Juniors: Growing the Next Generation

42:12 Partnerships and Transparency: The Athlete's Perspective

44:51 The Importance of Media: Engaging Fans and Building Stars

SHOOTS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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Marco Krattiger: A Decade Of Building Switzerland Into a Beach Volleyball Country

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:30:58 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Marco Krattiger, Switzerland's longtime veteran blocker who has been playing professional beach volleyball for more than a decade -- and is only just now beginning to peak, as he and Leo Dillier finished ninth at the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Their year included a top-10 at the Gstaad Elite, the home event to all Swiss Beach Volleyball players, victories over Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, Evandro and Arthur, Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot, and more.

Chapters with Marco Krattiger

00:00 Introduction and World Championships Tournament Context

03:46 Experiences at World Championships

06:12 Expectations vs. Reality in Major Events

10:55 The Roller Coaster of Performance

12:50 Learning from Low Points

15:41 Evolution of Beach Volleyball Tactics

18:47 The Impact of Rule Changes

24:24 Player Dynamics and Team Chemistry

28:15 Toughest Opponents in Beach Volleyball

33:36 The Rise of Swiss Beach Volleyball

47:49 Future of Swiss Women in Beach Volleyball

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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Zach Schubert: The Brutal Yet Beautiful Road to The Olympics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:03:56 +0000

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, Travis sits down with Australian Olympian Zach Schubert, who after 9 years of playing professional beach volleyball is retiring, doing so at the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships. We cover quite a bit of ground in this chat, including:

Why double-elim is the best format in the world
Zach Schubert's trying journey to the Olympics, and why Thomas Hodges is the man responsible for his success
Why he chose to retire from the game
Why the pursuit of the Olympics shouldn't be the end all, be all for athletes

And so, so much more

SHOOTS!

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MAILBAG! Breaking Down The AVP Schedule; The Return to Belmar; World Champs Review

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Dec 2025 16:47:02 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter where the boys are far and wide: Bourne is at home in the studio in Hermosa Beach while Travis is out and about in the Outback, on day 9 of the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, Australia. They catch up and chat:

A breakdown of the 2026 AVP Schedule, looking at the AVP Major Heritage events and the glut of AVP Heritage Contender events
Travis Mewhirter reviewing the Beach Volleyball World Championships, looking at how the crowd was, how the vibes were, who played well, who didn't
What Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson need to do to get over the 5th place hump
Is the honeymoon over for Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, who took a 17th at the Beach Volleyball World Championships?
Why folks should be tuning in to beach volleyball right now (hint hint: David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig are on the scene)
The AVP's return to one of its longtime stops: Belmar, New Jersey
What April Ross' new role is with USA Volleyball
Who we'd play with from the 80s and 90s eras of beach volleyball
If we'll have Anders Mol and Christian Sorum on SANDCAST again (yes, please) - What we eat for breakfast
Why Chicago was not disappointing at all for the AVP

SHOOTS!

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"CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Unbelievable Finish to An Unbelievable World Champs

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:30:06 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we are back, again, for one final time, from Adelaide, Australia, home of the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships. And that. Is. A. Wrap. Travis and Kyle Friend recap a World Champs that was historic in so many ways, including:

Latvia’s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova winning not just the first World Championships GOLD MEDAL in Latvian beach volleyball history, but the first medal at a World Championships at all, regardless of color. We are so, so, so happy for them
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher taking an excellent silver medal, becoming the only team to take a set off Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova at these World Championships
Carol Salgado, the Iron Woman, Mother of Dragons, winning her long-awaited World Championships medal, making it a bronze in her NINTH World Champs appearance alongside Rebecca Cavalcanti, beating world no. 1 Thamela and Victoria to do it
An All-Sweden final, the first time it has been an all-country battle since 2011 in Rome featured Brazil vs. Brazil. Crazier still? The oldest member on court was Jonatan Hellvig…at 24 years old. David Ahman becomes the youngest World Championships winner in history at 23, and their No. 2 team, Elmer Andersson and Jacob Holting-Nilsson, at 19 and 20, are absurd beyond measure. It’s Sweden vs. the world now
The first World Championships medal in France beach volleyball history secured by Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar, who swept an impressive German team in Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler

And, for one final time folks: FLAT WHITEEEEE

SHOOTS!

***

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THE STAGE IS SET! Who Will Be Crowned World Champion?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:24:51 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we are back, again, from the Intercontinental Hotel in Adelaide, home of the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Travis and Kyle Friend called all four semifinals, where…

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher barely survived a white-knuckler against Brazil’s Carol and Rebecca, and will now seek to make it back-to-back World Championships for the United States for the first time since 2007-2009
Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova absolutely destroyed world No. 1 Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes in a convincing rout that had Travis Mewhirter wondering who the favorite will be heading into the gold medal match
David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig exorcising their pool play demons in an onslaught over Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in an eerily similar match to the Paris Olympic Games gold medal match
Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson showing why they’re nicknamed The Icemen, displaying remarkable poise in a sweep over Teo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat

Championship Sunday is just around the corner.

Who are y’all taking to win some medals?!

FLAT WHITEEEEE

SHOOTS!

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History Made As Beach Volleyball World Championships Reaches Semifinals

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:17:54 +0000

Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson, earning their Ice Men nickname over James Shaw and Chaim Schalk
France’s Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar continuing their sensational run with a three-set win over Germany’s Lukas Pfretzschner and Sven Winter
David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig siding out 92% in a sweep win over Evandro and Arthur
Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers taking out the defening World Champs, Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, earning an Olympic gold medal rematch vs. David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth with ZERO – I REPEAT ZERO – errors in their win over Lexy Denaburg and Julia Donlin, and why there is no asterisk on this fifth place finish for Denaburg and Donlin
Thamela and Victoria alas resuming their form as the No. 1 team in the world with a sweep win over Italy’s Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth
Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova remaining unblemished in another sweep win over Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw
Carol and Rebecca continuing their tour de force in a clash of the hottest teams of the tournament against Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson

FLAT WHITE!

SHOOTS!

***

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UPSET CENTRAL! World Champs Turns Bonkers Into Quarterfinals

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:48:47 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Mewhirter is back on a late-night edition breaking down the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships, where Thursday turned positively bonkers. Where to start? How about with...

- France's Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar shocking medal favorites Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan

- Germany's Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler figuring it out at the right time in a critical upset over Norway's Anders Mol and Christian Sorum

- USA Volleyball's Chaim Schalk and James Shaw continuing their Cinderella run with an upset victory over Cuba's Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz

But then, of course, there was some sense of normalcy, as:

- Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig swept France's Remi Bassereau and Calvin Aye, while countrymen Elmer Andersson and Jacob Holting-Nilsson swept Andre and Renato

- Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson continued their tour de force, as did Brazil's Barbara and Carol and Latvia's Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova

- Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw left no doubt in a convincing win over the Czech Republic, and the Czech men, Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, left no doubt in their win over Portugal's Joao Pedrosa and Hugo Campos

- Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher hang on to beat Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam

Close calls were won by...

- Evandro and Arthur, who snuck past Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier

- Sven Winter and Lukas Pfretzschner, who battled with Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen

- Thamela and Victoria, who slipped past a very talented Ukraine team in Tetiana Lazarenko and Daria Romaniuk

And a huge bummer of an event in Ana Patricia and Duda pulling out to injury.

While it benefited USA Volleyball's Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, it was a massive bummer

SHOOTS!

***

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BEDLAM ENSUES: Nobody Is Safe At The Beach Volleyball World Championships

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:43:34 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis is back breaking down all things Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, Australia. The round of 32 is over, and in this episode, we highlight:

- The huge and shocking upset delivered to Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft by Martina Maixnerova and Kylie Neuschaeferova

- The not so huge but still unexpected upset of Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier over Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot

- The still less huge but still unexpected upsets of Chaim Schalk and James Shaw over Nicolas Capogrosso and Tomas Capogrosso, and Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg of USA Volleyball over Zoe Verge-Depre and Anouk Verge-Depre

- The ALMOST upsets, but not quite, as Thamela and Victoria survive Lezana Placette and Alexia Richard, Evandro and Arthur survive Ben O'Dea and Brad Fuller, and Anders Mol and Christian Sorum survive Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett

- The Cinderella run of Melanie Paul and Lea Kunst amidst a thriving German federation, who will also see Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock, and Sandra Ittlinger and Anna Grune in the round of 16

- The Big Game hunter who is Valentina Gottardi, as the Italian blocker and Reka Orsi Toth knocked out Germany's top pair in Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Muller

- Poland's brutal draw of David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig in the first round

- Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner continuing their World Championships title defense

- Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen careering at the perfect time with a fourth straight sweep

SHEW! We'll be back again tomorrow!

SHOOTS!

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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Chaos Begins! World Champs Playoffs Set to Bring Madness in Adelaide

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 02:43:07 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis, on site in Adelaide for the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships, breaks down the pool play rounds and provides a little preview of the playoffs to come, highlighting:

- Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig AGAIN losing two matches in pool play in the biggest tournament of the year

- The German women, highlighted by the stellar play of Melanie Paul and Lea Kunst, sending all four teams -- Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock, Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Muller, Sandra Ittlinger and Anna Grune -- to the round of 32

- The USA men all moving into the round of 32, with Chase Budinger and Miles Evans winning pool, Chaim Schalk and James Shaw having a toss-up match against Argentina's Capogrosso Brothers, and Andy Benesh and Miles Partain playing an excellent Cuba team in Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz

- USA and Brazilian women thriving behind the dominance of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher, Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw, Ana Patricia and Duda, Thamela and Victoria, and Carol and Rebecca.

AND: Australia makes the best coffee.

WE SAID IT!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Favorites, Contenders and Dark Horses: The FINAL World Champs Preview

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:36:25 +0000

Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down all things Beach Volleyball World Champs here in Adelaide, Australia, going over the favorites, contenders, and dark horses for each gender.

Favorites: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher, Duda and Ana Patricia, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan.

Contenders: Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann, Anouk Verge-Depre and Zoe Verge-Depre, Remi Bassereau and Calvin Aye, Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers

Dark Horses: Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon, Andre and Renato, Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger

SHOOTS!

***

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The Importance of Storytelling in Sports ft. Kyle Friend, Frito, Tri Bourne | SANDCAST

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:16:04 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a SANDCAST family affair! Bringing in our star videographer, Daniel "Frito" Freitas and co-host and regular contributor Kyle Friend to chat all things beach volleyball, and particularly what we can do from a storytelling standpoint.

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Brian Lewis: The Evolution, Future, and Current State of Volleyball | SANDCAST

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 12:17:46 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, former AVP professional beach volleyball player Brian Lewis shares his journey through the world of beach volleyball, discussing the evolution of the sport, the importance of entertainment value, and the role of youth development in shaping future athletes.

- He reflects on his personal experiences, training dynamics, and the need for athletes to take ownership in promoting the sport.

- The discussion also touches on the cultural shifts within volleyball and the promising future of the sport as it continues to grow in popularity.

- He chats about some absolutely GOLDEN old school stories

- The ridiculous talent pipeline that is Hawaii's baby court

And so much more. Another one for the gold mine, folks!

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Beach Volleyball World Championships: Women's Pool Breakdown and Preview

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:58:05 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. On this episode, Travis breaks down the upcoming beach volleyball world championships, where he looks each of the 12 women's pools. He looks at:

- Why Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth are headlining the Pool of Death

- TCU Beach Volleyball boasting FIVE players in the World Championships

- Why it might be medal or bust for Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher

- Can Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft finally become the bride they've long sought to be?

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Beach Volleyball World Championships: Men's Pool Breakdown and Preview

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:34:00 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis breaks down all things beach volleyball world championships, specifically previewing the men's field and its 12 pools. We cover:

- Why Pool C is the pool of Death

- Andre Loyola and Renato Lima being Travis' dark horse pick to medal

- Why he has Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar heading a pool of rising stars

- The format and intricacies of the World Champs And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Mailbag! Why Doesn't the USA Host More Events? Sara Hughes' Triumphant Return

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:45:25 +0000

Welcome back to a Fan Question episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where the boys take on all of the questions from our loyal listeners. We talk about:

- Why doesn't the USA Volleyball host more professional beach volleyball events?

- Why are crowds in the USA not showing up to anything?

- Is Kelly Cheng the best player in the world?

- What do we think of Sara Hughes and her new partner, Ally Batenhorst And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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World Championships Are SET! Previewing the Newport Elite

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Oct 2025 12:52:49 +0000

Welcome back to another Beach Access edition of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all things Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. This week, he's chatting World Championships, and the final standings are now out!

- George and Saymon made their HUGE move at the end of the season

- Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon earned their wild card with a gold medal in Veracruz

- VBTV cutting coverage of Challenge events

- USA Volleyball sending the fewest men's teams to a World Championship... ever

And a whole lot more.

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Charlie Brande, And a Dive Into The Heart of Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Oct 2025 09:12:18 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features an absolute legend in Charlie Brande, who shares his extensive experience in volleyball, discussing the evolution of both beach and indoor volleyball, the impact of Title IX, and the importance of community and coaching philosophy in developing young athletes. He reflects on the camaraderie within the sport, the transition from player to coach, and the balance between competition and enjoyment in youth sports. The discussion emphasizes the significance of relationships and mentorship in shaping the future of volleyball. In this conversation, the Tri and Charlie delve into the complexities of balancing coaching responsibilities with family life, the transition into broadcasting, and the importance of engaging with audiences. They discuss the evolution of volleyball broadcasting, the significance of community in sports, and the lessons learned from coaching and mentorship. The dialogue emphasizes the need for authenticity, preparation, and the personal growth that comes from navigating challenges in both sports and life.

Chapters with Charlie Brande

00:00 Introduction to Charlie Brande and Volleyball Culture

02:52 The Evolution of Beach Volleyball

05:53 The Impact of Title IX on Indoor Volleyball

08:40 Foundations of Volleyball Training in Hawaii

11:49 The Role of Community in Volleyball Development

14:50 The Importance of Coaching Philosophy

17:36 The Transition from Player to Coach

20:43 Youth Development and Specialization in Volleyball

23:41 The Influence of Coaches on Young Athletes

26:51 The Balance Between Competition and Enjoyment

29:43 Reflections on Coaching and Mentorship

41:27 Navigating Choices in Coaching and Family Life

45:03 The Transition to Broadcasting

48:57 The Art of Engaging Broadcasting

52:34 Connecting with the Audience

56:50 The Evolution of Volleyball Broadcasting

01:00:38 The Importance of Community in Sports

01:05:37 The Balance of Competition and Personal Growth

01:10:49 Lessons from Coaching and Mentorship

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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BEACH ACCESS: Carol Salgado, The Queen of Brazil; Qatar, Cuba, And The People's Champs

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:32:21 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, presented by SHIELD, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all things Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. This week, he's chatting the recent Rio Elite, where:

- Carol established herself as Brazil's new resident queen

- Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan won a career-high third gold medal in a final dubbed "a win for the people"

- Cuba's dismantling of Norway's Anders Mol and Christian Sorum

- The problems plaguing Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, and Chaim Schalk and James Shaw

- Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw, and Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft playing excellent ball late in the season

And a wholeeeee lot more

SHOOTS!

Full recap here: https://sandcastvolleyball.com/carol-salgado-the-queen-of-brazil-rio-elite-recap/

***

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The Brazil Episode: Kelly Cheng, Molly Shaw Flip The Switch, Dominate Joao Pessoa

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:42:27 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter which doubles as a Beach Access episode this week, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all things Brazil: A full recap from the Joao Pessoa Elite, and brief look-ahead to the Rio Elite this week. He chats:

- Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw's dominant run through the entire Brazilian federation for their first gold medal as a team

- The home field advantage enjoyed by Evandro and Arthur, who won their third gold medal as a partnership -- all won in Brazil

- The HUGE moves made by Calvin Aye and Remi Bassereau and Portugal's Joao Pedrosa and Hugo Campos

- The incredible Brazil vs. America rivalry, and how it's still as strong as ever

And much, much more.

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Canyon Ceman: An Old School Legend's Journey Through Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:57:18 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Canyon Ceman, one of the old school greats who won seven AVPs in a stories career and who is still crushing it playing fours on 22nd Street in Hermosa Beach. Trust us, he's still got a cannon of a jump serve. He and Bourne cover a lot of ground, including:

Why Tri Bourne’s retirement hit Ceman, a man who had health issues of his own, so hard
What it was like to play Karch Kiraly and Phil Dalhausser in their primes, and what made them so great
Ceman’s career switch from volleyball to finance, and why he knew that wasn’t the life for him – and then into WWE
Reflecting on the next steps of Tri Bourne’s life and career, as he is at a similar crossroads Ceman once found himself

And so much more. What a sweet episode this is. So much to enjoy.

SHOOTS!

Reach out to Canyon Ceman at: canyon@marinewealthadvisors.com

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Arnaud Gauthier-Rat: Pushing France Beach Volleyball to Unprecedented Heights

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:58:19 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, the top beach volleyball player in France who has recently teamed with the young – and impressive – Teo Rotar. Already, they have locked up a spot in this fall’s World Championships in Adelaide, Australia, and are a dark horse contender to medal. Recorded at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite, Gauthier-Rat and Mewhirter sit down to chat about:

The epic Paris Olympics – and the pressures of being the home team
The wild qualifying process for those Paris Olympic Games, and the incredible stress put on Gauthier-Rat and his then-partner, Youssef Krou
A crazy run at the European Continental Cup, where Gauthier-Rat first teamed with Teo Rotar to clinch a second bid into the Olympics for France
The bright future of France, whose youth talent is overflowing

And much, much more. This one FLEW BY.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Hyden, Nicole Christner: The Coaching Chapter of a Legend's Career

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Sep 2025 09:54:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the legendary John Hyden and his coaching right-hand woman, Nicole Christner. They cover all topics on this one, a fun, wide-ranging conversation that includes:

How Hyden Beach, John’s complex outside of Nashville, is doing
His transition into the coaching world after decades of playing
What made Tri Bourne and John Hyden so special as a team
Why Sean Scott should be considered one of the greatest blockers of all time

And so much more. Absolute blast with everyone in the studio!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beach Access: Italian Stars Are Born, Norway's Gone GOAT Hunting in Hamburg

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 1 Sep 2025 20:17:39 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter covered the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite. They chat about:

- Italians Reka Orsi Toth and Valentina Gottardi winning a shocking gold medal, the first Elite win in Italian women's history

- Norway's Anders Mol and Christian Sorum going GOAT hunting, now one win closer to catching Ricardo and Emanuel for most all time

- What's up with Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig

- Linda Bock, the can't miss new German defender And much more!

SHOOTS!

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Kerri Pottharst: The Australian GOAT Living Her Best Life

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 05:18:18 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kerri Pottharst, one of the greatest beach volleyball players of all time and certainly Australia's GOAT. We shot this episode in Gstaad, on July 4 weekend, and we chat all aspects of Pottharst's career, from her multiple Olympics to where she is now as one of the key commentators on VBTV.

Chapters with Kerri Pottharst

00:00 Introduction to Australian Beach Volleyball
03:01 The Growth of Australian Volleyball
05:57 The Evolution of Beach Volleyball
09:09 Mindset and Mental Preparation in Sports
11:58 The Importance of Enjoyment in Sports
14:54 Lessons from Competing at the Highest Level
17:47 The Role of Coaches and Mentors
21:00 The Impact of Social Media on Sports
24:05 Reflections on Olympic Experiences
26:52 The Future of Beach Volleyball
30:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hector Gutierrez: The Man Who Finally Stole The NCAA Beach Title From California

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:11:11 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Hector Gutierrez, the head coach of the TCU Beach Volleyball team who recently won the first NCAA Championship outside of California.

We chat a whole lot about that win, as well as:

- How he was able to build a program around Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno

- How he was able to lure Sarah Sponcil as his new assistant coach

- What it was like, winning his first NCAA Championship, and the first outside of California

- Why Gulf Shores presented more pressure than the Olympic Games (no joke)

SUCH A FUN ONE with Hector. Love this guy

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

BEACH ACCESS: Canada's Queens, Beach Volleyball's Kings On Top In Montreal

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:03:14 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, presented by SHIELD, where Travis Mewhirter and Kyle Friend recap all things Beach Volleyball wherever they are in the world. This weekend, they were in Montreal for the Beach Pro Tour Elite, where Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson successfully defended their gold medal in 2023, as did Anders Mol and Christian Sorum.

They chat all about that, as well as:

- What an incredible event the promoter put on and why we hope it continues

- The return of Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa

- Another f****** Sweden team is quickly becoming a problem on the Beach Pro Tour in Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson

- Teams making the biggest moves in the World Champs race, including Germany's Lui Wust and Paul Henning

SHOOTS!

***

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Mailbag Reunion! Tri's Retirement and Future, Thoughts on the AVP, Indoor Players on The Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:48:46 +0000

This is our first mailbag episode of the year -- and maybe the last, depending on Tri Bourne's and Travis Mewhirter's schedules. They catch up in a little reunion episode, chatting Tri's retirement, amongst a host of other topics in a wide ranging episode that gets looooose in the best of ways. We answer questions on:

- Tri Bourne's impending retirement

- What's going to happen with the podcast

- The difference between refs on the AVP and FIVB

- The NCAA players with the best chances of becoming world-class professionals

- And we just catch up. It was really, really nice.

ENJOY!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gary Green: How to Coach The New Generation of Athletes In an Attention Deprived World

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Aug 2025 11:41:31 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Gary Green, who might be the most fascinating guest we've ever had on the podcast. He's the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Georgia who has given talks to hundreds of teams and works with Kirby Smart and the Georgia football team. What's that got to do with volleyball? Well, everything, as Green is a master of human behavior, and in particular this young generation of athletes, whose brains are becoming Tik-Tokified.

Enjoy this masterclass from the master professor himself (We know Travis Mewhirter did).

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kristen Nuss, Taryn Brasher: The Glitch In The Beach Volleyball System

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:28:49 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST is a Gstaad special! Shot from the Beach Pro Tour Gstaad Elite, Travis Mewhirter and Kyle Friend sit down with Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher to chat all things beach volleyball, from their journey to veterans of the sport and number one in the world to the Olympic Games. We cover:

- How they have become veterans on the Beach Pro Tour now

- What they have done to maintain the youthful joy for which they are so known

- Their experience at the Paris Olympic Games, and its lasting effects

- Their new merch line and all things TKN Beach Volleyball

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tri Bourne: The Retirement Of The Man Who Was Bourne On The Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:42:20 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST is a heartfelt one, one in which Tri Bourne and his wife, Gabby, the Pod Mama herself, chat about Bourne's retirement from the world of professional beach volleyball.

It's a reflective episode, as Bourne and Gabby talk about:

- Bourne's wild journey, filled with the highest of highs, and perpetual health issues that robbed him of a fully healthy season since 2016

- Why he is deciding to retire now, at still a relatively young age in a sport that allows for longevity

- Why he isn't sure, and doesn't need to be sure, about what's next in his life

- The emotional weight of the decision to retire when he still has plenty of game left in him

And so, so much more

SHOOTS!

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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Evan Cory: Adapting, Adjusting, THRIVING In 2025

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 11:09:53 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Evan Cory, one of the best players in the United States who alas had his plans aligned, with a full-time partner in Bourne, sites on the AVP League and World Champs -- everything dialed. And then beach volleyball happened. Bourne got hurt. They missed the League. Now Cory is, per usual, scrambling -- and thriving amidst the chaos. Fun episode with one of our favorites. We chat about:

- What is was like for Cory to miss the league with Tri Bourne

- How he has adjusted, leaning on patience, patience, and more patience, and adaptability, after he thought he broke through

- His new partner prospects he's looking at

- The importance of the mental side of sports, and how he is teaching it to junior players with his new business

And so much more. Gold mine of an episode here!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kent Steffes: What Beach Volleyball (and sports) is Getting Wrong And How to Fix It

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Jul 2025 11:35:36 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kent Steffes.

Buckle up.

Steffes is one of the greatest beach volleyball players of all time, an Olympic gold medalist in 1996 who would win nearly half of the events he played. He has since gone on to become a prolific writer, author, podcaster, and, now, documentarian. He has opinions on the sport, and sports in general, and we get into all of them, including:

Why Steffes does not believe the AVP League will work
What changes he sees the sport needing to make in order to work
Why he writes and podcasts as much as he does, on the topics he does
Whether beach volleyball will ever become as big as it was in the 1990s, when he was at his peak

And so much more. Get your popcorn ready and strap in. This one is a fun ride.

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kylie DeBerg: The Wild Journey From Iowa to the Top of Professional Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Jul 2025 06:49:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kylie DeBerg, one of the top rising blockers for USA Volleyball who is coming off a gold medal at the Xiamen Challenge with Toni Rodriguez. DeBerg’s journey in the sport is a wild one, beginning in Hudson, a tiny town in Iowa with a population of 2,700, to…beach volleyball. How? They got into it and much more, including:

DeBerg’s rise through the indoor world, and how she ended up a three-time All-American at Missouri
How a season at LSU changed her look on volleyball, and forever changed the trajectory and path of her life
The confidence issues that come with attempting to break through the top level in sport
Why she’s focused on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and why that’s still so crazy for her to say

And much, much more. Fun to have Kylie DeBerg on the show for the first time!

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander: The Ever-Changing Lives and Careers of a Volleyball Player

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:53:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander as they sit down with Tri Bourne, chatting Sander's return from indoor, Crabb's off-season getting into coaching NCAA Beach Volleyball, and them playing together again in 2025. They get into:

How Taylor Sander’s return to indoor volleyball in Indonesia went, and why he feels three years younger after playing beach volleyball
How Taylor Crabb got into NCAA Beach Volleyball coaching at St. Mary’s, and why he’s going back for a second year
Why Taylor Crabb and Trevor Crabb are reuniting on the Beach Pro Tour
Why their lack of training is really no hindrance at all, because they’re volleyball players

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Rob Gray: Unlocking Athlete Potential Through Ecological Dynamics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:43:59 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Rob Gray, a skill acquisition specialist, professor at Arizona State, sport scientist with the Chicago Cubs, and, simply, the father of the modern coaching movement in sports. His books, podcast, and research have formed the foundation of thousands of coaches’ coaching philosophy, including Mewhirter’s. What a special episode! They chat about:

What is ecological dynamics, and what makes it so effective for learning
Why the old way of coaching (top-down, repetition-based) is giving way to the modern, ecological way espoused by Gray
External vs. internal cues, and why the former is vastly more effective than the latter
What the world has gotten wrong with the famous 10,000-hour rule

And so, so, so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stefan Boermans: The World Class Ambassador Beach Volleyball Most Needed

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:39:31 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter where, today, Travis sits down with Stefan Boermans at a restaurant in Ostrava, Czech Republic at the Ostrava Elite. Boermans is currently one of the top blockers in the world, and one of the top teams alongside Yorick de Groot, a tour de force for a deepening Netherlands federation. On this episode, they chat about:

How Stefan Boermans’ social media exploded, and why he views that as his tool to be an ambassador to grow the sport
His rapid rise through the sport after a late start, and how he was shocked that the Dutch federation picked him to make a run at the Paris Olympics
Why, even after a fifth, Stefan Boermans has no regrets whatsoever about his Olympic experience, preparation, and performance
His thoughts on the new rules changes in beach volleyball that will allow doubles and coaches in the box

And a whole lot more. So, so, so good!

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Nick Lucena, Brooke Niles, And The Building of An NCAA Coaching Legacy

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Jun 2025 12:14:49 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Nick Lucena and Brooke Niles and the entire FSU Beach Volleyball coaching staff as they reflect on another successful season for the 'Noles. They chat about:

- How Brooke Niles and Nick Lucena have managed the husband-wife, coach-coach balance at Florida State

- Both of their transitions from elite beach volleyball players to coaches at the NCAA level

- How Brooke Niles has seen the landscape of coaching and college sports change

- What Travis Mewhirter's first year was like at FSU And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alvaro Filho, Cesar Benatti: A Deep Dive Into Brazilian Beach Greatness

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 May 2025 13:16:41 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Alvaro Filho, one of the most recent Brazilian greats who is now an assistant at Stetson, and Cesar Benatti, a longtime coach who was most recently an assistant at LMU with John Mayer. This is SUCH A GOOD EPISODE, as we chat about all things Brazilian beach volleyball, including:

Why Alvaro views Emanuel Rego as one of the best players to ever play
What made Alison Cerutt such an incredible partner
What Benatti’s three pillars are as a coach when designing an effective practice
How parenting has impacted their playing and coaching careers, and how coaching has changed their lens as a parent

And so, so much more. Just absolute gold all over this one.

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, sandcastpod-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mark Paaluhi, The Hermosa Open, And Reviving The Purity of Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 May 2025 11:12:37 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Mark Paaluhi, the man behind the improbably successful Hermosa Open – and the man who extended it to a three-year deal, bringing the Hermosa Open back through 2027 at least. Exciting stuff. We chat all about that, as well as:

Why Paaluhi felt the sport needed a professional event in Hermosa, and why it needed to be pure: a true double-elim, and a true open format
What he learned from last year’s Hermosa Open
The importance of grassroots marketing via getting players out on the town to market events themselves
What so many people are getting wrong with the sport – and how the Hermosa Open is laying the groundwork to getting it right

And so much more. Awesome chat with the 2024 Man of The Year

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, sandcastpod-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Mayer, Billy Allen: Navigating the Complexities of Coaching College Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 May 2025 11:07:14 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features John Mayer and Billy Allen, hosts of the Coach Your Brains Out podcast as well as coaches in NCAA Beach Volleyball. Mayer is the head coach at LMU, leading the Lions to six straight WCC titles and a berth in the National Championship. Allen is an assistant at Stanford, helping the Cardinal to a single season wins record and an MPSF Championship. With the NCAA season over, they chat about:

- How to navigate the art of playing time vs. winning at all costs (hint: nobody knows)

- Billy Allen's recent entertaining run through AVP Huntington Beach with Taylor Crabb

- John Mayer reflecting on the most successful season to date with LMU - Travis Mewhirter's first season at Florida State and what he learned

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, sandcastpod-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

TCU Makes History; AVP League Comes Down to The Wire; April's New Coaching Role

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 May 2025 11:39:24 +0000

Welcome back to another solo episode of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all the happenings in the world of beach volleyball. This week, Mewhirter chats:

- TCU's historic NCAA Championship win in Gulf Shores, the first in program history and a long time coming

- This week's AVP tournament in Huntington Beach, which will decide the final two spots per gender in the 2025 AVP League

- Volleyball World's proposed rules changes, including, yes, no doubles. Yikes

- April Ross' new role with USA Volleyball, and why it's her dream job

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, sandcastpod-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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NCAA Championship Preview: Can The East FINALLY Beat The West? | SANDCAST U

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 1 May 2025 11:41:25 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST U, where Madison Fitzpatrick breaks down all things NCAA Beach Volleyball. This is an AWESOME edition, where Madison is literally on the sand of Gulf Shores, shooting our preview episode of this weekend's NCAA Championships. She chats about:

- Is this finally the time TCU takes home the first non-West Coast title in NCAA history?

- Why she thinks Stanford is the hottest team in the country at just the right time

- Will UCLA alas get back on top after watching rival USC win four straight?

- Can USC manage to make it an absurd FIVE STRAIGHT NCAA Championships?! That, and more.

SHOOTS!

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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NCAA Champs Are Here! AVP League Coming Down to the Wire; The Beach Pro Lucky Loser Tour

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:41:23 +0000

Welcome back to another solo episode of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter recaps a wild weekend, and previews a hectic one to come, with the NCAA Championships descending upon Gulf Shores again. Meanwhile, the AVP League had two more tickets punched, and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour is hereby renamed the Lucky Loser Tour.

Mewhirter chats about:

- How Kristen Nuss simply wills gold medals into existence sometimes

- James Shaw and Chaim Schalk demolishing folks to clinch their AVP League bid

- The wild run of Lexy Denaburg and Julia Scoles into the AVP League

- How the new Elite16 format can be changed for the better instead of being the Lucky Loser Tour

And, per usual, more

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, sandcastpod-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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NCAA Beach Playoff Preview: Will Postseason Follow Craziest Regular Season Ever? SANDCAST U

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:02:25 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST U, where Madison Fitzpatrick talks all things NCAA Beach Volleyball. In this episode, she chats about the end of the regular season, which she thinks is the wildest NCAA Beach Volleyball regular season she's ever seen. She chats about the regular season, and previews the upcoming:

- MPSF Conference Tournament, which includes Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, and more

- Why Florida State, Texas and LSU are in an absolute brawl in the CCSA, where the 'Noles traditionally reign supreme

- How LMU can -- and is expected to -- continue dominating the WCC

SHOOTS!

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Silila Tucker: The Man Linking The Beach Volleyball Community Nationwide

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:03:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Silila Tucker, a longtime professional on the AVP Tour who chats with Tri Bourne about the development of yet another new beach volleyball league called the Community Circuit, and it's one you can certainly get behind. Fun development from Lila announced on this one, as well as chats about:

- How the 15-15-15 style of the AVP League matches changes things

- How to develop mental toughness in beach volleyball

- Why Lila is obsessed with golf as a tool for mental toughness training

- What makes Phil Dalhausser a legend of the game, beyond his obvious accolades

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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Recapping A Wild Weekend In Beach Volleyball: AVP Qualifiers, Saquarema Successes, NCAA Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:16:46 +0000

Welcome back to another SOLO EPISODE of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter provides a comprehensive overview of a wild weekend in the world of beach volleyball, breaking down the AVP League qualifier, the Saquarema Elite16, and the Cal Poly Center of Effort Challenge. Namely, he chats:

- The surprise success of Corinne Quiggle and Megan Rice

- The more surprising success of Hagen Smith and Logan Webber

- The puzzling decision of the AVP not to give Kelly Cheng an injury sub for Sara Hughes, so she'll have to qualify via qualifiers

- Anders Mol and Christian Sorum returning to the Beach Pro Tour in style And a bit more!

SHOOTS!

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Shaw and Molly Shaw: Living The American Volleyball Dream

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Apr 2025 10:38:04 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features James Shaw and Molly Shaw, the newest power couple in the world of beach volleyball, who just descended upon the Quintana Roo Elite16 and both came away with semifinal finishes. James and his new partner, Chaim Schalk, walked away with bronze, while Molly and her new partner, Kelly Cheng, took fourth in Molly's first Elite16. With Tri Bourne hosting, they chat about:

- How each partnership came to be

- Why James opted to play one final indoor season in Germany before returning full-time to the beach

- How Molly handled the nerves of both playing with a World Champion in Cheng and also her first Elite16 (hint: well)

- What it's like being a married couple traveling the beach volleyball world

And so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Get 10 PERCENT OFF VBTV using our discount code, SANDCAST10

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

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BEDLAM At LSU's Death Volley: TCU Takes Down No. 1 UCLA; USC Stunned Twice | SANDCAST U

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 3 Apr 2025 11:32:47 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST U: NCAA Beach Volleyball with Madison Fitzpatrick, breaks down LSU's Death Volley Invitational, which hosted No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 TCU, No. 4 USC, No. 5 Stanford, No. 7 Florida State, No. 10 Long Beach State, and LSU.

Takeaways from the episode:

- TCU achieved a remarkable 3-0 record at the Invitational.

- Haley Hamlett stepped up impressively in TCU's lineup.

- USC faces immense pressure as a top team. - FSU pulled off significant upsets against ranked teams.

- Maggie Boyd and Sally Perez are standout players for UCLA.

- Stanford's depth could lead to a strong performance at Gulf Shores.

- Texas is emerging as a competitive force in beach volleyball.

- LSU's entertaining style makes them a fan favorite.

- Gabby Bailey was highlighted as an MVP for LSU.

- The excitement for Gulf Shores is palpable among teams.

***

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Previewing The ENTIRE 2025 Beach Volleyball Season

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Apr 2025 11:19:59 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST is a solo episode! Travis Mewhirter breaks down everything you need to know (he thinks, but if you're still wondering things, please ask or drop a comment) about the 2025 beach volleyball season, from the AVP to Volleyball World to USA Volleyball. He chats:

- All the new partnerships on the Beach Pro Tour

- WTF the new Elite16 format is

- A look at the AVP's TV deal, and why it's a risk worth taking

- USA Volleyball's new Elo Rating system, and why it's going to be beneficial for the players

SHOOTS!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Solo Episode
01:08 Overview of the 2025 Beach Volleyball Season
02:20 Changes in the Beach Pro Tour
05:09 Format Challenges in Beach Volleyball Tournaments
11:02 Explaining the New Tournament Format
13:22 Upcoming Major Events and World Championships
15:19 Understanding Rankings and Qualifications
18:05 New Partnerships in Beach Volleyball
23:07 Emerging Talents in Beach Volleyball
25:19 Women's Beach Volleyball Landscape
26:47 Italy's Beach Volleyball Dynamics
27:44 Young Stars and New Partnerships
30:25 AVP Tournament Insights
33:05 AVP's TV Deal and Future
41:02 USA Volleyball's New Stipend System

***

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Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag! New Partnership Breakdowns? Most Exciting Events? Is Travis Enjoying Florida?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:12:48 +0000

This is the first mailbag episode of 2025, where Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter answer all of the fan questions we had as the boys are finally back together again. They answer the most pressing questions on the beach volleyball world's collective minds, including:

- Who is playing with who on the AVP Tour and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour?

- How has fatherhood changed both Tri and Travis' outlook on volleyball and life?

- Would you rather win a Manhattan Beach Open or a World Championship or a Gstaad cowbell?

- Events we're most excited for in 2025

That, and so much more!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SANDCAST U: Texas Making Moves; UCLA, LMU Reign Supreme at East Meets West

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:30:30 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST U, host Madison Fitzpatrick chats all things NCAA Beach Volleyball, focusing mainly on UCLA’s annual East Meets West tournament, which took place last weekend at the Manhattan Beach Pier. UCLA reigned supreme, finishing 4-0, as did LMU, while both Texas and Florida State logged huge wins over Cal.

Fitzpatrick chats all that, and much more!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Jeremy Townsend: A PhD's Guide to Supplements, Recovery, Nutrition, Longevity

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:27:59 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST, Dr. Jeremy Townsend from AG1 discusses the unique benefits of their product, emphasizing the importance of gut health and nutrition for athletes. The conversation explores the gut-brain connection, the role of mushrooms in nutrition, and current research on micronutrient gaps among athletes. Townsend also addresses the significance of vitamin D and the risks of over-supplementation, providing insights into daily supplement protocols for athletes.

Tri Bourne and Kyle Friend delve into the evolving understanding of creatine and its benefits. They discuss the significance of research in exercise physiology, the innovative approach of AG1 in nutrition, and the balance between performance and dietary choices. The conversation also highlights the importance of quality ingredients in supplements, ongoing research at AG1, the challenge of making nutritional products taste good, and key nutritional advice for athletes.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SANDCAST U: Cal Did What?! UCLA's Powerhouse Court 1; TCU Balling

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:36:02 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST U, Madison Fitzpatrick's breakdown of all things NCAA Beach Volleyball. On this episode, she chats about:

- The stunners that Cal's beach volleyball team pulled off -- an upset over USC? Come again?

- UCLA's tour de force early in the 2025 NCAA Beach season, with headliners in Sally Perez and Maggie Boys

- USC going 3-1, with a puzzling loss to Cal, extending the parity in the NCAA, while Zoe Henson and Maddie White are playing exceptional, as is Ashley Pater

- Stanford dropping to USC and UCLA -- but beating Cal, with help from Taylor Wilson and Charlotta Bell And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Audrey Koenig: The Indoor Player of the Year Who Chose Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:48:40 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Audrey Koenig, the 2023 ACC Co-Player of the Year – alongside Louisville’s Anna DeBeer – who is currently headlining the Florida State Beach Volleyball team. Her record, 9-2 in 2025 thus far, suggests an experienced, top-flight talent. Yet she’s only eight months into beach volleyball. What?? Indeed. We chat all about that, as well as:

What it was like for Koenig to play her final indoor match, after playing indoor volleyball for 13 years
The difficulties of transitioning from indoor to beach volleyball
How beach volleyball is the perfect way to train for indoor, but not necessarily vice versa
How far she wants to take volleyball, be it returning to one of the many professional indoor leagues in the USA or head to the beach, where she would be an immediate prospect to get scooped by an elite defender

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Toni Rodriguez: An All-Time High Leading to An All-Time New Beginning

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Mar 2025 12:28:17 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Toni Rodriguez, who finished the 2024 beach volleyball season on the highest of all high notes: winning the inaugural AVP League alongside MVP Geena Urango, as well as three straight medals of every color on the Beach Pro Tour with Molly Turner. Now, Rodriguez is gearing up for a 2025 season that will look decidedly different: competing with Urango in the League as a blocker while defending behind Kylie Deberg on the Beach Pro Tour. Big moves! Tri and Toni talk about that, as well as:

What Toni’s fall successes were like, and how it all happened at once
Why she’s deciding to make the move to defense
The role of sports psychologists in her (and Tri’s) career ascent
Her big goals for the 2025 season, including defending the AVP League title and looking at a berth into the 2025 World Championships

And, per usual, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SANDCAST U | Madness In Hawaii: LMU's Historic Start; UCLA Dominates; USC Up And Down

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:22:24 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST U, where Madison Fitzpatrick breaks down all things NCAA Beach Volleyball. On this week's episode, Madison goes through the madness in Hawaii, where it was bedlam: USC, UCLA, Stanford, ASU, LMU, Hawaii, and TCU all beating each other up. Nobody came unscathed -- and it was AWESOME!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trevor Crabb: The Legacy-Chasing Chapter of A Beach Volleyball Career Begins

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 11:56:29 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Trevor Crabb, always one of our most popular guests who is onto a new phase of his career: Partnering with Phil Dalhausser for the 2025 AVP season and partnering with Cody Caldwell for the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour season. We chat about all of that, as well as:

How the partnership with Dalhausser and Caldwell came about
Why he hasn't played as much international beach volleyball as of late, and his plans for that moving forward
His thoughts on the AVP League
And, of course, whiskey, because it's Trevor

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Mayer, Billy Allen: NCAA Coaching Our Brains Out

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:16:21 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features John Mayer and Billy Allen, the longtime hosts of the popular Coach Your Brains Out podcast who, as their success as college coaches shows, know a thing or two about coaching in beach volleyball. Mayer is arguably the best coach in NCAA Beach Volleyball, having taken LMU from the doldrums to the top of the WCC, and nearly to the top of the NCAA. Allen is in his second year as an assistant coach for Stanford. Meanwhile, Mewhirter, serving as a moderator, is in his debut season with Florida State. They chat about all things coaching, including:

- Ecological dynamics vs. a more repetition-based approach to coaching

- Bruce Lee’s philosophy in coaching, emphasizing adaptability above all else

- What each of the three coaches has learned thus far in their respective coaching journeys

- How to navigate athlete buy-in and understanding

And so, so much more. This was such a blast to do, and the Knights of the Coaching Round Table are planning on making this a semi-annual podcast.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SANDCAST U: Previewing the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Season | Madison Fitzpatrick

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:17:12 +0000

Welcome to the debut of SANDCAST U! Our lovely new host, Madison Fitzpatrick, a former star beach volleyball player for Florida State turned next big media star in volleyball, provides a comprehensive preview of the upcoming 2025 NCAA Collegiate Beach Volleyball season. The episode covers key teams, players to watch, and the overall landscape of collegiate beach volleyball, highlighting the strengths and challenges of various programs.

With insights into powerhouse teams like USC and UCLA, as well as dark horses like TCU, the episode sets the stage for an exciting season ahead.

Let us know what y'all think!

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Troy Field: The Evolution, Challenges, and Future of Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:44 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Troy Field, one of our most popular recurring guests and one of the most popular players in all of beach volleyball. Troy has had one helluva journey, and now that he will be partnering with Theo Brunner, he has played with a who’s who of elite talent in USA Volleyball. Now with Brunner, Field has a tall task ahead of him: qualifying for the AVP League. Troy and Tri Bourne chat about all of that, as well as:

How Troy and Theo came to be partners
Their thoughts on the AVP League, and why growing pains were inevitable
Tri’s refreshed view on the sport of beach volleyball as a whole
The importance of the Contender Series, and other valuable information about what happens to players who do not make the AVP League

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Madison Fitzpatrick: Volleyball's Next Big Media Star

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 12:40:59 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Madison Fitzpatrick, a former beach volleyball player for Florida State and now one of the rising presences in volleyball media, both indoor and on the beach. In this AWESOME conversation, Madison and Travis reflect on their similar journeys from being a competitive player to a coach and sports broadcasters. The similarities in both personality and career arc are a bit eerie, to be honest, which is why we are bringing Madison on as the host of a new show covering NCAA Beach Volleyball: SANDCAST U With Madison Fitzpatrick. Yep, that starts up in just a few weeks, and will be similar to the Road to Paris. Also on this episode, we chat about:

How a brief job in Arkansas, where Madison cried every day, multiple times per day, was such a formative year
The challenges of navigating social media, and the importance of preparation and embracing failure in broadcasting.
The challenges in the transition from being a player to a commentator, and the emotional journey of letting go of a playing career
The critical role curiosity plays in broadcasting, and why Madison is going to be so good for so long

And so much more. This was a super fun one, as Travis and Madison basically just nerded out on media and beach volleyball and could – and will – go on for hours and hours and hours.

SHOOTS!

***

Unlock your peak athleticism with Root and Fruit Nutrition and the Genomic Edge.

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches and brokers. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/sandcast to get a 60-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Qualify For The AVP League, And More On The 2025 AVP Schedule

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:28:45 +0000

Emergency pod! Not really an emergency, but the AVP just announced its 2025 AVP Schedule, and there were a few questions and explanations requested by our listeners, so we pumped out a quick podcast from our home studios here in Tallahassee, Florida, namely answering: If there isn't an event prior to the AVP League then how do people qualify for the AVP League? That, and a discussion on player sentiment, fan disappointment, AVP launching some merch, and more. Enjoy and let us know if you have any questions, we'll do our best to answer in the comments!

SHOOTS!

***

Unlock your peak athleticism with Root and Fruit Nutrition and the Genomic Edge.

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches and brokers. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/sandcast to get a 60-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ian Capp, And The Rise of Men's College Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:10:31 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ian Capp, the head coach of the MEN’S BEACH VOLLEYBALL TEAM at Stevenson University in, of all places, northern Maryland. Yes, we put men’s beach volleyball in all caps -- no pun intended – because most people don’t even know men’s beach volleyball exists at the collegiate level. But it does! Sort of. It’s an AVCA sport with a legitimate National Championship, and Capp won Stevenson’s first National Championship this fall, upsetting powerhouse Webber in the finals in Huntsville. We chat all about that, and a whole lot more, including:

Why in the world did the Athletics Department at Stevenson University, a small school in northern Maryland, launch a men’s beach volleyball program?
How Ian Capp stumbled into the position as the head coach at Stevenson
What it meant to win that National Championship this fall
How he attempts to recruit young men to play beach volleyball for a DIII program in Maryland

And so, so, so much more. What an episode this is!

SHOOTS!

***

Unlock your peak athleticism with Root and Fruit Nutrition and the Genomic Edge.

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches and brokers. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/sandcast to get a 60-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCASTVB. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Humana-Paredes, Gabby Bourne, And The Weight of An Olympic Silver Medal

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:39:21 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Melissa Humana-Paredes, who won an Olympic silver medal – Canada’s first on the women’s side – with Brandie Wilkerson in Paris this summer. It has been quite the whirlwind of a fall and winter for Humana-Paredes, who went straight into the inaugural AVP League for the Palm Beach Passion and then competed in the Beach Pro Tour Finals. Having had time to reflect, Humana-Paredes, Bourne and Pod Mama Gabby Bourne chat about:

The pursuit of a gold medal at an Olympic Games, and the ever-existential question: Was it all worth it?
How different – if at all – Mel’s life would be if she and Wilkerson won gold as opposed to silver
The highs and lows of having a life revolving around competition
How finding happiness should not be contingent on external achievements.

And much, much more. Gabby absolutely shines in her debut as a guest-host (and soon to be mother of two!

Such a good episode!

SHOOTS!

***

Unlock your peak athleticism with Root and Fruit Nutrition and the Genomic Edge.

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches and brokers. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/sandcast to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marlie Monserez: Building The PVF And Atlanta Vibe From The Ground Up

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:28:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Marlie Monserez, who is currently in her second year with the upstart indoor volleyball league, the PVF (Professional Volleyball Federation). Monserez was a standout at the University of Florida before transferring to UCLA to play beach volleyball under Stein Metzger. On this episode, we:

Explore her unique journey through volleyball, including her transition from indoor to beach volleyball, her decision to join the PVF and Athletes Unlimited, and her experiences at UCLA.
How Marlie Monserez navigated the transfer portal, and the wild wild west dynamic of that landscape
Why returning to beach volleyball was the best thing she could have done for her indoor career
Her first year with the Atlanta Vibe and the PVF, which was successful both as an individual and a team

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Unlock your peak athleticism with Root and Fruit Nutrition and the Genomic Edge.

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches and brokers. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/sandcast to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SANDCAST Greatest Hits: Zana Muno: Beach volleyball’s hustling, diving, gritty ’chic farmer’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:50:39 +0000

Welcome to SANDCAST Greatest Hits! Given that our podcast, hosted by Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is on its eighth year, and we have accumulated more viewers and listeners every year – 52% of our listeners discovered us in 2024 alone – we wanted to rewind and replay the best of the best from our podcast history. So, throughout 2025, once a month we will be replaying one of our most-listened-to episodes, beginning with our most popular of all-time: Zana Muno.

This episode was recorded in January of 2022, and so much has happened since including, of course, Zana Muno retiring from beach volleyball. It makes episodes like this that much more intriguing to listen to, to see where the players were at then vs. where they are now. If you’re a longtime listener, enjoy the replay, and if you’re new, well, enjoy the most popular episode we’ve ever done!

SHOOTS!

PHOTO: Mark Rigney

***

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Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alexis Durish: Taking FSU Beach Volleyball to "A Whole 'Nother Level"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Jan 2025 12:01:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is the debut of our FSU Beach Volleyball studios! Fittingly enough, it features one of Florida State's best players in Alexis Durish, a junior who is coming off a NORCECA gold medal and set to continue building on a record of 60-11 in two years in Tallahassee. In this episode, we chat about:

The explosion of juniors beach volleyball, even since Durish, just 20, was a junior
Why this fall was so different at Florida State, in a good way, even if it did mean “sucking”
The learning curve of NCAA beach volleyball players
Why California is no longer mandatory for beach volleyball players to pursue a career in the sport

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2024 Beach Pro Tour Player Awards

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Jan 2025 12:55:40 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is the annual Beach Pro Tour Awards Show. As with the 2023 Awards, all of these are 100 percent player voted, with a month-long nomination process, and then a two-week final voting process. Some of the winners might surprise you, some will not. This episode delivers awards in the following categories:

Team of the Year
Most Valuable Beach Volleyball Player of the Year
Best Offensive Player
Best Defensive Player
Best Server
Best Blocker
Most Improved
Rookie of the Year
Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year
Man of the Year
Event of the Year

SHOOTS!

***

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We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tri Bourne, Evan Cory, and The Biggest New Partnership in Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:31:23 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter (and Savvy Simo in this case) features the host himself, Bourne, with his NEW PARTNER: Evan Cory.

That’s right: Tri Bourne and Evan Cory are partnering up for the 2025 beach volleyball season. They talk about that, of course, as well as:

Cory’s recent season with Alison, and all that he learned
Why the AVP League is a significant focus for American beach volleyball players this season
World Championships in Australia, and that being the Big Goal for Tri Bourne and Evan Cory
Winning bringing a sense of relief and validation to all that hard work
The importance of celebrating milestones, like Cory’s win in Haikou

And so, so much more.

GOLD MINE OF AN EPISODE!!

***

Use code SANDCAST for 10% off The Genomic Edge Program now through December 31st!

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WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TravisMewhirter

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bello Brothers: Becoming The Fastest-Rising Team in Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:29:19 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features co-host Kyle Friend and our good friends, Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello, better known, of course, as the Bello Brothers. And they are one of the fastest-rising teams on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, beginning in Challenge qualifiers, ending at the Doha Beach Pro Tour Finals, stunning Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, winning a gold medal at the Rio Elite16 – it’s A LOT. We chatted about all of that, as well as:

Why Joaquin doesn’t think this year’s success has been sudden at all
How in the world the Bello Brothers have gotten so good training in England
Why qualifying at the Rio Elite16 was actually a better feeling than beating Anders Mol and Christian Sorum…or winning gold in the whole event
Why, hilariously, Joquin was more scared of Travis Mewhirter at the net than Anders Mol

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Use code SANDCAST for 10% off The Genomic Edge Program now through December 31st!

https://root-and-fruit-nutrition.mykajabi.com/the-genomic-edge-program

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TravisMewhirter

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The McKibbin Brothers, And The Balancing Act of Entertainment And Competition

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:56:40 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the McKibbin Bros – with a twist. Maddison McKibbin and the youngest Beard(less) Bro, Jameson McKibbin, makes his podcast debut. Together, the three McKibbin brothers have changed the game in terms of how beach volleyball is covered, creating content that had never been done in the sport, establishing a presence on the AVP Tour. In this episode, the boys chat about:

The dynamics of the inaugural AVP League, focusing on the experiences of the McKibbin brothers and their journey in the sport.
It delves into team dynamics, the evolution of player interactions, and the impact of fan engagement on the sport's growth.
The discussion also highlights the challenges and insights gained from being part of the AVP League, including the introduction of new concepts like walk-ins and the importance of team chemistry.
The evolving dynamics of volleyball, focusing on how players showcase their personalities, the balance between entertainment and competition, and the importance of fun in the sport.
The first year of the AVP League, the significance of partnerships, and insights into female players' contributions to the game.

The need for authenticity and creativity in sports, as well as the impact of fan engagement on player performance.

SHOOTS!

***

Use code SANDCAST for 10% off The Genomic Edge Program now through December 31st!

https://root-and-fruit-nutrition.mykajabi.com/the-genomic-edge-program

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TravisMewhirter

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beach Pro Tour Finals Recap: USA Dominance Continues; Norway Delivers "Psychological Damage"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 9 Dec 2024 16:27:17 +0000

Welcome back everyone to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter, Kyle Friend and the Beach Volleyball World gang recap the Beach Pro Tour Finals in Doha, Qatar. It marked the final event of a long 2024 season, and we covered a bit of everything, including:

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth becoming the first back to back champs since Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst
Anders Mol and Christian Sorum delivering, as their new coach Adrian Carambula said, “psychological dmage” with a statement win over Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig
Qatar’s sweet ending, with Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan finishing on the podium after a season that didn’t see them on many
Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft entering the elite category with no further questions, your honor

And, as always, much, much more. Full YouTube video is up on the Beach Volleyball World channel!

SHOOTS and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TravisMewhirter

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mykel Jenkins: Unlocking Elite Performance On And Off The Court

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Dec 2024 20:51:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mykel Jenkins, the longtime personal trainer of Bourne – and John Hyden, Sara Hughes, Emily Stockman, and several others – and is a wide-ranging one. Bourne has worked with Jenkins for more than a decade, and together, they discuss:

The significance, and critical importance, of personal training, especially in elite sports like beach volleyball.
Why you have to build a unique training approach tailored to individual athletes
The role of trust in the trainer-athlete relationship, and the necessity of being present in every moment.
Tri gets into his own challenges, the mindset of elite athletes, and they talk about the journey of Sara Hughes, who made her Olympic debut in Paris this year

And, per usual, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TravisMewhirter

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kyle Friend is "Fired Up" For His New Role in Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:13:48 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kyle Friend, a former professional beach volleyball player who has phased into coaching, commentating and, yes, podcasting on this very show. It has been a fun transition for Friend, and one we talk about extensively, as well as:

How he became the coach of April Ross and Alix Klineman
Why this move into commentating wasn’t necessarily the plan, but one he is absolutely loving
What he learned in 12 years playing professional volleyball

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mpu Dinani: The Man Behind Beach Volleyball's Most Photogenic Lens

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 12:57:05 +0000

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mpu Dinani, the most beloved and respected photographer on the AVP Tour and beach volleyball as a whole. Mpu has been the lead photographer since the early Donald Sun days, and we cannot say enough kind words about him. It was so fun having him on, chatting about:

How he took paternity leave to shoot an AVP event, share a beer with April Ross, and the rest, as he says, became history
Why he’s starting a management company, with an Olympic surfer as his first client
How creatives get gigs in sports, one of the most competitive fields there is
The most memorable beach volleyball events he has shot

And much, much more. Love these fall episodes, where we get to share some love and appreciation for those behind the scenes.

SHOOTS!

***

WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH! Check it out here!!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag! Why did Travis move to Florida? What will happen to the pod??

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:35:05 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our lovely co-host, Savvy Simo, on one of our most popular somewhat monthly segments: fan questions. We had A LOT of fan questions to get through, which is why we split this into two: one on the AVP League, which just wrapped up, and this one, in which we answer, amongst many, many others:

- With Travis moving to Florida, what’s going to happen to the pod?

- How did Travis decide on the new role as an assistant on the Florida State University beach volleyball team?

- What NBA players would make for the best AVP players?

- What does Tri Bourne’s future look like? Is he sticking with Ryan Wilcox moving forward?

And a whole, whole lot more. Such a fun one, and thank y’all so much for writing in!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. Check it out on Amazon!

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rio Elite16 Recap: Hello Bello!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 23:57:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our recap of the Rio Elite16, where Travis and Kyle Friend broke down all of the action, including:

Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello going off for a most unexpected of gold medals
Another huge tournament for Nico Capogrosso and Tomas Capogrosso, who took a career-high silver medal
How Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots have become the giant killers, knocking off Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig and Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum in the same tournament
A fitting end to the season for Barbara and Carol, who began 2024 with a gold in Doha, and ended it with a gold in Rio

And, per usual, much, much more.

The full video with all of Frito’s sexy highlights will be on the Beach Volleyball World YouTube video!

ENJOY!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We have a new book! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon!

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dain Blanton, Madison White, And USC Beach Volleyball's Quest For FIVE STRAIGHT NCAA Championships

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Nov 2024 17:04:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features USC Beach Volleyball head coach Dain Blanton and his most recent star, Maddie White. Coming off a fourth straight NCAA Championship, now heading for an astonishing fifth, USC is, per usual, the team to beat in 2025. On this episode, we chat about:

The growth of the sport at the NCAA level, and how recruiting has changed to a national and global level
The benefits of college athletics, and how it has changed the game forever
Dain Blanton’s experiences at the Olympics, and the dynamics of team leadership.
How the landscape of beach volleyball has evolved, particularly in terms of player development and the increasing competitiveness of the sport.
The differences between the college model and professional beach volleyball.

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader: Trailblazing a Dominant Swiss Era

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 12:11:41 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Switzerland's Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader, a trailblazing team who won a European Championship, Olympic bronze medal, and pioneered an era of Swiss dominance, which now includes Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli, and Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre. This episode was recorded at the Hamburg Elite16, where Anouk and Joana played their last tournament as a team. On this episode, we chat and reflect upon:

The many ups and downs of their partnership, which had the highest of highs – Olympic medals, European Championships – and the lowest of lows – injuries and more injuries.
How Anouk switched both sides and positions so seamlessly
What it was like to help Switzerland become such a power in the beach volleyball world
What the future looks like for Switzerland beach volleyball

This episode originally appeared on the @BeachVolleyballWorld YouTube Channel. Follow and subscribe there to get more content like this!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Levoe: A Ref's Guide to Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:12:59 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Matt Levoe, one of the most respected referees in the game of beach volleyball and also the first ref we’ve had on since John Rodriguez quite some time ago. It was a much-needed episode, as we chatted:

The never-ending, constantly revolving debate around calling doubles and lifts. How do refs call it, and how has it changed in recent years?
Why would anyone in their right mind want to become a referee?
Troy Fields catch and release joust, and other nuanced rules of the game
Adapting between reffing indoor and beach, professional and college

And so much more. This is a fully comprehensive discussion on the rules and how the sport of volleyball and beach volleyball is called.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joao Pessoa Elite16 Recap: Norway Remains King; Brazil Women Reload

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:53:16 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an international Beach Access, where Travis and Kyle Friend traveled to Brazil for the Joao Pessoa Elite16. After a week in Brazil on the Beach Pro Tour, we recapped a tremendous event in Joao Pessoa, chatting:

How Anders Mol and Christian Sorum are still King, fending off Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig and a rejuvenated Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar
No Ana Patricia and Duda? No problem for the Brazilian women, who are reloading the talent pipeline with Victoria Lopes and Thamela Coradelli
A pair of unexpected American semifinalists in bronze medal winners Kim “Hurricane” Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst, and Deahna Kraft and Lexy Denaburg
The emergence of Argentina’s Tomas Capogrosso and Nico Capogrosso

The full video, with Frito’s sexy recap thrown in, can be found on the Beach Volleyball World YouTube page!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leon Luini, Ruben Penninga: The Good Friends Reuniting for a Rising Dutch Federation

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Leon Luini and Ruben Penninga, two of the rising starts of the Dutch Federation. In this episode, we explore:

- The journey of beach volleyball athletes as they navigate the highs and lows of competition, the dynamics of partnerships, and the emotional challenges they face.

- Leon and Ruben’s experiences from early successes to dealing with setbacks, the importance of maintaining relationships, and the need to redefine their purpose in the sport.

- They emphasize the significance of personal growth, the balance between professional and personal lives, and the joy of playing despite the pressures of competition.

- Tri Bourne discusses the emotional and competitive aspects of beach volleyball, reflecting on the privilege of competing, the importance of processing losses, and the dynamics within teams.

- The differences between the Dutch federation and USA Volleyball

- The financial landscape of beach volleyball, particularly the AVP.

And, per usual, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Troy Field: Growing the Game While Growing His Own Game

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Oct 2024 12:29:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Troy Field. Long one of the most entertaining players on the AVP Tour, Field is a fan favorite for reasons that we could list for pages and pages and pages. We run the gamut with this one, as you can tell by the length of the podcast, chatting:

- Growing a brand in beach volleyball

- Why Troy still has Olympic aspirations

- His plans growing the Right Siiide with Taylor Crabb

- His thoughts on the AVP League

- What makes Tim Bomgren such an incredible human being

And so much more.

Such a blast with Troy, as always.

PHOTO: MPU DINANI

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag! Answering ALL of the Questions Around the AVP League

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne, Travis Mewhirter, and Savvy Simo, features, well, us – and you! We answered all – or as many as we could – of your questions about the AVP League in this one, including:

How did the tiebreaker between Savvy and Abby Van Winkle and Hailey Harward and Kylie DeBerg go down?
What do we honestly think of the AVP League?
How did the AVP decide on sets to 15-15-15?
Would we prefer the new League format or a season with 10 traditional tournaments?

And much more.

Thank you for all of your submissions!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Geena Urango: The Veteran Who Is "Still Tapping Into New Things" in Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 13:37:07 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Geena Urango, one of the OGs on the podcast and a member of the San Diego Smash of the inaugural AVP League. Geena has been one of the most successful defenders of this generation amongst those who play exclusively domestically, a decision we chat about at length on the podcast, as well as:

How, at age 35, she continues her steady rise of improvement
Her thoughts on the AVP League and what she thought of its debut stop in UCLA
What the AVP can do from a marketing perspective to improve the attendance and overall awareness of the League
Her goals as a beach volleyball player who has no designs on making an Olympic Games

And, per usual, much more!

SHOOTS and GO NOLES!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AVP League Miami Recap: Is "Home Court" Advantage Real?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 23:21:56 +0000

Welcome to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and sometimes Kyle Friend and sometimes Tri Bourne break down all things domestic beach volleyball. Today, Travis is breaking down week 2 of the AVP League in Miami, discussing:

Why Trevor Crabb, he of the Miami Mayhem, thinks there might be a home field advantage
Why each team’s No. 2 pairing will be critical to success in the AVP League
How April Ross and Alix Klineman made the most of their wild card into the League

And that’s about it. Not much to wrap up from week 2 of the AVP League.

What do y’all think so far?

SHOOTS and GO NOLES!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AVP League Week 1 Recap: Is This The Future of Beach Volleyball?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 14:19:12 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and occasionally Kyle Friend break down professional beach volleyball on both the AVP Tour and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. This week, Travis, fresh off a week in Tallahassee at Florida State, takes a look at the AVP League and its week one debut, talking:

How were the teams assigned, and how in the world is Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander on the same team as Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes? (the New York Nitro)
What’s the prize money for the AVP League?
Why is the AVP League in the fall, competing with the NFL and College Football?
Why are the sets to 15 as opposed to 21, 21, and then 15?

And a bit more. Feel free to drop a comment, ask questions, whatever you need. Here to answer as many as we can!

SHOOTS and GO NOLES!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marcio Sicoli: "The Wizard" Behind Mel and Brandie's Olympic Silver Medal

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:52:32 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Marcio Sicoli, the longtime head coach of the Pepperdine beach volleyball team and the man Melissa Humana-Paredes calls “the wizard” leading her and Brandie Wilkerson to an Olympic silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games. On this episode, we chat about:

Why Wilkerson wanted Sicoli to coach her and Mel through the Paris quad
With Olympic medals with three different countries – Brazil, USA, Canada – is Marcio Sicoli the greatest beach volleyball coach of all time?
How Mel and Brandie turned around their slow start at the Olympics to win a silver medal
Why everyone needs a vision if they want to be elite

And so, so much more. Gold all the way down on this one.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trevor Crabb, Theo Brunner: The (Very Candid) Manhattan Beach Open Champs

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, the recent AVP Manhattan Beach Open champions who followed up their epic win with an epic interview with an epic and open and candid podcast. Brunner holds back nothing in this one, as he and Crabb chat about:

What it was like for Theo Brunner, a man of so many “almosts” in his career, to finally get on the Manhattan Beach Pier
Why Brunner hates the current system of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, and why he’s committed to being candid about his criticism of it
Why Trevor Crabb and Theo are “cautiously optimistic” about the upcoming AVP League
How Trevor and Theo got bumped off the USA Volleyball funding…despite being one of the top three teams in the United States. As we said: Theo was candid

And, per usual, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hermosa Open Recap: The Vibes, The Partnerships, The Play -- The Purest Beach Volleyball Tournament

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 9 Sep 2024 16:21:46 +0000

The Hermosa Open was AWESOME, one of the purest beach volleyball tournaments we've been to in a long time. All good vibes from the players and fans, streamed on VBTV, fun new teams to watch -- all of it. And, we had some scintillating play, INCLUDING:

- A DOUBLE-FINAL on the women's side between Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes and Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft

- Finally a domestic win for Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, long-awaited, in a fun final against Miles Partain and Alex Ranghieri

- April Ross' final tournament as a sub with Lexy Denaburg

- Travis Mewhirter's final tournament as a professional, taking a fifth with Andy Benesh in a very fun run

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hermosa Beach Open Preview: The Old School, True Open Tournament Beach Volleyball Needed

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 5 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and his producers, including a celebrity appearance from Producer Mom, preview this week's Hermosa Beach Open, presented by Wedbush Securities. We chat about:

- How Travis wound up pulling Andy Benesh

- Why Miles Partain is playing with Alex Ranghieri

- Where are Trevor Crabb, Taylor Crabb, and Taylor Sander

- Heather Bansley making her USA debut!

- AVP League questions And, per usual, a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brooke Niles, Nick Lucena, and FSU Beach Volleyball's New Coach: Travis Mewhirter

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Sep 2024 14:59:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Florida State Beach Volleyball’s entire (and new) coaching staff. Longtime head coach Brooke Niles, her top assistant and husband, Nick Lucena, and the new addition to the crew, Travis Mewhirter, chat all things beach volleyball, including:

What it’s like being a husband-wife, coach-assistant-coach
How long it took Niles and Lucena to dive full-time into coaching and not miss playing (hint: maybe the player in them never left)
How Travis coaching FSU beach volleyball came to be
Why even a 35-win season can sometimes leave a bitter taste in the mouth
The vast changes and growth the NCAA has made to the game as a whole

And so, so much more. Such a blast with Brooke and Nick as Travis kicks off a new adventure.

Enjoy our longest podcast to date!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AVP Chicago: " HOLY SH%$!" The Shove! The Shoes! The League!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 2 Sep 2024 20:24:22 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down all things beach volleyball, in this case AVP Chicago, where things got positively wild.

Taylor Crabb in shoes? YUP!

Chase Budinger shoving Trevor Crabb? Oh, yes.

AVP League drama? Got it all.

Miles Partain and Andy Benesh dominating alongside Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson? Check and check. Fun one!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AVP Chicago Preview: Who is Going to Make the AVP League?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down, preview, recap, analyze, and chat all things beach volleyball. After a week in Germany for the Hamburg Elite16, the boys are back stateside and heading to AVP Chicago, the final stop on the AVP calendar, where there are huge AVP League implications. We chat about:

- What every team needs to do to qualify for the AVP League

- Why we believe April Ross and Alix Klineman will get a wild card, making it an even tighter race for the women

- Why the contender's bracket on Saturday will be the most interesting aspect of the weekend

- Why Travis is all-in on a heroic run from Tri Bourne and Ryan Wilcox to make the league -- zero bias here!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ryan Wilcox: Beach Volleyball's Next Hawaiian Baby Court Beast

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:10:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ryan Wilcox, the next talent coming out of Hawaii in a long, long list of them. Bourne sent some shockwaves through the beach volleyball world when he dropped Chaim Schalk and picked up Wilcox, leaving some wondering: Who in the world is Ryan Wilcox? We cover that and then some during this episode in which we chat about:

Wilcox’s upbringing in Hawaii, surrounded by McKibbins and Crabbs and all of the names we’re so familiar with
Why he chose to go to UC Santa Barbara, and how a 6-foot-2 outside hitter was named four-time AVCA All-American
What it was like when he got the call from Bourne to become his partner
How beach volleyball was always his planned path as opposed to indoor

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LIVE Mailbag Episode: Why Did Tri Switch Partners? Beach Volleyball in...Montana??

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:37:17 +0000

This is our first-ever LIVE and in-person fan question episode, a feature of our SANDCAST Tour stops, this one being in Missoula, Montana. Because who doesn't put beach volleyball and Montana together? We answer questions about:

- Why did Tri Bourne switch partners, dropping Chaim Schalk for Ryan Wilcox? And for that matter...who is Ryan Wilcox?

- What advice does Travis Mewhirter have for someone who didn't grow up in a beach volleyball state to get better at beach volleyball?

- Travis' hilarious story on why he doesn't drive a stick shift, featuring Eric Zaun, Italy, and stalling out in parking lots.

- How non-coastal areas can become beach volleyball hubs, like Montana

And a whole lot more.

LOVED THIS EXPERIENCE!!!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Manhattan Beach Open Recap: The Redemption of Trevor and Theo

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 14:49:11 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down all things AVP Manhattan Beach Open 2024. On this episode, the boys are chatting about:

The redemption of Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, who didn’t make the Olympic Games, but just won the biggest tournament on the AVP calendar
The Hawaiian dominance in Manhattan Beach, where either Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb, or Taylor Crabb have won the last five, and been in every final since 2015
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, winning their biggest tournament to date while riding on the fumes of the post-Olympic comedown
Betsi Flint, SUPERMOM, with her fourth straight Manhattan Beach Open final, and second straight with Julia Scoles

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Manhattan Beach Open Preview: The Return of The Olympians

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:35:04 +0000

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and Kyle Friend break down, preview, and chat about all things AVP Beach Volleyball and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Today, we're previewing the Manhattan Beach Open, which begins with Thursday's qualifier and ends on Sunday with someone getting their name on the Pier. The big question: Who?

We chat about that and a whole lot more, including:

How will Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, and Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, rebound from a disappointing finish at the Paris Olympic Games?
Will Miles Partain and Andy Benesh resume their dominance on the AVP Tour?
Why Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft are sneakily a contender to win their first Manhattan Beach Open
A look at Tri Bourne and Ryan Wilcox as they make their AVP Heritage Series debut
Why Evan Cory and Alison Cerutti are a dangerous, dangerous 10 seed

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deahna Kraft: Embracing the Suck to "Make a Little Bit of Magic"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:01:17 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Deahna Kraft, one of the top up-and-coming prospects in USA Volleyball and on the AVP Tour. A 25-year-old from Seattle, Kraft went from walk-on to court one at Pepperdine, and is now winning gold medals on the Beach Pro Tour, as she did in Belgium with Lexy Denaburg. On this episode, we chat about:

Kraft switching from blocker to defender, and embracing the suck that inevitably comes with such a big change
Why letting go of results inevitably, and counterintuitively, leads to getting better results, as evidenced by Kraft’s first two international top five finishes
Why this long off-season has been the best she has ever had
Her wild ride at the Volleyball World Stare Jablonki Challenge, where, on three hours’ notice, she bought a flight and promptly qualified

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: Beach Volleyball Enters the Scandinavian Era; Duda and AP put Brazil back on top

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 23:27:15 +0000

This is the FINAL Paris Pod/Road to Paris/The Road is Here. The Road is done. The Olympic Games are over. And goodness gracious gosh almighty was it one hell of an Olympic Games. We brought out all the stops for this one, bringing in Travis Mewhirter, Kyle Friend and Tri Bourne to break down an unforgettable Olympic Games, in which we chat about:

Ana Patricia and Duda putting Brazil back on top of the world with the first Brazilian women’s gold medal since 1996 – before AP and Duda were born
Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig bouncing back to win most lopsided gold medal match in history
Melissa Humana-Paredes becoming the greatest Canadian beach volleyball player of all-time
Why Duda, Nina Brunner, and Brandie Wilkerson all made a case for MVP of these Olympic Games

And much, much more.

MASSIVE THANK YOU to all of the Road to Paris listeners these last 18 months! It has been an absolute blast, and I appreciate every single one of you!

Much love and you know what to say:

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PARIS POD BEACH SEMIS PREVIEW: History, the Good and the Bad, being made in Paris

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 8 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod! Travis Mewhirter breaks down all of the action from the Paris Olympic Games, in this case the quarterfinals in beach volleyball with a look-ahead to the semifinals to come on Thursday. He chats about:

USA making the wrong kind of history, missing the podium for the first time in history
Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson making the right kind of history, making the semifinals for the first time in Canadian history
Everyone making history, with eight different countries in the semifinals, the first time that has ever happened
Why defense is the answer to success in beach volleyball, and why serving is so critical for Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho if they wish to upset Brazil’s Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa

And more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bert Kreischer: The Machine is Bringing Comedy to Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Aug 2024 14:52:42 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Bert Kreischer. Wait…Bert Kreischer? On a beach volleyball podcast?

YUP!

Kreischer, one of the highest-grossing comedians of all-time, wanted to get into beach volleyball during the Paris Olympic Games, so he had the SANDCAST crew at his studio to simulcast Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes as they played the Czech Republic’s Bara Hermannova and Marie-Sara Stochlova, then again as Cheng and Hughes played Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli. This episode is the audio of our first sit-down with Bert, where we have maybe one of the funniest chats of all-time about beach volleyball.

Grab some popcorn and enjoy this one folks!

Here is the link to our second livestream with The Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxGzNl_-5Sg&t=49s And here is the link to our first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCPC1nIb5sQ&t=177s

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: Indoor Playoff Preview -- USA's Redemption Time; Italy's Track to Gold

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 6 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod! Travis Mewhirter and indoor expert Matt Prosser break down the Olympic volleyball action from the Paris Olympic Games, recapping pool play and previewing the playoff rounds to come. On this episode, we chat about:

Why it’s redemption time for the USA menCan anyone – anyone? – stop the Italian men?
The USA women’s likelihood of making the medal rounds
And, also, the Italian women rolling and favored to win a medal

And much more!

Thanks as always to Matt Prosser for joining us, and thanks for watching and listening!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: Partain-Benesh now Living and Dying (mostly living) by the Jump-Set; Heartbreak for TKN

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 5 Aug 2024 19:59:08 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod! Travis Mewhirter breaks down the ninth-place rounds of the Olympic beach volleyball in Paris, looking at:

Spain Day! Huge day for Tania Moreno and Daniela Alvarez, and Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira as both are now in the quarterfinals
Hartbreak for Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth – and jubilation for Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson in a huge battle early
Andy Benesh and Miles Partain doubling (and tripling, and quadrupling) down on jump-sets and options to another win
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans bowing out in ninth

And more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: USA Volleyball continues rolling; give me double-elim or give me death

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Sat, 3 Aug 2024 23:27:42 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod, where Travis Mewhirter and occasionally a guest break down the Olympic volleyball action. Today we're in the Bayview Studios with producers 1 and 2, previewing the Olympic beach volleyball playoffs, where all four USA teams -- Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth -- have made the playoffs, and a shout-out to the indoor teams for making it to the quarterfinals as well! On this episode, Travis chats about:

Chase and Miles’ excellent performance against Australians Thomas Hodges and Zach Schubert in a lucky loser win
Why pool play should be replaced by double-elimination ASAP
Cuba’s brutal draw, getting Sweden in the first round
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth getting a rematch of the AVP Huntington Beach finals with Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson… in the first round

And much more!

Thanks as always to the producers, and thanks to all y’all for tuning in!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: USA, Switzerland, Brazil Running the Table at the Olympics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 2 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod, where Travis Mewhirter and now Kyle Friend break down and analyze the Paris Olympic Beach Volleyball. It has been a wild few days, with the standout storylines in women’s Olympic beach volleyball being:

Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner upsetting their way to the round of 16
The USA women, backed by an undefeated run from Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth and a 2-0 start from Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, are off to a strong start
The Brazilian women, too, are undefeated, with Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa sweeping their way to the top spot in pool
The effect the deep sand is having on many of the players

Been an AWESOME Olympics thus far!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paris Pod: Cuba and Qatar CHARGING! Andy and Miles Have Their Mojo Back

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 2 Aug 2024 00:04:27 +0000

Welcome back to the Paris Pod, where Travis Mewhirter and now Kyle Friend break down and analyze the Paris Olympic Beach Volleyball. It has been a wild few days, with the standout storylines being:

Cuba, Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz, absolutely charging, upsetting Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, then George Wanderley and Andre Loyola, to take the top spot in pool
Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, coming off 10 straight finals and 18 consecutive victories, dropping a pair of pool play matches
Qatar's Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, bronze medalists from the Tokyo Olympic Games, going 3-0 in pool and winning the match of the tournament, a stunner over Sweden
Andy Benesh and Miles Partain finally getting their mojo back after a listless first two matches And much, much more.

Been an AWESOME Olympics thus far!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dana Rettke: The Middle Pioneering a New Age of Women's Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:51:29 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, goes back to the Olympic indoor scene, with middle blocker Dana Rettke. Rettke, who stands 6-foot-8, is arguably the greatest NCAA player in history, the only five-time first-team All-American for Wisconsin who won an NCAA Championship and went on to play in the Italian League and, currently, on the USA National Team competing at the Paris Olympic Games. Dana was FANTASTIC in this podcast – endearing, genuine, well-spoken, humble, confident, all of the kind words apply. You will absolutely love this episode, in which we chat about:

How far NCAA Volleyball has come since she entered Wisconsin in 2017
Why dance as a kid was so formative to her athletic abilities
The blue-collar work ethic that has had her enjoying success every step of the way
Why she loves the Italian League so much, and why she also couldn’t turn down an offer to go compete in Turkey next season
Midwest volleyball culture

And so, so much more. Love this one, you will too.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Women's Olympic Beach Volleyball Preview: USA With a Golden Chance in Paris

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 15:22:00 +0000

This women's Olympic beach volleyball preview is sponsored by BetOnline! Finally we have a betting sponsor y'all! Use our specific link to sign up and SANDCAST gets a $70 bonus! https://www.betonline.ag/?btag=l2Q0kqrs0suk3WqdcAbDv2Nd7ZgqdRLk&affid=111149

***

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our women’s Olympic Beach Volleyball Preview, guest starring Brian Cook, a former professional indoor and beach player who is now the co-founder of TruVolley, diving deep into the analytical side of the game. On this episode, we chat about:

Why USA Volleyball, with Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth and Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, has an 80 percent chance to win a medal
Why Nuss and Kloth are the heavy favorites to win gold, even bigger favorites than Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa
What makes Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli such an interesting team to watch through the Paris Olympic Games
Why Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson are a value pick to win gold And a whole lot more. Absolute blast on this episode with Brian, who we hope to bring on a lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chase Budinger and Miles Evans: The USA Underdogs Who Shocked the Beach Volleyball World

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:22:22 +0000

This Olympic episode is sponsored by BetOnline! Finally we have a betting sponsor y'all! Use our specific link to sign up and SANDCAST gets a $70 bonus! https://www.betonline.ag/?btag=l2Q0kqrs0suk3WqdcAbDv2Nd7ZgqdRLk&affid=111149

***

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Chase Budinger and Miles Evans. Entering this Olympic qualifying period fifth on the USA Volleyball roster, Budinger and Evans sprinted up the ranks, punching their ticket to the Paris Olympic Games and becoming one of the most intriguing storylines in Paris. On this episode, we chat about:

The importance of their first gold medal as a team at the Haikou Challenge of 2023
Why a NORCECA qualifier this past Spring was the event they believe truly decided the Olympic race
The media frenzy that has ensued, and how even Budinger, with his NBA background, hasn’t experienced anything like this
Their mindset and strategy heading into Paris

And a whole lot more. Awesome episode with Budinger and Evans!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Men's Olympic Beach Volleyball Preview: It's Sweden and Norway vs. The Field

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:55:45 +0000

***

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our Men’s Olympic Beach Volleyball Preview, guest starring Brian Cook, a former professional indoor and beach player who is now the co-founder of TruVolley, diving deep into the analytical side of the game. On this episode, we chat about:

Why Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig have a 40 percent shot at winning a gold medal
Anders Mol and Christian Sorum are…underdogs? Wild to think about.
What are the odds of a USA medal, between Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, and Chase Budinger and Miles Evans?
Why Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot are one of the most high-value underdogs in the Olympics

And a whole lot more. Absolute blast on this episode with Brian, who we hope to bring on a lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can the USA win back to back golds? Women's Olympic Indoor Volleyball Preview

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:13:59 +0000

This women's Olympic indoor volleyball preview is sponsored by BetOnline! Finally we have a betting sponsor y'all! Use our specific link to sign up and SANDCAST gets a $70 bonus! https://www.betonline.ag/?btag=l2Q0kqrs0suk3WqdcAbDv2Nd7ZgqdRLk&affid=111149

***

We are breaking out all the stops for our coverage of the Paris Olympic Games, subbing out the Road to Paris for the Paris Pod, or the Olympic Outlook -- your choice! We're bringing in indoor volleyball expert Matt Prosser to break down the men's and women’s Olympic indoor volleyball preview.

- How can the USA win back to back gold medals after winning their first in Tokyo in 2021?

- Does Italy, the odds-on favorite, have what it takes to win gold?

- Where do Turkey and Brazil stand in terms of likelihood to make the podium?

- Does Poland have a Cinderella run in it?

That and more, as the Olympic Games are less than two weeks away!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner: Qualifying for the Paris Olympics by Doing it Their Own Way

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:36:53 +0000

***

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner, one of the fastest rising teams in beach volleyball and Switzerland’s No. 2 team heading into the Paris Olympic Games. We recorded this episode with Kyle Friend as a co-host in Gstaad, home of Verge-Depre and Bobner and home to one of the most epic events on the volleyball calendar. We chat about:

Their rapid rise up through the ranks and into the Olympic Games
Why they never felt confident throughout the entire Olympic race
What it was like for Zoe to race against her sister, Anouk Verge-Depre, for the final spot in Paris
Why “doing you” even when it comes with making mistakes, is the best way to learn and grow on the Beach Pro Tour

That, and so much more. Super fun chat with Zoe and Esmee!

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MEN'S OLYMPIC INDOOR VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW AND BETTING GUIDE: Can Anybody Stop Italy?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:54:03 +0000

This men's Olympic indoor volleyball preview is sponsored by BetOnline! Finally we have a betting sponsor y'all! Use our specific link to sign up and SANDCAST gets a $70 bonus! https://www.betonline.ag/?btag=l2Q0kqrs0suk3WqdcAbDv2Nd7ZgqdRLk&affid=111149

***

- Can anybody stop Italy?

- Can France repeat as Olympic champs, riding the high of a VNL victory?

- What does the United States need to do to get back on the podium and atone for the disastrous performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games?

- Does Poland have a shot at winning gold at the Paris Olympics?

That and more, as the Olympic Games are less than two weeks away!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

George Wanderley: Brazil's Top Defender in Search of an Olympic Podium

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:39:58 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features George Wanderley, one of the best defenders in the world who will be competing in his first Olympic Games later this summer with Andre Loyola. George is the owner of two youth World Championships with Arthur Mariano, a World Championship bronze medal, and five medals in the 2024 season alone, tied for most in the world with Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig. Such a fun chat with George on his balcony in Gstaad, in which we cover:

What it was like growing up around Ricardo Santos, Emanuel Rego, Alison Cerruti, Bruno Schmidt, and the other legends of the game
Why he wishes more young talent hit World Tour earlier, as he did when he was just a teenager
How he and Andre Loyola maximize their play on the court by being best friends (and literal best men) off of it
His prime mental state prior to a match

And so, so much more. Absolute blast with George!

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

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Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Savvy Simo: Putting mental health at the forefront of professional sports

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Savvy Simo. Long one of our co-hosts, Savvy is also a rising talent on the AVP Tour and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. And she's thriving in spite of going through regular panic attacks that, in her words, make her "feel like I'm going to die." Including on the court at the recent Stare Jablonki Challenge, where she didn't sleep and had a panic attack in the middle of a match. Incredible vulnerability from Sav on this one, on which we chat about:

Why she feels like she’s playing her best beach volleyball this season
Her history of panic attacks, and how she felt as if she “was going to die” at the Stare Jablonki Challenge
Why she now views her perpetual anxiety as a superpower
How she has managed her anxiety and panic attacks up to this point

And so, so much more. Really, really good episode with Sav.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Mark Paaluhi, and the revival of professional beach volleyball in Hermosa Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 13:45:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mark Paaluhi, the man who is currently keeping professional beach volleyball alive in Hermosa Beach. How? By running a city-held Hermosa Beach Open. When the city and the AVP couldn’t come to terms on an event in 2024, Paaluhi stepped up and has since taken the reins. The 2024 Hermosa Beach Open will be held September 4-7 in Hermosa Beach, California. There will be a qualifier on September 4, while the main draw will be held on the 5, 6, and 7. Volleyball TV will be streaming the event. For more information and how to support, go to https://hermosa-open.com/

We chat all about that, as well as:

Why Paaluhi decided to take on the monster task of putting on a major tournament
How popcorn was his ultimate lightbulb moment
What Hermosa Beach means to the beach volleyball community
Why it will be an old school feel to this tournament, and why Paaluhi thinks that’s the way of the sport moving forward

SHOOTS!

***

Book your spot in Root and Fruit Nutrition's new Genomic Edge Program! Just 30 spots remain in a must-have competitive edge!

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Ben O'Dea, Brad Fuller: Putting New Zealand Volleyball Back on the Map

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 13:58:09 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ben O’Dea and Brad Fuller. They’re New Zealand’s top beach volleyball team, and will be competing in China this weekend for one last shot at an Olympic berth through the Asian Continental Cup. The O’Dea name has been synonymous with New Zealand beach volleyball for years, as Ben and his brother, Sam, were essentially the only ones doing it full-time. But with the return of Jason Lochhead, the federation pumped in more funding, and has been on a steady improvement ever since. We chat all about that, as well as:

Why O’Dea and Fuller feel like they’re on the precipice of a major breakthrough
Why both Fuller and O’Dea didn’t want to retire before partnering with the other one
What an Olympic bid would mean to the New Zealand beach volleyball federation
Why Jason Lochhead’s return was such a big deal

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Book your spot in Root and Fruit Nutrition's new Genomic Edge Program! Just 30 spots remain in a must-have competitive edge!

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Road to Paris: France Goes CLUTCH Mode in Continental Cup, and the Netherlands Gets "Bizarre"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 22:29:06 +0000

On this episode of the Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the European Continental Cup -- a fancy way of saying Olympic trial -- where France's Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar, and Julien Lyneel and Remi Bassereau went absolute clutch mode and clinched a second Olympic spot for the French men.

Meanwhile, four young Dutch women, Brecht Piersma and Wies Bekhuis, and Kirsten Broring and Emi van Driel, won the bid for the women...or so you might think. But a weird rule in the Netherlands has muddied things up a bit, and Mewhirter explains what in the world is happening (as best he can).

Thanks as always to Producers 1 and 2, for you, the viewers. Happy Father's Day all!

SHOOTS!

***

Book your spot in Root and Fruit Nutrition's new Genomic Edge Program! Just 30 spots remain in a must-have competitive edge!

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April Ross, Alix Klineman, and the Last Dance of the A-Team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:29:03 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features April Ross and Alix Klineman, one of the most successful teams in the world of the past five years and, of course, the gold medalists of the Tokyo Olympic Games. After winning gold in Tokyo, both began seeking the next major chapter of their lives: motherhood. Now, with a pair of sons in tow, they are back on the beach for one final AVP season together. On this episode, we chat about:

The insane work ethic required to pursue Olympic quad after Olympic quad after Olympic quad as Ross did for these past 20 years
How vastly different their preparation for matches and tournaments is now that they’re both moms
How becoming a mother has impacted their view of and role in the sport
Why they’re still playing, and still as competitive as ever

And so much more. Such a fun chat with April and Alix – the A Plus Team.

SHOOTS!

***

Book your spot in Root and Fruit Nutrition's new Genomic Edge Program! Just 30 spots remain in a must-have competitive edge!

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Olympic Histories Written, Legacies Made, Records Broken

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:06:29 +0000

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a free trial and help the show in a big way!

On this episode of the Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Ostrava Elite16, the final event of the Olympic qualifying period, where dreams were made, hearts were broken, history written, legacies etched into stone. On this episode, Mewhirter:

Gives a warm welcome back to Anders Mol, who returned in dominant fashion after an injury break
Breaks down the controversial call, with the help of ref John King, that decided Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader’s first round of pool play against Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon
Highlights the 17 women and 20 men making their Olympic debuts in Paris
Explains why it’s such massive news that Chase Budinger qualified for the Olympic Games, and why it could be a good thing that USA Volleyball is sending four new faces to an Olympics for the first time since 2008
What Pablo Herrera just did that nobody has ever done, and nobody may ever do again

And, per usual, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kelsey Robinson Cook: The Indomitable Will of USA Volleyball's "Fireball"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Jun 2024 14:09:27 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features another two-time indoor Olympian in Kelsey Robinson Cook, as well as a celeb appearance by her husband and good friend of the show, Brian Cook, who would have likely been an Olympian in his own right had he stayed healthy. This is such a fun episode, and Robinson Cook delivers, chatting about:

How this is the highest level she has ever seen the indoor game since she began playing pro in 2014
Her experiences playing for clubs in China, Italy, Puerto Rico, Turkey, and, of course, the USA
Winning the 2021 Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, the first ever for the United States women
What it’s like being in the USA gym, with 30 women competing for 12 Olympic spots
How she has developed into a leadership role with USA Volleyball

And much, much more. Gold mine of a podcast with Kelsey and Brian!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Road to Paris: What every team needs to do to qualify for the Olympics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 3 Jun 2024 14:06:38 +0000

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a free trial and help the show in a big way!

This episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the Paris Olympic Games, is a breakdown and analysis after the Stare Jablonki Challenge. There remains just one event left: The Ostrava Elite16, which begins next Wednesday. Even after all the action in Poland, no races were determined in Stare Jablonki. Mewhirter breaks down:

Why it’s finals or bust for Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner and Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen
Why Stare Jablonki was the perfect storm at the worst time for Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain – but the best time for Lili Fernandez and Paula Soria
What Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt need to do in order to pass Austria’s Julian Horl and Alex Horst
What Karla Borger and Sandra Ittlinger need to do to pass Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann
What Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader need to do to pass Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner
Why Sophie Bukovec and Heather Bansley will represent Canada at the Continental Cup instead of Pavan and McBain

What a race!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik Shoji: Life as the Best Libero in the World

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:28:56 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a little shift from our typical beachy episodes. We’re going indoors, with one of the greatest liberos of all-time in Erik Shoji. In Paris, Erik will make his third Olympic roster, in search of his second Olympic medal (he won a bronze in 2016). We cover quite a bit in this insightful chat, including:

His childhood, as the son of the legendary Dave Shoji and younger brother of Kawika, an all-American setter as well as an Olympian
How Michael Gervais’ new book, the First Rule of Mastery, led to a huge breakthrough this season from a mental standpoint
How he has never been burned out, despite playing the same position since his freshman year of college at Stanford
The beauties and challenges of life overseas

And so, so much more. Erik is incredibly well-spoken and thoughtful, and this is an episode y’all will surely enjoy!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Chase Budinger, Miles Evans on Verge of Qualifying; Dutch Race Gets Even Wilder

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 27 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a 2-week free trial -- and even a free trial helps the show!

This episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Olympic race to the Paris Games, follows the Espinho Elite16. Big congrats, first, to Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth who made a third straight final and took gold, and Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, who made their eighth straight final and also won gold. As far as the Olympic race goes, Mewhirter talks about:

The massive role a NORCECA qualifier on April 5 has played for Chase Budinger and Miles Evans
The even bigger lead now enjoyed by Budinger and Evans over Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb with just two events to go (and what Crabb and Brunner need to do to get back in the lead)
Matthew Immers’ improbable run to a likely Olympic bid as the odd man left out at the beginning of the quad to now ranked No. 9 in the Olympic rankings with Steven van de Velde
SHARPIE! For Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, 22-year-old Spaniards who are making history – and then returning to TCU
Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader stay alive with a ninth

Thank you as always for watching and listening, and thank you, as always, to Producers 1 and 2 for the help!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, and the Bigger Mission of America's Most Popular Team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 May 2024 13:55:41 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features America’s most popular team: Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. A note: We recorded this interview before their win at AVP Huntington Beach, which, to us, actually makes this all the more interesting. Aside from being two of the best volleyball players on the planet, they’re also refreshingly candid, forthcoming, and well-spoken and introspective. This was an excellent, excellent podcast. We chat about:

Taylor Crabb’s off-season in New Zealand playing with Phil Dalhausser
Why Taylor Sander and Crabb decided that the Olympic race wasn’t necessarily for them
Crabb’s bigger mission, and why he’s chasing far more than individual accomplishments
How Crabb and Sander would fix USA Volleyball
The Right Siide, Crabb’s new content venture with Troy Field and Sean Rosenthal

And much, much more.

Such a good episode with the Taylors!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Evan Cory is Playing Volleyball His Own Damn Way in 2024

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 May 2024 14:56:48 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Evan Cory, one of the brightest talents on the AVP Tour and within the USA Volleyball system. Cory had an up-and-down 2023 season, one that was still more up than it was down, but his trajectory slowed, so he felt it was a failure. It certainly wasn’t – but he learned from it. Now, coming into 2024, he’s returned to his old style of playing, building a team around him that is custom-fit to him, including a blocker you may have heard of: Alison Cerutti. We talked all about that, as well as:

Why the standard Californian path to professional beach volleyball isn’t necessarily for Cory
How he and Alison came to be
How Joey Keener and his coach on the West Coast (Mewhirter) have helped Cory return to his core identity as a player and what this off-season looked like
His early success on the NORCECA circuit this year with Wyatt Harrison
And, of course, the art of trash talk

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag! Are Tri and Chaim done? New AVP Partnerships? Paris Podium Predictions?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 May 2024 13:55:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our monthly fan question mailbag episode. The questions were, given where we’re at in the season, not surprising, as we covered:

Are Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk dropping out of the Olympic race?
Are Chase Budinger and Miles Evans the new favorites to qualify for Paris over Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner?
Who are our sleeper picks to win gold at the Paris Olympic Games?
Who are the new partnerships for the AVP season?
What’s the FIVB going to do about all of those forfeits in Challenge events?

And much, much more.

Thanks as always for all of your questions!

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Chase Budinger and Miles Evans have taken the driver's seat

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 6 May 2024 22:12:21 +0000

On this episode of the Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the Paris Olympic Games after the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Brasilia Elite16. The main storylines are:

Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner retake the lead (again) over Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader with a critical bronze medal
Matthew Immers and Steven van de Velde’s first Elite16 medal (and finals) couldn’t have come at a better time, and they are now just behind Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen in the Netherlands’ race
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans are in the driver’s seat over Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner in the USA race
The Grimalts continue picking away at the narrow lead being held by Julian Horl and Alex Horst

The insanity continues.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Abby Van Winkle: The rookie whose volleyball career is only up from here

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 May 2024 13:27:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features a new guest! Abby Van Winkle joins the podcast fresh off a successful debut on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, in which she and Savvy Simo – who also joins as a host/guest – won a bronze medal at a NORCECA before stunning Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader in the qualifier of the Guadalajara Challenge to make main draw. Van Winkle has been an up and coming talent for a while now, beginning when she was a freshman at UCLA, winning the NCAA Championship. We talk about all of that on the pod, as well as:

How Van Winkle found the confidence to think she could beat Verge-Depre and Mader, Olympic bronze medalists
The difference she sees between NCAA beach volleyball and AVP and Beach Pro Tour level play
What her expectations of being a professional were and how different it is to live the life of a professional beach volleyball player
Her goals as a player, and why nursing school can wait a bit longer (maybe a lot longer)

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: The Grimalts just did THAT! Ittlinger-Borger win first gold, Anouk retakes the lead

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:17:05 +0000

On this episode of the Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the Paris Olympic Games following the Xiamen Challenge on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. As the Olympic race winds down, it just gets wilder and wilder and wilder, as:

Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt won their first medal of the Olympic qualifying period, coming out of the qualifier to win gold
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans playing some of their worst volleyball…and also some of their best to take a fourth and cut down Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner’s lead
Karla Borger and Sandra Ittlinger winning their first gold as a team, narrowing their deficit to Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann
Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader retaking the lead once more over Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner after a silver medal

This episode is brought to you by Skyball Apparel! Just some Canadian folks doing good things for the sport and making sweet apparel while they’re at it. Use the code SANDCAST to get 15% off!

Thank you as always to producers one and two, Delaney and Austin Mewhirter, for the good vibes.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zana Muno: Rediscovering Herself on the Trip of a Lifetime

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:02:59 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our most popular guest of all-time: Zana Muno. Zana has had the most interesting few years, playing with some of the greatest in the game – Sarah Pavan, Brandie Wilkerson, Kerri Walsh Jennings, to name a few – but has struggled to maintain consistency on the court. Feeling burned out after a last place finish at AVP Chicago a year ago, she applied to a farming program she’d dreamed of attending – and was accepted. This winter, she took a two-month sabbatical from volleyball to learn all things outdoors, from shepherding goats to butchering animals to learning the finer nuances of seeds and agriculture. Now, she’s back on the beach, chatting on the podcast about:

Her trip to Italy, and how much she learned about herself in the process
Her newfound love and appreciation for beach volleyball, and how much the trip reinforced that love
What it was like to play with Kerri Walsh Jennings
The impact she wants to have on the game’s younger generations

And so much more. Such a fun and open and honest conversation with Zana Muno.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Cuba -- SHARPIE! And Switzerland still loves Mexico

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:40:05 +0000

On this episode of The Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the most recent Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour event: The Tepic Elite16. Switzerland's Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli won their first gold medal as a team, while Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig continue their absurd finals run, with seven straight now and a second straight gold in Tepic. We chat all about that, as well as:

- Cuba's Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz, a bronze medal, and the long-awaited SHARPIE!!

- Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain's lucky break winning the lucky loser to sneak back into the main draw and finish ninth

- Sandra Ittlinger and Karla Borger's excellent fifth-place finish, and an increasingly interesting German race with Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann

- Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner adding another solid, 600-point finish to extend their lead over Chase Budinger and Miles Evans

And, of course, a look at this week's Challenge event in Xiamen, China.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hendrik Mol, Mathias Berntsen: How the Beach Volley Vikings are Changing Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:32:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features two of Norway’s Beach Volley Vikings: Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen. Hendrik and Berntsen are enjoying a normal learning curve and path to success, a several-years buildup that seems almost flat when compared to the rocket ship that has been Anders Mol and Christian Sorum. If the Olympics were to happen today, for the first time ever, Norway would have two teams in the Games. That’s how good Hendrik and Berntsen – cousins – have become. We chat all about that, as well as:

How Mathias Berntsen and Anders Mol predicted Norway would win gold at the Tokyo Olympics – in 2015, when they were still in high school
Hendrik Mol’s life of adversity, nearly going blind while playing for the University of Hawaii
How Norway lost four sponsorships after winning gold at the Olympics, and why the Olympics may be taking too big of a role in beach volleyball
What it’s been like to be a part of the rise of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum and their meteoric rise

And, as always, so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Comeback Kings, Qualifier Queens, and Sensational Swiss

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:29:22 +0000

This episode of the Road to Paris, breaking down the Olympic beach volleyball race with Travis Mewhirter, recaps the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Guadalajara Challenge. What a weekend it was, especially fun since we brought Daniel Freitas, aka Producer Thrito, along for the ride, and he cranked out highlight after highlight and provides us with a ton of sweet b roll in this episode. We break down:

Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner becoming the comeback kings, winning all five matches in three sets, and what their gold medal means in the Olympic race
Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner winning the first gold medals of their careers
Sophie Bukovec and Heather Bansley coming out of the qualifier and making another deep run
Cuba’s Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz and their rocket ship up the Olympic rankings

And so much more!

If you like this kind of stuff, please share it out. The more views we get, the more we can afford to bring Frito on the road.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Humana-Paredes, Brandie Wilkerson and the complete overhaul of Canada's top team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 15:02:17 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, one of the best beach volleyball teams in the world coming off a silver medal at the season-opening Doha Elite16 – a tournament in which they alas vanquished Brazilians Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa. We chat all about Doha, as well as

Their first year together as partners, and the various lessons they learned
Why, in spite of 10 tournaments without a finish worse than fifth in 2023, their coach, Marcio Sicoli, scrapped everything and started anew in 2024.
The importance of continuous improvement and embracing the unknown
The joys of working with high-performance sports psychologist Michael Gervais, a two-time guest on the show
Their approach to the upcoming Olympics in Paris, and the value of the journey and the joy they bring to the sport.

And, as always, so much more. Such a joy to sit down with Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Miles Partain, Andy Benesh, and the mindset shift that changed everything

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Apr 2024 13:36:38 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features one of the best and brightest teams in all of beach volleyball: Miles Partain and Andy Benesh. This is, honestly, maybe the best, most insightful, most vulnerable episode we’ve ever done, and I cannot recommend it enough. Miles Partain and Andy Benesh chat about:

Their experiences and growth as professional beach volleyball players.
They reflect on key moments in their careers, such as their first podium finish in Ostrava and the impact of certain matches – like wins over Anders Mol and Christian Sorum -- on their season.
Their unique playing style of jump setting and optioning, and how it has evolved over time.
Miles Partain’s struggles mentally, to the point that he viewed himself as a loser, and the revelations he’s had this off-season to completely shift the narrative he was telling himself
The role of faith and belief in shaping confidence and manifesting success.
The importance of learning from both wins and losses and the value of patience and growth over time.

Such a good one. Cannot recommend it enough.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Brazil mens' race winds down while USA men, Canadian women heat up

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 1 Apr 2024 23:23:35 +0000

Welcome back to the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This episode follows the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Recife Challenge and Saquarema Challenge, covering:

- How Evandro Goncalves and Arthur Mariano just delivered the knockout punch to Pedro Salgado and Guto Carvalhaes

- Sophie Bukovec and Heather Bansley making a surge up the rankings, contending for the second Canadian spot

- Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann's massive silver medal

- Chase Budinger and Miles Evans now neck and neck with Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner

And a whole lot more.

So fun being in Brazil then getting to chat about it.

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tim Brewster, Kyle Friend, and the most unique partnership in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:35:53 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we have one of the most unique teams on the AVP and Beach Pro Tours in Tim Brewster and Kyle Friend. What makes them unique? They are, as far as we know, the only male partners who are also dating, making for a fascinating dynamic on and off the court. We get into that, as well as:

Their recent NORCECA win, and the pros and cons of competing in NORCECAs vs. Beach Pro Tour Futures events
The uncertainty of the AVP rankings, and the high-stakes nature of having only three events on the 2024 schedule
They also touch on the dynamics of their on-court and off-court relationship and the growth they have experienced together.
Tim Brewster's transition and growth as a player, from fringe qualifier talent to taking top-fives regularly on the AVP.

And a whole lot more. Such a fun chat with Tim and Kyle!

SHOOTS!

***

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sophie Bukovec, and the invaluable lessons from a "not exactly seamless" three years

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:34:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Sophie Bukovec, one of the top players in Canada and a silver medalist at the 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships. The last three years haven’t been, as Bukovec says, “exactly seamless,” with three partners in as many seasons, but like when most things don’t go to plan, Bukovec came away with a bounty of lessons, and a new perspective on life, both as a player and not. We chat all about that, as well as:

What happened with her and Sarah Pavan after just three (decent) tournaments
How she managed to get Heather Bansley out of retirement
Heather Bansley’s impact on Volleyball Canada
Why Sophie Bukovec is modeling the player she wants to be off the player she’s currently playing with it, and the peace that comes with

And a whole lot more. Fun one with Sophie!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sam Schachter, Dan Dearing, and the New Culture of Canada's Top Team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:16:15 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our annual Spring-is-here episode with our neighbors up North: Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing. Per usual, they dropped by Hermosa Beach for a month for a pre-season training camp, gearing up for a final push at the 2024 Paris Olympics. On this episode, we chatted about:

What lessons Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing learned from a very full 2023 season
The new standards of their coach, Srdjan Veckov, and why he was actually mad when Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing beat Miles Partain and Andy Benesh last December
The new culture of their team, and why Dan Dearing is now gladly puking after conditioning (well…kind of gladly)
The thin margins between victory and defeat at the Challenge and Elite16 level

And much more.

NOTE: Dan’s mic got unplugged and his audio is absolutely terrible. Our streak of mostly decent audio is back to zero. Apologies for the gaffe and we appreciate your patience, as always.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot Just Did That

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:19:44 +0000

This episode of The Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter’s breakdown of the Olympic Beach Volleyball race to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, follows the season-opening Doha Elite16, where Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot won a shocking gold (not shocking that they won, but shocking in how they did it), Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova took a critical fourth, Laura Ludwig and Louisa Lippmann made the most of their wild card, and Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner continued tacking onto their lead. On this episode, Travis chats about:

Why Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot are now nearly a lock to qualify for Paris, despite having only eight finishes
Why those 100 percent probabilities for Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova were on the money
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans’ awesome, but also discouraging, finish in Doha (and a shout-out by Brandon Walker and Mark Titus at Barstool Sports)
Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader jumping into the No. 2 Swiss spot for the first time

And a little bit of everything in between. What a fun start to the year, and only more to come.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth set out to "rewrite the script." They've done that and more

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Mar 2024 14:26:28 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features an annual fan-favorite: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth. In for a month-long training camp in California, Nuss and Kloth are perhaps the most unique team in the sport, and maybe the most unique pair USA Volleyball has ever had. Living in Louisiana? Five-foot-6 defender? A blocker from South Dakota? And they’re…No. 2 in the world? How does that happen? We chat all about it, as well as:

The moment they realized they had qualified for the Olympics
How they feel like veterans already, and it’s just year three
What led to their breakthrough season in 2023, one in which they won seven medals in 12 events.
What makes them so special as a team, the secret sauce that is TKN

And so much more. AWESOME CONVERSATION with two of the best people (and players) in the sport.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris: 10 Events, 3 Months, 1 Last Sprint for the Olympics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 4 Mar 2024 15:05:56 +0000

Welcome back to the Road to Paris! Travis Mewhirter previews the final three months of the Olympic qualification cycle, which is about to begin with this week's Doha Elite16. Doha kicks off a sprint of the next three months, which feature 10 events on four continents. On this episode:

- Travis provides a statistical analysis projecting the odds for every team remaining in the race

- Why Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk still have a 7.9% shot at qualifying

- Explains why the top 13 men's teams, and top 12 women's teams, are safe and pretty much a done deal

- Why the Swiss, German, and Canadian women's races are the most interesting

And much more.

So fun to be back chatting about the Olympic race! Stoked for one more year of the Road to Paris!

FULL PROBABILITIES CAN BE FOUND HERE: https://sandcastvolleyball.com/olympic-beach-volleyball-probabilities-for-every-team-remaining-in-the-race-to-paris/

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Gervais: How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:38:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Michael Gervais, one of the most well-known sports psychologists in the world and the man who worked with Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and April Ross and is currently working with Olympians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson. Gervais is the host of the Finding Mastery podcast, which boasts more than 25 million downloads, and is the new author of the book, The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You. We were invited to the Mastery Lab to chat with Gervais, and what an incredible chat it was, as we covered, among other topics:

What it was like to coach Kerri Walsh Jennings, Misty May-Treanor, and April Ross
Why Michael Gervais is attracted to those who get out to “the messy edge” of high performance
Why our ancient brains, once wired to be attuned to what other people were thinking for our survival, are no longer a fit for modern times, and how to navigate that
What Michael Gervais has learned in 25-plus years working with the highest performers in the world

And so, so, so much more. Highly recommend you listen to the episode and pick up his book!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Mayer Is Coaching His Brains Out -- And Winning Big

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:36:51 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball With Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of our favorite coaches in the world: John Mayer. As a player, Mayer was one of the best defenders of his generation, the 2015 AVP Defensive Player of the Year and the 2015 AVP MVP. Since 2018, he has been a full-time coach, leading the LMU Beach Volleyball team to new heights: four straight WCC Championships, four straight WCC Coach of the Year honors, and three consecutive berths in to the NCAA Championship. Not bad for, as Mayer says, “little LMU.” We talk all about that rise, as well as:

Mayer’s unique coaching style that is less top down and more experimental
How he has changed as a coach since he took over LMU in 2015
LMU’s meteoric rise from a winless program to one of the best in the country
How diving into motor learning and ecological coaching has shifted his perspective on teaching, coaching, and leadership

And so, so much more. Cannot recommend this episode enough!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag! Talking AVP Schedule, Hand-setting rules, Olympic Race, Tri and Chaim's New Coach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:39:27 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our season-opening mailbag episode. As always, thank y’all tons for the questions. If you want to ask a question for the pod, drop one in the comments section or send us a DM on Instagram. With the AVP schedule being released the day before we recorded, much of the conversation centered around that, as well as:

What are the young guns to keep an eye out for on the AVP this year?
Our thoughts on the new AVP League, and what we think of its future
Is the direction we’re going with hand-setting good or bad? Should doubles be taken out?
How Travis became the new coach for Tri and Chaim Schalk, and how that’s been going

And a whole lot more.

Fun one to start what should be a wild year of beach volleyball!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dain Blanton, Megan Kraft, Delaynie Maple and USC are gunning for four straight titles

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Feb 2024 16:05:22 +0000

At USC Beach Volleyball, Dain Blanton, Delaynie Maple and Megan Kraft are looking to do something unprecedented in the world of NCAA Beach Volleyball: Win four consecutive NCAA Championships. They’ve won three straight, with 2023 being the biggest surprise of the bunch, if there is such a thing at USC. Now, they’re back for a fourth, doing everything they can to not think about winning a fourth straight. We chatted all about that, as well as:

How the USC team culture continues to produce winner after winner after winner
What it was like for Blanton to replace the legendary Anna Collier
Kraft’s professional season playing with Emily Stockman and finishing with Terese Cannon
How the previous generation of greats – Tina Graudina, Julia Scoles, Hailey Harward, Sammy Slater – paved the way for this current generation.

And a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

UCLA Beach Volleyball's Big Three Are Hunting An NCAA Championship

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:25:53 +0000

The UCLA Beach Volleyball team has been one of the most dominant in the young history of NCAA Beach Volleyball. Three of its four decorated seniors – Jaden Whitmarsh, Devon Newberry, Lexy Denaburg – came on SANDCAST to chat about the last dance for this group, and how much winning the elusive NCAA Championship would mean, especially in a transition year with a new head coach in Jenny Johnson Jordan. We covered a wide variety of topics, including:

What the program is like under Johnson Jordan in her first year as head coach, replacing Stein Metzger
Why the word “special” continued to come up in conversation when talking about the 2024 team
Why Whitmarsh, a sixth-year, decided to return for one final ride
The lessons you can learn from coming one win shy of an NCAA Championship

And so much more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SANDCAST at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code SANDCAST.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Betsi Flint: The Supermom of Professional Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:20:24 +0000

Betsi Flint is, at 31 years old, somehow a veteran on the AVP and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, a seven-time AVP champion who is currently ranked in the top 10 in the world alongside Julia Scoles. But she is far more than another talented defender. Flint occupies a rare space in the world of beach volleyball: A mom who continues to make her full-time living playing the sport. We chatted quite a bit about mom life, as well as:

The difficulty of timing a pregnancy for a female athlete
Flint and Scoles’ Cinderella run through the 2023 AVP Manhattan Beach Open
Coming back and playing five matches in the first day of her first tournament post-partum – five months after giving birth
The dark arts of the Betsi Flint float serve

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SANDCAST at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code SANDCAST.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cody Caldwell's Beach Volleyball Career Is Thriving On Fun

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Cody Caldwell is one of the faster-rising talents in beach volleyball, both on the AVP and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. After playing indoors in Greece and France, Caldwell decided to “try my hand on the beach,” and the results have been promising, with three career Tour Series wins and three third place finishes in 2023 alone. All of this has been done with one goal in mind: Fun – and he’s maximizing it and thriving because of it. We chat about:

Why Caldwell decided to switch to beach in spite of his talents indoors that could command big contracts overseas
What it’s like playing with Seain Cook, whom Caldwell thinks is the most entertaining player on the AVP Tour
How it felt to beat both Alison and Phil Dalhausser at the Manhattan Beach Open
Why he has his eyes set on Los Angeles 2028, and how he envisions getting there

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SANDCAST at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code SANDCAST.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Corinne Quiggle’s 2023 didn’t go as planned, and it was perfect

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:02:54 +0000

Corinne Quiggle had one of the most volatile seasons of her burgeoning beach volleyball career. From losing in three straight qualifiers and barbequing in the first AVP of the year, she took that adversity and flipped it into the first AVP win of her career, in Hermosa Beach with Sarah Schermerhorn. What once looked like an awful start actually set her up to enjoy the most unforgettable year to date, capped by a bronze medal at the Pan American Games. We chat all about that, as well as:

How Quiggle and Schermerhorn were able to overcome a brutal start and awful week of practice prior to Hermosa and use it to fuel their first win
The value of having the same partner for what will soon be three years
The mindset tools she’s discovered that have helped her the most
Why the Pan American Games are one of the coolest experiences in volleyball

And, per usual, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST-20. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SANDCAST at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code SANDCAST.

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D by purchasing with that link.

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Prosser: ”Coming Full Circle” From Playing to Coaching to Broadcasting and Cancer

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Jan 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Matt Prosser is one of the most well-rounded talents in the sport of volleyball. An All-American at Long Beach State, Prosser took his size to the beach, where he won an AVP with Matt Olson and enjoyed immense success with John Mayer. In 2018, despite having been only a year out from chemotherapy, Prosser qualified for the Manhattan Beach Open with Eric Beranek, retiring afterwards on his own terms. Now, he’s a voice you’ll recognize on AVP and Volleyball TV broadcasts as a commentator for the Italian SuperLega, Beach Pro Tour, and numerous AVP tournaments. We chatted about all of that, as well as:

How Prosser got hooked on volleyball at the age of 13
What it was like in 2010 when the AVP folded – one week after Prosser made a final in Hermosa Beach
How he was able to overcome cancer and make another main draw
How a chance encounter with Dustin Watten led to Prosser’s favorite career yet: Commentating on beach volleyball

And, per usual, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

We FINALLY have an alcohol sponsor, y'all! Bartender In A Box is here. SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to enjoy just one Box of their Premium Bar
Quality Libations for around $20 bucks.

Bring in the fall right and Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code SANDCAST at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code SANDCAST. As the leaves fall, make sure you have it all with MANSCAPED™.

Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter have a NEW BOOK! Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast. Check it out on Amazon!

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Best of SANDCAST 2023: The Top Moments From Every Guest, From Andy Benesh to Zana Muno

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 14:26:35 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball With Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is a unique one: The top moment from every single podcast we did this year from A – Andy Benesh, April Ross – to Z – Zana Muno, and everywhere in between – Miles Partain, Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, you get it. This was, by a long, long, long shot, the most successful year the podcast has had, exploding through records in every single metric, from YouTube to audio to engagement.

We wanted to THANK YOU for sticking with us through crappy audio, inconsistent camera setups, studio changes, and episodes good and bad. Can’t do it without y’all, so here’s to a wonderful 2024 season.

Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and enjoy the best hits of 2023!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FINAL Road to Paris of 2023: Sharpies, Contenders, Dark Horses for the Paris Olympics

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 16:00:00 +0000

This is the FINAL Road to Paris of a long and wonderful 2023 beach volleyball season. This is a comprehensive recap of which teams are all but assured spots in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – aka SHARPIED! – which teams are favored and in contention of the remaining spots, and which teams are the dark horses vying for the few spots remaining. As always, if you have any questions about the complicated Olympic qualifying process, I’d LOVE to answer them. Always happy to help and chat Olympic beach volleyball. Thank you to everyone for coming along for the ride this season, it’s been a blast starting this series. Unless there is a strong preference for another Road to Paris before the onset of the 2024 Beach Pro Tour season, this will be the last episode until the Doha Elite16 in March.

Until then, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mailbag Episode! Our thoughts on the new AVP? Olympic predictions?! Best moments of 2023

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 16:25:51 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our always-popular, semi-monthly mailbag episode. And boy oh boy did we have questions for this one, largely on the same topic: What’s up with the new AVP and its proposed league model? We delve into that for a large portion of the episode, as well as:

What are our Paris 2024 predictions?
What does off-season look like for professional beach volleyball players?
What are our best, worst, and funniest moments of 2023?
Are Russians allowed back on tour?

That, and a whole lot more. Thank you as always for submitting questions. If you want to submit or have us chat about a topic, DM Tri or Travis on Instagram and we’ll put it into the pool of questions!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jump Higher, Hit harder, Play Better, With Volleyball Strength Coach Nathan Michaels

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:38:10 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with volleyball strength and conditioning coach, and the man whom Mewhirter calls the “knee whisperer,” Nathan Michaels. Mewhirter began working with Michaels in 2021…and hasn’t taken a single Ibuprofen since, playing pain free, as strong and mobile as he’s ever been, all the while playing the best beach volleyball of his career.

Michaels is a huge reason for that.

This episode might be the most useful and practical episode we’ve done in six-plus years of podcasting, chatting about:

The 5 BEST bang for your buck exercises for beach volleyball
How to jump higher on the sand
How to open up your arm swing and hit harder
The best foods to eat prior and during gameday to stop cramping and to sustain peak performance throughout a tournament

And so much more. This one is PACKED with awesome, useful information. Less storytelling and more practicals here.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mason Briggs: The Trailblazing Libero Who Built A 100k-plus Following

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Dec 2023 16:48:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mason Briggs, an All-American at Long Beach State and one of the best liberos in the world. But he’s far more than that. Briggs is a trailblazer, a 22-year-old who has amassed one of the biggest followings in all of NCAA Volleyball, a following he is using to expand the reach of the game in new and innovative ways, such as trading cards. We talked all about that, as well as:

Where Briggs’ entrepreneurial spirit comes from (come for the duct tape wallets, stick around for the Steve Madden story)
Why men’s volleyball is the world’s greatest kept secret
His “pinnacle moment” being the only college player on the USA National Team’s World Championship roster
What it’s like backing up, and learning from, Erik Shoji

And so much more.

Super fun podcast with Briggs!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Daniel ”Frito” Freitas: The content machine who escaped the 9-5 to ”do fun” for a living

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:54:53 +0000

Daniel “Frito” Freitas is one of the most prolific content creators on the AVP Tour. Ever wonder where many of those videos come from that so many players – Molly Turner, Tri Bourne, Zana Muno, Trevor Crabb, David Schweiner, Kelly Cheng, Ondrej Perusic, you name it – post with virality on their social media accounts? A large percentage of those are shot, edited, and produced by Frito, the man behind the camera for all of our World Champs coverage and for Tri Bourne’s Bourne on the Beach vlogs. He is, frankly, the man. We had him on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter to chat about his increasingly vital role in a sport dependent on content, including:

How he made the jump from 9-5 to “doing fun” for a living
How a chance meeting with NBA player Sasha Vujacic in 2014 snowballed into a career with the Los Angeles Clippers, AVP, LA Galaxy, and even the NFL Draft
How Mpu Dinani, one the AVP’s most beloved photographers, hooked him up with a gig touring with Conor McGregor
Why saying yes to virtually everything is so valuable in the early stages of a freelancing career

And so much more. Bit of an off-beat episode but such a fun one! Videographers and photographers are the lifeblood of this sport, which is based primarily on content and aesthetics. We need more Fritos (and Mpus) in the world!

SHOOTS!

***

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Road to Paris: Dutchmen are Flying, China is Rising, Qatar is Returning, Chase and Miles Are Surging

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:55:57 +0000

This episode of The Road to Paris breaks down the two most recent @volleyballworld events, a Challenge in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and an Elite16 in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. The highlights, per Travis Mewhirter, are:

- A Netherlands race that is heating up with a gold won by Steven van de Velde and Matthew Immers and a bronze taken by Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot

- George and Andre reasserting themselves as the top team in Brazil

- Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia: SHARPIE!

- Chase Budinger and Miles Evans topping Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk, with sights set on catching Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner That, and a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

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Terese Cannon: Scrapping a six-year Olympic plan to ’go play because you like playing’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 16:18:10 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Terese Cannon, who is annually one of the world’s most improved players. Initially an indoor player for Georgetown, Cannon transferred to USC, won a handful of National Championships, and has since become one of the top blockers in the USA. A run at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Sarah Sponcil was abruptly called off after Sponcil switched to indoor, but Cannon is now back on track with, unexpectedly, Megan Kraft, another left side blocker. We cover all of that, including:

What exactly happened between Cannon and Sponcil
How Cannon and Kraft, a pair of left-side blockers, came to play together, and the influence of Scott Davenport in that partnership
A competitive personality that molds to her partner’s, and why that’s both a good and bad thing
Why she doesn’t need the incentive of the Olympic Games to continue pursuing her goal of becoming one of the best players in the world

And a whole lot more.

Such a fun chat with T.

ENJOY!

***

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Seain Cook: ”An idiot who plays beach volleyball? That’s good.”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Seain Cook, one of the funniest personalities in the entire sport of beach volleyball – or just volleyball as a whole – who is also, despite what his Instagram might lead you to believe, a very, very good player. Had it not been for his own partner, Cody Caldwell, Cook would have been the 2023 Most Improved Player, after a season in which he won both the Waupaca and Laguna Beach Tour Series events and finished third at the Manhattan Beach Open.

We had, as you could guess, a hilarious conversation with Seain, covering his 2023 season, as well as:

What improvements he saw in his game from 2022 to 2023
What in the world happened in his 21-6 loss to Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner – and how Trevor added salt to the wound at 20-6
Why he is now beginning a new three-year cycle as a player
How he is almost (almost!) officially a U.S. citizen and might one day be able to compete for USA Volleyball

Lots of laughs in this one, and plenty of love taps at our good friend Jake Urrutia.

SHOOTS!

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Megan Rice was always ”just one opportunity away” from her massive breakout season

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Nov 2023 16:35:37 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Megan Rice, or Megan J. Rice, or M.J. She’s gone by a number of different names throughout her 2023 season, one in which she won the VolleyballMag Rookie of the Year. Rice was the year’s biggest breakthrough star, on both the men’s and the women’s side, exploding onto the scene at AVP Hermosa Beach, where she and Savvy Simo – on just one practice as a team – made it to the finals. She was then the AVP’s most eligible bachelorette, getting picked up by Betsi Flint, Brook Bauer, and Emily Stockman, with whom she finished in the top 10 in every tournament.

So, yes, it was a big year for Megan Rice.

We chatted all about it, as well as:

How she always felt she was just one opportunity away from a breakthrough
The value of taking a year off of volleyball before returning 100 percent committed
Why she didn’t feel any different after making the finals of AVP Hermosa
What her future looks like on the beach

And a whole lot more.

Fun chat introducing y’all to Rice!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road To Paris: Maybe those USA partnership changes weren’t such a bad move after all

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 7 Nov 2023 16:08:38 +0000

This past December was a wild one for USA Volleyball on the men's side. Tri Bourne dumped Trevor Crabb to pick up Chaim Schalk, and Theo Brunner then picked up Trevor Crabb. Chase Budinger scooped Miles Evans, while Miles Partain and Andy Benesh confirmed their partnership, and Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander stuck together.

Eleven months later, were the partnership changes a good move?

With three of the four semifinalists at the Haikou Challenge USA men, and four USA teams now in the top-24 of the Olympic rankings, well, maybe they weren't such bad moves after all.

That and more on this week's Road to Paris!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Fall Mailbag! Tri Bourne on the hot seat! Why doesn’t the AVP stream on YouTube? Where’s Sponcil?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Nov 2023 16:12:26 +0000

Tri Bourne made a landscape-altering decision this winter, dumping Trevor Crabb and picking up Chaim Schalk instead. The results thus far haven't backed up that decision, and our semi-monthly mailbag on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball With Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter was chock full of questions about that decision. So our episode today put Bourne on the hot seat, answering the question: Does he regret dumping Trevor for Chaim? As well as:

Why doesn’t the AVP stream on YouTube anymore?
Is Sarah Sponcil coming back to the beach?
The fastest way young and developing players can become elite
And so much more.

Thank you as always for your questions and support! We love y’all.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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DJ Klasnic is living the volleyball dream and then some

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:00:05 +0000

DJ Klasnic is arguably the best Serbian beach volleyball player ever – the first to win a medal (in 2017 with Lazar Kolaric) and then the first to win a gold medal (in 2022 with Kolaric). Now, after six years of trying, Klasnic is alas competing on the AVP Tour. What a rookie season he had: six AVP main draws, a seventh in New Orleans, ninth in Huntington and Chicago, with a win over Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander.

When the Volleyball Magazine awards come out on Thursday, he’ll be the Rookie of the Year. We chatted all about his huge season on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as:

How luck and fortune have seemed to find DJ Klasnic every step of the way on this beach volleyball journey
How Phil Dalhausser gave him the nudge he needed to try his hand on the AVP
Being a 28-year-old competing for Westcliff University, and the future of men’s collegiate beach volleyball
How his first season on the AVP surpassed all expectations

That, and so much more.

ENJOY!

Photo: Mark Rigney

***

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SHOOTS!

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Steve Obradovich, and the revival of fours beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:59:41 +0000

Steve Obradovich is reviving fours beach volleyball in the United States with the Newport Beach Volleyball Invitational on October 21st. It features a star-studded field of both players and sponsors alike, with the teams being:

Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, Nick Lucena and Alex Ranghieri;
Sean Rosenthal, Jake Gibb, Miles Partain, and Andy Benesh
Troy Field, Casey Patterson, Chase Frishman, and Brenden Sander
For the women, the teams are Kelly Cheng, Sarah Sponcil, Toni Rodriguez, and Emily Stockman
Betsi Flint, Alix Klineman, Carli Lloyd, Julia Scoles, and Megan Rice
Savvy Simo, Zana Muno, Carly Skjodt, Kylie Deberg, and Amy Ozee.

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we chatted all about Obradovich’s story as a player – the Bad Boy as he was known – why Obradovich is putting on this tournament, with $2,000 appearance fees for every player, and how this is a beta test for a potential fours beach volleyball league, with franchises, drafts, general managers, the whole nine.

This episode could not have been more fun.

For more information on the Newport Beach Invitational, go to nbvolleyball.com.

SHOOTS!

Photo Credit Bruce Hazelton

***

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SHOOTS!

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The Road to Paris: WORLD CHAMPIONS! And a historical weekend in Mexico

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:18:48 +0000

Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes are the 2023 Beach Volleyball World Champions! Becoming the first @USAVolleyball team to win a World Championship gold medal since April Ross and Jen Kessy did so in 2009.

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth added a bronze medal to the slate, becoming the first American team to win a World Championship bronze medal since Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs in 1999 -- which was also the same year multiple USA teams won a World Championship medal. Big weekend.

On the men's side, for the first time in history, three countries won their first World Championship medal in the same event: The Czech Republic's David Schweiner and Ondrej Perusic, Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, and Poland's Bartosz Losiak and Michal Bryl. Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner made history of their own, as they are now the only players in history to finish fourth multiple times (Brunner has done it thrice, Crabb twice).

All that and a whole lot more on the final World Championship recap on The Road to Paris!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Hailey Harward: Playing ”like a kid on the playground” with gratitude and joy

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:36:49 +0000

Hailey Harward is one of the brightest young talents making her rise up both the AVP and Volleyball World rankings. A year after winning her first AVP as a rookie in Fort Lauderdale, Harward bumped her average finish on Tour to nearly a fifth, tripled her international prize money, increased her AVP prize money by 38% and, oh yes, got picked up by Alix Klineman and scooped a wild card into the Beach Volleyball World Championships.

So yes, it’s been a big year for Hailey Harward, and we chat all about it, including:

The pressure and expectations going into a sophomore season after a standout rookie season
How she and Alix Klineman partnered up
What it’s been like practicing with Alix Klineman and April Ross, two of her idols
Her mindset shift, being kinder to herself while remaining tenacious in her work ethic

And a whole lot more.

Great chat with Hailey Harward that we think you’ll enjoy!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris, World Champs Edition: SIX USA teams win pool

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 15:20:15 +0000

The Beach Volleyball World Championships have arrived, and we are halfway through, with six @USAVolleyball teams winning their pool: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles, Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, and Miles Partain and Andy Benesh. But as anyone knows: The real tournament begins Wednesday, where it's single elimination from here on forward.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Kelly Cheng and Jordan Cheng, ”get to dream together” as husband-wife, player-coach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Oct 2023 15:45:15 +0000

Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes are one of the best teams in the world, currently ranked No. 4 in the Olympic race, with a gold medal in Tepic, silver in Gstaad, and two AVP wins in 2023. They’re also coached by Kelly’s husband, Jordan, which has created, as you might be able to guess, an interesting dynamic, one that is both a dream and also extremely difficult. It’s working, both on the court – they are one of the top teams on the planet – and off – they are still happily married. We chatted all about their lives as a husband-wife, coach-player, as well as:

Why Jordan is the right man for the job, not just the husband for the job
How Kelly Cheng has dealt with a constant stream of criticism dating back to her college days at USC
How Kelly Cheng continues to break the mold of beach volleyball, from an aggressive on-two system to now jump-setting
Why they have built an “army” of coaches, including Gustavo Rocha and Jake Gibb

And so much more.

Super fun chat with the Cheng Family as they head down to Mexico for this week’s World Championships!

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road To Paris: Ana Patricia and Duda vs. The World

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 3 Oct 2023 16:44:43 +0000

Welcome back to the Road To Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. On this episode, Mewhirter breaks down the most recent @volleyballworld Elite16 in Paris, less than a year from the Olympics, which will be hosted right down the street from Roland Garros. We chat about:

- The growing dominance of Ana Patricia and Duda, who have now won as many Elite16 gold medals (4) as the rest of the world

- Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen getting back on the podium for the first time in a year

- Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk's struggles

- Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth further asserting themselves as one of the top medal contenders in beach volleyball

And a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece: The Good Stewards of The High Performance Community

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:54:18 +0000

Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece have built one of the most extraordinary communities in the world, as top performers in virtually all industries, from the NFL and NBA to Hollywood A-Listers to MMA, big wave surfers, and everyone in between – including volleyball – gravitate towards their home for workouts, good conversation, and downright decadent coffee. Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter took a trip up to the Laird Compound to get a little pool workout and a podcast with Laird and Gabby, chatting all things life, including:

How Laird and Gabby have adopted the mindset of being “good stewards” to their community – and why it’s the most selfish thing, in a good way, they can do
Why enthusiasm and loving what you do is the ultimate secret to success
Why “hacks” don’t work, and why doing the thing is the main thing
The importance of simplifying in an overwhelmed society

And so, so much more.

Absolute gold here, y’all.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Jon Alvarez, Volleyball Life, and ”volleyball people doing cool things for volleyball”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:36:04 +0000

Jon Alvarez is the founder and CEO of Volleyball Life, the leading tournament software in all of beach volleyball, running more than 3,000 events in 2023 alone – a 70 percent increase from 2022. But Volleyball Life is more than that – much more. It’s one of the top resources for college coaches to scout juniors, as it has an extensive database of nearly every junior player in the country, his or her results, rankings, points, and anything else you’d want to know. It has been fun to watch Volleyball Life take over, expand, and build a virtual monopoly in the business. The conversation extends to far more than that, however, as we chat about:

Alvarez’s career as a player, which spanned more than 30 years, and why he always looked at it as a way to make connections, not main draws
How Volleyball Life has been a vision of his since 1993, when he literally handwrote the logo he’d be using 30 years later
How Casey Patterson saved beach volleyball in 2010
The explosion of grassroots volleyball around the USA – and the numbers to prove it

And much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Trevor Crabb is always taking receipts. Now he’s literally cashing in

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 15:16:17 +0000

Trevor Crabb has won more AVP tournaments than any player in the last five years. And yet…people still bet against him. And people are still being proven wrong. Crabb made good on his $500 wager that he’d beat Andy Benesh and Miles Partain the next time he and Theo Brunner played them. That next time came in the finals of AVP Chicago, which makes Crabb and Brunner tied for first in wins on the AVP this season, second in points per event in the USA Olympic race, and proving people wrong, as always.

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we chat all about those bets, as well as:

What it was like for Crabb when Bourne dumped him for Chaim Schalk
The dynamic of Bourne and Crabb’s friendship after the breakup
Why he thinks defense is “so much easier than blocking”
What this year has been like with Theo Brunner, and why they’ve been so good

And much more!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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The 3X NCAA Champion Nourse Twins have ”nothing else but to be themselves”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Sep 2023 15:23:46 +0000

The Nourse Twins – Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse – are three-time NCAA Champions as starters as USC, something no other women’s program has ever done at Southern Cal. Now, as fall season gets underway, they’re looking for an unprecedented fourth consecutive National Championship. We chatted all about their success as USC, as well as:

Why they decided to flip their commitment from Stanford to USC
What the culture is like on a team that included an Olympian (Tina Graudina), AVP champions (Julia Scoles and Hailey Harward), consummate winners (Sammy Slater) and World Champions (Delaynie Maple, Megan Kraft)
The mental side of the game, and why getting a sports psychologist at age 16 has been huge for their development and success
What it was like for the NCAA Championship to come down to their court, and why it all felt so…normal

And so much more.

Super fun conversation with the Nourse Twins!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris: $1M purse, Olympic bids, massive points -- a full preview of the World Championships

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 4 Sep 2023 15:09:19 +0000

The field for the 2023 Beach Pro Tour World Championships has been set! With Wednesday’s drawing of the lots, all 48 teams per gender have been placed into their respective pools. There are some good draws, some bad draws – and huge opportunities all around. On this episode of The Road to Paris, Travis Mewhirter breaks down the World Championships field, including:

Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk getting put in the pool of death
Alix Klineman and Hailey Harward’s massive opportunity
Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles with the chance to jump into the top 10 of this Olympic race
How Andy Benesh and Miles Partain can cement themselves as the top USA team

And much more.

If you enjoy this series, we would love if you like, share, subscribe, and let other people know that this is where you can find all things Olympic beach volleyball!

SHOOTS!

***

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Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, and ”the most satisfying victory in the world”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:29:12 +0000

Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander are, alas, Manhattan Beach Open champions. The world feels right, properly balanced, with Taylor Crabb on the Pier. As for Sander? It took the guy just two shots – two! – to get his name on the Pier. That’s insane.

We chat all about their win at the Manhattan Beach Open, as well as a number of other topics y’all are going to love, including:

Why Sander thought they had no chance of winning when he woke up Sunday morning
How a trash talker ruined the hopes of Hagen Smith and Logan Webber, and might just be responsible for them getting on the pier
Why Sander thinks beach volleyball is harder than indoor volleyball
Taylor Crabb’s sweet satisfaction of winning it five years after missing the swing that would have put him on the pier in 2018

And so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Andy Benesh: The blocker who is helping to revive USA Beach Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:23:25 +0000

Andy Benesh is the most improved beach volleyball player in the world in 2023.

Entering this season with Miles Partain, Benesh was seeded third in the qualifier of a Challenge. Now? He and Partain are the No. 1 ranked team in the United States, and No. 3 in the world. His climb has been extraordinary, and exactly what USA Volleyball needed after the retirements of Jake Gibb and Phil Dalhausser. On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we talk all about Benesh’s breakout season, including:

What has led to his blink-and-you-missed-it improvement in 2023
How he and Miles Partain have had at least “75 hours of debate” on their offensive and defensive strategies and vision
His breakout win at the Gstaad Elite16 – where he and Partain beat Anders Mol and Christian Sorum twice in the same tournament
The process of adding the jump-set to his game, and why being comfortable with failure has led to so much success

And much, much more.

Always a fun one with big Andy Benesh on the show.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris No. 11: If you’re not jump-setting, are you even trying?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 16:03:13 +0000

This episode of the Road to Paris follows the Hamburg Elite16, an event in which every single men’s medalist – Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, Italy’s Paolo Nicolai and Sam Cottafava, Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum – has added the jump-set to their offense, not to mention fifth-place finishers and master jump-setters Miles Partain and Andy Benesh. The women’s side is a touch different, as world No. 1 Ana Patricia Silva and Duda Lisboa need no trickery, nor do silver medalists Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth and German bronze medalists Cinja Tillman and Svenja Muller.

Travis Mewhirter covers all of those medalists and jump-setters, as well as:

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth becoming the new No. 1 USA team in the Olympic rankings
Ahman and Hellvig jumping up 10 spots in the Olympic rankings in the past two events
The Brazilian women’s race being all but set in stone, despite it being early in the race
George Wanderley and Andre Loyola gaining control of the Brazilian men’s race

And much, much more, including a Waiakea explosion and a funny interruption from Siri or Alexa.

ENJOY!

***

We have a new -- but temporary -- sponsor with the Saucedwear Tournament, a $17,000 open with $5k to the winners down in Navarre Beach, Fla., where Travis Mewhirter first learned to play. Registration ends on July 14, and players can sign up at saucedwear.com!

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SHOOTS!

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Beach Volleyball Mailbag: What’s up with the AVP’s streaming? Can anyone stop Benesh and Partain? Is Klineman coming back?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 14:11:54 +0000

What’s up with the AVP’s streaming? Is Alix Klineman making a run at the Olympics? Are Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes on a slump? (if so, I’d like to slump like them). Can ANYONE stop Miles Partain and Andy Benesh?

These are but a small sampling of the questions we tackled on this week’s SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball With Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as Savvy Simo. AVP Atlanta seemed to be a tipping point for the fans, as more than 60 percent of our record-setting number of questions was on the AVP streaming. As Savvy says on the podcast, “we have no control,” but we did have fun fielding and answering your questions! Including:

A lot of fans have complained about streaming matches this year. What do the athletes think?
Do we know any details about the AVP Championships?
Can anybody stop Andy Benesh and Miles Partain?
Can Alix Klineman still make a run at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games?

And a wholeeeee lot more!

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Joe Worsley, Gage Worsley, and the explosion of Out of System Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Aug 2023 15:14:28 +0000

Out of System Volleyball is one of the fastest-rising, most viral digital media brands in the volleyball space. Joe Worsley and Gage Worsley charged onto the volleyball media scene in style, winning the 2020 Waupaca Boatride two weeks after launching Out of System – and just hours after learning how autofocus worked on their cameras. Since, they’ve exploded, adding all-world setter Micah Ma’a to the team. When it is the Worsleys and Ma’a together, they have yet to drop a single set in grass volleyball. Not one set! Meanwhile, their YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram pages are all taking off, as is their merchandise, which sells out in minutes. It’s been a while since we caught up with the Out of System boys, and we chatted about all sorts of stuff on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, including:

How they have built the Out of System brand into the sensation that it has become
How hilarious it is when people learn that Joe and Gage are actually very good at volleyball, and not just some clowns goofing off with butt digs and social media stunts
Why they’ve decided not to compete for spots on the USA National Team, choosing instead to build Out of System
Why the best grass team in the country – if not the world – is not allowed to play the Pottstown Rumble. The story is amazing.

And so, so, so much more, in this laugh out loud episode.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Brooke Niles: Building Florida State’s beach volleyball powerhouse as ”a family that works hard”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Aug 2023 14:09:38 +0000

Brooke Niles is the longtime beach volleyball coach at Florida State University, heading into her ninth year at the helm. She’s also one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Beach Volleyball history, taking the Seminoles to the NCAA Championship every single year it has existed, something no coach in the country can claim. She’s helped produce professionals such as AVP champions in Jace Pardon, Macy Jerger, and Alaina Chacon, as well as AVP mainstays in Katie Horton, Brook Bauer, and Maddie Anderson, among others. Alongside her husband, Nick Lucena, the assistant coach, Niles has helped build FSU beach volleyball into a powerhouse on the foundation of “a family that works hard.” We chat all about that on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as:

How crazy NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships have gotten with the single elimination format
How Nick Lucena, a Hall of Fame player, is already one of the best coaches in the country
Getting hired at just 34 years old and learning on the fly
What it will take for FSU to finally win the elusive NCAA Championship

And so much more.

ENJOY!

PHOTO CREDS: Florida State

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris No. 10: Bend the Knee to Mel and Brandie -- the real Queens of Canada

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 1 Aug 2023 14:56:31 +0000

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson should be crowned the real queens of Canada after their GOLD MEDAL at home in the Montreal Elite16. They were phenomenal all weekend long, surviving one three-setter after another – against Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Xinyi Xia and Chen Xue, Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles – to win their second gold of the season. On this episode of The Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the beach volleyball Olympic race, we cover that, as well as:

How Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles jumped up to No. 7 in the world in the Olympic race
The incredible and budding rivalry of Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, and Anders Mol and Christian Sorum
The rise of Xinyi Xia and Chen Xue, who are quickly becoming an elite team
Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri extending their lead in the Italian race (and entertaining us all while doing so)

A huge shoutout to Montreal for delivering an awesome event!

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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JD Hamilton: The remarkable story of an AVP dream eight years in the making

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:32:33 +0000

JD Hamilton has had one of the most extraordinary journeys onto the AVP Tour of anyone who has qualified in recent memory. Long one of the nation’s top grassroots players, winning every kind of tournament in any sort of format in any state or city or town you can imagine, one major feat eluded Hamilton: Qualifying on the AVP Tour.

In Virginia Beach with Travis Mewhirter, he alas did it, qualifying for the Hermosa Beach Pro Series. We recorded this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, before Hermosa, so some of this may seem outdated, but we actually think it’s a sweet look back at his mindset before the event. We chatted about that, as well as:

What these last eight years of trying and failing and trying and failing have been like
The sweet moment when he alas qualified in Virginia
His road dog summer of 2017 with Christian Honer, when he made the final round of the qualifier over and over and over again – yet never qualified
Hunting and fishing and all manner of amazing outdoorsy things

And goodness, so much more.

ENJOY!

PHOTO CREDS: Ken Delgado!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Chase Frishman is taking flight

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:41:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Chase Frishman. Long one of the most exciting defenders on the AVP Tour – and he won the 2016 AVP Rookie of the Year – Frishman has found a bigger, more purposeful use for his talents with the founding of Flight School Volleyball, a series of camps and clinics around the USA, from Idaho to Pennsylvania to Montana and everywhere in between. We chat all about the big year he's having on the AVP, as well as:

Why he loves the collaborative element of Flight School, where he gets to work with, and even pay, the very players he competes against
How he stumbled upon Flight School, and the purpose it has helped him find
His mindset as a player, and how he uses flow to rack up 19 digs in a single match
Why Flight School helps even him learn from players such as Taylor Crabb, Zana Muno, Troy Field, and others

And so much more. Such a fun chat with Chase!

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris, Alaska Special: FOREVER TREVOR

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 20:18:55 +0000

This is a special edition of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Olympic beach volleyball race to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Mewhirter is in Ketchikan, Alaska with the Knudsen fam, catching salmon and eating nothing but salmon. He made a deal with himself: He’d only do a Road to Paris if an American team won a gold medal at the Volleyball World Espinho Challenge…which is exactly what Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner did! So Mewhirter did what he always does, breaking down:

How Trevor and Theo just helped the USA do something it hasn’t accomplished in 9 years
Brazilians Evandro Goncalves and Arthur Mariano jumping up to No. 2 in the world
Austrians Alex Horst and Julian Horl continue to surprise with their silver medal
A full Brazilian sweep of the podium on the women’s side – but why Mewhirter still isn’t buying into the majority of the Brazilian federation

And a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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How Scott Davenport became the most sought-out volleyball coach in America

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:42:11 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Scott Davenport, the man who is arguably the most sought-out beach volleyball coach in America. Since stopping playing on the AVP Tour around 2006, Davenport has built a lengthy list of athletes on his roster, including Nick Lucena, Matt Fuerbringer, Casey Patterson, Theo Brunner, Chaim Schalk, Emily Stockman, Sarah Sponcil, Terese Cannon, Troy Field, Evan Cory, Megan Kraft, Zana Muno – shall the list go on?

You get the point.

In 2022, Davenport became the first coach in history to win the same AVP tournament – AVP Hermosa Beach – coaching a men’s and a women’s team when Sponcil and Cannon, and Schalk and Brunner, both claimed the title. He’s a medal-winning machine, that guy. We chatted all about his athletes, as well as:

His circuitous journey from Rochester, New York – hometown of Terese Cannon – to becoming a beach volleyball coach in Southern California
How training with Karch Kiraly shifted his coaching mindset
How biomechanics and data are the bedrock of his coaching
What we can learn from men such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

And so, so much more.

Action-packed podcast for you, ladies and gentlemen.

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris No. 8: ’Americans don’t take well to losing’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 16:00:49 +0000

This is episode No. 8 of The Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This episode follows the @volleyballworld Gstaad Elite16, where Andy Benesh and Miles Partain just won perhaps the most significant gold medal since Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser won gold at the Beijing Olympic Games. That's not all, either: Twice, they topped Anders Mol and Christian Sorum. Meanwhile...

- Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes took another silver medal and a cowbell

- Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth won bronze

- Germans Cinja Tillman and Svenja Muller are back on tour with a big fourth

- George Wanderley and Andre Loyola won their first Elite16 medal of the season

- The Grimalts are kinda sorta maybe back (who knows with them)

And a whole lot more!

Thanks as always for supporting the show!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Tri Bourne, Travis Mewhirter, and the Playbook Of Champions

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Jul 2023 14:01:13 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a special one, as it is the launch of our new book, Playbook of Champions: The habits, routines, and stories of Olympians, Champions, and world-class athletes. If you listen to the show – which, if you’re reading this, then you are – then this is the perfect book for you, as it is a distillation of the best golden nuggets from our first five years of the podcast.

You can buy the book on Amazon!

We whittled it down into 352 pages, featuring everyone from gold medalists such as April Ross and Alix Klineman to the legends in Sinjin Smith and Kent Steffes and Karch Kiraly to the entrepreneurs in this sport like Mark Burik and Brandon Joyner to the coaches who are developing the next generation such as John Mayer, Angie Akers, Jose Loiola, and more. It is – and I’m biased, I know – a phenomenal book, and I cannot recommend it enough.

On this episode, we chatted about:

How unexpected the success of this podcast has been
The incredible lessons we’ve both taken away from it, and how it has been a massive factor in Travis’ success as a player, expediting his improvement beyond any measurable degree
How it has inspired Tri to look beyond simply playing beach volleyball as a career, making him think about his next possible steps
And our favorite and most memorable episodes of the podcast

And so, so much more. We appreciate y’all so much for listening and supporting us for the past five-plus years!

Much love, and many more big things to come!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Dain Blanton, USC Beach Volleyball, and the building of an NCAA dynasty

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 15:41:56 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Dain Blanton, the head coach of the USC Beach Volleyball team and the man who has built the biggest dynasty in all of college sports right now. Despite losing 12 players from last year’s NCAA Championship-winning team, Blanton rebuilt in a hurry, winning a third straight NCAA title this past May. Indeed, life is good to be Blanton, and it’s good to be a USC Trojan. We chatted all about this year’s run, as well as:

Blanton’s recruiting process, and how he has a unique challenge in navigating the equivalency nature of scholarships rather than head count
Why he is such an advocate for single-elimination NCAA Championship, in spite of that format hurting dominant teams such as USC
How he managed to rebuild his entire lineup in the span of a few months
The constantly changing landscape of NCAA Beach Volleyball, and women’s sports in general

And so much more! Absolute blast, as always, hanging with Dain.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Brook Bauer: ”If you don’t dream big, what’s the point?”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:26:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Brook Bauer, one of dozens of bright young talents emerging on the AVP and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. After a successful undergraduate career at Pepperdine, Bauer finished at Florida State, where she went 29-12 on court one. After a brief, three-month hiatus in which she pursued a full-time job putting her MBA to use, Bauer quit, and is now fully invested in a career on the beach. We chatted about all of that, as well as:

Her first time leaving the country to play a pair of Futures events in Turkey and Poland – and the indelible memories created from a wild travel day
Why taking three months to test out a full-time job was the best thing she could have done for her beach career
The “loose, grateful mindset” she’s cultivated
How Brooke Niles, her coach at Florida State, nudged her to pursue the beach full-time, and why Niles is always, always, always right

And a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1

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SHOOTS!

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Road to Paris No. 7: Aussie Aussie Aussie! GOLD GOLD GOLD!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:40:49 +0000

This is the seventh episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Olympic beach volleyball race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. We also have our first guest appearance from Australian Olympian and Volleyball World commentator Damien Schumann, who provides a little background on the gold medalists. This episode follows the @BeachVolleyballWorld Jurmala Challenge, where Australians Zach Schubert and Thomas Hodges won gold, and Brazilians George Wanderley and Andre Loyola, Evandro Goncalves and Arthur Mariano, and Renato Lima and Vitor Felipe all made the semifinals.

In this episode, Mewhirter covers:

- The big gold medal won by Schubert and Hodges

- How Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson have become the best defensive team in the world

- A huge breakthrough silver medal for Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre

- Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova getting back on the map with a bronze

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Mailbag Episode! What’s up with the Taylors? Alison to the AVP? New partnerships everywhere!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 15:25:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our always popular, semi-monthly mailbag episode, where our lovely co-host, Savvy Simo, moderates as we get through as many of your questions as we can! This was, per usual, a fun one, including chats on:

Are Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander still making an Olympic run?
Is Alison playing on the AVP full-time?
What happened to Logan Webber and Evan Cory, Hagen Smith and Bill Kolinske, and how does Troy Field fit into the mix?
What are the best times to ask for autographs and pictures?
If co-ed teams could compete in the Olympics, who would the USA send?

Fun ones!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Riley McKibbin and Carli Lloyd: The All-American volleyball couple living the life of athlete-parent

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Jun 2023 14:56:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features a first in many ways. In Carli Lloyd, we have one of the first indoors-only athletes to come on the show – although that is set to change this summer, when Lloyd takes to the beach and the AVP Tour. In Riley McKibbin and Lloyd, side by side on the blue couch, we also have the first couple we’ve had on (aside from the hosts and our own wives). It was, as you would expect, a treat, as Lloyd, an Olympic bronze medalist, and McKibbin, he of the McKibbin Brothers YouTube Channel, chatted all about:

Carli Lloyd returning to the highest level indoors in the Italian League after having a daughter, Storm
Riley McKibbin navigating the new life as full-time dad
What Lloyd’s future looks like as an athlete
The new direction of the McKibbin brothers and their viral volleyball content

And oh, so much more.

We LOVED this one, and think you will too.

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Road To Paris No. 6: USA makes massive moves in Ostrava

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 6 Jun 2023 14:55:36 +0000

This is Episode Six of The Road to Paris, breaking down the Olympic beach volleyball race with Travis Mewhirter. After a month off of @volleyballworld events, the world returned to one of the coolest venues in the sport: Ostrava, Czech Republic, where an extensive defunct industrial area has been converted into a beach volleyball venue. It's awesome. And apparently Americans love it, as it was a MASSIVE weekend for the USA, including:

- Terese Cannon and Sarah Sponcil jumping up to No. 5 in the Olympic race

- Andy Benesh and Miles Partain winning the USA's first Elite16 medal

- Qatar's Cherif Samba and Ahmed Tijan returning to the Beach Pro Tour

- Brazil's Olympic race getting very, very interesting with the rise of Evandro Goncalves and Arthur Mariano

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

*** FACT CHECK NOTE: I made a factual error when talking about Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson. I said they got fifth in AVP New Orleans when, in fact, they took second.

***

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SHOOTS!

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April Ross: The Olympic gold medalist who is onto the most important role: Mom

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 May 2023 12:51:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features April Ross, one of our favorite people in the world, one of the greatest players of all time, and now: A MOM TO BE! As parents ourselves now, we’re stoked for April and the new season of life she’s on. We talked about the full gamut of topics, including:

What she’s been up to, under the radar, for the past two years
How she became the coach for Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles, and still occasionally helps with Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner…and is the graduate assistant for Concordia
Her mindset that allowed her to outwork everyone – but came with serious drawbacks as well
Why she doesn’t miss playing. Not yet, anyway. And also: Why she’s not finished playing yet. Yes, we’ll see her back on the sand.

And so, so, so much more. One of the best episodes we’ve recorded in a long time, and that’s saying something, because this year has been jammed with awesome episodes.

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Alice Zeimann: The New Zealand ’mid-major’ seeking to prove herself

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 May 2023 14:36:35 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an absolute treat, featuring Alice Zeimann, the blocking half of the top pair in New Zealand. If you haven’t heard of Zeimann and her partner, Shaunna Polley, you will soon. They are currently the No. 31-ranked team in the world, with a win over Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth in last fall’s Torquay Elite16. An injury to Polley has limited their competition this season, but when they return, rest assured, they’ll be competitive, and are Mewhirter’s personal dark horse to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. We chatted – in that lovely New Zealand accent! – about all manner of topics, including:

How Zeimann was recruited by Hugh McCutcheon to play at Minnesota…and then by another Kiwi, Jason Lochhead, at Florida State
The wild life of packing your bag and leaving home for almost the entire year, traveling on the Beach Pro Tour
The imposter syndrome that comes with being trailblazers in a country without a long history of success in beach volleyball
Why a routine is the most important thing to keep you tethered to reality when traveling from country to country, time zone to time zone

And, as you can see from the length of this episode, so much more. What a delight it was to have Alice on the show. We think you’ll enjoy!

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Sarah Pavan is far from retired. She’s ”chasing peace”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 18 May 2023 03:26:29 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Sarah Pavan, the most decorated beach volleyball player in Canada history, with a World Championship (2019), Commonwealth Games gold medal, Team of the Year (2019), three-time Blocker of the Year, and a pair of Olympic appearances to her name. This was such a fun conversation with Pavan as she nears the twilight of her career, discussing:

The stark reality of sport, and how the greats just fade away while the game moves on
What her next move is, as a partnership with Sophie Bukovec ended earlier than expected
Her love of practice, and grit, and just being tough
Why she’s not chasing accolades, or gold medals, or praise and adulation, but peace. Just peace.

This was a really, really good conversation, and we think you’ll enjoy!

***

NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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SHOOTS!

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Miles Partain: Taking his ’spark from God’ and fanning it into flame

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 May 2023 14:58:15 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, may be the most anticipated episode since we had Kent Steffes on last summer. Finally, in the studio this week, is Miles Partain, the young jedi who is returning the force to USA Volleyball. Miles is easily one of the most curious people we’ve ever met, and that curiosity has helped him develop into the most precocious and promising talent of his generation. Not that he’d tell you that. He’s as humble as can be, too, a testament to his character both on and off the sand. We chatted about all of the things on this one, including:

Why he considers his curiosity a ‘spark from God’ and why it’s so important to ‘fan it into flame’
Why he decided to leave UCLA – and why he thought UCLA would actually be better without him
Choosing Andy Benesh as his running mate for the Paris Olympics, and how they have developed the Swedish style jump-setting and optioning system so quickly
Why he loves losing more than winning (he still likes winning) and why having a breakthrough moment practicing against his wall back home is more satisfying than winning an AVP tournament

And so, so, so much more.

This one lived up to the hype (as Miles always seems to do)

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Hagen Smith is only just beginning ’to dial in my volleyball’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 May 2023 14:17:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Hagen Smith, one of the most physically impressive players on the AVP Tour and, yes, the son of the great Sinjin Smith, who is perhaps the most important person in the history of beach volleyball (he only helped found the AVP and FIVB, so there is that…). We chatted a bit about Hagen’s well-known lineage, as well as:

His physical recovery the last few years after a handful of surgeries
That breakthrough fifth-place finish in Hermosa Beach a year ago
How it was being raised by one of the greatest players of all-time
His overall goals in the sport of beach volleyball, which includes, of course, “hitting the crap out of my serve.”

Super fun podcast with Hagen, as fun to podcast with him as it is to watch him play beach volleyball.

SHOOTS!

***

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Road to Paris No. 5: GOLDEN TKN; Tri Bourne, Chaim Schalk arrive, Swiss women with three Elite teams

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 2 May 2023 13:55:58 +0000

This is the FIFTH episode of our Road to Paris series, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the 2024 Olympic Games. Just a quick one today, analyzing the moves made after the @volleyballworld Elite16 in Uberlandia, Brazil, including:

- Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth with their second gold of the year!

- Steven van de Velde and Matthew Immers playing big

- Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk taking a massive fifth

- Welcome back, Joana Mader and Anouk Verge-Depre!

And a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

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April Mailbag! A deep dive into the mental side of beach volleyball, sports, and life

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 14:40:52 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our semi-monthly fan question episode that is doubling as a celebratory episode. We popped some bubble to celebrate Tri and Chaim Schalk winning their first AVP as partners, Savvy and Toni Rodriguez matching a career-best fifth at AVP New Orleans, and Travis BECOMING A DAD to Austin Zaun Mewhirter. And yes, we also answered some fan questions, including:

A deep, deep dive into the mental side of sport, beach volleyball, and life
Why are so many teams skipping Challenge and Elite 16 events
If you can only go to one AVP in California, which one would you go to?
Savvy Simo’s strange battle with on-court panic attacks

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

PHOTO CREDS: MPU DINANI

***

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Jake Dietrich, peaking at 34 years old, has finally discovered ”the thing that sets you apart”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 15:48:42 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our LONGEST EPISODE IN HISTORY – by a long shot. Theo Brunner actually has a name for getting into a beach volleyball chat with Jake Dietrich: It’s called “Getting Jaked.” And we got Jaked in the best of ways, finally chatting with the man known on the YouTube chats last year as “The Beard Guy” playing with Hagen Smith. Well, now you’ll know him, as we covered a wide range of topics from:

Jake Dietrich’s winding volleyball journey, one in which he has finally found his sweet spot in his prime as a professional
The absurd amount of beach volleyball film Dietrich watches, and the many hilarious rabbit holes he has gone down
How discovering “the thing that sets you apart” as a beach volleyball player is why Dietrich is playing the best of his career at 34 years old
The sweetness of having his family there for his first main draw in Hermosa Beach, where he and Smith stunned top-seeded Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb

And, as you can tell from the time, so, so, so much more.

SHOOTS!

PHOTO CREDS: Bryan Malloch

***

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Road to Paris No. 4: Brazil is BACK on the podium; Chase Budinger and Miles Evans have entered the chat

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 14:17:45 +0000

Episode Four of The Road to Paris, breaking down the Olympic beach volleyball race with Travis Mewhirter. After two wild weeks of @volleyballworld Challenge events in Itapema and Saquarema, Brazil -- as well as an @avpbeach in New Orleans -- we've had a ton of changes, including:

- Miles Evans and Chase Budinger rebounding in a HUGE WAY

- George Wanderley and Andre Loyola staying the Kings of Itapema

- The Brazilian women have gone sicko mode

- Terese Cannon and Sarah Sponcil are evolving

- Valentina Gottardi is getting ridiculous

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Tri Bourne, Chaim Schalk, the American team built ”for the long-term”

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:15:47 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the host himself, Bourne with his new partner, Chaim Schalk. The two have only played three tournaments thus far – this was recorded before the Volleyball World Itapema Challenge – and it has been an expectedly up and down journey. We chatted about their first two tournaments, in La Paz and Tepic, and a bunch else, such as:

What it’s been like forming a new team between former rivals
How Schalk’s and Bourne’s work ethics mirror one another, and why that will be so critical for long-term success
Why this year is the first time Chaim Schalk has felt like he’s treating it like a real pro
What makes Sweden's David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig so ridiculous

And a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Zana Muno: Beach Volleyball’s ’Hooptidoodah Girl’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Apr 2023 14:41:24 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Zana Muno, our most popular guest in the show’s history and one of our favorite people in the world. Muno had quite the interesting 2022 season, playing – and succeeding with – Toni Rodriguez (bronze in Coolangatta), Allie Wheeler (silver in Aguascalientes), Brandie Wilkerson (two AVP semifinals), Sarah Pavan (fifth in the Phoenix Gold Series Championships), Lauren Fendrick (fifth in AVP Hermosa), and Julia Scoles (main draw in the Maldives). And she’s right back at it, playing the King of the Court with Kerri Walsh Jennings, the La Paz Challenge with Jess Gaffney, Itapema with Allie Wheeler, and New Orleans with Carly Kan.

She’s an agent of chaos, this chic farmer, whether she likes it or not. We talked all about her accidental partner hopping, as well as:

What it’s like to play with Kerri Walsh Jennings
Her love of human beings, and our ability to truly feel the full spectrum of emotion as beach volleyball players
The surprising things she’s come to love about this beach volleyball journey
What types of outfits she’s planning on dropping this season

And, as always, so much more. Love chatting with Z.

SHOOTS!

***

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Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing: Canada’s top team is looking ’to do some damage’ in 2023

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:22:51 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features our annual in-house visit with our brothers up north, Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing. The top team from Canada was in Hermosa Beach for a month-long (ish) training camp before hitting the road in La Paz, Tepic, Itapema, Saquarema, and potentially Uberlandia. Yeah, a lot of travel. We talked about that, as well as:

What Dan Dearing’s first year back on the Beach Pro Tour was like
The fun of building a new team again
Winning the continental championships in December…in Punta Cana…in gale force winds after being indoors for months
Why they’re playing at a different level this year than last

And, as always, so much more. Lots of laughs, lots of gems this one.

SHOOTS!

***

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Road To Paris No. 3: Red Bull gives you gold medals

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:46:48 +0000

Welcome back, all of you Olympic beach volleyball fans! Road to Paris No. 3 is a FULL one, as:

- David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden -- and now of Red Bull -- stunned Anders Mol and Christian Sorum in Tepic

- The American women swept the golds in Mexico

- The Austrians have reorganized

- American men Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk and Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner debuted

- Valentina Gottardi had her breakout moment

- Yorick de Groot had his rebirth

And so, so, so much more. Absolute blast to watch this race begin in earnest. If you could like, subscribe, comment, share, it helps so much.

Love all y'all,

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Troy Field: From ’just trying to figure out life’ to playing with Phil Dalhausser

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:34:04 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Troy Field, one of the most popular players on the AVP Tour, as well known for his vertical leap as he is for his ability to connect with fans both in person and on social media. It has been a wild journey for Field, going from rookie to partnering with Reid Priddy to making AVP finals with Tim Bomgren to playing a full-time year internationally with Chase Budinger to, now, playing with Phil Dalhausser. We chatted all about that, as well as:

What this off-season was like for Troy as he pondered his future in beach volleyball
How his focus is now to be the best player and partner he can be in 2023
His absurd growth-rate in the sport of beach volleyball
A friendship with Taylor Crabb that requires no words being spoken
Lots and lots and lots of movie quotes (and so many laughs)

Always a blast hanging with Troy. If you haven’t met him, please do yourself a favor and do so at the next AVP. He is one of the most approachable players in professional sport.

SHOOTS!

***

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Season Preview Mailbag! Who are the players to watch in 2023? New Mikasa; Who will win AVP Miami?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:27:30 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our SEASON-PREVIEW MAILBAG! The AVP season begins THIS WEEKEND in Miami, while Volleyball World begins again in La Paz, Mexico, for a Challenge. As always, we begin our year with a fan question episode, answering:

- Who will win AVP Miami?

- Who are the players to watch on the AVP Tour this season?

- Is the Elite 16 and Challenge system popular amongst the players?

- What are the players' thoughts on the new Mikasa?

And, as always, a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

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Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth: Beach Volleyball’s Sister Act

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Mar 2023 16:32:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, one of the fastest-rising teams on the AVP and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Just how fast did they rise? Less than a year ago, they had zero international points to their name. Now they’re No. 7 in the world and tops in the U.S. They were the 2022 AVP Team of the Year. And now they’re making a push for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. We chatted about their wild ride of a year, as well as:

What it’s been like learning how to lose with one another
How it is being best friends, business partners, volleyball partners, and, yes, roommates
The hilarious lessons they learned on the road last year, which led them to sprinting through Brazil to get to a match on time (a match they didn’t think they had to play)
What tools they’ve added to the metaphorical belt heading into 2023

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

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Holly McPeak is always doing the work

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Mar 2023 17:11:56 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features an absolute legend of the sport: Holly McPeak. The fourth winningest player in beach volleyball history, McPeak is a three-time Olympian and a bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. She also discovered a then-unknown gem named Misty May-Treanor. Now, you can hear McPeak’s voice on the broadcast for indoor, Pac-12 beach volleyball and, soon, Volleyball World. We chatted about all of that, as well as:

What it was like growing up in the halcyon days of beach volleyball, with Marine Street firing all day, every day, with legends like Tim Hovland, Mike Dodd, Sinjin Smith, and Randy Stoklos
Her Hall of Fame journey, which was replete with one obstacle after another
What it was like having two partners hurt in two consecutive Olympic Games
How grit might be the most important mental skill in the game

And so, so, so much more. Absolute gem of a podcast this week.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander: The most exciting team on the AVP is back in 2023

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:54:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of our most requested duos: Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. Fresh off a rejuvenating off-season, Crabb and Sander are looking to follow up on a phenomenal first year as partners, one in which they made five finals and won two events, including the Phoenix Gold Series Championships. We chatted about all manner of topics, including:

Why Taylor Sander’s rookie season was historically good, despite what many naysayers might say (and for some reason do)
Why they decided to skip the Doha Elite 16, and will be playing in AVP Miami instead of the La Paz Challenge
What Sander has learned about his own game, and what improvements he’s making heading into 2023
The mental battle between choosing to play in AVP events vs. Olympic qualifying events

And, as always, a whole lot more.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Silila Tucker, ’there is no right or wrong route’ so long as he’s on the beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:46:28 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Silila Tucker, the most secret Hawaiian on the AVP Tour – so secret even Tri didn’t even know that Tucker spent a good chunk of his childhood summers on Oahu. We talked a ton about that, as well as:

Tucker’s HUGE 2022 season, one that ended with a win at the Laguna Open and a third at the Huntington Beach Tour Series

Tucker’s new partnership with Paul Lotman, and their plans to hit the international events this year
How Tucker approached volleyball, both beach and indoors, as a professional from day one
Why he made the decision to move to California, and the dividends it’s already paying

And, as always, so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Road to Paris No. 2: All hail Alex Ranghieri, European women start strong, Nuss-Kloth shine

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 17:01:20 +0000

This is Episode No. 2 of The Road to Paris, a monthly Olympic Beach Volleyball breakdown hosted by Travis Mewhirter.

The Doha Elite 16 marked the opening event of the Olympic qualifying process, and while it might prove to be relatively inconsequential in the long run, big moves were still made, namely by Italians Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri, the European women, and Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth.

Let us know what you think! This is a new series, so we're open to feedback and suggestions!

PHOTO CREDITS: Volleyball World Episode No. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYbRdFFZBR4&t=206s

Mewhirter's 2024 Olympic predictions: https://volleyballmag.com/2024-olympic-beach-volleyball-predictions-013123/

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Delaynie Maple, the mental fortress leading USC’s new-look 2023 team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Feb 2023 16:01:04 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Delaynie Maple, a junior at USC and one of the most talented, must-watch players in NCAA beach volleyball this upcoming 2023 season. When she was still in high school, Maple took a fifth at AVP Hermosa with Megan Kraft. At USC, she’s already competed on court one, going 36-1 as a sophomore alongside Julia Scoles. Could not recommend watching her enough. We chatted about all sorts of topics, including:

How COVID made for the strangest of freshman years for Maple
The role that mental toughness has played in her success, and how she has trained that skill
Her and Megan Kraft’s fifth-place run through AVP Hermosa in 2019
How USC is going about replacing 13 players from its NCAA Championship-winning team

That, and, as always, so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lexy Denaburg: UCLA’s senior leader is setting the best of examples

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Feb 2023 14:19:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features our regular guest host, Savvy Simo, who is currently in Doha, competing in her first OLYMPIC QUALIFYING event, and Lexy Denaburg, her former partner at UCLA who is now charged with leading a deeply talented Bruins team. Denaburg is, simply, awesome. A lovely, gracious, humble 21-year-old out of Florida who you should absolutely watch at some point in the near future. Already an All-American, she is one of the most talented players in NCAA Beach Volleyball right now. We chatted about all manner of topics, including:

UCLA coming into the 2023 season as the clear No. 1 and favorite to win an NCAA Championship
The impact of the senior class before Denaburg, and how she is now finding herself in a leadership position
How her addiction to weight training was actually an issue (a good issue for a college student…) and how she’s learning to take care of her body
What it’s like being at the top of the NCAA Beach Volleyball food chain – and how that’ll only make her and her teammates better

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Season-opening Mailbag! Why Tri split with Trevor; new beginnings with Chaim; four-man volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:49:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our FIRST MAILBAG OF THE YEAR! It was a full one, too, and Tri Bourne was firmly on the hot seat, answering all sorts of questions, including:

What happened to him and Trevor Crabb?
How did Trevor take the news?
What aren’t Tri and Chaim Schalk playing the Doha Elite 16?
What are Phil Dalhausser’s plans for the upcoming AVP season?

And a whole, whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The secret’s out! How Carly Kan became Hawaii’s first female AVP Champion

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 16:27:20 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is, incredibly, our first podcast IN HAWAII!! Tri Bourne took the mic on the road with him to sit down with Carly Kan, the newest AVP champ and the first woman from the state of Hawaii to win an AVP, as well as her coach, the founder and master of secret training himself, Danny Alvarez. Kan is one of many bright young female stars on the AVP, while Alvarez is one of the brightest minds in the game. Absolute gem of a podcast, ladies and gentlemen, covering a wide variety of topics, such as:

How women’s beach volleyball wasn’t much of a thing in Kan’s childhood, and how the University of Hawaii’s beach program changed that
How Alvarez became the first – and still really only – beach volleyball coach in Hawaii
How an open gym turned Carly Kan, who was recruited to play libero for Missouri, into one of the best outside hitters in the country
The many, many factors that led Kan to her first AVP win

And, as always, so much more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Savvy Simo and Toni Rodriguez: Healthy, rested, rehabbed, and ready for a push to Paris 2024

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 16:52:05 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Savvy Simo, our favorite female host, and Toni Rodriguez, her partner for this season and, at least, the next as they begin their push to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It has been quite an off-season for Rodriguez, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at AVP New Orleans in 2022. While she rehabbed, Simo played with anyone who would, anywhere in the world. Now, they’re back together. We chatted about all sorts of fun stuff, including:

AVP New Orleans, and how Rodriguez briefly wondered if she would continue playing volleyball
What Rodriguez’s rehab process looked like, while Simo was scrambling for partners
What their plans are for the upcoming season
What both of them learned in their albeit brief rookie seasons as professionals

And, as always, a whole lot more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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The Road to Paris: Everything you need to know about the Olympic Qualification Cycle

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Mon, 9 Jan 2023 15:39:02 +0000

The Road to Paris is a new series we're doing, with host Travis Mewhirter breaking down the Olympic race, which begins this February in Doha, Qatar. Here Mewhirter explains everything you need to know about the beach volleyball qualification process for the 2024 Olympic Games, from when it begins to when it ends to how every single one of the 24 teams can qualify for Paris 2024.

What did you think about this video? It's new, so we're open to suggestions.

What do you want more of?

Less?

Any tweaks?

We'll take all the feedback we can get :)

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaden Whitmarsh, UCLA’s Ms. Clutch, is back to lead the Bruins in 2023

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Jan 2023 17:37:37 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Jaden Whitmarsh, a court two defender for UCLA and one of the most clutch players in NCAA Beach Volleyball. She is also, as you may be able to gather from her last name, the daughter of Mike Whitmarsh, the 1996 silver medalist at the Atlanta Olympics. We chatted about her family, as well as:

What it was like growing up in San Diego, one of the most competitive cities in the country for grassroots – and all levels, really – volleyball, both indoors and on the beach
The steep learning curve she received when, as a freshman, she was able to study under the likes of Sarah Sponcil, Nicole and Megan McNamara, Izzy Carey, and Zana Muno, among others
Her breakout 2022 NCAA season, where her and Devon Newberry finished 29-7
Her spark plug personality on the court, one that endears her to her partners and allows her to finish the biggest matches

And, as always, much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sean P. Murray, and how the 1984 Olympic Gold Medalists changed volleyball in America

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 13:56:28 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Sean P. Murray, the author of If Gold is Our Destiny: How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory. The book is a deep study of the 1984 men’s Olympic volleyball team who would win gold and kick off a dynastic decade of dominance – and forever change the culture of volleyball in the United States.

On this episode, we chat about:

The value in looking foolish, and how Doug Beal used it to create the best team, and program, in the world
Chris Marlowe’s circuitous, and incredible, volleyball career
Why Karch Kiraly has been able to bring out the best in everyone around him, either indoors, on the beach, or, now, as the coach of the United States women
The value in establishing your own culture, and the success that comes with it

And, as always, a whole lot more.

If you want to read the book, you can get it on Amazon!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christmas Mailbag: Wrapping up the 2022 season, Olympic partnerships, AVP Awards, podcast rivalry

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:17:09 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our always popular fan question segment, a Christmas special! Savvy Simo is typically our lovely host of these episodes, but she’s been out of town for a bit, coaching at SOB Volley Vacations and spending time down in New Orleans. So it’s just the boys, answering as many of your (nearly 100!) questions as we could, including, but certainly not limited to:

Who are the new partnerships for 2023 and the Paris Olympics?
Are we buying into the Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes hype?
Three stops to keep and three stops to drop from the AVP season
If we had to sum up our season in one word, what would it be?

So much fun on this episode, and so much fun chatting volley for all you listeners again this year. We love you guys, appreciate you guys, and hope you have the merriest of Christmases!

SHOOTS!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Carly Skjodt has hit the beach full-time, and she’s here to stay

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 16:13:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Carly Skjodt -- pronounced Scott -- one of the brightest rookies on the AVP Tour this season. An All-American and All-Big 10 outside hitter out of Michigan, Skjodt began playing beach as a graduate transfer for Pepperdine, learning under coach Marcio Sicoli. After a brief stint playing indoors in Portugal, she hit the beach, finishing her rookie season with a third in AVP Central Florida and is now ranked just one spot behind Canadian and AVP champion Melissa Humana-Paredes. On this episode, we chat about:

What this rookie season looked like for Skjodt, who had a full-time job, then two part-time jobs, while competing full-time on the AVP
Her transition from All-American indoor player to newbie on the beach
How making the semifinals in AVP Central Florida left her only hungry for more
What she loves about the beach lifestyle

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ed Keller: Beach Volleyball’s Encyclopedic Superfan

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Dec 2022 16:07:02 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ed Keller, the biggest superfan there is in the sport of beach volleyball. How big? Keller went to 18 tournaments this season – nine Beach Pro Tour, nine AVP… and he thinks it should have been more. Ah, well, guess he’ll have to hit more in 2023. (he will)

What all this traveling has done, something he’s been doing since Sean Rosenthal was a 17-year-old kid with the “most gigantic quads you’ve ever seen” is provide Keller with one of the most unique perspectives on the sport. Which is why we had him on again, chatting about:

The drawbacks of Volleyball World’s system on the Beach Pro Tour
Why the AVP is close to getting it right with their new system
What Sean Rosenthal was like as a teenager, and why he is one of the greatest ambassadors the sport of beach volleyball has ever had
Why today’s beach volleyball players are the most talented in history

And, as always, and especially with Keller, we chatted about a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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PERFECT: Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson ’nail the timing’ of new partnership

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 13:59:22 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, one of the most fascinating – and soon to be most popular – teams on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Good friends for more than a decade, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson have played against one another for years and years, both rising through the ranks, both being voted the best in the world at what they do, both becoming two of the most popular and recognized faces on Tour. A partnership, at some point, seemed inevitable.

And now it’s here.

We chatted all about the new team, as well as:

Why the timing is perfect for Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson to partner up now
Why they hired Marcio Sicoli as their new head coach
What it was like to play together in AVP Chicago
The growth both have seen in one another as individuals, and now they get to do it as a team

And so much more. Lots of laughs. Lots of smiles. Lots of fun on this episode.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Maddison McKibbin, the trailblazer who did it all backwards and carved a new path

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:11:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Maddison McKibbin, one of the biggest – if not the biggest, alongside his brother, Riley McKibbin – trailblazers in the world of beach volleyball content. Together, the McKibbins founded and have grown the McKibbin Brothers YouTube Channel to more than 100,000 subscribers, developing one of the biggest, most loyal, followings of any beach volleyball team in the world.

On this episode, we caught up with Maddison, chatting:

The absurd growth in the past five years of the McKibbin brothers
How Maddison and Riley flipped the narrative of ‘win first, develop content second’ and scored big time because of it
The climate and marketplace of beach volleyball
What plans and ideas the McKibbins, now joined by younger brother Jameson McKibbin, have in store for the 2023 season

And much, much more. Such a fun episode, as always, anytime we get a Beard Brother on to talk volley, content, business, and all other kinds of random stuff.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

’The Brazilian Way’ of beach volleyball, with Leandro Pinheiro and Dan Waineraich

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:17:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an absolute blast, as we brought in a pair of our favorite Brazilians, Leandro Pinheiro (the VolleyballMag Coach of the Year) and Dan Waineraich, the man who led Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson to the Chicago finals. Brazilian coaches have become all the rage in California, and the world, really, as every Olympic podium has been influenced by a Brazilian coach since the inaugural Games in 1996 (two Brazilians made the finals for the women). We talked all about the Brazilian influence on the game, as well as:

How so many Brazilian coaches – Jose Loiola, Marcio Sicoli, Fiapo, Leandro, Arthur Carvalho, Marcos Miranda, Gustavo Rocha, Pompilio Mercadante, etc. – ended up in California’s South Bay
What the Brazilian Way of beach volleyball entails, and why it’s so unique
The Brazilian community in California
P1440’s huge influence on the coaching landscape of beach volleyball in America

And, as always, a whole lot more.

ENJOY and, as we say in Portuguese, ate logo!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Phil Dalhausser, and The Legend of the Thin Beast

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Nov 2022 15:16:02 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Phil Dalhausser, one of the greatest – and some would say, THE greatest – American players of all-time. Since he and Todd Rogers won the Olympic gold medal in 2008 in Beijing, Dalhausser has been the most dominant blocker in the United States, and remains that way. We chatted all about Dalhausser’s storied career, as well as:

His wild experience in the Tokyo Olympics
How drastically the World Tour has changed since he made his debut in 2006
The regrets his has on his career as a player, and the untold potential he and Sean Rosenthal could have had together
What his future looks like, both as a player and a budding businessman

And so, so, so much more. This is honestly one of the best episodes we’ve ever had on SANDCAST, as Phil completely opens up in a remarkably honest, funny, and reflective two hours.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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FIVE YEARS OF SANDCAST: 261 episodes in a row, 261 more to come

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Nov 2022 09:48:26 +0000

Last week marked FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS OF SANDCAST! In five years, somehow, Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter haven't missed a single episode. So much has happened:

- Travis made his first AVP main draw (then a bunch of international medals)

- Tri battled an autoimmune disease...then became an Olympian...then a two-time Manhattan Beach Open champion

- Tri had a kid, Naia Bourne, who makes many appearances on this episode

- Travis got married to Delaney Knudsen, who has since won a bunch of big time matches and tournaments, including the USA Volleyball Queen of the Beach

- Gabby Bourne produced her own movie, and is soon appearing in one with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (!!!)

- Our numbers have exploded, growing, on average, 30 percent per year

- The NVL came and went

- p1440 came and went

- Volleyball World became a thing

- The AVP was bought by Bally's

- And a whole, whole lot more.

We just got the full family together on this one and reflected on five years of podcasting, and the wild and surreal life changes that have come with it. Thank you all SO MUCH for being part of this wonderful journey. Cheers to five years, and cheers to five more

SHOOTS!

***

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Tim Brewster, the Chinese Bamboo Tree of the AVP

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:13:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Tim Brewster, a breakout star on the AVP this season who had career-highs in so many categories in 2022 that it’s difficult to count. For starters, he made his first main draw, won his first international medal (then added two more, and will likely add at least one more before the year is out), won his first AVP match, then another…and another…and, well, he won a whole lot of them. We talked all about Brewster’s huge season, as well as:

The work he has put in over these last five years, all in the name of one day hoping it would work out
The lessons he learned from April Ross
How he and Kyle Friend became such a perfect meld on the court
The magic of working with Jose Loiola for five years, and why he was able to have such a huge season

And, as always, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Molly Turner, taking the hard road in 2022: ’Let’s see if you can do it.’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:00:59 +0000

This week’s episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Molly Turner, one of the toughest, grittiest, go-get-after-it players on Tour. She had a choice this year: To play the points game and scramble around just to be directly into the main draw, or play the game to win, in which she’d begin in the qualifiers but give herself the highest ceiling possible. The result? A career-high in every single category in 2022. We chatted all about her gold medals, her wins in Seaside and Laguna, and a whole lot more, including:

This season, in which she traveled more than she ever has, hitting the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour for the first time
Why she decided to begin competing internationally, and how addicting – and challenging -- the road can be
Why there should be more trash talking in women’s beach volleyball
How to channel the proper emotions on the beach volleyball court

And, as always, a whole lot more.

Enjoy our chat with Molly Turner!

***

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Theo Brunner, America’s top blocker, is coming into his own

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:11:53 +0000

This week’s episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the man who is not only the most formidable blocker in the United States, but also the guy who is quietly the funniest guy on the AVP Tour: Theo Brunner.

At 37 years old, Brunner is finally coming into his own, on and off the court: Creating a hysterical Instagram persona, delivering hilariously candid interviews for Volleyball World, while also putting together his best AVP season to date with Chaim Schalk. We chatted – and laughed – a lot on this one, covering:

How he and Chaim Schalk have developed such perfect team chemistry
Why he is playing what he thinks is the best beach volleyball of his career
Who’s better: Phil Dalhausser in his prime, or Anders Mol right now?
His fourth-place finish at World Champs, and how he and Schalk can build on it

And, as always, much, much more!

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Season-ending Mailbag: How was Phoenix? Olympic partnerships; Maximizing the off-season

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Oct 2022 15:11:13 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our semi-monthly, always-popular edition of our mailbag, where we take your fan questions and answer them alongside UCLA’s finest, and now one of USA Volleyball’s brightest, Savvy Simo. We’re calling this the season-ending mailbag, although that might be a bit of a misnomer, as the season isn’t technically over, with two more AVPs to go, in Huntington Beach and Central Florida. But, the Phoenix Championships have ended, so it’s sort of the end of what we consider the 2022 season. We chatted about quite a bit, including:

What are the partnerships looking like for Paris 2024?
How was the AVP Phoenix Gold Series Championships?
How to maximize your off-season
Who surprised us the most this season?

ENJOY!

***

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Julia Scoles, the Rookie of the Year with ’so much growth’ still to do

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:09:15 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Julia Scoles, the VolleyballMag 2022 Rookie of the Year and one of the toughest – and also sweetest – people you’ll ever meet.

Scoles had one heck of a season this year, winning a second straight NCAA Championship with USC before embarking on a wildly successful AVP campaign, making five semifinals and two finals, winning the Atlanta Gold Series alongside Geena Urango. She’d also take gold at the FISU World University Championships with good friend, Hailey Harward. And she’s just getting started.

We talked about all of that, as well as:

How this season became the best of her career
Gritting through the Fort Lauderdale finals, where she was sick, and the winning Atlanta just one week later
How childhood gymnastics prepared her for anything that life could throw at her
How this season changed her outlook on her beach career.

And, as always, a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Dain Blanton, as ever, is making the most of every opportunity

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:35:24 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Dain Blanton, one of the most accomplished people in the sport of beach volleyball. As a player, Blanton won an Olympic gold medal, completing a Cinderella run in the 2000 Sydney Games with Eric Fonoimoana. As a broadcaster, you can hear Blanton’s voice on the AVP’s livestream, NBC – wherever volleyball needs commentary, Blanton’s there. As a coach, Blanton has led USC to two consecutive NCAA Championships and is gearing up for another run as the 2023 season approaches. We talked about ALL of that, as well as:

The incredible success of his USC players on the AVP this season, with Tina Graudina, Hailey Harward, and Julia Scoles all winning AVP titles
Should USA Volleyball have an Olympic trials system for the upcoming 2024 Paris Games?
Should USA select its pairs, as coaches do in college?
His Olympic run with Fonoimoana, and how it was a major dose of serendipitiy that put them back together again

And, as always, so much more. Love chatting with Dain anytime we can, and you’ll love to listen in.

ENJOY!

***

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Kyle Friend: ’Make volleyball easy for everyone around you’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:45:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features My Friend, Your Friend, he’s Everybody’s Friend, he’s the one and only Kyle Friend.

He’s had a HUGE breakout season, and maybe even, as he’ll admit on the podcast, a somewhat unexpected one, with Tim Brewster. With a seventh at the Atlanta Gold Series and a fifth in Chicago – while also adding a second and a pair of thirds in three Tour Series events – Friend has had the best AVP season of his career. We chatted all about that, as well as:

How shagging balls and being a voluntary practice dummy for USA Volleyball was a boon for his career as a player
The best lesson he learned from Karch Kiraly about being a teammate
Why he believes this year has been such a breakout one for him
The benefits of surrounding yourself with the best

And, as always, a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

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Sophie Bukovec: Surprising herself all the way to the top of the world

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Sep 2022 14:21:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Sophie Bukovec, one of the fastest-rising defenders in the world. Anyone following the NCAA beach volleyball system has long known Bukovec is talented, when she won three National Championships at USC alongside Sara Hughes, Kelly Claes, Allie Wheeler, Nicolette Martin, and Terese Cannon, among others. But this good? Silver medal at World Championships good?

She’s even surprised herself.

We chatted about that, and a whole lot more, including:

How Bukovec became the first beach-only player in Canadian history
How she came to USC, joining that venerated recruiting class
Her decision to switch to defense, and how she and Brandie Wilkerson came to be partners
The incredible run she and Wilkerson have had in 2022.

And, as always, a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Drinking Kona (and Maui Brew) with the Crabbs

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 13:04:15 +0000

This week’s episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is another installment of one of our most popular recurring segments: Drinking Kona (and, in this case, Maui Brew) with the Crabbs.

As you may have heard, Trevor Crabb is coming off his third straight Manhattan Beach Open victory – two straight with Tri Bourne – and Taylor Crabb has put together a heck of a season alongside AVP Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Taylor Sander. So we had all the boys on to drink some beers, and chat about all things beach volleyball, including:

How a Bourne or Crabb has been in every Manhattan Beach Open final since 2015!
How a childhood of pickup games at the Outrigger Canoe Club led all of them to their incredible success thus far on the AVP Tour
What ACTUALLY happened between Taylor Crabb and John Hyden at AVP Fort Lauderdale
Taylor Crabb’s first year with Taylor Sander

And oh, so much more.

ENJOY! (we sure did)

***

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Summer Mailbag! AVP parity, Olympic favorites, trash talking, hottest teams on Tour

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:21:29 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our semi-monthly, and always popular, feature: Our fan question Summer Mailbag. There has been more beach volleyball than we know what to do with, certainly the most since we launched the podcast back in October of 2017. Mountains of questions ensued. As always, we thank you guys and gals so much for listening, for asking the questions that are so fun to answer. We did our best to get to as many as we could in just under an hour and a half. A few we did chat about were:

Why isn’t Bally’s and the AVP streaming court two? On a related note, why are the stands so small?
Talk about Kelly Cheng and Betsi Flint winning Hamburg!
Are Trevor’s guarantees as good for the team as they are the AVP?
What’s up with the tracking devices players wear on center court? Do we like them?
How good is Miles Partain?

And, as always, so much more!

ENJOY!

Photo creds: Josh Glazebrook

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

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Kent Steffes: It’s Winning Time

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 15:28:35 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an absolute treat, featuring BY FAR the most requested guest in podcast history: Kent Steffes, the most dominant player in the history of beach volleyball. In his brilliant, if not short, career, Steffes won nearly half the tournaments he played in, claiming the 1996 Olympic gold medal with Karch Kiraly, as well as four Manhattan Beach Opens. He’s a champions champion, and this episode more than delivers.

Steffes and Mewhirter recently published a book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball, that both our guest and host would love for you to buy on Amazon. We talked a whole lot about that, as well as:

What the AVP, Bally’s, and Volleyball World could be doing to get beach volleyball back in a financially healthy state
What the winning mindset is, and how Steffes became the perennial champion he was
Why he loved working on the book so much
How massive beach volleyball was when he was a player

And so, so, so much more. You’re going to want to listen to this entire episode, we promise.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Geena Urango: The newest AVP Champ who’s living life fully in the present

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 15:01:23 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features Geena Urango, one of the first guests we ever had on the podcast and the newest AVP CHAMPION! Urango and Julia Scoles won the AVP Atlanta Gold Series event, just one week after finishing second in the AVP Fort Lauderdale Pro Series. We chatted allllll about that win, as well as:

How letting go of the outcome is what ultimately led to Urango winning her first AVP
Making her first AVP final in 2015, and the long wait to finally win her first
What makes Julia Scoles so special
Why the AVP is the perfect level of commitment for her

And, as always, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Trevor Crabb and Tri Bourne have their swagger back

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Aug 2022 15:33:25 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the guarantors themselves: Trevor Crabb and Tri Bourne. Coming off one of the deepest slumps of their partnership, what did they do but guarantee a victory at AVP Fort Lauderdale -- a guarantee they backed up without so much as losing a set.

Oh, yes, we chatted about that, as well as:

- Why Trevor guaranteed a win after one of their worst matches, in Espinho, Portugal

- The coaching change, from Jose Loiola to Leandro Pinheiro, that impact them more than expected

- What actually happened in the scuffle between John Hyden and Taylor Crabb (and Taylor Sander)

- Why Crabb and Bourne seem to thrive on a sense of urgency -- the type created by, say, guaranteeing a win

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Mark Bucknam, and the making of AVP Uncovered

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:58:26 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Mark Bucknam, the producer of the upcoming and highly anticipated beach volleyball docuseries, AVP Uncovered. It debuts on Thursday night on the AVP Uncovered YouTube Channel, so be sure to check it out!

On this episode, we chatted about:

How AVP Uncovered wound up following Kristen Nuss, Taryn Kloth, Jake Gibb, and Zana Muno
How Bucknam convinced his two business partners to follow the AVP around for a month with no promise of a return on their investment
How the AVP Uncovered idea was born – and the many changes it underwent prior to the finished product
The fascinating lives of beach volleyball players off the court

And a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Sarah Sponcil and Terese Cannon: The AVP Champions who have built the perfect team

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:31:06 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is a special one, as it features a pair of first time AVP CHAMPS in Sarah Sponcil and Terese Cannon, who won every match en route to their first career AVP titles in Hermosa Beach. It was an absolute blast to have both of them back on, and on for the first time as a team.

We had a lot to chat about on the episode, including:

- Winning AVP Hermosa Beach

- What the post-Olympic downtime looked for Sarah Sponcil, and how she came back even better

- The pressure Terese felt when Sponcil asked her to play, and how she’s delivered

- The importance of a five-week road trip through Europe

And, as always, a ton more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Mid-season Mailbag: How is Bally’s and the AVP doing in year one?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 15:17:44 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and, in this case, Savvy Simo, features our always-popular fan questions. It's been a wild year, with both the AVP and Volleyball World under new management, new systems, new content delivery, new everything. We had a lot of questions, and a lot to chat about.

Which is what we did, answering:

- What are our thoughts on the new AVP tier system?

- How has the AVP and Volleyball World been run so far?

- Any update on April Ross and Alix Klineman?

- What happened to the United States at the World Championships?

And a wholeeeee lot more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Tri Bourne: After a bittersweet World Championships: ’Jesus, what am I doing?’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Jul 2022 14:01:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the host himself, as Tri Bourne is, alas, after five weeks on the road, back in the United States. For now. Bourne and Trevor Crabb hit the road hard, playing in a Challenger in Turkey, Elite 16s in Ostrava and Jurmala, before slipping into World Championships, where they took ninth after forfeiting due to COVID.

Now Bourne’s back, and we recapped everything, chatting:

Those five weeks on the road
A strangely empty World Championships, and the dull vibe on the World Tour this year
Bourne’s thoughts on the AVP’s new three-tiered system
Why he often considers retirement – and why he always comes back

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Deahna Kraft only knows one speed: All in or nothing at all

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 15:08:48 +0000

Deahna Kraft is an AVP rookie and one of dozens upon dozens of enormous talents coming out of the NCAA beach game. A four-year starter at Pepperdine, Kraft graduated as an All-American before doing a graduate year at Wisconsin as a defensive specialist. Now back on the beach, Kraft made her first AVP main draw in Muskegon, Michigan, with Allie Wheeler, where they finished third, losing only to Brazilians Larissa and Lili Maestrini. That finish guaranteed them a main draw berth into the AVP Pro Series in Hermosa Beach next week.

On this episode, we chat about:

Her childhood, split between Hawai’i and Seattle, and how beach volleyball became involved
Improving from a walk-on to a scholarship athlete on court one for Pepperdine
Her big finish in Muskegon, and how she pulled herself out of a mental rut just in time
The differences in competing on the beach in college and indoors for a major program

And, as always, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Anders Mol, Christian Sorum, and the rise of the greatest team in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 11:55:17 +0000

Anders Mol and Christian Sorum are the No. 1 ranked beach volleyball team in the world and quite possibly the greatest team in the history of beach volleyball. Let the debate rage on.

With last weekend's victory at the Beach Volleyball World Championships, Mol and Sorum are currently holding the titles of: World Champions, Olympic Gold Medalists, European Champions (4x), and World Tour Finals Champions. It's absurd, honestly.

This is not a new episode with the Beach Volley Vikings. This is a blast from the past, when we had Mol and Sorum on SANDCAST when they were just beginning their run to the top of the world in 2018 -- a run that has yet to stop or even slow.

Enjoy this re-run with Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, where we chat about:

- Norway's TopVolley Academy

- How the 2007 World Championships in Stavanger inspired them

- What it's been like to rise to the top of the world

- Staying humble through all the success (and they're still SO HUMBLE!)

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Megan Kraft, the 19-year-old making beach volleyball success look easy

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:27:54 +0000

Megan Kraft is just 19 years old, yet is already a World Champion, AVP main draw player – she recently finished a career-high third in New Orleans with Emily Stockman – and is preparing to make a run at the Paris Olympic Games with Stockman. How does a 19-year-old college sophomore, who has already won a pair of National Championships at USC, find herself in that position?

By making it look easy.

Such a fun chat on SANDCAST with Kraft and Savvy Simo. On this episode, we chat about:

The transition from the NCAA season and going directly into both the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, and the AVP
How she and Emily Stockman became a team
Competing on the biggest stages in the sport, from NCAA Championships to AVP Sundays to medal matches representing the United States
What the rest of this year looks like for her and Stockman

ENJOY!

***

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Mark Burik and Brandon Joyner want you to get Better at Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Jun 2022 14:57:56 +0000

Mark Burik and Brandon Joyner are the founders of one of the coolest companies in all of beach volleyball: @Better at Beach Volleyball . Together, they may have touched more lives in the world of beach volleyball than any two individuals, coaching, creating online programs and classes, running camps across the country, from Salt Lake City to St. Petersburg, Florida. Their work is allowing others to get Better at Beach, while also just improving the entire community as they go.

On this episode, Mewhirter, Burik, and Joyner chat about:

- How Better at Beach successfully rebranded from VolleyCamp Hermosa

- What Burik has learned in becoming a full-time entrepreneur, and why he can't go back to a typical job

- How Brandon Joyner, a Virginia Beach guy, left his steady job as a teacher and moved to California to work with Better at Beach

- How awesome it has been to see Better at Beach explode across the country, in every beach volleyball nook and cranny there is

ENJOY!!

***

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Corinne Quiggle: Home is wherever the beach volleyball is

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Jun 2022 15:19:51 +0000

For most beach volleyball players in the United States, AVP New Orleans was just the second tournament of the season. Corinne Quiggle is not most beach volleyball players. As she has done for the previous two years, Quiggle has hit the road with her new partner, Sarah Schermerhorn, already competing in tournaments in Qatar, Mexico, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Texas, and Louisiana, flying up the rankings on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour as well as the AVP.

She has become comfortable with the immense travel required when playing full-time international and domestic, taking a last-second flight from Ostrava to New Orleans -- and still taking a seventh!

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we chat about:

- How Quiggle and Schermerhorn became a team

- Their huge success in Tlaxcala, Mexico, where they emerged from the qualifier, won pool, then battled with Spain, eventually taking a ninth

- Rising up the Volleyball World rankings, to the point that they're now in Elite 16s

- How to land a sponsor as a beach volleyball player

And, as always, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Andy Benesh: Playing with GOATs on his way to becoming America’s next top blocker

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 May 2022 13:48:43 +0000

Andy Benesh is one of the brightest talents on the AVP Tour, as proven two weekends ago when he won the season-opening event of the 2022 AVP season in Austin, Texas. There’s a reason veterans and AVP champions such as Billy Allen, Nick Lucena, and Phil Dalhausser have competed with him: He’s darn good. And he’s going to be good for a long, long time to come.

On this episode with Andy Benesh, we chat about:

What it’s like to play (and win) with Phil Dalhausser
His momentous win at AVP Austin
The incredible impact Nick Lucena and Billy Allen have made on his career
His staggering rate of improvement in beach volleyball, and how he’s not even close to reaching his ceiling

And, as always, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Katie Spieler: The Honeybee’s Guide to the Good Life

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 May 2022 16:02:50 +0000

Katie Spieler is one of the most popular guests we’ve ever had on SANDCAST, and is one of the most beloved beach volleyball players on the AVP Tour. One of the winningest players in the history of Hawai’i beach volleyball, Spieler has won tournaments on the grass, snow, sand, dirt, and is the reigning 4 v. 4 World Champion. Now, she’s coming off an ACL tear, back to living the good life on the beach.

On this episode, we chat about:

Her recovery from tearing her ACL at the annual Pottstown Rumble
How Todd Rogers helped her improve even when she couldn’t move
The new mindset with which she’s approaching the beach
The love and gratitude she has for the game of beach volleyball

And, as always, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Toni Rodriguez is ’traveling the world, just playing volleyball, living the sweetest life ever’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 May 2022 15:19:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features yet another promising up and coming talent on the AVP and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tours: Toni Rodriguez.

She’s a Louisiana kid, with seven years at LSU to prove it. And now she’s made the move to California, diving headfirst into the world of professional beach volleyball, hitting a pair of FIVBs with Zana Muno and AVP Austin with Savvy Simo. She’s just getting started.

On this episode, we chat about:

What a crazy year this has been already, with trips to Australia, Panama City Beach, and Brazil on back to back to back weekends, followed by Austin
How she and SANDCAST hostess Savvy Simo became partners
Why she decided to move to California, and how important that has been for her career
The state of Louisiana exploding into the beach volleyball scene

ENJOY!

***

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Sara Hughes was born to play beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 May 2022 11:56:54 +0000

Sara Hughes has known she wanted to be a professional beach volleyball player since she was 8 years old. For nearly 20 years, that’s exactly the path her life went on: tabbed by USA Volleyball’s developmental program, the first scholarship athlete on the USC beach team, National Champion, AVP Champion, Olympic favorite. Until an injury to Summer Ross kept them out of the qualification process for the Tokyo Olympics. It left Hughes in a strange spot: Not on top of the beach volleyball world.

Now she’s back again, winning a gold medal in Itapema with Kelley Kolinske, a team coached by Evie Matthews and trained by the podcast favorite Mykel Jenkins.

On this episode, we chat about:

How Hughes and Kolinske got together, and why they’ve been such a good fit so quickly
The refreshing aspect of starting a new team: new partner, new coach, new trainer
The two years of struggle when Ross was out with an injury, which left Hughes without a partner and running mate for Tokyo
How she used those two years to only get better, something we’re all witnessing now

ENJOY!

***

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Evan Cory, Louisiana’s Road Dog, has arrived

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:49:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Evan Cory, one of the most promising up-and-coming talents in the United States. After six years of competing in qualifiers, Cory alas made his first main draws, earned via winning AVPNext Golds in New Orleans and Seaside. Now? He’s seeded directly into the main draw. And he’s going to put on a show.

On this episode, we chat about:

Cory’s background in Louisiana, learning to play at the famed Coconut Beach
His new partnership with Bill Kolinske, and why it’s a perfect fit
His recent switch to defense, and the man behind the quick improvement: Joey Keener
His love for the state of Louisiana, and its volleyball-crazed culture

And so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Seain Cook is playing the long game in beach volleyball -- and it’s working

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:47:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features one of the most promising talents in the United States…who cannot play for the United States.

Seain Cook competed for the Scottish National Team before moving to the United States. For now, he’s focusing on climbing the ladder the only way he knows how: Winning beach volleyball tournaments, something he does A LOT, including the $20,000 AVPNext in Panama City Beach, Fla.

On this episode, we chat about:

Seain Cook’s journey from Scotland to the United States
How incredible it is to be coached by the legend, Mike Dodd
Why a CBVA with Stafford Slick made such an impact on him
His mission to climb the ladder the right way: By winning tournaments

And so much more.

Such a fun episode with Seain. To enjoy his hysterical videos on Instagram, give him a follow: @seaincook

ENJOY!

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April Mailbag: Where’s Casey Patterson; typical practices; promising new teams

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:53:56 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our semi-monthly mailbag, or fan question, episode. We had a record number of fan questions, and we did our best to get to all of them in an hour, hosted by the lovely Gabby Bourne – Savvy Simo, our usual moderator, was already in Panama City Beach, where she would QUALIFY for AVP Austin with Toni Rodriguez!!

We chatted about:

What a typical practice looks like, and the best drills to address our current weaknesses as players
If a fan were to choose one AVP stop this year, which would it be?
Best ways to increase your vertical leap
What are Casey Patterson, Stafford Slick, and Reid Priddy up tp?

And many, many more.

ENJOY!

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The fun is only just beginning for Sarah Schermerhorn

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Apr 2022 13:33:06 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features good friend Sarah Schermerhorn, who has had a circuitous previous two seasons. After playing the majority of her career with one partner (Kim Hildreth), Schermerhorn played with more than 16 – 16! – in 2021. Now she’s back to having a stable partner in Corinne Quiggle, and it has been an auspicious start to the season, with a in an AVPAmerica event in Florida and a ninth in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenger in Tlaxcala, Challenger.

On this episode, we chat about:

Her great finish in Tlaxcala, and how it sets them up for the rest of the season
The craziness of playing with 16 partners in 2021
How her and Corinne Quiggle partnered up for 2022
What her goals and focus are for this year

ENJOY!

***

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Brett Favre, Shawn Taylor, and the growth of Southern Miss beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 12:13:15 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is one heck of an episode, because on this one, we expanded outside of beach volleyball a bit and onto the gridiron, bringing in venerated guest Brett Favre. Yes, it’s that Brett Favre, the Gunslinger, the man who started a record 321 consecutive games for the Green Bay Packers, an 11-time Pro Bowler and a Hall of Fame selection. And yes, that Brett Favre is a beach volleyball guy now, the father of Breleigh Favre, a 6-foot-2 senior who is starting on court one for the Golden Eagles alongside Kellie Garraway.

On this episode, Favre and Southern Miss beach volleyball coach Shawn Taylor joined the podcast to chat:

How Shawn Taylor is launching the Southern Miss beach volleyball team
The value Brett Favre is bringing to the Southern Miss beach volleyball team, mainly in the mindset it takes to become great
Favre’s rise from the seventh-string quarterback at Southern Miss to one of the greatest of all time, and why that’s applicable to Southern Miss
How Shawn Taylor became the coach at Southern Miss

And so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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Aleksandrs Samoilovs: 16 years into his career, the Latvian Lion King continues roaring

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 15:59:31 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is SUCH A BLAST! On the show this week is Latvian legend Aleksandrs Samoilovs, known to most as the Lion King.

A veteran on the World Tour for 16 years now, Samoilovs has achieved more than anyone could have ever imagined, hailing from a tiny country the size of Idaho: three Olympic Games, No. 1 ranking in the world, medals of every color. And he’s still playing – and playing dang good volleyball.

There was so much to chat about on this episode, including:

How Samoilovs was dubbed the Lion King, and his embracing of the nickname
A wild story from South Africa in which Samoilovs and Janis Smedins became No. 1 in the world
Why working in a bank for two months was all he needed to know that he needed to become a beach volleyball player
His ability to entertain and add value to the sport

And so, so, so much more. Such a blast with Samoilovs, one of the greatest sportsmen in beach volleyball.

ENJOY!

***

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Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing: From considering retirement to the honeymoon phase

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 15:53:22 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features the new-look Canadian team of Sam Schachter – an Olympian at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – and Dan Dearing. This team is going to be FREAKY athletic – and also one that’s a bit of a surprise to many. Schachter considered retiring after falling short of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games; Dearing was literally retired for seven years.

Now they’re back.

And we chatted all about it, discussing:

Schachter’s experience during the 2021 Tokyo Olympic quad
Dearing’s retirement, and why he is back on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour now
What Dearing learned about the work ethic and commitment it takes to compete at the highest level
Why Schachter plucked a guy seven years retired as his running mate for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

And, as always, a whole lot more.

ENJOY!

***

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Be sure to check out some of the coolest beach volleyball gear in the country at Vollis Beach! Recently partnered with LuLu Lemon, Vollis is offering high quality, good looking apparel, and you can get it at a discount using Travisfans to get 15 percent off! https://www.vollisgear.com/

SHOOTS!

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Kim Smith never imagined beach volleyball in her life, ’now it is my life’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Mar 2022 15:29:03 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST features, for the first time in a while, a fellow writer! Coming on to chat is longtime AVP player-turned-AVP staff writer Kim Smith.

For four years, Smith was a solid presence on the AVP Tour, making six top-10s, competing alongside Olympians and promising up-and-coming talent alike. But when the pandemic hit, and she found herself two spots out of the AVP Champions Cup, her role flipped, from AVP player to AVP staff writer.

On the show, we chat about all of that:

How she got into beach volleyball in the first place, being from Zionsville, Indiana
Her transition from indoor to beach, and why her passing drove Jose Loiola positively crazy
How Sarah Sponcil allowed her to see the insane work ethic demanded of being an Olympian
Becoming the AVP staff writer, and how everything just ‘feels right’ in her life

And, as always, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Drinking Whiskey with the Crabbs...and Nick Lucena...and Taylor Sander

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Mar 2022 16:19:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is, without a doubt, our most hilarious one to date. It’s not just SANDCAST, this time, but a combination of our usual podcast and Drinking Whiskey with the Crabbs, as Taylor Crabb and Trevor Crabb brought on a 10-year bottle of Widow Jane. It wasn’t just shared but us, either, but also Nick Lucena, who was in town, and Taylor Sander, who swung by for a few drinks and some funny stories.

It’s not often you get four Olympians and three Manhattan Beach Open champions on a single show.

It’s different, this show. As you might expect from that cast of characters, and the two bottles of whiskey we crushed, it’s not so much a podcast as it is a bar conversation that happens to be a podcast. But we did cover some very real topics, including:

A behind-the-scenes look at the Tokyo Olympic Games, from Taylor Crabb’s quarantine experience to Trevor Crabb’s injury that kept him out, from Nick Lucena almost needing a substitute to Tri Bourne’s wild ride as a last minute fill-in.
How Tayor Crabb and Taylor Sander became a team
Nick Lucena’s hilarious story about almost playing for Qatar with Phil Dalhausser in 2003
How Drinking Whiskey with the Crabbs was started

Note: If you have a young listener in the car, maybe it’s best to skip this one. There is an abundance of profanity, so if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, we’d encourage you to wait for next week’s family friendly episode with AVP writer extraordinaire Kim Smith.

Until next time...

SHOOTS!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Nick Lucena has (at least) one more chapter in his beach volleyball journey

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:55:27 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Nick Lucena, one of the most humble, genuine, fun people in the sport of beach volleyball. As any conversation with Lucena is, this one was an absolute blast – funny, introspective, humble.

On this episode, we chat about:

How Lucena intended to retire a decade ago, and why he’s still playing now
How he had given up on the hope of qualifying for an Olympics – and then qualified for two, in Rio and Tokyo
His thoughts on playing with Andy Benesh, with whom he’ll be playing this season
Why working out before matches works so well for him

And, as always, so much more. Such a fun episode with Nick.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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February Mailbag: Why we LOVE the AVP schedule, best surprise teams, biggest wins this offseason

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 16:19:12 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our always-popular Fan Question mailbag episode, hosted, as always, by the wonderful Savvy Simo.

We had A LOT to talk about this week, including:

Why we LOVE the AVP schedule
Why the barrier to entry to the main draw getting higher is a good thing, for both qualifier and main draw players alike
Who our surprise teams of the year are
Biggest wins of the off-season

And, like always, so, so, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Back on the beach, Emily Stockman is as hungry as ever

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Feb 2022 16:12:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Emily Stockman, one of the best defenders in the world – and one who isn’t finished playing beach volleyball just yet.

After a torrid run up the FIVB rankings in 2018, Stockman and Kelley Kolinske would finish the Tokyo Olympic qualification process ranked 10th in the world – and just out of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Afterwards, she went where she always does: the mountains, where she contemplated retiring, moving on, pursuing something new. And in those mountains she rediscovered her passion for the beach. Now Stockman is back on the sand, gearing up for one more Olympic run to Paris.

On this episode, we discuss:

Stockman’s journey into beach volleyball, and stops in Finland, the Maldives, and Switzerland that helped get her there
Stockman and Kelley Kolinske’s rapid, and oddly unnoticed, ascent up the world ranks from 2018-2021
How difficult it was to come so close to qualifying for Tokyo
Why she decided to return to the beach, and what her plans are for 2022 and beyond

And, as always, much, much more.

You can follow Emily Stockman on Instagram: @estock2

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth are changing the narrative in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Feb 2022 16:32:12 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hottest team from 2021 on the AVP Tour, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth.

What a tear they were on in 2021. They finished the NCAA season with LSU undefeated, a considerable accomplishment considering their opponents on court one. Then they won the first AVP they played in as a team, claiming gold in Atlanta, which was succeeded by a fifth-place finish in Manhattan Beach and a third in Chicago.

But they’re more than just good players, these two: They’re a team. A real one. The only pair who stuck together from 2021 and into the 2022 season. We chat about that, and much more on the podcast, discussing:

Their month-long training camp in Hermosa Beach, California
Their thoughts on their wildly successful 2021 season
Why they’re so dedicated to staying with each other, even if that means a long, long climb up the FIVB ladder
How they’re trying to change the narrative of beach volleyball, both as players and in the location in which they’re playing (Louisiana)

And, as always, much, much more.

Such a blast with Kristen and Taryn, who you can find on Instagram at:

@kristen_nuss
@tkloth10

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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New partners. New Tours. Welcome to beach volleyball in 2022

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:33:49 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features a wide-ranging look-ahead at what's to come in the 2022 beach volleyball season. We have new tours, with the AVP being bought by Bally's, and Volleyball World replacing the FIVB. We have new partnerships, on both the men's and women's side. The hosts have new goals. New mindsets. It's new everything in 2022.

On this episode, we chat about:

- Breaking down the new partnerships for the 2022 season

- What to expect from Volleyball World this upcoming year

- Why the Elite 16 is actually a great format for the sport

- Travis and Tri’s plans for the year And much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Devon Newberry and the UCLA Bruins are ”guns-a-blazing” heading into 2022

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:42:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features UCLA rising star – well, she already is kind of a star – Devon Newberry.

Just a sophomore at UCLA, Newberry is already a regular in AVP main draws, having made back-to-back main draws as a 17-year-old with good friend and teammate Lindsey Sparks, becoming the first U-18 team to make consecutive main draws in AVP history. In her freshman season at UCLA, Newberry went 24-8, helping the Bruins seal up a Pac-12 Championship.

Now, alongside Sparks, Rileigh Powers, and Lexy Denaburg, she’s a leader of the Bruins and an NCAA Championship contender.

On this episode, we discuss:

UCLA’s prospects during the 2022 NCAA beach volleyball season
Newberry’s growth as a player, and how much she has transformed since entering UCLA
The value of back-to-back crushing losses to USC and Pepperdine prior to the COVID pandemic
Her mindset shift from valuing low expectations for herself, to embracing high expectations

And, as always, much, much more.

You can follow Devon on Instagram: @devonnewberry

Follow UCLA’s beach volleyball team on Instagram: @uclabeachvb

And if you enjoyed this episode, check out our podcast with USC star Hailey Harward!

ENJOY!

***

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Hailey Harward, and the constant search to find and bring joy to the beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:24:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features USC standout Hailey Harward.

In her lone full season with the Trojans – Harward previously played for Long Beach State – she won a National Championship, and is returning to the lineup as a heavy favorite to do so again. In fact, it was Harward and her partner, Haley Hallgren, who provided the NCAA Championship-sealing victory in 2021.

Harward has also proven her mettle on the AVP, qualifying for three main draws, with a high of ninth in the 2018 Hermosa Beach Open.

On this episode, we discuss:

What the culture is like at USC, surrounded by Olympians (coach Dain Blanton and Tina Graudina), World Champs (Delaynie Maple and Megan Kraft) and nearly a dozen AVP main draw talents
Why joy has become her greatest source of improved play on the court
How she was able to use the new NCAA NLI rules to snag a sponsorship from Raising Cane’s
Her approach to becoming a professional after she graduates this spring

And, as always, much, much more.

You can follow Hailey on Instagram @haileyharward

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Zana Muno: Beach volleyball’s hustling, diving, gritty ’chic farmer’

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Jan 2022 16:50:13 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Zana Muno one of the brightest young talents on the AVP and one of the coolest people you’ll ever meet.

In just three seasons on the AVP, Muno has finished third three times – twice with Crissy jones, once with Kelley Kolinske – won a gold medal on the FIVB Tour, and throughout it all, she’s raising chickens! It’s a fun life she’s living, and one we dove into on the podcast. In this episode, we chat about:

Muno’s ranch, where she has 11 chickens and built a chicken coop herself
How she’s so dang good at defense, and the simple piece of advice she has for defenders
Why she is able to look back on a crazy 2021 season, in which she played six events with five different partners, with satisfaction and pride
Her career goals, both on the court and for the ranch, which intertwine with one another

And much, much more. Such a fun episode with Zana, who is as fun to hang with as she is to watch dig a million balls on stadium court.

You can follow Zana in two different places on Instagram: @zanamuno

And for all of her farming endeavors: @zee_farmer

Enjoy!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Ed Ratledge: At 45 years old, The Eagle is still flying high

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 17:03:58 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of the most beloved players on the AVP Tour, and in all of beach volleyball: Ed Ratledge. At 45 years old, Ratledge has been playing professionally for more than half of his life. A vault of knowledge, and one of the most interesting and well-spoken people on Tour, our conversation was a wide-ranging one. We discussed:

Ratledge’s San Francisco win in 2018 with Rafu Rodriguez
How that victory divided time for Ed: Pre San Francisco, and After San Francisco
How he manages to stay present as a competitor while entertaining fans between every point
His plans as a player, both this year and down the road

ENJOY!

***

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Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Gabby Reece is still kicking a**

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 17:55:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is so dang epic. We brought on Gabby Reece, one of the most influential voices in women’s sport of this past generation, and one of the coolest people on the planet (seriously, just listen).

Reece is one of the best players of all-time at Florida State, an author, host of her own podcast, co-founder of Laird Superfood and XPT Training – she’s a little bit of everything. This podcast is full of wisdom from an athlete, mom, entrepreneur, and all-around fantastic human being.

On this episode, we discuss:

Her journey through volleyball, picking it up as a teenager when she moved to Florida
How fear can be used for good, as a driving force of her entrepreneurial spirit
The Island mentality, being raised in the Virgin Islands, now living part time in Kauai, HI
Her underwater XPT Training she founded with her husband, Laird Hamilton

And so, so, so, so much more. Absolute gold all over this episode.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Finn Taylor, Volleyball World CEO, is out to build a legacy in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 15:12:57 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.

We brought in Finn Taylor, the new CEO at Volleyball World, and we chatted all things volleyball. If you’re wondering what the new world International Volleyball will look like, and how Taylor plans on finally capitalizing on the massive untapped market of beach volleyball, this is an absolute must-listen.

On this episode, we discuss:

The first steps Taylor took when he accepted the job as CEO of Volleyball World
How he plans on CHARGING FOR ADMISSION (clap clap clap) at events
A new plan for scheduling events and building traditions at each site
The necessary feedback, and how Volleyball World is listening, from the players

And so, so, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Taylor Sander: ‘We‘re going to put on a show‘

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Dec 2021 17:01:13 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features probably our most-asked-for guest of the 2021 year: Indoor sensation, and new beach convert, Taylor Sander.

For the past decade or so, Sander has been one of the best outside hitters in the United States, a four-time All-American at BYU, Olympic bronze medalist in 2016, and a member of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic team.

Now, he’s a beach guy, teaming up with Taylor Crabb to make a push for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on the beach.

In this episode, we discuss:

What in the world beach volleyball players do in the off-season months, when Sander would normally be playing indoors overseas
How his transition to beach began, and a surprising text from Taylor Crabb
His beach volleyball debut in Itapema, Brazil, where he and Crabb finished ninth
The improvements he’s seeking to make during the off-season

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Mailbag! Partner news, Taylor Sander‘s debut, off-season training, AVP Uncovered, best players to watch

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Dec 2021 15:50:27 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is our monthly fan question episode, featuring our favorite former UCLA Bruin and up and coming AVP star, Savvy Simo.

Off-season is officially upon us, and most of the questions we answered are of the off-season variety:

- Any partnership news on the AVP or Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour?

- Can you break down Taylor Sander's beach debut in Itapema?

- What do we think of the upcoming AVP Uncovered documentary?

- What does off-season training look like for you?

And, as always, much, much more.

If you have any fan questions, please reach out: sandcastpodcast@gmail.com

ENJOY!

***

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SHOOTS!

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Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello are putting England beach volleyball on the map

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:00:50 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello, the No. 1 beach volleyball team in England.

The brothers, who are 21 years old and fraternal twins, are the back-to-back defending National Champions in England, who finished the season with two gold medals and a bronze.

On this episode, we discuss:

How a team from England even gets into beach volleyball in the first place
Their move from Madrid to London
Why Karch Kiraly played such an important role in their dedication to beach volleyball
Turning their season around after losing in eight straight three set matches
The future of England beach volleyball

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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The Road Dog life of Logan Webber

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:23:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of the greatest road dogs in the game right now: Logan Webber.

This past year, Webber enjoyed the finest season of his career, winning AVP Next Golds in New Orleans, Waupaca, and Seaside, made main draws in Manhattan Beach and Chicago, and finished the season with a victory at the Laguna Beach Open.

On this episode, we discuss:

- The nomadic life Logan Webber is living, and why that’s helped him improve at such a fast rate

- His breakthrough victory at the AVP Next Gold in New Orleans with Evan Cory

- Why 2021 was such a successful season for him

- The value of playing dozens of tournaments a season

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Terese Cannon‘s extraordinary beach life is only just beginning

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 20:21:25 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features two-time USC National Champion and rising professional player Terese Cannon.

Cannon’s journey is a unique one, even in a sport replete with unique journeys. Raised in Rochester, New York, Cannon played minimally on the beach growing up. But a weird freshman season indoors at Georgetown led her to reaching out to Anna Collier, which resulted in a walk-on spot at USC, and, well, the rest is currently Cannon’s history in the making.

On this episode, we discuss:

Cannon finishing a volatile season, in which she lost in six straight country quotas, with a cherry on top: Main draw in the Itapema four-star
The life-changing experience that was the Cancun Bubble
How grateful she is for the life journey she’s on, traveling the world, playing volleyball
The ability to learn from losses

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

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This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Raise Your Game, with high-performance coach Alan Stein

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Nov 2021 15:05:40 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features high-performance coach Alan Stein. If you're looking to improve at any area of your life -- beach volleyball, basketball, investing, parenting, ANYTHING -- this is a gold mine of information.

Stein, a former basketball teammate of Adam Roberts' at Elon University, is the author of the book, Raise Your Game, and its principles are invaluable. We discuss many of them on the podcast, along with:

- How working with Kobe Bryant, and his ability to "never get bored with the basics" changed Stein's life

- The value of doing work in "the unseen hours" that results in championships

- The tricky balance of focusing on recovery vs. getting extra reps

- Why confidence must be earned

And so, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Finding Mastery, on and off the court, with Michael Gervais

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:13:26 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an ABSOLUTE GOLD MINE, featuring sport and high performance psychologist Michael Gervais.

Gervais is one of the most respected sports psychologists in the world, and has worked alongside athletes such as Felix Baumgartner -- who jumped out of a balloon and through the stratosphere -- to Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks to April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings. He is a master of his craft, and this episode is an absolute must-listen.

On this episode, we discuss:

- The importance of the mental aspect of sport, and how critical it is to make time for it

- How Gervais has always felt the swell of mental training coming, and now it's hitting

- Why Gervais' life mission is to help people live in the present more often, and how he's helping them accomplish that

- Why we need extreme athletes

And so, so, so much more.

ENJOY!!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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SANDCAST Mailbag: Who are the new beach volleyball partnerships for 2022?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 15:11:48 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, marks FOUR YEARS of the podcast! What began as an off-the-wall idea at a breakfast meeting at the Ocean Diner in Hermosa Beach has become my biggest storytelling passion, and, strangely, one of the points of Bourne’s beach volleyball career for which the Olympian and Manhattan Beach Open champ is now most well-known.

It's been an incredible ride, and we have you, the listeners, to thank for that. Seriously, we love you.

Above all, that has always been, and will continue to be, our main goal with SANDCAST: Give the beach volleyball fans the beach volleyball stories and content they want.

For our four-year anniversary, then, what better way to celebrate than by answering questions from the fans who keep this show moving?

On this episode, we answer:

- Who are the new beach volleyball partnerships heading into the 2022 season?

- How epic is the Myrtle Beach Open?

- What is up with Konstantin Semenov's body language?

- Will the new World Tour format pull more players from the AVP?

- What's one rule we would change in beach volleyball?

And many, many more!

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Riley McKibbin: The rise to one of beach volleyball‘s most important voices

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:55:47 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features, for the first time, Riley McKibbin on his own. You guys, of course, know Riley McKibbin: He's the elder of the Beard Bros and the editor of the viral and wildly popular McKibbin YouTube channel, which is providing so, so, so much good for the beach volleyball world.

On this episode, we discuss:

- The direction of the YouTube channel, and how it is more geared towards storytelling than tutorials

- A new four-man event being put on by the McKibbins and SharpeVision

- Riley's rise through the volleyball world, from benchwarmer to a setter on the U.S. National Team

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastmerch.com/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Jake Gibb has one last tournament before becoming the full-time soccer dad

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Oct 2021 14:15:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a re-run episode that we recorded back in August of 2018 with Jake Gibb. When we initially recorded this episode, Gibb was one day removed from the Manhattan Beach Open finals, where he and Taylor Crabb lost to Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena.

We figured now would be a great time to run it back, given that Gibb is in his final tournament of his storied career, competing at the World Tour Finals.

On this episode, Gibb discusses:

- How ignorance perhaps paved the way to him becoming one of the best American blockers of all-time

- The growth of his partnership with Taylor Crabb. This in particular is fun to look back upon, as Crabb was just beginning to come into his own in 2018 and is now one of the best defenders in the world.

- His growth curve as a professional beach volleyball player, and the importance of a growth mindset

- Two young Norwegian kids named Anders Mol and Christian Sorum

And, as always, much, much more:

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Rising Canadian defender Jake MacNeil‘s life on the road is only beginning

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:18:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mewhirter's good friend and standout Canadian defender Jake MacNeil. The two have been on the road together for nearly two months this season, and are currently filming a movie in Bulgaria.

Our chat is a wide-ranging one, discussing:

- MacNeil's experience as a training partner at the Tokyo Olympic Games

- A wild season in which he and Will Hoey were on the road non-stop since May

- The difference between teams a the one-star level and the five-star level

- What the next few years are looking like in the Canadian federation

And, as always, much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Yariv Lerner is bringing beach volleyball back to the big screen

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:27:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is AWESOME. This episode features Yariv Lerner, the CEO of Nu Boyana Film Studios, one of the largest film studios in Europe.

Why are we having a CEO of a film studio on the podcast? Because Lerner is producing a movie, Qualifying, depicting the grinding journey of the qualifier beach volleyball player, shooting it at Sofia Beach in Sofia, Bulgaria. Now, for the first time since Sideout, beach volleyball will be back on the big screen, and for the first time ever, it's going to be done right.

On this episode, we discuss:

- How this movie came to be, and how a script written 20 years ago by Tom Black was revived to become a bona fide movie

- How Lerner became so passionate about beach volleyball, beginning on the coasts of South Africa to Santa Monica

- Lerner's legendary house in Santa Monica, which roofed players such as Billy Allen, Nick Lucena, John Mayer, Kevin Wong, and Adam Roberts, among others

- The cast, plot, and projected release date of Qualifying

And, as always, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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April Ross and Alix Klineman, and the micro changes that led to an Olympic gold medal

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 19:51:24 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Tokyo Olympic GOLD MEDALISTS April Ross and Alix Klineman, as well as the lovable and wonderful and fantastic guest host, Chris Geeter McGee.

What an absolute treat this episode is. Over a few glasses of wine, Ross and Klineman discuss:

- How they didn't consider themselves favorites heading into Tokyo

- Their experience at the Olympic Games, and how Klineman felt oddly calm during the entire experience

- Ross' decision to go with Klineman, and how it was only Jen Kessy who agreed that Klineman was the best option

- Whether or not they intend to play Paris together

And so, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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At 24 years old, TJ DeFalco might be the young guy, but he‘s no rookie

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Sep 2021 14:37:50 +0000

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. On this episode, we brought in yet another Olympian – and a rookie who is not a real rookie on the beach, TJ DeFalco.

DeFalco competed in his first Olympics in Tokyo, making a name for himself with an absurd ability to hit the back row quick set, then got the coolest of calls: Nick Lucena wanted to play the Manhattan Beach Open with him. And so it was that DeFalco played his first AVP since 2016.

On this episode we discuss:

How it felt for TJ to get back on the beach after nearly five years off it
His first Olympic experience in Tokyo
How Reid Priddy forever altered the trajectory of his career
How eight words and a phone call from Matt Fuerbringer got him to partner with Nick Lucena

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

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Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb, Manhattan Champs, going somewhere they‘ve never gone before

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Sep 2021 12:17:20 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the most recent winners of the AVP Manhattan Beach Open: Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb.

Bourne and Crabb made a huge comeback to beat Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner in the semifinals before beating Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger in the finals. It marked Crabb's second Manhattan Beach Open win and Bourne's first.

On this episode, we discuss:

- How it feels for Bourne to alas win the Manhattan Open after two losses in the finals

- How the second win was just as sweet for Trevor Crabb, who won his first with Reid Priddy in 2019

- The mental focus Bourne found in the semifinals, when he and Crabb went down 16-12 to up 19-16.

- Trevor now being 2-0 when he guarantees victory

And so, so much more.

ENJOY!

***

We now have SANDCAST MERCHANDISE!! Rock the gear of your favorite podcast today! https://www.sandcastvolleyball.com/merchandise/

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Taryn Kloth has always taken the harder path, and she continues making it work

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:43:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the newest elite blocker on the AVP Tour: Taryn Kloth.

Kloth pulled off the virtually unprecedented in winning the first AVP event of her career alongside wunderkind Kristen Nuss, and in Manhattan Beach, the two claimed fifth, losing only to April Ross and Alix Klineman and Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes.

On this episode, we discuss:

- How Kloth was able to manage the nerves of her first AVP main draw and win the whole thing, beating three Olympians in the process

- Kloth's path to beach volleyball, from frigid South Dakota to hot and humid Louisiana

- How a street sign was all she needed to turn down big offers indoors to pursue beach volleyball full-time

- The mindset she has, and why choosing the difficult path is always the path for her

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB

SHOOTS!

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Tri Bourne -- Olympian Tri Bourne -- is always staying ready

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:46:15 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, finally brings the hosts back together, in person, for the first time in a few months. Here they discuss Tri Bourne's recent wild ride into the Olympics, and how he thrived during them, finishing with the highest hitting percentage of the entire Olympic Games.

On this episode, we discuss:

- When Bourne got the call, sitting in a Dairy Queen with his daughter, from Jake Gibb, asking him to come to Tokyo

- The weird vibe at the Olympics, with all the strange occurrences that had happened, from Taylor Crabb testing positive to Phil Dalhausser and Jake Gibb being forced to quarantine

- Tri's energy, and how he was able to perk the team up more than a bit

- What's next for Bourne, and how everything has changed, yet nothing has changed at all

***

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

Check out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, written by SANDCAST hosts Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: https://www.amazon.com/Volleyball-Milkshakes-Travis-Mewhirter/dp/B089781SHB https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

SHOOTS!

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April Ross is living out her own personal legend

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 12:02:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a rare throwback episode, a replay from the fifth podcast we ever did: With April Ross.

The reason we're re-airing this one, and not recording a new one, is because it's just so damn good, and to hear what April Ross had to say in November of 2017, and then compare it to what happened four years later, is nothing short of incredible. Every word she said back then in Tri Bourne's kitchen came true. To the word. Honestly, it's one of the best episodes we've ever recorded, and it aged far finer than the wine we shared that night.

If you missed this episode before, please listen to it now. We discuss:

- April's crossroads at the end of 2017: To continue pursuing the international game, or to simplify, play AVPs, and begin her exit.

- Her mindset, and her commitment to small, daily improvements, and how she finds -- or tries to -- balance in life.

- The critical importance of introspection throughout her career

- Why she chose Alix Klineman, and why she thought, four years ago, Klineman was her only option to win a gold medal in Tokyo

***

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

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Lewie Lett: The most passionate (and positive) voice in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Aug 2021 11:08:48 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features a voice you will all likely recognize, and that's the voice of Lewie Lett, who does the color commentary for virtually every major FIVB tournament and has also been a prominent voice throughout the Tokyo Olympic Games, commentating on everything from beach volleyball to indoor volleyball to -- yes -- ping pong and skateboarding.

On this episode, we cover:

- Lewie's wild ride at the Tokyo Olympics, and how he can possibly keep up with a schedule that often includes four matches in a single day

- How a guy from England turned into one of the most passionate men in the sport of beach volleyball

- His ability to always, always, always keep things positive

- His thoughts and takeaways on the upset-filled Tokyo Olympic beach volleyball

- And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Olympic Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Could we see multiple American medals in Tokyo?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 13:01:30 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with (OLYMPIAN!!) Tri Bourne and (not Olympian) Travis Mewhirter is a unique one. Again, we are turning to fan questions, as Mewhirter and our popular new cohost, Savvy Simo, a phenomenal player in her own right, discuss the Tokyo Olympics.

We go over virtually everything in Tokyo:

- Tri Bourne's strange ride thus far, from a family vacation in Las Vegas to winning now TWO Olympic matches and ensuring a berth into the single-elimination phases.

- Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil's all-college battle vs. Latvia's Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka

- Is everything pointing towards a gold medal match of April Ross and Alix Klineman vs. Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan?

- What will the rest of Phil Dalhausser's last dance look like?

That, and much, much more from the Tokyo Olympic beach volleyball action.

ENJOY!

***

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Beach Volleyball Madness: Olympic Beach Volleyball Preview; Bally's Buys the AVP

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:18:43 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our monthly fan-question episode, though we didn't actually take any specific fan questions, as all of them centered on two topics only: Who is going to win the Olympics? What is Bally's purchase of AVP going to do for the sport of beach volleyball?

Now, before we begin: Savvy Simo and Mewhirter recorded this episode late Tuesday night. We were aware that Taylor Crabb had tested positive for COVID, and that Tri Bourne was on a flight bound for Tokyo. However, at the time, the information wasn't public, and, per Bourne's request, SANDCAST was not going to be the one to break that news. So we didn't chat about it, and we're still hoping Crabb can get a negative test in time to compete.

That said, what we do discuss on this episode includes:

- Bally's purchase of the AVP, and the potential upside a casino with deep pockets can bring to the sport of beach volleyball

- Why April Ross and Alix Klineman are the favorites to win gold in Tokyo

- Why Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Samba, and not Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, are the favorites to win gold in Tokyo

- Much more on the Olympic Games

- The exciting AVP Next Gold event in Atlantic City

- And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!

SHOOTS!

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Derek Olson, and Morocco's 'Disney story' into the Tokyo Olympic Games

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:51:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Derek Olson, a longtime player on the AVP and FIVB tours. He was an assistant coach at the University of California, Berkeley for two years before being promoted to interim head coach for the previous two. This off-season, he had the strangest of calls: Would he like to coach the Moroccan National Team as they prepared for the Continental Cup, which could secure them a bid for the 2021 Olympic Games?

Yes. Yes he did. On this podcast, we chat about:

- How Olson wound up getting the call from Morocco to coach the National Team

- How, in just five weeks, he was able to take over a program and lead it to its first Olympic bid in history

- The African Continental Cup, and the wild ride that the tournament was

- His future prospects at Cal, and internationally

And, as always, much, much more.

ENJOY!

***

This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!

SHOOTS!

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Sean Rosenthal is the same now as he's ever been: Beach Volleyball's greatest ambassador

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Jul 2021 14:29:23 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a phenomenal one, a wide-ranging conversation with Sean Rosenthal, a two-time Olympian and one of the best to ever play the game. While Rosenthal will not be featured in the Tokyo Olympic Games, his influence on the game is the same as it's ever been.

On this episode, we chat about:

- What it's been like for Rosenthal to not go for the Olympic Games this quad, the first time since 2008 he has been out of the running

- His deep relationship with Jake Gibb

- His mindset throughout the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and why he never could wish ill-will on his fellow countrymen vying for his spot

- Why he's been able to remain so popular with the fans after all these years

- His thoughts on the AVP's three-event season

And much, much more.

ENJOY!!

***

SHOOTS!

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Jason Lochhead: The globetrotting route to becoming a two-time Olympic coach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:59:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an ABSOLUTE BLAST! We have Jason Lochhead, the coach of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, in the house. It is a packed episode, filled with tremendous stories and, as a bonus, a New Zealand accent.

We chat about:

- What it was like for Lochhead to grow up as a beach volleyball player in New Zealand, a country not exactly known for beach volleyball

- His career as a player, nearly qualifying in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games

- How he almost became a professional golfer before being recruited to coach the Vanuatu National Team

- Coaching Canadians Ben Saxton and Chaim Schalk to the 2016 Olympics

- The call from Nick Lucena that changed his life: Coaching Phil Dalhausser and Lucena to the 2021 Olympic Games

That, and, as always, so much more!

ENJOY!

***

SHOOTS!

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Taylor Crabb, and the arrival of beach volleyball's next generation

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:09:54 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is a special one, for it is the first episode featuring a player competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Taylor Crabb has long been the presumed face of this next generation of American beach volleyball players. Now that generation is here, as he and Jake Gibb qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, alongside lovable veterans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena.

On this episode, we discuss:

- What it is like for Taylor Crabb being an Olympian, something he's long dreamed of

- The moment in Ostrava when he and Jake Gibb and coach Rich Lambourne knew they had qualified for Tokyo

- The strangeness of this 2021 season, with so much uncertainty post-COVID

- Why players should prioritize competing on the AVP just as much as they do the FIVB

- The blessings of being raised in Hawai'i, growing up at the Outrigger Canoe Club And much, much more.

Such a fun episode.

ENJOY!

***

SHOOTS!

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SANDCAST Mailbag: A review of the Tokyo Olympic quad, and looking ahead to AVP 2021

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 15:01:20 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our monthly fan question episode. Before we dove into the fan questions, we recapped the Tokyo Olympic quad, and Bourne's journey through it with Trevor Crabb, finishing ranked No. 11 in the world yet just shy of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

We chatted about Mewhirter's five-week FIVB stretch, competing in Bulgaria, Sochi, and Bulgaria twice more. You can find a full written recap of Mewhirter's journey at VolleyballMag.

And then, of course, we dove into fan questions, beginning with...

- What are our thoughts on the AVP schedule, which was recently announced?

- What is the purpose, and best format, for the AVP Next Gold events, which are growing in popularity and size?

- What's next for Tri Bourne, with this Olympic quad now finished?

- How do you handle burnout?

And much, much more. This episode is a comprehensive one, as we had much to talk about -- AVP, Olympics, FIVB, you name it.

Enjoy!

***

SHOOTS!

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DJ Klasnic is bringing the passion for beach volleyball back to Serbia

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Jun 2021 17:54:51 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features DJ Klasnic, one of the top players in the Serbian beach volleyball federation who recently won the second event on the Bulgarian National Tour.

Klasnic lived in Florida for six months this year, competing with some of the best blockers in the country, including Ricardo Santos, Piotr Marciniak, Andy Benesh, and Logan Webber. Now he's back to Serbia, competing in the final round of the Continental Cup as well as on the FIVB Tour.

On this episode, we discuss:

- How Klasnic got into beach volleyball while growing up in Serbia, a country that doesn't view beach volleyball as a real sport

- Becoming the first Serbian team to win an international medal

- His time spent in Florida, and the critical role Ricardo Santos played in motivating him in his career

- How Phil Dalhausser encouraged Klasnic to continue pursuing beach volleyball

- His love for Florida beach volleyball, and how he's attempting to bring that kind of passion and love for the game back to Serbia

***

SHOOTS!

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Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler: Winning the little steps on their way to the big one

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Jun 2021 11:52:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features recent USA Volleyball GOLD MEDALISTS Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler, who took home the gold at the Bulgaria one-star. After winning there -- coming out of the qualifier to do so! -- they went to Sochi, where they nearly made it through a brutal country quota against Sarah Schermerhorn and Aurora Davis and Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Corinne Quiggle's wild travels, in which she almost had to drop out of the event

- The difference between competing in practice and competing in an FIVB event

- How Quiggle and Wheeler overcame the nerves of their first international tournament to win gold

- How their partnership formed, and the progress they've made as a team

- What's next on the schedule, and the big goal up ahead

And much, much more.

***

SHOOTS!

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Canadian road dogs Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil have no exit plans

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 May 2021 09:36:45 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, was recorded on the road, at the FIVB Bulgaria one-star, where Mewhirter chatted with good buds and Canadian players Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil.

Hoey and MacNeil finished fifth in the Bulgaria one-star, knocking out Mewhirter and Roberts in the final round of the qualifier. On this episode, we chat about:

- How two Canadian men get into beach volleyball, and the role that hockey plays in that

- Hoey's journey into beach, and how going winless at the U19 World Championships opened his eyes to the life of the beach volleyball player

- MacNeil's decision to give up a professional hockey career to pursue beach volleyball

- Their climb up the Canadian Federation's ladder, where they are the fourth-ranked team in Canada

- Their life on the road, where they have no plans to return home

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

SHOOTS!

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Savvy Simo, and a remarkable, legacy-leaving career at UCLA

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 May 2021 15:13:05 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our favorite UCLA Bruin, Savvy Simo. On this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter catch up with Simo, discussing:

- The NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship, and UCLA falling just short of USC in the finals

- Simo's leadership role as the lone true senior on the youngest team in the nation

- The value of letting go and soaking in the biggest moments of her career

- The respect she has for all of her competitors, on and off the court

- Taking the leap of faith and turning pro

And much, much more. Such a jam-packed episode of so many golden nuggets of wisdom. Simo is such an incredible role model for any young girls (or boys) in this sport.

***

SHOOTS!

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SANDCAST Mailbag: What is Qatar doing? Top five matches from Cancun; FUDS stories

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 May 2021 13:45:35 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hosts, Bourne and Mewhirter, answering a bag full of fan questions. We begin by recapping Bourne's wild ride in Cancun, where he lived for 23 days, competing in three Olympic qualification tournaments. Then we dive in to the questions, discussing:

- What have Qatar's Cherif Samba and Ahmed Tijan been doing to make four finals in five events this year?

- What are our top-five matches from Cancun?

- Breaking down Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb's insane match with Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb

- What's it like to win Fuds, playing on a sponsored team?

***

- This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

- This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sara Putt's made NCAA Championship history before; now she's out to do it again

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 May 2021 14:43:24 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Florida State beach volleyball veteran Sara Putt, who has been competing for the Seminoles since 2016 and is one of the winningest players of all-time in Tallahassee.

On Friday, Putt and the Florida State 'Noles will be competing for an NCAA Championship, beginning with Stanford. On this episode, we discuss:

- Putt's six-year collegiate career, which began at Stetson and will alas be coming to a close this weekend

- Her childhood growing up, and how she "lived the dream in high school" driving up and down Florida to play in beach volleyball tournaments

- Her masters in nutrition, and the impact knowing what the best foods are for beach volleyball players

- This weekend's NCAA Championship, and if Florida State can bring home the first NCAA title in school history

***

- This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! https://www.crossnetgame.com/

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Life inside the Cancun Bubble, with Tri Bourne and Evie Matthews

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:12:01 +0000

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, Bourne describes life inside the Cancun Bubble, where he has been competing for three weeks, with one final tournament remaining. Joining him on the show is coach Evie Matthews, who coaches Emily Stockman and Kelley Kolinske, who are also in the midst of a tight Olympic race.

On this episode, Bourne and Matthews discuss:

- The nearly non-stop beach volleyball being played: from country quotas to qualifiers to pool play to elimination rounds, there is competition happening every single day.

- The intense vibe in the Bubble, from all the athletes on the cusp of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games

- Bourne and Trevor Crabb beating some of the best teams in the world thus far, including Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins, Evandro and Bruno, Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy, Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai.

- The crazy wind and heat, and the impact it has been having on the matches

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Shaw, and the pursuit for the goals on the other side of fear

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:37:53 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features James Shaw. Shaw was a setter at Stanford, where he made an NCAA Championship appearance, before moving onto clubs in Italy and the USA National Team. He is now transitioning to the beach, where he is seeing immediate success.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why he decided to leave indoor and play beach volleyball

- The tricky transition of becoming a beach player

- His childhood, growing up under Don Shaw, the legendary Stanford coach

- How the volleyball community can help save the Stanford program, which was cut by the school

- Shaw's growing list of audacious goals on the beach, including an Olympic run for Paris 2024

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kim Hildreth is thriving, with both feet finally on the ground

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:30:21 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kim Hildreth, one of the top players in Florida who made the finals of AVP Austin in 2019. A native of Michigan, Hildreth set for four years at Eastern Michigan before finishing out her collegiate career at North Florida. She's stayed in the Sunshine State ever since, rising through the ranks of professionals from the NVL to the AVP.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Life at age 30, and how becoming "one of the ladies" in Florida isn't so bad after all

- How she turned 2020 into one of the most productive years of her life: getting married, getting into health coaching, practicing even more. "It was a year of growth."

- Her new role as a professional health coach, and how that's impacting her game

- The AVP, and the idea of expanding the main draw, but not prize money (this is a really fun convo, and I encourage you to make it to the end)

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mark Paaluhi, the man alas giving beach volleyball the attention he always thought it needed

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Apr 2021 14:47:30 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Mark Paaluhi, a Hawai'ian native who was raised in Hermosa Beach. As a player, his heyday was in the early '90s, the Golden Era of the sport, where he trained with Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes, among others. But his impact on the sport goes far beyond his abilities as a player.

Paaluhi is the man behind the net systems and courts at 16th Street, and he is the one directing all of those miniature tournaments in Hermosa Beach you keep hearing about. On this episode, we discuss:

- His background as a player, and a hilarious story about getting bageled, 15-0, by Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes

- His serendipitous journey getting into the corporate world of beach volleyball with USA Volleyball

- How he negotiated with the Hermosa Beach Chief of Police to make 16th Street the safe-haven for professional beach volleyball players

- The advent, and evolution, of the miniature tournaments in Hermosa Beach

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Breaking down the Cancun Bubble, training tips, AVP speculation

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:36:50 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hosts, Bourne and Mewhirter, answering a variety of fan questions. In this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter:

- Break down the upcoming Cancun Bubble, a three-week stretch of back to back to back four-stars

- Discuss the balance of playing vs. practicing

- Analyze how to beat taller opponents

- What they look for in a partner search

- What they've heard about the upcoming AVP season And much, much more.

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Fuerbringer: Respecting the work that's required of greatness

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:16:26 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Matt Fuerbringer, the associate head coach at Long Beach State and one of the all-time good people in beach volleyball. He's a Manhattan Beach Open champion and came within a fingernail of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games with Nick Lucena, a story we discuss on the podcast.

We also chat about:

- His partnership with Casey Jennings, and the emotional team they were that thrived on adversity and in big moments.

- How he felt like he was playing the best volleyball of his career at age 34 or 35

- The leadup to the 2012 Olympics, playing with Nick Lucena, and finishing fifth in the world and still missing out on qualifying

- The lessons he's trying to instill in his kids, and his awesome definition of what it means to have fun at practice

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chaim Schalk's American career has finally begun -- from the bottom

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:08:42 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Chaim Schalk, a 2016 Olympian for Canada who has finally, finally, finally begun playing for the United States.

It's been a long road for Schalk, who had to sit out two years to transfer federations, then one more year for COVID. But beginning with a country quota win over Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb, Schalk's career alas began again, with the four-star qualifier in Doha.

On this episode with Schalk, we discuss:

- How it felt for Schalk to compete again after such a long time off

- Seeing old friends, and how much the World Tour has changed

- Tri opens up about the country quota loss, and how USA Volleyball made the right decision to make him and Crabb compete

- Whether or not there should be country quotas at all on the FIVB, or if there is enough parity around the world to remove the quotas

- Schalk and Brunner's future as a team, and their ambitions

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Don't be fooled by LSU's Kristen Nuss: She'll find a way to win

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 15:56:16 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Kristen Nuss, a standout on court one at LSU who has helped the Tigers become a perennial power in college beach volleyball. In four years with the team, she has won 111 matches (and quickly counting) and, in 2020, helped LSU rise to the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in program history.

She is an absolute delight, both on and off the court.

On this episode, we discuss:

- LSU's rise from a landlocked, underdog program to one of the best in the United States

- How Nuss wasn't recruited by a single school until her brother, Pete, told coach Russell Brock to take a look at her

- How Nuss and Taryn Kloth turned 2020 from a disappointing COVID-shortened year into one criss-crossing the country, winning tournaments all over

- How this year, the NCAA Championships are a "Super Championship" with all the talent

Much, much more.

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Travis Mewhirter's volatile, adversity-filled trip to and from the Doha bubble

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Mar 2021 14:57:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the host, Mewhirter, discussing what life is like on the World Tour, and all the hoops players and promoters must jump through to put on a successful tournament.

In this episode, we discuss:

- A crazy two weeks prior to leaving for Doha, which included an injury, delayed visas, COVID-testing issues -- the whole gamut

- What it's like to play a tournament in a "bubble"

- How it was for Mewhirter to compete in his first tournament since the Cook Islands in January of 2020

- The next steps for both Bourne and Mewhirter, in an uncertain 2021 season ahead

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tri Bourne reflects on his Doha country quota loss and how he plans to bounce back

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 19:45:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Savvy Simo and Tri. Travis is on the road playing in the 1 star FIVB in Doha, Qatar, so Savvy interviews Bourne to bring the fans up-to-date on his teams status and his personal goals.

Bourne recently played in a USA Country quota, but lost to Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner. In this video he is reflecting on that loss and how he plans to move forward after this rough set back in 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification.

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Mike Campbell: From running off a dad bod to coaching Olympians

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:54:46 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Mike Campbell.

Campbell is the head coach of the Long Beach State beach volleyball team, and has been the coach for the AVP teams of Jeremy Casebeer and Chaim Schalk, Chaim Schalk and Chase Budinger, and, now, Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger. He has a brilliant mind for the game, having grown up playing it by the Santa Monica Pier, and this was such a fun podcast.

We talk about:

- How Campbell accidentally began coaching Jeremy Casebeer and Chaim Schalk, and their win, two months later, in Seattle, a first for all three of them

- The difference between coaching professionals and college players, and the tweaks a coach must make to his system to manage it

- Why he began coaching professional beach volleyball players in the first place, given his extensive coaching duties already

- The boom of young talent in the United States, and the promise it's showing for years to come

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tina Graudina, Latvian trailblazer, is out to inspire

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:01:41 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Tina Graudina, a junior at USC and the best Latvian woman to ever play beach volleyball.

In 2019, Graudina and her partner, Anastasija Kravcenoka, in winning the Olympic qualification tournament in Haiyang, China, became the first Latvian women's team to qualify for an Olympic Games. All the while, she's compiled a 64-4 record at USC, twice been named an All-American and once the Player of the Year. She's a brilliant talent on the court and absolutely delightful off of it.

On the episode, we discuss:

- The Olympic Qualification Tournament, its funky format, and how it served well for Graudina and Kravcenoka -- all they needed was a chance

- Beach volleyball in Latvia, and how Aleksandrs Samoilovs, Janis Smedins, and Martins Plavins are considered "the holy trio."

- Graudina's decision to initially play for USC, and how it wasn't as easy as many may think

- Her new role of being one of the biggest role models in Latvian beach volleyball

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ed Keller, beach volleyball's walking, talking, encyclopedic superfan

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Feb 2021 16:15:55 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ed Keller, one of the most passionate human beings in the world when it comes to the sport of beach volleyball. He's a walking BVBinfo, the guy who can tell Phil Dalhausser more about Phil Dalhausser's career than Phil Dalhausser.

He's a staple at 16th street, the new central training center for the top AVP professionals, and a longtime friend of Sean Rosenthal, among many of the other big-time AVP leaders -- Casey Patterson, Chase Budinger, Jake Gibb. He arguably knows more about the game, and its history, than anyone we've had on the show, and this podcast was absolute gold. We chat about everything from the 1996 Olympic Games to stories of Sean Rosenthal's youth, to the current Olympic race and Ed Keller's statistical breakdown of what every team needs to do to get in.

If you're a fan of beach volleyball, you will LOVE this podcast. We certainly did.

SHOOTS!

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BEACH VOLLEYBALL IS BACK: Answering fan questions heading into the 2021 season

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:56:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an exciting one, as beach volleyball is officially back on the schedule again, both on the World Tour -- hello, Doha! -- and in the college ranks.

Bourne and Mewhirter, alongside our favorite UCLA Bruin, Savvy Simo, answered fan questions heading into the 2021 season, which we hope will feature a full schedule, with plenty of volleyball to play, discuss, and write about.

Below are a few of the fan questions we answered:

- Is Chase Budinger is back with Casey Patterson. Where's Chaim Schalk?

- What is the most anticipated match of the college season?

- If no Olympics happen, will this be the greatest AVP season since its newest revival?

- Who do you predict will team up after the 2021 Olympic cycle?

Those, and much, much more.

This episode, as always, is brought to you by our good friends at Wilson Volleyball, who make the absolute best beach volleyballs in the game, hands down.

Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 PERCENT OFF the best balls in the game.

Thanks as always for listening to SANDCAST!

SHOOTS!

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Andy Benesh is turning the corner

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 16:45:47 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Andy Benesh, new partner of Billy Allen. On this episode, we discuss:

- Andy getting the call from Billy, and the difficult decision he had to make in leaving Eric Beranek (who has since partnered with Troy Field)

- What his vision for his future in beach volleyball looks like, and what he wants it to look like

- An overseas career in Switzerland that was cut short

- Quitting his job as a Certified Financial Planner to become..a beach volleyball player

That, and so much more. This episode, as always, is brought to you by our good friends at Wilson Volleyball, who make the best balls in the game, hands down. To get 20 PERCENT OFF your next Wilson purchase, use our discount code, SANDCAST-20!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Delgado: The man who saved beach volleyball in 2020

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:20:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of the greatest unsung heroes in the sport of beach volleyball: Greg Delgado.

Delgado is, simply, the man who saved beach volleyball in 2020.

He and Mark Paaluhi, co-founder of Sand Court Experts, made an arrangement with the city of Hermosa Beach so that the players could legally play beach volleyball and train for the AVP Champions Cup.

Born was one of the coolest communities on the AVP: The 16th street training center.

On this episode, we discuss:

- What this summer was like, to see every single top professional training, every morning, at 16th Street

- How Delgado was able to persuade the city of Hermosa Beach to allow the professionals to train without risking a ticket (it was illegal to play beach volleyball at the time)

- A hilarious story of Taylor Crabb throwing a massive party at Delgado's house in 2017, without Delgado knowing about it

If you haven't met Delgado, I cannot recommend it highly enough that you introduce yourself, and express gratitude for what he was able to do for the AVP players this summer. He created a community at a time when community was most needed.

Thanks, as always, for listening to SANDCAST, which recently topped the charts for the most listened-to volleyball podcast in six countries! Your support means the world, and we hope you had the MERRIEST OF CHRISTMASES and happiest of New Years! So long, 2020!

If you're looking for last-minute Christmas ideas, we know the perfect gifts for the beach volleyball fans in your family. Check out Wilson volleyball, and use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 PERCENT OFF!

And, if you're looking for a legit backpack, our guys at Kamena Outdoor make the absolute best backpacks on the beach, with more than 17 years of tweaking and modifying to make it the perfect, long-lasting backpack you need. Use our discount code DIGME to get another 20 PERCENT OFF!

Thanks, as always, to you, the listeners. Y'all are the real MVPs.

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nina Matthies: Beach volleyball's ultimate champion and ambassador

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 16:09:25 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Nina Matthies, a legendary player and coach and one of the all-time great people in the sport of beach volleyball.

As a player, Matthies won a record SEVEN Manhattan Beach Opens, but her legacy is so much more than that of a player. She was instrumental in forming the WPVA, bringing the women's game to get the same respect as the men. She built the Pepperdine indoor program into a bona fide power, and she helped beach volleyball become established as an NCAA sport.

She is an incredible human being, and her fingerprints are all over the sport of beach volleyball.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Nina Matthies' childhood in Manhattan Beach, and how beach volleyball was really the only option she had to play a sport as a kid

- How she helped form the WPVA, and how Leonard Armato actually approached her before the men to form the AVP

- A wild trip to Brazil for the inaugural professional beach volleyball event there in 1986

- How she balanced coaching at Pepperdine, being a mom, while also being the best female player in the world

- The indelible formation of beach volleyball as an NCAA sport

Thanks, as always, to you, the listeners. Y'all are the real MVPs.

SHOOTS!

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Answering the final fan questions in The Year Without Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 16:59:33 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is fueled by you, the listeners, as Bourne and Mewhirter, with UCLA star defender Savvy Simo, answer your fan questions.

If you want your questions answered, or just want to chat, send us an email: sandcastpodcast@gmail.com.

On this episode, we discuss:

- What can fans do to support the game, players, and help increase prize money?

- If Tri wanted to teach blocking, where would he start and how would he progress?

- How do you get over a bad offensive stretch/feeling like you can't get around a blocker?

- Can you make a list of eligible women's blockers for the 2021 season? Asking for a friend

Those, and many more.

Thanks, as always, for listening to SANDCAST, which recently topped the charts for the most listened-to volleyball podcast in six countries! Your support means the world, and we hope you have the MERRIEST OF CHRISTMASES and HAPPIEST OF NEW YEARS!

Thanks, as always, to you, the listeners. Y'all are the real MVPs.

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Billy Allen: The prolific, deadpanning, self-deprecating AVP champion and author

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 16:26:52 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Billy Allen, one of our favorites on the show who recently published his third book, Dark Blood, which you can find on Amazon and anywhere books are sold.

In our conversation with Billy Allen, we discuss:

- His recent move Idaho, the new beach volleyball hotbed (we kid)

- His book, Dark Blood, and the year and a half that went into writing it

- His plans for beach volleyball, and how he will still be pursuing a full-time international and domestic career on the FIVB and AVP tours

- New Coach Your Brains Out projects with his longtime partner and fellow good guy, John Mayer

- Much more

Thanks, as always, to you, the listeners. Y'all are the real MVPs.

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Learning doesn't stop, with Pri Lima

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 17:16:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features longtime beach volleyball professional, and seven-time NVL champion Pri Lima.

Lima is one of the ultimate good people in the sport of beach volleyball, a topic we'll get into a lot on the show. Along with her career, which spanned from Brazil to Louisiana to Florida and California, we discuss:

- Her current role in the sport as a coach and mentor, expanding her club, Optimum Beach, to franchises in New York, Tennessee, and several locations in Florida.

- What it was like in her prime on the AVP Tour, at the peak of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings' powers, and how most players "were playing for fifth."

- How the Brazilian Tour operates, and her experience on it, competing -- and beating -- with players like Maria Antonelli, Carolina Salgado, Taiana Lima.

- How the good people of Lafayette, Louisana made her professional career possible

- The value of being a lifelong learner

This episode is, as always, brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. They make the best beach volleyballs in the game, hands down, and we’d love it if you could support them. Head over to Wison and use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to receive 20 percent off all purchases! Yes, we do get a kickback, but we see it as a win-win – you get a discount on the best balls in the game, we get a little extra love!

This episode is also brought to you by Kamena Outdoor! Dave Kamena is a longtime beach volleyball enthusiast and has perfected his outdoor backpack over the previous 17 YEARS! It makes a great Christmas present, or just a great present for yourself. Head over to Kamena Outdoor to get your backpack today!

We would also love it if you could check out our new YouTube channel! Bourne and Mewhirter are expanding the podcast, adding extra episodes and features on YouTube, so check us out and make sure to subscribe to get the latest updates!

If you haven’t seen it yet, our book, Volleyball For Milkshakes, is for sale on Amazon! If you are a fan of the show, you’ll be a fan of this book, as it adds lessons and stories from our guests in a fictional tale based around the Outrigger Canoe Club, where Bourne learned how to play the game!

Thank y’all so much for supporting the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

SHOOTS!

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Karch Kiraly, and the hunger to pursue mastery

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Dec 2020 18:30:03 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the GOAT, Karch Kiraly. Currently the coach of the U.S. Women's National Team, Kiraly has won three gold medals and could very well win another as a coach in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

This podcast is absolute GOLD -- pun fully intended. We cover the full range of topics, including:

- Kiraly's upbringing, and how competing against grown men at 11 years old galvanized his pursuit of finding answers to win, and quickly

- His difficult decision to give up beach to compete on the United States National Team, which resulted in his first gold medal at the 1984 Olympics

- His wildly successful partnership with Kent Steffes

- How he has been able to adapt at every evolution the game, indoor or beach, and remain at the top

- SO MUCH MORE

If there's one episode y'all should listen to, it should be no surprise that this is the one. Share it out, tell your friends and fellow volleyball fans.

Thank y’all so much for supporting the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

SHOOTS!

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Angie Akers: Beach volleyball's running, kickboxing Olympic coach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Dec 2020 17:32:08 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Angie Akers, the AVP and FIVB Rookie of the Year as a player and the new coach of April Ross and Alix Klineman.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Akers' itinerant journey into beach volleyball, from road running to working for the Lehman Brothers to kickboxing to the beach

- Her experience coaching for the Netherlands for the previous six years

- How she fell into a training group with John Speraw, Jeff Nygaard, and John Hyden as her first training partners

- Compiling an accomplished beach career despite not playing beach volleyball until she was 26

- How she became April Ross and Alix Klineman's new coach

- A fun training camp to Brazil, and what's next for the A-Team

Thank y’all so much for supporting the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

SHOOTS!

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Mailbag: How does off-season training differ from in-season? Other fan questions

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:31:02 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features fan question host Savvy Simo, who asked a wide variety of fan questions for the show.
On this episode, Bourne, Mewhirter, and Simo discuss:
- What guest did we learn the most from?
- How does off-season training differ from in-season training in beach volleyball?
- Why is cornhole and drone racing on ESPN but not beach volleyball?
- What are the financials of an up-and-comer in beach volleyball?
- What are the best ways to learn the Xs and Os of beach volleyball?
And much, much more.

Thank you, as always, for watching the show, and thank you all for your fan questions! To submit a question, either each out to us on Instagram (@trammew, @tribourne) or our email, sandcastpodcast@gmail.com.

Thank y’all so much for supporting the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

SHOOTS!

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Chris Meade: CROSSNET, the million-dollar (literally) idea beach volleyball didn't know it needed

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Chris Meade, one of three founders of the four-way volleyball game, CROSSNET, that has exploded since its founding in 2017.

In this episode, we discuss:

How the idea of CROSSNET was hatched, in a 4 a.m. brainstorming session with the founders
Convincing a manufacturer to take a chance on three kids with $15,000 in their savings accounts
Taking the leap to leave a six-figure job at Uber to launching your own company
How CROSSNET has gotten into thousands of schools and is now being retailed in major stores such as Wal Mart
The impact it has had on the sport of volleyball
The next steps for CROSSNET, including getting it into Canada, Australia, and, yes, swimming pools

Thanks as always for listening to SANDCAST, the No. 1 beach volleyball podcast in the world. This episode is, as always, brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. They make the best beach volleyballs in the game, hands down, and we’d love it if you could support them. Head over to Wison and use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to receive 20 percent off all purchases! Yes, we do get a kickback, but we see it as a win-win – you get a discount on the best balls in the game, we get a little extra love!

Thank y’all so much for supporting the show. We couldn’t do it without you.

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Lucena isn't ready for the life of the retired dad just yet

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:26:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Nick Lucena, one of the top defenders on the AVP and FIVB tours of his generation.

In this episode, we discuss:

What this year has looked like for Lucena, which began in Doha and ended in a wild trip to Australia
Playing a fun, no-block tournament with Taylor Crabb
Why he and Phil Dalhausser decided to split-block in the AVP Chicago tournament in 2018
What motivates Lucena, who is 41 years old, to continue playing
The competitive streak that has kept him at the top of his game since his early 20s
The four-week expedited training schedule he and Dalhausser undertook to prepare for the AVP Champions Cup
How crazy the U.S. will look without Dalhausser and Jake Gibb in the game after this season

This episode is, as always, brought to you by Wilson volleyball. They make the best balls in the game, and you can get 20 percent off by using our discount code, Sandcast-20.

Be sure to check out our new book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, on Amazon and, if you're feeling extra magnanimous, drop us a review! It goes a long way.

Thanks as always for listening!

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three gold medals of wisdom with Misty May-Treanor

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Nov 2020 16:02:47 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest of all time, in Misty May-Treanor.

It was such a blast having May-Treanor on the show, one of the best we've had yet -- no surprise there. On the episode, we discuss:

- What her life looks like today, as a retired athlete and current mother of three

- Her even-keel mindset and ability to stay calm on the biggest stages in sport

- What her training regimen looked like both in season and during off-season

- How she built her brand on immersing herself amid the crowd -- literally -- and being physically present and available

- Her and Kerri Walsh Jennings' partnership, and how they built the most dominant duo in beach volleyball history

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the BEST beach volleyballs in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 percent off all Wilson products.

Also be sure to give us a subscribe on our YouTube channel! A follow would go a long way as Tri Bourne and I build our podcast.

SHOOTS!

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Three years of unbelievable growth, change in three years of SANDCAST

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 16:50:17 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the hosts, Bourne and Mewhirter, as well as a new voice on the show, Savvy Simo, as we celebrate our three year anniversary of doing the podcast.

On this episode, we recap the long and short three-year journey we've been on, and answer a wide variety of fan questions, such as...

- How would you rank the top 10 men's teams right now going into the Olympics in 2021? Norway still #1?

- How would you rank Taylor within the group of top 5 defenders and why?

- What is the direction that USAV is headed with Tyler Hildebrand going back to Nebraska?

- Seems like the players would love more chances to play and you’ve seen first hand how into beach/sand volleyball places that don’t actually have beaches can be (Cincinnati) plus you’ve seen the indoor sand facilities. So what’s your take on playing sand indoors during the winter months?

- You’ve done a great job of interviewing the players and giving a bit more depth to the game from this fan’s perspective. You asked for some questions. You’ll undoubtedly get the most [surprising, best, worst, hilarious, .. etc], but I’m curious if you see the growth and acceptance of the game changing? Are you more or less positive looking forward? And what about existing and potential sponsors - how do you see that world now?

Many, many more. Thanks, as always, for listening to the show! If you want to drop us a review in iTunes, we'd appreciate it.

And, as always, thanks to Wilson Volleyball for sponsoring the show! If you want 20 percent off the best balls in the game, check out Wilson using our discount code SANDCAST-20 for 20 percent off!

SHOOTS!

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Julia Scoles: Finding peace amid life's biggest decisions

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:16:56 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Julia Scoles, a phenomenal indoor player at the University of North Carolina who transferred to Hawai'i to play beach after a series of concussions. After an incredibly successful stint as a Bow, Scoles transferred to USC, where, a year later, she is still waiting to make her debut as a Trojan.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Scoles' path from Carolina to Hawai'i to USC

- Her steep learning curve on the beach

- Winning her first tournament at the Waupaca Boatride with Hailey Harward

- How she has found peace amid all these momentous life decisions, and the stress of going from the East Coast to halfway around the world to Hawai'i

- Her five-year plan as a professional volleyball player after she graduates from USC

As always, this episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the best balls in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 percent off all Wilson products!

We would also LOVE it if you checked out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, which can be bought on Amazon. And, if you've already read it, drop us a review! It only helps spread the beach love :)

SHOOTS!

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Avery Drost: Becoming beach volleyball's ultimate utility man

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:51:11 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is with Avery Drost, a longtime pro who has been competing on the AVP Tour for 10 years.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Drost winning the Hyden Beach AVP Next with Miles Partain

- Just how good the 18-year-old Partain is becoming

- Drost finding the best practice regimen and weight lifting schedule for his body

- Finding the right playing weight

- His goals when it comes to beach volleyball

- Transitioning to a right-side defender with Ryan Doherty

- His overall confusion -- in a good way -- over what position to play, given his ability to thrive all over the court

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the best beach volleyballs in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, for 20 percent off!

We'd love it if you checked out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, on Amazon, and we'd really love it if you dropped us a review as well! It goes a long way.

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jordan Cheng: Making a career out of "Once in a lifetime opportunities"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 16:03:26 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with Jordan Cheng, the coach of Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil, the 10th-ranked team in the world and No. 3 in the American Olympic race.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Cheng's career as a coach, how his intentions to play professionally were constantly derailed by "once in a lifetime" coaching opportunities at Pepperdine, under Marv Dunphy, USA Volleyball under John Speraw, UCI, Reid Priddy and, now, Sponcil and Claes

- How Cheng, 28 years old at the time, came to be the coach for Priddy, one of the best volleyball players of all time

- His coaching philosophy: "I don't want to be a JV version of Jose Loiola. I want to be a varsity version of myself."

- How he came to coach Claes and Sponcil

- The importance of pursuing something bigger than beach volleyball

This episode is, as always, brought to you by Wilson volleyball. They make the best balls in the game, and you can get 20 percent off by using our discount code, Sandcast-20.

Be sure to check out our new book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, on Amazon and, if you're feeling extra magnanimous, drop us a review! It goes a long way.

Thanks as always for listening!

SHOOTS!

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Answering beach volleyball's questions in a year with no shortage of them

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:25:23 +0000

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we answer fan questions in our "season ending" episode, even if there wasn't much of a season in the first place. Some of those questions include:

- What's this secret event Tri has been training for?

- Who are some of the younger players, other than Andy Benesh and Eric Beranek, we should be looking out for?

- Is Miles Partain the real deal or what?

- What beach players are getting out of the game after this year?

- If you could change one thing about the Olympic qualifying process, what would it be?

- What do you think the 2021 season will look like? We answer a few more as well.

Enjoy!

SHOOTS!

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Randy Stoklos is still the King of the Beach

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:27:21 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with one of the greatest players of all-time, with 123 victories, including four at the Manhattan Beach Open.

More than that, Stoklos, along with his partner, Sinjin Smith, is one of the most influential individuals in beach history, instrumental in pushing beach volleyball worldwide. Without Stoklos and Smith, it's possible the sport would not currently be in the Olympic Games.

On this episode, we cover a lot of ground, including:

- Stoklos' upbringing with his father, Rudy, a Polish immigrant who escaped a concentration camp in Nazi Germany.

- Winning the Manhattan Beach Open at age 20 with the legendary Jim Menges

- How he and Sinjin Smith partnered, both of them turning down an offer from Karch Kiraly to do so

- Stoklos' and Sinjin's epic 11-year partnership, in which they won more tournaments (115) than any team in beach volleyball history

- Their push for the FIVB, and international volleyball

- An incredible story from Ipanema, where he and Smith were dubbed the Kings of Rio

- So much more. Honestly, just listen. It's amazing. You'll love it.

SHOOTS!

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SANDCAST: John Hyden, the consummate player-coach, on and off the sand

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 16:02:19 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with the legendary, and ageless, John Hyden. At 47 years young, Hyden is still one of the best defenders in the United States, with his own beach facility just outside Nashville, Tennessee.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Hyden’s transition from an indoor Olympian to a beach volleyball player grinding in qualifiers

- Hustling side jobs, like hanging Christmas lights, putting in synthetic turf putting greens, and almost getting attacked by a dog, until he turned the financial corner in beach.

- Building his team and system, beginning with Brad Keenan in 2007

- Why he and Sean Scott were so dominant

- Coaching up a young Tri – or Tree – Bourne, on volleyball and far more

- Launching his new facility in Nashville

- The final act of his playing career, and how much juice the young man has left in him

This episode is, as always, brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off the best balls in the game! SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grant O'Gorman and Ben Saxton, pushing for Tokyo and Men's Health Awareness

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Sep 2020 16:00:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Canadians Grant O'Gorman and Ben Saxton, who are the second-ranked Canadian team in the race for Tokyo 2021.

More than pushing for Tokyo, however, they -- and especially O'Gorman -- are pushing for men's health awareness, as O'Gorman was diagnosed with, and beat, testicular cancer.

On this episode, we cover:

- O'Gorman discovering his testicular cancer, beginning in Hamburg, Germany, at the World Champs

- How the coronavirus may have actually saved his life

- How O'Gorman and Saxton became partners, and O'Gorman's brief stint living in a van

- Saxton's new mindset of not focusing on the Olympics, but simply trying to be the best he can be, every year

- The upcoming King of the Court event, the first time either has competed in the format

- The rise of Canadian volleyball, particularly the women's side

This episode, of course, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, the best balls in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off!

SHOOTS!

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From garbage to a coaching the best: How LT Treumann established a beach volleyball empire

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Sep 2020 15:34:35 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with Livingstone "LT" Treumann, who has established one of the best unofficial beach volleyball training centers in the United States.

On this episode, we cover:

- Treumann's days growing up in Brazil, and how a white lie turned into a career in volleyball

- Training with the best in the world, including Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego, as a teenager in Brazil

- His decision to pursue a career in the garbage business over moving to Santa Monica

- Getting back into coaching beach volleyball

- How he helped Bill Kolinske and Eric Beranek to a career-high third place finish at the 2019 Manhattan Beach Open

- How he established third street in Hermosa Beach as the training grounds for some of the best players in the country

- What he's currently doing in Florida with Beranek and Andy Benesh for the next three months

This episode, per usual, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, who makes the best balls in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 percent off all purchases!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pressure is a privilege for Adrian Carambula

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:30:42 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Adrian Carambula. Nicknamed Mr. Skyball for his towering, spinning serve, Carambula is one of the best players in Italy and in the race to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics with Enrico Rossi.

On this episode, we cover:

- Carambula's move from Uruguay to the United States, and how he discovered volleyball on the shores of South Beach, Miami.

- His rise up the ranks in beach volleyball in the U.S., and how he began utilizing a creative, never-before-seen playing style

- His tryout with the Italian Federation

- The long list of adversity he had to overcome to convince the Italian Federation to give him a shot at playing with Alex Ranghieri

- His breakthrough tournament in Porec, Croatia, where he and Ranghieri would take bronze, putting to rest all of the doubts the Federation had about him

- Finding his new partner, Enrico Rossi, and where his career is headed from here.

Thanks as always for listening to SANDCAST! This episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball ! Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off all Wilson products.

Tri and I would love it if you guys ordered a copy of our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, which is filled with lessons from the pros on this podcast.

SHOOTS!

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Traci Callahan has 'quit quitting'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 15:54:01 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Traci Callahan, who has been competing on the AVP Tour since 2010, with a brief break in the 2015-2017 seasons.

We talk a lot about that break, as well as:

- A journey down the Camino de Santiago, and how it inspired her to get back into beach volleyball

- Her time as a coach, yoga instructor, bee farmer, organic farmer, and others in between her stints as a professional beach volleyball player

- Why she got back into beach volleyball

- The struggles of returning to the sport, which included switching positions, not being able to find a partner, and, you know, Covid

- Her newfound dedication to the sport, and what it has taken to get back to the top level

As always, this episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off!

We would LOVE it, if you checked out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes! If you like the show, we know you'd love the book, which is packed with some of the best lessons from our guests on the show.

Thanks as always for listening.

SHOOTS!

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Wilco Nijland, King of the Court creator, beach volleyball's ultimate innovator

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:36:10 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with Wilco Nijland, the CEO of SportWorx, based in Utretcht, Netherlands, and the creator of the wildly popular King of the Court Series.

On this episode of the podcast, we discuss:

- How Wilco was able, despite all the Covid precautions, to hold a King of the Court

- Innovative ideas in the sport of beach volleyball, such as having the first serve of the Dutch Tour in 2020 coincide with the sunrise -- at 5:24 a.m. on July 1, the first day professional sport was allowed

- The high-speed format for King of the Court, and how it has attracted a much-sought after demographic: The 18-34 year olds.

- The relationships Nijland has been able to build with the FIVB and AVP, working alongside both in the past three years

- The idea for Skyboxes -- skyboxes! -- in beach volleyball

As always, this episode is brought to you by our good friends at Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off all Wilson products!

And, of course, make sure to check out our new book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, which you can get on Amazon!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tri Bourne has leveled up, winning his first AVP title in five years

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 15:26:03 +0000

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we bring on host Tri Bourne, who just won his first AVP tournament in five years!

Since launching this podcast, Bourne has battled -- is still battling -- an autoimmune disease, enrolled in acting classes, hosting classes, improv classes, begun reading books regularly, authored a book of his own, and is back in the winners circle on the AVP Tour.

He speaks a lot on leveling up on this show. He certainly has himself.

On this episode, we discuss:

- The AVP Champions Cup Series, from week one to week three, culminating in his win

- Trevor Crabb hilariously guaranteeing a win at the Porsche Cup, for no explicable reason

- Reminiscing to when Bourne was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, when he had to have the conversation if he was ever going to play again

- Bouncing back from a brutal first set loss to Chaim Schalk and Chase Budinger

- What the next few weeks will look like for Bourne and Crabb

Thanks, as always, for listening to the show. Be sure to give a shout to our sponsor, Wilson Volleyball, for making the show happen! Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 PERCENT OFF!

Also, we published a book! It's called Volleyball for Milkshakes, and we'd love it if you bought a copy, or dropped a review. Every little bit helps your favorite podcast :)

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Joe and Gage Worsley: 'Just figure out the best way to win'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 20:44:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, takes a little turn off the beach and onto the grass. Two weekends ago, the legendary and annual Waupaca Boatride, known as the U.S. Open of grass volleyball, was held, and two brothers by the name of Joe and Gage Worsley took over, becoming the Cinderellas of the Boatride.
Joe, who now sets in Germany, was one of the best setters in the United States while he competed for Hawai'i. Gage still has one more season at Hawai'i as a libero, and he proved that, yes, liberos can play offense too.
On this episode of SANDCAST, we discuss
- Joe and Gage's absurd, undefeated run through the best grass volleyball tournament in the world
- Grabbing a drunk sub to finish their semifinals and finals after their middle, Dalton Solbrig, went down with an ankle injury
- Joe and Gage's relationship, and how when they're fighting, it's actually a good thing
- Joe's decision to commit to Hawai'i, before the program had returned to national prominence, over UCLA, Ohio State, and Pepperdine
- Joe's difficult path to becoming one of the best setters in the country
- How much fun grass volleyball is, and the creativity required

As always, this episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. To get 20 percent off Wilson products, use our discount code, Sandcast-20

SHOOTS

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Whose stocks are up after week one of the AVP Champions Cup?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:38:18 +0000

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, the hosts discuss the first of the AVP Champions Cup Series, the Monster Hydro Cup.

Bourne and his partner, Trevor Crabb, finished third in the event, which was won by Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena on the men's side, and April Ross and Alix Klineman on the women's.

In this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter discuss:

- How it felt to be competing again for Bourne, who hasn't played many AVPs in the past few years.

- How the site setup in Long Beach was, and playing without fans.

- What players performed the best over the weekend, including: Skylar del Sol, Sara Hughes and Brandie Wilkerson, Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes, Dalhausser and Lucena, Traci Callahan and Crissy Jones.

- The improvement Bourne and Crabb have had on defense.

- What the rest of this three-week sprint will look like.

Thanks, as always, for listening to the show! This show is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. To get a 20-percent discount on the best volleyball in the sport, head over to Wilson and use the code, Sandcast-20 for 20-percent off!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Piotr Marcinak, Rafu Rodriguez look to rediscover 2017 magic in AVP Champions Cup

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:44:28 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features AVP professional beach volleyball players Rafu Rodriguez and Piotr Marciniak, former partners in 2017 who have agreed to compete together again during the AVP Champions Cup.

On this episode, we discuss:

- Rafu's recent cross-country move from Southern California to Florida.

- Piotr's move from Poland to Florida, and the life he has been able to build there in the eight years since.

- How much the two have been able to train and play in Florida, despite Covid-19

- Why they chose to partner up again in 2020

- Piotr and his wife, Kaya, and the success they had on the NVL from 2013-2016

- Piotr's transition into becoming a dad, and the blessings that have come from it

- Piotr playing with so many different partners in the last two years, and the lessons he has learned

Big thanks, as always, to listening to the show. And a big thanks, as always, to our sponsor, Wilson Volleyball, who makes the BEST ball in the game. To get a discount of 20 PERCENT OFF, use our code, Sandcast-20.

SHOOTS!

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Casey Patterson is, and always has been, all in on this beach life

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Jul 2020 15:41:00 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Casey Patterson, one of the biggest personalities and talents on the AVP Tour since Donald Sun brought it out of bankruptcy in 2012.

In the past nine seasons, Patterson has won 14 AVPs, qualified for the Rio Olympics with Jake Gibb, and was named the AVP Team of the Year three times. He has since partnered with Stafford Slick, Theo Brunner, Chase Budinger and, once again, Theo Brunner.

On this episode of SANDCAST, we discuss

- Patterson's insane nine-day stretch in 2009 in which he won the Swedish Tour, flew back to California for the birth of his first child, flew to New York to win his first AVP with Ty Loomis.

- His journey into volleyball, including riding the bench at BYU, and living on a floor in Hawai'i with $42 and a skateboard to his name.

- The early grind of being a professional beach volleyball player, living, as he calls it, a "gypsy life," finding anyone who would play with him and doing it, no matter where in the world it would take him.

- How the Covid-19 shortened season is different from the multiple bankruptcies Patterson has experienced in the sport.

- His 2012-2016 run with Jake Gibb, and how his big personality was not only ok with Gibb, but encouraged

- The development of Casey's "hype-man" personality, otherwise known to Patterson as going "full-Hulk mode."

- His breakup with Chase Budinger, and how he handled it with more class and respect than he would have previously, because he's simply in a different phase of competing.

- His thoughts on the AVP Champions Cup, and all of the crazy partner switches currently happening.

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off on the best equipment in beach volleyball.

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel!

In case you haven't heard, Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter wrote a book! It's called Volleyball for Milkshakes, and we'd love it if you picked up a copy and let us know how it is! You can buy on Amazon.com!

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Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter publish new book, Volleyball for Milkshakes!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Jul 2020 16:02:34 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features a fun announcement from the hosts: They have co-written and published a book!

Their book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, is out today! The easiest place you can find it is on Amazon, and the audio version will be out in a week or so!

This episode covers, first and foremost, the book: how it came about, what it’s about, and how the podcast influenced the narrative. At the bottom of the show notes, we’ll provide the synopsis.

We also answer a number of fan questions, so thank you to all who submitted them!

We take a look at all the new teams signing up for the AVP Champions Cup, and why there are so many breakups happening despite no tournaments having been played just yet (hint: POINTS!)
Who our underdog picks are to stand out during the Champions Cup
If the AVP were to host a co-ed tournament, who would we pick as a partner?
Tri’s perspective on the AVP’s Covid-19 precautions
Who is our fantasy four-man team
Who has been practicing regularly and who might be a bit rusty
Which non-coastal city would we like to see the AVP host a tournament?

Thanks as always for listening, and supporting the show. As always, this show is brought to you by our guys at Wilson Volleyball, the No. 1 source of equipment for all things beach volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 for 20 percent off!

SYNOPSIS OF VOLLEYBALL FOR MILKSHAKES

Tri had anxiously been waiting for this day throughout the entire school year: The beginning of summer, when his days would be filled with beach volleyball, surfing, and more beach volleyball. But when he signs up for summer beach volleyball at Outrigger Beach with his best friend and partner, Trevor, he discovers the devastating news that Trevor had teamed up with his arch rival, Ricardo.

Now Tri, with the help of his tough love Auntie, must befriend a misfit named Travis, building a new team, a new partnership, and a deep friendship that changes his view on beach volleyball, and life.

In this first-of-its kind novel, SANDCAST podcast hosts and professional beach volleyball players Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter take you through a fictional tale that will inspire, humor, and teach lessons that will last a lifetime.

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Falyn Fonoimoana: Race, volleyball, and the importance of uncomfortable conversation

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 15:11:39 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Falyn Fonoimoana.

Times have, obviously, been a bit fraught lately. Between Covid-19, George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing riots, tension has been high. Fonoimoana, one of only a few black athletes on the AVP Tour, has been outspoken on social media on the racial issues throughout the United States. This conversaion on SANDCAST covered much more than the standard beach volleyball chatter typically featured on the show.

On this episode, we discuss:

Fonoimoana’s upbringing in the California South Bay, a predominantly white and affluent community, and her experiences growing up as one of only a few black individuals.
Recent experiences she’s had involving racism, including a bizarre run-in at Lazy Acres, a grocery store in Hermosa Beach.
Why she has been so active on social media, and what she’s hoping to achieve by it.
What we as a volleyball community can do to continue having conversations on uncomfortable topics, no matter what your stance on these topics may be.
Plans she has to improve this community, including launching a start-up non-profit business, similar to her uncle Eric Fonoimoana’s Dig For Kids Foundation.

This episode, like all episodes, is brought to you by our guys at Wilson Volleyball. The beaches are opening up again, so it's about that time to get some new OPTX volleyballs, using our discount code, Sandcast-20, for 20 percent off!

You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel!

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SANDCAST: Evan Silberstein, the New Yorker who found his "medicine" in Hawai'i

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:11:26 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features University of Hawai'i assistant coach Evan Silberstein.

Silberstein is a New York native turned full-blown Hawai'ian. He has been the assistant at Hawai'i for six years now, helping the Bows become one of the perennial powers in NCAA volleyball.

In this episode, we cover:

- How Silberstein came to Hawai'i from, of all places, New York City.

- How he left his own law practice on the Island to take a volunteer position at the University of San Francisco

- Taking his dream job at the University of Hawai'i, and how different that dream is from his initial dream of practicing law for a living.

- The art and importance of developing rapport with his athletes. Indeed, it was Silberstein who drove a van nicknamed the "Vegan Vaagen" at Hawai'i, ensuring all of the more dietary conscious athletes got their needs fulfilled.

- Why AVP Hawai'i is generally devoid of fans despite such a rich beach volleyball culture.

- What the NCAA beach volleyball scene will look like following Covid-19.

I hope you enjoy this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. As always give some love to our sponsor, Wilson Volleyball, and for a 20 PERCENT discount on all Wilson products, use our discount code, Sandcast-20

You can find the full video on our YouTube channel: SANDCAST Podcast

The write-up is available at VolleyballMag.com!

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Megan Burgdorf and Michelle Meyer, serving the sport they love through a startup: Beach Volleyball Consulting

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 15:21:50 +0000

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features longtime beach volleyball coaches and advocates Megan Burgdorf and Michelle Meyer.

The two have been involved in the sport in virtually every capacity. Both were players at the college level -- Burgdorf at Cleveland State, Meyer played club at UC Santa Barbara before an overseas career in Denmark -- and have coached at all levels of the game.

With the advent of the college game, however, the sport has exploded in numbers, and Meyer and Burgdorf saw a number of opportunities for a business to bridge many of the gaps being created. Thus, they launched Beach Volleyball Consulting.

It's a wide-ranging business, and in the episode, we discuss every corner of the game the two are covering, from grassroots to men's college beach to the AVP and FIVB.

On this episode, we cover:

- How Beach Volleyball Consulting was launched, and whom it serves

- The advent of men's collegiate beach volleyball, and how Burgdorf and Meyer are spearheading an effort to make it happen

- The importance of athletes building their own personal brands and adding value to their community

- College athletes getting paid

- The Pro Athlete Mentorship Program launched by Beach Volleyball Consulting that is connecting the top players in the country to juniors all over the United States

Thanks, as always, for listening to the show.

This episode, as all are, is sponsored by Wilson Volleyball, who makes the best ball in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off!

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The Wilson roundtable show with Stafford Slick, the McKibbin Brothers, and Tri Bourne

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 3 Jun 2020 16:19:53 +0000

The idea for this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter came, as most do, on a whim.

Tri had been talking to Wilson, our main sponsor of the show and who also sponsors some of the most talented athletes on the AVP. Wilson wanted to know if we could do a roundtable of sorts: All seven Wilson athletes – Tri Bourne, Stafford Slick, Riley McKibbin, Madison McKibbin, Casey Patterson, Kelly Reeves, Sarah Sponcil, Irene Pollock – on a single podcast. Adding in my voice as a host of the show, making it eight in total, seemed crowded. A good idea, but a noisy one.

We decided to cut the number down to four – five, including me, the moderator – and have a debate-style show, not unlike ESPN’s Around the Horn. You’ll have to let us know what you think.

We cover 15 topics, including, but obviously not limited to:

Why Stafford Slick, king of the NORCECA tour, thinks Wilson makes the best volleyball
Does Ron Von Hagen belong on beach volleyball’s Mount Rushmore?
Is the Last Dance the best sports documentary ever?
Is Tim Bomgren the best player yet to win an AVP?
Why Riley McKibbin thinks there should be a substitution rule in beach volleyball

Let us know what you think. As we mentioned, it’s an experiment, and we have no idea if it was a mess, fun to listen to, or somewhere in between.

SHOOTS!

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Riley and Madison McKibbin: Filling the storytelling void in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 May 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Madison and Riley McKibbin can still remember -- with much amusement, as memories go – one of their first disasters as producers of beach volleyball videos on their eponymous YouTube channel. Not that it seemed like a disaster at the time – they rarely do. Riley probably thought it was a stroke of genius when the wind had muffled up the sound of one of those early videos, and rather than redo it, he simply recorded a voiceover, trying to match his cadence on screen.

“You can really tell,” Madison said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “It’s like an old, bad movie, like they’re speaking English words and it’s Japanese.”

“There were some bad decisions that were made for sure,” Riley added, laughing.

That’s the beautiful thing about being first in an industry with a large fanbase and what was at the time, and still sort of it, an almost entirely untouched gold mine of digital media: Even when bad decisions were made, they didn’t seem bad at the time. They seemed innovative, because the crux of their content was innovative, something that had never really been done before.

When the McKibbins were initially tinkering with the notion of retiring from indoor volleyball, which they played professionally overseas – Madison finished in Greece, Riley in Italy – and switching to beach, they did what anybody in this current generation would do: They searched YouTube.

They found what nobody in any future generation will now find: Little to nothing. Nothing that was great, anyway. There were some out there. But Riley, now 31 and coming off a career-best AVP season, knew he had found a hole. Why he knew that he and Madison thought they could be the answers to that problem is still a mystery to them. Riley had no prior experience editing film. Madison had little, though he did have a camera. An early issue there was that Riley couldn’t even turn the thing on.

In spite of that, Riley said, “we somehow thought we could fill that void.”

They have. And they have done it to such a spectacular degree because the foundation of virtually every video posted on The McKibbin Brothers YouTube channel has remained the same, whether it’s a hilarious voiceover edit, a tutorial on jumpserving, or a supremely well-done vlog: They’re telling stories that ought to be told.

“The thing is,” Madison says in their video following filming the 2020 AVP Media Day, “all these people aren’t just beach volleyball players. They have these passions outside of beach volleyball, which are so differentiating, so spread out all over the place, which makes them them, sometimes these volleyball questions – they get asked every single Media Day.”

They do things different. They don’t ask Alix Klineman what it’s like to transition from indoor to beach. They get her rolling on cooking, and food, to the point that Klineman, one of the more reticent individuals on Tour, actually asked the McKibbins to let her talk more.

“Actually, I have one more,” she said. “I can really just keep going.”

Nobody had ever gotten that story, because nobody had ever bothered. The McKibbins saw the void there. They were unqualified to fill that void. They didn’t care. They filled it anyway.

“It’s been a long learning process and during that learning process we’ve discovered different avenues we could take it,” Riley said. “So it moved just from doing beach volleyball tutorials to workout videos to some blogs to some mini documentary kind of videos. It’s been a pretty crazy, great learning experience.”

They’ve discovered the videos that are most fulfilling to them. The slow-motion replays of matches throughout the season are entertaining, and there is some benefit there, but there isn’t character building. No storytelling. There isn’t the reward of stringing together a narrative, drawing new fans into this sport, as a Formula One docuseries called “Drive to Survive” did for them.

“That’s something me and Riley realized about our content recently,” Madison said. “The ones we’ve been super excited for, you can see it. The ones where we’re like ‘meh’ you can tell as a viewer.”

“It’s almost like YouTube knows how much energy and how excited we are about the videos that we’re making,” Riley said. “When we’re super excited about a project, the views show it. When we’re throwing up filler content to hit that Wednesday quota, YouTube knows: ‘Nope, we’re punishing you. You only put in 75 percent effort’ and we’re like ‘Dammit!’”

They’re back to their metaphorical drawing boards. They couldn’t elaborate on the specificity of future projects, because they don't know the exact direction of them just yet. There are vague ideas, visions – something big out there. They just don’t know precisely what it is.

“Our main goal is to start innovating again,” Riley said. “I think one of the reasons we had such great success in the very beginning was because we spent a lot of time writing and trying to make the content at least somewhat entertaining.”

They’ve accomplished that much. They’ve filled one void, and they’ll surely find more as their abilities evolve and the perimeters of their limits as storytellers and creators expand.

There isn’t a team in beach volleyball better suited to do it.

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BounceBeach: How a 17-year-old high schooler created the most viral account in beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 May 2020 15:53:31 +0000

The idea began, like all viral ideas do, with something so blatantly obvious it had been overlooked by everyone. Parker Conley was the rare type of teenaged boy in Arizona who was obsessed with beach volleyball. It isn’t entirely unheard of. A handful of professionals hail from Arizona, and the sport has a small presence.

But it is rare, to be sure.

Conley sought any resource he could to learn the sport. Namely, YouTube. He’d watch anything he could find, no matter the era – old school Sinjin and Karch, all things Taylor Crabb, American or international, male or female. He’d see highlight after highlight, realizing, to his own subtle surprise, that there was no Instagram account that shared them. Other sports – basketball, primarily – have thousands of social media accounts dedicated almost exclusively to highlights, sharing clips that go viral, the type you’d see on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.

Beach volleyball had none of that.

“I thought,” Conley said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, “I should do it.”

Thus, BounceBeach was born.

Maybe. He waffled between names for a bit, seeking something about beach volleyball and some kind of impressive play within the sport. Bouncing a ball is one of the more highlight-worthy plays – just ask Sean Rosenthal, who is still, 13 years later, asked about his “Vegas Line” – and the alliteration worked.

Conley created the Instagram account, pouring over film from The Hague four-star in 2019 as his first event, and began creating highlights.

“I posted six or seven videos, the quality was horrible, I had a huge watermark, you could hardly see the players,” Conley said, laughing at the memory of his first attempt. “I was like ‘I’m not letting those stay on my page.’”

Nevertheless, the social media world took notice. When a sport is starved for content, particularly highlights that players can use to market their own brand, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the highest of quality. As Conley perfected his craft, the momentum only increased, a snowball careening down the mountain.

Soon, the pros themselves, the same ones on which Conley had watched so many hours of film, began reaching out: Phil Dalhausser, Jake Gibb, Nick Lucena, Casey Patterson. Could Conley send over a few highlights they could use?

After sitting down for half an hour, processing the fact that it was, indeed, that Phil Dalhausser who had messaged him, Conley would reply: Of course he’d send over a highlight.

“I had no idea where it was going to go,” said Conley, who is 17 and enrolled in online classes both at a high school and Arizona State. “I’m still blown away by how many people are following it. I thought I would eventually hit the cap and I’d stop getting followers but I haven’t hit it.”

If anything, BounceBeach is only picking up speed, taking on a life of its own. It’s morphed into something of an online forum, a place to discuss the highlights, where the best players in the world can beat their chest or poke fun of others. It’s its own subculture, in a way. When Conley posted a video of John Hyden digging a ruthless swing from Taylor Crabb, putting the ensuing transition point away with a jumbo poke that tagged the back line, Crabb commented, in jest, “Who won?”

This ignited a string of amusing comments and debates, becoming its own chat room.

“As I started growing, it’s been cool to see how the pros interact with it,” Conley said. “That was my goal, originally: to have my name known, build a brand for myself in a way. Having it be a forum in a way where pros will talk about highlights has been kind of surreal.”

In less than a year and a half, Conley has amassed nearly 40,000 followers. More than that, he’s created something that virtually every beach volleyball player and fan turns to when seeking highlights. He tapped the latent gold mine of content, becoming essentially the exclusive source of viral clips. The FIVB took note, asking Conley to edit some highlights for them as well, joining the growing list of players.

It’s become almost a competition among players to get their highlights featured on BounceBeach, which has become beach volleyball’s version of SportsCenter.

“It’s been crazy, surreal to see people say ‘I got on BounceBeach!’ I never expected that,” Conley said. “It’s insane. It almost has become something on its own, where people consider it a brand. When I started, I was just posting highlights for the fun of it.”

He’s still having fun with it. Still digging through YouTube, discovering gems with barely any views.

“I’m like ‘How has nobody ever seen this?’” Conley said.

With him, and BounceBeach, now everybody can.

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Savvy Simo, UCLA's favorite 'pain in the butt,' returning for one more year

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 May 2020 16:20:55 +0000

On the evening of January 14, UCLA women’s volleyball coach Mike Sealy had the mic. As he expounded on the tremendous careers of his seniors, of which there were just two – setter Cali Thompson and outside hitter Savvy Simo – he turned to Simo and, instead of gushing about her laundry list of accomplishments, said a joke.

“You’re one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached,” he said.

At least, Simo thought it was a joke. Over the past four years, she had been, by her own admission, a “pain in the butt,” something her beach coach, Stein Metzger, will readily, if not warmly, agree to. But Sealy didn’t laugh. Didn’t betray a single sign of amusement. He couldn’t have been more serious, and afterwards, he’d hug Simo and tell her that she’s the best, and to keep in touch.

That’ll be easier to do than Sealy could have known.

Savvy Simo’s coming back to UCLA for one more year.

When the NCAA initially granted an extra year of eligibility for all spring athletes who had their 2020 seasons cut short, Simo had no designs on returning to Westwood. She’d done her four years, playing both beach and indoor. She’d won two NCAA Championships on the beach, piled up 91 wins, completed her sociology major.

She was ready to move on.

“When I found out everything was cancelled I was like ‘Screw it, I’m not coming back, I’m over college, I’ve had my time, I already feel old, I want to play AVP, I want to do interviews, I want to move on,’” said Simo, who went 13-2 on court one with Abby Van Winkle in the truncated 2020 season.

Already, she had plans to move to the South Bay to room with LMU transfer Iya Lindahl. She was going to play on the AVP Tour, launch what is already a promising career in sports media. Move on with her life. As the reaction to Covid-19 spread, and the economy was shuttered and sports, including the AVP, were postponed indefinitely, if not altogether cancelled, reservation began to take root.

With no AVP to play at the moment, few if any jobs readily available, many of her rivals – Kristen Nuss and Claire Coppola at LSU, for instance – returning to school, her roommate, Lindahl, remaining in college, was there any real reason to move on?

It was a picture painted by Rachel Morris, Simo’s old coach at WAVE in San Diego, that ultimately convinced her.

“Look, Savvy,” Morris, a former setter for Oregon, told her, “next May you’re going to be sitting on your couch watching your team compete for a national championship and, win or lose, you’re going to regret not being there.”

“That,” Simo said, “was the tipping point for me. I was like ‘You’re so right, I cannot imagine watching this team play, knowing I could have had an opportunity.’”

She called Metzger. She wanted to come back. It’s simple in concept, but not in execution. There was the academic side of things to work out, since Simo can’t exactly return with no classes on the schedule, only to play beach volleyball for a few months in the spring semester. There is still the thorny scholarship issue as well, something that schools around the country are dealing with. But there was zero chance Metzger would let that interfere with Simo returning. He’d make it work, because if there’s one thing UCLA could use most on its young and talented team, it’s the Bruins’ phenomenal pain in the butt leader.

“I friggin love Stein, I love Jenny [Johnson Jordan], I think they’re both incredible humans,” Simo said. “Literally yesterday, I said ‘I’m sorry for being such a pain’ and he said ‘You really are a total pain but I love you kid.’ I’m so excited to come back.”

The Bruins will be equally excited to have Simo back as well. Simo’s fellow seniors, Lily Justine and Madi Yeomans, are moving on, making Simo, already the vocal leader of the bunch, the de facto captain of a team that featured underclassmen in 50 percent of its starting lineup: Van Winkle (sophomore), Lindsey Sparks (sophomore), Lexy Denaburg (freshman), Devon Newberry (freshman), Rileigh Powers (freshman).

“I took on the leadership role with the other seniors and it was a challenge but I just kinda took it and ran with it and no program is ever perfect but we were on the ups and it was a bummer it was cancelled but thankfully I’m back and I’m fired up to see the potential this team has,” Simo said.

“Me and Stein, we have a really great relationship and I think a reason why we kinda go back and forth is because I do have a really high level of respect for Stein. I listen to everything he says and he is one of the best coaches I’ve had on the beach and he is so smart and I think especially this year, I wanted to win so bad and I know he did too.

“I’ve learned and matured and figured out when to pick my battles and when to not. Even this year, there were times where I was like ‘Stein we need to be doing more of this’ and agree or disagree, I think we both have a common goal and we want to win. He has so much experience but I also have the side of the players and the team and we worked out a balance to find out what’s best. Jenny also plays an incredible role in that balance as a female figure too. People like Sarah [Sponcil] and people like Zana [Muno] were the same: We all just want to win. And that’s an incredible part of UCLA’s culture and I hope it carries out.”

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Mike Lambert: The consummate teammate, still shining the spotlight on his partners

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 May 2020 15:10:21 +0000

After a few minutes of cordial catching up and introductions, Mike Lambert paused, sitting in his office in Lucca, Italy, and wondered, on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter: “What should we talk about?”

The conversation would be wide-ranging, covering a vast canvas of topics. Midway through, however, it became comically evident what Lambert didn’t want to talk about: himself.

It is vintage Lambert. Though he may be nearly a decade since he last appeared in an AVP tournament, he is still very much the same man who, in his Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame write up – he was inducted in 2018 – was described as “a favorite of both fans and his fellow tour professionals, often bringing his guitar to the beach to play songs in-between matches and charming with an infectious smile. You would have to search far and wide to find someone with anything bad to say about Mike Lambert.”

And, for that matter, you would likely have to search farther and wider to find a time Lambert said anything bad about anyone else.

When he first posed the question of what we should discuss on the podcast, he immediately answered his own prompt: “Stein,” he said, referring to Stein Metzger, his childhood friend and partner for the 2006 season. “Let’s talk about that guy.”

And then, unprompted, he sang the UCLA coach’s praises.

“He was super special because he was so competitive, even back in the day,” Lambert said. “I think he would say that he’s not the most talented player, but he just wants to win more than the other guy. There’s so many memories of him, younger, and then in college and when he turned pro where he just wanted it more than the other player. That’s a fun guy to be partnered with. You get into battle and the trash talk starts going and he’s not going anywhere. He’s not backing down. He wants more of it.”

He talked Metzger. He marveled at the discipline of John Hyden, with whom Lambert played on the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams. Lambert, a Hawai’i native, complimented Bourne’s mother, Katy, a teacher on the Island.

“Such a stud,” he said of the woman known for her penchant for excelling in long-distance events.

Mostly, though, Lambert wanted to talk about Karch Kiraly. It was only Lambert’s second full-time year on the beach when he got the call from Kiraly, who by then was considered the greatest to ever play the game. Kiraly was in his early 40s, Lambert coming off a successful indoor career to win, improbably, both Rookie of the Year and Best Offensive Player in the same AVP season in 2002.

Given that, “I thought I had played at a pretty high level,” Lambert said. “I had played in two Olympics and played against the best in the world indoor and on the beach but there are few people that are mentally just on a different level and they’ll never drop their game whether it’s practice or a game against a scrub team or a qualifier team or if he’s on center court against the best team. [Kiraly] keeps his level there. He never drops no matter who’s on the other side of the court or if he’s tired or where the sun is or what the wind is or this or that. He was always immovable. There were times where I was tired but I’d say ‘Look at my guy! He’s not tired so I’m gonna keep going.’ He was always there. Constant, just the north star. It was crazy.”

To watch Lambert and Kiraly compete together – YouTube has plenty of fantastic match replays if you’d like to do so – is to witness exactly why Lambert is quick to praise others and slow to credit himself. If you were to only watch their celebrations, you’d never know who scored the point, who made the highlight, who put down the block or the big swing.

When the ball hit the sand, they wouldn’t find the camera, or the crowd, but each other.

That’s the point.

There were occasions where Kiraly – 148-time winner, three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly – would bow down to Lambert following a block. Dishing all the credit. Building up his teammate.

“Any chance he had to throw the spotlight on me he did,” Lambert said. “It was because ‘Lambo did this’ and ‘Lambo started stuffing balls!’ He was always trying to put his partner in the spotlight. Not long ago, he asked me what he did well as a teammate, and I said he was always giving me props for everything we did, and not trying to take the spotlight from his teammate. When you do that, all of a sudden, I’m puffing out my chest, like ‘Yeah! I am the guy stuffing balls!’ And then I get more confident and become even more of what he wants. It’s almost like he’s feeding that. He was really good at that. He was really good at letting go of a great play and a terrible play because it was all about being in the moment. He had the same routine, whether he did something great or something terrible he’d either celebrate and move on or think about it and move on. He was always ready for the next play, which was super cool.

“If you make a great play on the court, there’s a finite amount of seconds where you’ve got this crazy energy and what do you do with it? Do you keep it all or do you go to your guy, stare him in the eye and go ‘Ahhh!’ and share that moment. That stokes the other guy’s fire and it can become contagious. Anytime we did something great, we right away tried to share that with each other. That’s what you miss. I’m never out here going ‘Yeah! I did a sale! Whooo! Let’s do another one!’”

Perhaps Lambert is not beating his chest, whooping after a successful digital marketing campaign. But he’s still the consummate teammate, dishing credit, building up those around him.

Making sure to talk only the best of everyone who has partnered with Mike Lambert.

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Mailbag: Who are the top five blockers and defenders in the world? More fan questions

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:27:01 +0000

Typically, I’d be a bit neurotic by now. Short on sleep. Distracted. Mind ping-ponging back and forth, looking at the draw, then looking again – did it change did it change?

This, of course, is not the typical pre-AVP Huntington Beach qualifier eve. This is just a Wednesday like any other in the off-season: no events on the foreseeable horizon. Nothing specific to train for.

Sleep comes easy.

In such a strangely uncertain sports world, Tri and I opened up SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, to fan questions, and we did our best to answer, or at least opine, on them. A few I’ve written our responses to. Because nobody wants to read 3,000 words of me answering questions, you can find our answers to the rest on our episode.

Question one: Who are some younger players to watch out for (not obvious ones like Eric Beranek, etc.) Where do you think the season will begin? Where have you been training? (and we know you have, wink)

This is always such a difficult list for the men, because there really aren’t many youngsters who would willingly commit to beach over indoor. Kawika Shoji discussed that very thing last week on SANDCAST, and the list of reasons is nearly endless, with financial security being the most obvious. However, there are a handful. Miles Partain is the obvious candidate here. At just 18 years old and still in high school, he already has a fifth-place AVP finish to his name, at AVP Chicago with Paul Lotman. He made the final three AVP main draws of the season – Manhattan, Chicago, Hawai’i – and trained the entire off-season under coach Tyler Hildebrand and our top national teams. He’s a can’t-miss up-and-comer.

The women, meanwhile, are nearly endless. Peruse the top two courts at any of the top 15 or so college programs and you have AVP main draw talents. The names I’ll point you to, however, are these: Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle (UCLA), Alaina Chacon and Molly McBain (Florida State), Haley Harward (USC), Brook Bauer and Deahna Kraft (Pepperdine), Julia Scoles and Morgan Martin (Hawai’i), Delaynie Maple and Megan Kraft (committed to USC), Torrey Van Winden (Cal Poly), Reka Orsi Toth and Iya Lindahl (LMU), Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales (Stetson), Dani Alvarez (TCU), Kristen Nuss and Claire Coppola (LSU), Mima Mirkovic (Cal).

Of the bunch, my breakout selection would be Simo, UCLA’s dynamic court one defender and unquestioned leader of the team I would have bet a fair amount of American dollars to win the National Championship. She has all the potential to become this year’s version of a Sarah Sponcil, who made the finals in her first AVP event, or Zana Muno, another Bruin who made an AVP semifinal in her rookie season.

Question two: Should the AVP start a Dino Division for players post 50 who still want to compete 3-4 times per year? Golf has masters, AVP has dino?

I thought this question was hysterical in the best of ways. Idealistically, this sounds great. Who wouldn’t want to watch Tim Hovland yap with Sinjin Smith, while the always-quiet Mike Dodd digs balls and Randy Stoklos yells about how he was the first person to ever hand set? I’m game. But it is, let’s all be honest here, a bit quixotic. The AVP does well enough to put on eight events for the best, most explosive players in the world, and when compared to the major sports, there’s a niche market at best.

Would there really be a market for old men with big mouths and small verticals?

The dino is such a great event because it’s the only one – and it’s given a shot of life with younger players such as Tayor Crabb to help carry their older counterparts. It’s fun, competitive, and a little heartwarming.

Golf’s Champions Tour works because guys like Tom Watson and Fred Couples can still compete at close to the same level they could when they were in their primes. There’s no impact on their bodies, and the level of play is still astonishingly high. Watson, for example, finished second at The Open Championship in 2009, losing in a four-hole playoff, 26 years after his most recent major win, when he was 60 years old.

I have no doubt that Sinjin can still ball. But could he get out there with Stoklos and take Jake Gibb and Crabb to three sets in the finals of the Manhattan Beach Open? Doubtful.

I think p1440 nailed an older-aged event when they hosted a four-on-four match featuring two legends and two current pros on either team. There’s certainly a market and space for something whimsical like that to happen a few times per year.

Until then, keep the Dino the great, annual event that it is.

Question 3: Will there be a new BVB book (got my copy signed by Tri in Hamburg)?

Yes. Maybe. I can’t tell you for sure. But all I can say is that there could, potentially, be a possibility of an upcoming beach volleyball book to be released in early summer.

Question 4: Rate your top 5 male defenders/blockers internationally.

This was such a fun one to discuss. Everybody keeps talking about how much parity there is on the world tour, and with good reason. Attempting to nail down the top five defenders is, to me, like trying to rank my favorite golf courses in Myrtle Beach – they’re all the best courses.

The top five blockers came a little easier. We decided on:

Anders Mol, Norway
Oleg Stoyanovskiy, Russia
Phil Dalhausser, United States
Alison Cerutti, Brazil
Evandro Goncalves, Brazil

Honorable mentions included: Paolo Nicolai, Italy; Michal Bryl, Poland; Jake Gibb, United States; Tri Bourne, United States; Julius Thole, Germany.

The defenders weren’t so clear-cut. It’s impossible to rank them because they’re all playing behind blockers of varying sizes and abilities. But we wound up pinning it down to:

Taylor Crabb, United States (we are prepared to duke it out from six feet away with those who disagree)
Christian Sorum, Norway
Clemens Wickler, Germany
Viacheslav Krasilnikov, Russia
Grzegorz Fijalek, Poland

Honorable mentions included: Alvaro Filho, Brazil; Bruno Schmidt, Brazil; Adrian Carambula, Italy; Nick Lucena, United States; Daniele Lupo, Italy.

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Kawika Shoji: Leading the wildly talented Hawai'i generation of Olympians

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:29:14 +0000

A few weeks ago, Kawika Shoji and Taylor Crabb escaped the tedium of quarantine to do some hill sprints near their houses in Manoa. There is nothing new or special or spectacular about this. It is, actually, the most normal, mundane, practiced bit of Shoji’s life up to this point. It isn’t necessarily the hill sprints that are typical, but the fact that Shoji was there. Leading.

Forever leading.

Much has been justifiably made – and more needs to be made – of the current generation of Hawai’i volleyball players either currently or previously representing the United States in some professional capacity or other. There is Spencer McLachlin, a national champ at Stanford in 2010, Crabb’s first partner on the AVP Tour, currently a coach at UCLA. There’s Brad Lawson, McLachlin’s who put together one of the most complete performances in any collegiate national championship, leading the Cardinal to that 2010 title with 24 kills in 28 swings. He was named, alongside Shoji, his setter, the NCAA Tournament MVP. There’s Micah Christensen, Shoji’s current roommate and arguably the best setter on the planet. There’s Shoji’s younger brother, Erik, his teammate and libero on the United States National Team

Then, on the beach, there’s Tri Bourne, one of the top blockers in the USA Volleyball pipeline and currently ranked second in the American race to Tokyo. And the Crabbs, both Taylor and Trevor, the former currently ranked No. 1 in the American Olympic race, the latter, Bourne’s partner, to be cemented on the Manhattan Beach Pier later this year. There’s the McKibbins, Riley and Madison, whose infectious personalities and talents both on the beach and in the YouTube studios have led them to become perhaps the AVP’s most recognizable and hirsute faces.

There are two common threads here: Honolulu roots.

And Kawika Shoji.

“I was kind of the first generation to come over,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

It is not difficult to see why Shoji is the one who cleared that path, from the Islands to California to anywhere in the world that might need a good volleyball player. The son of legendary coach Dave Shoji, who helmed the University of Hawai’i from 1975-2017, Kawika saw first-hand what it took to climb the ladder. Even as a kid, he realized that volleyball, be it on the beach or indoors, is “a skillful game, it’s an athletic game, but it’s also a game of intelligence and decision making and strategy,” said Kawika, who is 32, married and with a 2-year-old daughter, Ada-Jean. “That’s the biggest takeaway I have of my upbringing. Most of us from Hawai’i, especially Erik and I, are not genetic freaks. We’re not jumping out of the gym, not the tallest, not the strongest, but the ability to control the ball and the ability to make the right decisions are things we pride ourselves on and have carried us a long way. It’s something I have a lot of pride in.”

His is an old-school mindset. He wasn’t raised in an era of social media highlight tapes, but in repetition-intensive practices. Ball control and decision-making was king. It’s how he became the first brick upon the Stanford foundation that would win that 2010 National Championship. Not with awe-inducing swings or bounce-blocks, but the two most fundamental aspects of the game: Controlling the ball, controlling your mind.

“I still think the game needs to be played the right way, and if you look at the top players, you don’t get to the top unless you can control the ball,” he said. “That’s just the way it is. That came from my dad. He knew the importance of ball control. He was really skill focused and old school in that way: A lot of repetitions. It can definitely get a little monotonous for sure, but if you don’t put in those touches, those hours, you can’t master whatever skill you’re trying to master. You gotta find a way to touch the ball and feel the ball.”

It wasn’t just volleyball that he espoused that mindset. As a standout on the Iolani School basketball team, he was named the Hawai’i State Player of the Year. He joked that his being named Player of the Year says more about the state of Hawai’i high school basketball than it does about his own skills on the court, but the one thing that he did point out was this: “I got it around just because of how smart I was on the court.”

It is more than possible that this generation of Honolulu natives would enjoy the successes they had whether Shoji paved the way or not. But few can be roommates with the player who shares their position, fighting for the same spot, and see it not as an awkward pairing, but as a legitimate advantage.

“I’m going to be ready if needed, and I’m going to do all of the little things to help our team win, help our team prepare, and that’s just understanding yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, your role, and valuing that role and what you do for others,” he said. “We all have service aspects of our life and our different roles in life and you have to value it.”

So he’s carved out a successful career overseas, picking up contracts in Finland, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Italy, and, currently, Poland. He supplements that with his role on the United States National Team, with whom he won a bronze medal in 2016.

At the current moment, he’s quarantined, like every other athlete. He has his brother, his daughter. The Crabbs, when they’re home, are “a lob wedge” down the street. He’s finding ways to be productive, be it watching film or running hill sprints or finishing up his masters in sports psychology.

Finding some way to do what he’s always done: Lead.

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Hector Gutierrez is building another college beach southeast power at TCU

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:41:44 +0000

Hector Guitierrez sat outside of his home in Fort Worth, Texas, a purple TCU sweatshirt protecting him from a cool breeze, and hat shading him from the sun.

“You never know,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, “what life can bring you, right?”

Currently, everyone in the world, no matter location or industry or title, can empathize. This time of year is typically a critical period for Guitierrez at TCU, a burgeoning college beach program that was 11-4 and ranked No. 15 in the country when the season was cancelled due to Covid-19. Odd as these times are for the world, it is almost more confounding to Guitierrez that he is here at all, in Fort Worth, Texas, coaching a college beach volleyball team.

A native of the Canary Islands, Guitierrez was raised primarily in Tenerife, Spain, which has become one of the most popular off-season training sites in the world for European beach volleyball teams. Guitierrez’s own professional journey was a precocious one. Debuting on the professional scene at the age of 17, Guitierrez competed for the C.V Orotava team that, in 2004, finished second in the FEV Spanish Volleyball League. He played indoors all over Europe, and in the summer, he’d return to the island and play beach. Fun as it was to be a professional athlete, getting paid to travel, compete, play volleyball all day long, Guitierrez knew his own limits.

“When I was playing, around 27 or 28, it was an ‘I’m kind of done’ type of thing,” he said with a laugh. For some players, the transition to coaching is an arduous one. Jose Loiola, a member of the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame and winner of 55 events in his career, struggled mightily, saying that “you have to kill the player inside.”

Guitierrez chuckled at that notion.

“I was a good player,” he said, “but I wasn’t at the level of Jose Loiola.”

The coach in him was already more alive than the player.

He volunteered to help a few indoor players competing in Switzerland transition to the beach, building from there. He coached indoor in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Germany, which led to an up-and-coming German beach team, Karla Borger and Britta Buthe, taking him on as their coach. In 2012, they’d take a silver medal at the World Championships, finishing the season ranked No. 11 in the world.

National teams took note. Slovakia hired Guitierrez, who helped Dominika Nestracova and Natalia Dubovcova to a bronze at the Stavanger Grand Slam. The U.S., too, brought Guitierrez on board, where he oversaw Brittany Hochevar and Heather McGuire and Hochevar and Jen Fopma.

By then, the college game had begun building momentum, and Guitierrez accepted an offer to assist Florida State, a rising power in the southeast. But the Seminoles had already proven themselves. While Guitierrez certainly helped a great deal as they took second at the 2016 NCAA Championships, “it was already an established program,” Guitierrez said. “You’re going to Nationals all the time. You’re trying to win a National Championship.”

TCU was not Florida State. Not yet, anyway.

When Guitierrez received word, on Nov. 9, 2016, that he had been hired as the head coach of the beach volleyball program, it had only been in existence for one year. The Frogs hadn’t won a single match.

“It’s a challenge but there’s a side of it that it belongs to me and my staff: We built this,” Guitierrez said. “We’re moving this train in the right direction.”

There is no arguing that. The next season, Guitierrez’s first, the Frogs finished 18-7. In two of the next three, TCU produced 18 wins. Midway through the 2020 season, TCU, with quality wins over South Carolina and Arizona, was making a case – still an outside case, but a case nonetheless – for an East Region bid to the NCAA Championships, which would have been the first in school history.

“We’re in a good situation but we need to catch up soon because we don’t want to be at the back of the train,” he said. “You need to be realistic with what we have and what we can build. I’m a really competitive coach and I want to build up quick. We’re accomplishing that right now.”

Guitierrez will get two of his seniors back for one more year. He’ll also return 11 others from the 2020 team, including freshman Daniela Alvarez, who had made an immediate presence on court one partnered with LSU transfer Olivia Beyer.

The Frogs have come a long way from 0-11 five years ago, just as Guitierrez has come a long way from the Canary Islands and much of Europe.

“There’s a special moment in coaching where they players begin to trust what I see,” he said. “That’s the ultimate goal as a coach: If I can get you to trust me, we’re going to do great things.”

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Marcio Sicoli loves what he does: Coaching to Olympic medals, living vicariously through his players

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Apr 2020 16:17:52 +0000

It was 2005 when Tatiana Minello and Mimi Amaral needed a coach. Not just any coach. The natives of Rio de Janeiro were making the move to the AVP. They needed someone who could speak English.

“You speak English!” they said to Marcio Sicoli. “Let’s use you!”

The United States didn’t know it at the time, but one of the most successful beach volleyball coaches of this generation was about to cross its borders.

Sicoli was more than just a 25-year-old who both knew his way around the beach and could speak English. Already, he had an Olympic silver medal, having coached Shelda Kelly Bruno Bede and Adriana Brandao Behar to a silver at the Athens Games. That would seem young, by American standards, to have risen to the top of any kind of hierarchy, be it in sports or business, at that age. It is not so in Brazil.

“I was really involved in playing and at an early age, it was ‘Do you want to play or do you want to coach?’” Sicoli recalled on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

Sicoli took stock of his frame: 5-foot-11. Not short, but also not the fast track to developing as an elite player in the perpetually deepening Brazilian pipeline.

“Playing,” he said, “wasn’t an option.”

He took his father’s advice and enrolled in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, setting for the indoor team but turning his focus mainly to his degree in Physical Education. He graduated in 2001, the same year he achieved a Level II certification in Brazilian Beach Volleyball, becoming the youngest to hold that title.

“I knew, early on, that I was a personal person,” he said. “I wouldn’t be talking to machines, I wouldn’t be talking to computers. I didn’t like that. I knew that. It was natural. In college, my sophomore year, I was playing on a team and I got an internship with PE at a high school and that was it. It’s that passion: To be with people, and drive through other peoples’ success. That’s what coaching is. If you see a process and you see something really cool happening that is not with you but someone else, and when that happens, great, and you move onto the next one.”

In 2007, his next move wasn’t an easy one. As it goes when you achieve certain levels of success, offers became coming in. Holly McPeak was one of the many to take note of Sicoli’s talents as a coach. The three-time Olympian offered him a full-time job, in the United States, to coach her and Logan Tom. She’d set him up with indoor contacts so he could make money during the off-season months.

Here Sicoli was, with a “job for life” as a PE teacher in Rio, a wife and family in Brazil – and an incredible offer in the United States.

“I talked to my dad and he looked at me and said ‘Worst case scenario, you’re coming back and I’ll be here for you,’” Sicoli recalled. “I said ‘Ok, let’s do it.’”

McPeak and Tom fizzled, but the indoor contact McPeak set Sicoli up with was Tim Jensen, then an assistant coach at Pepperdine.

“Twelve years later,” he said, smiling his cherubic smile.

Twelve years later, Sicoli is living a life that would have been difficult to imagine as a PE teacher in Rio. He’s an American citizen now, something he takes immense pride in, and though you are not likely to get him to talk politics, he will tell you that he’s thrilled to vote in the upcoming election. He has remarried, with an infant, Max, and another on the way. He has coached in two more Olympics, winning gold with Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor in London and bronze with Walsh Jennings and April Ross in 2016. He was promoted to head coach at Pepperdine in 2019, when Nina Matthies retired after an astonishing 35 years, one of the most successful individuals in the game.

Sicoli has never talked to machines. He does not sit in front of computers all day long. He’s doing what he has always been enamored with: Working with people, building relationships, thriving on the success of those he helps.

“I love what I do,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere. Hopefully I can do 20 more years then I can retire to the beachfront.”

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Christian Hartford is changing the culture at USA Volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 1 Apr 2020 15:58:14 +0000

Alex Brouwer sought the source of the voice. The one that perpetually stood out from among 13,000 screaming Germans at the World Championships in Hamburg. The one that was always heard by any player competing against an American team.

When he found the bearded face of Christian Hartford, the Dutchman pumped a fist and said “Let’s go U.S.A.!”

That is but a brief but encompassing glimpse into the enthusiasm that Hartford has brought into the gym at USA Volleyball.

“We’ll be on the bike, and he’s always screaming at you,” Tri Bourne said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

Never is Hartford screaming in a negative light. He’s not a Navy commander, barking orders. He’s lifting up, encouraging, pushing, to the point that even someone like Alex Brouwer, the defender on the Netherlands’ top team and a former World Champ, can buy in.

“I remember my first couple months, Trevor [Crabb] was like ‘Who the hell is this guy? He never shuts up!’” Hartford recalled, laughing. “That was my job. I want to make that weight room the most positive, engaging environment possible. That doesn’t mean we’re going to have full out conversations of how your wife and kids are doing or your boyfriend or girlfriend. But when you walk through the door, I’m going to greet you. When you’re in there training, I’m going to engage and music is going to be blasting.”

Hartford knows, both from personal experience as an elite athlete himself and from half a decade of training college teams, it’s not a one-size-fits all approach. His day might consist of working with 44-year-old Jake Gibb in the morning on the sand, shifting to helping 23-year-old Sarah Sponcil in the afternoon and prescribing a weight program for indoor convert David Lee in the evening.

“We always talk about individualization and how you’re going to be able to do this program because as beach volleyball players, you’re all going to need certain characteristics,” said Hartford, who walked on to Wake Forest as a quarterback and received his masters from Northwestern. “Athlete A may get it a lot differently than Athlete B but also Athlete C might have a much different strength in their game that needs to be focused on than Athlete B. So you have to take into account all these individualizations.”

In that sense, it is perhaps Hartford’s greatest strength that, prior to USA Volleyball, he had little to no experience on the beach, but was an expert in virtually every other sport. As a quarterback at Wake Forest, he knew how to train football players. As a strength and conditioning coach at Northwestern, he worked with 115 athletes across a wide variety of disciplines. At Maryland, he helped with gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, wrestling, softball, and indoor volleyball.

All of that switching made his ability to pick up a new sport, reverting back to a beginner’s mindset, that much easier. He didn’t walk onto the beach proclaiming to know everything. Instead, he acknowledged he knew little. He asked questions, attaining his own unofficial Beach Volleyball Certification through coaches like Rich Lambourne, Jen Kessy, Jose Loiola and Tyler Hildebrand.

“Being around all these different sports as the strength coach, you don’t have any other choice but to learn everything about that sport,” Hartford said. “Diving in headfirst into whatever sport you’re working with and being at practice and asking coaches questions, watching film, going to competitions to see the environment and just the pure nature of each sport, I think that type of diversity in my coaching background helped me a ton with the transition to the beach.”

Most athletic performance coaches would be able to do that, in some form or other. Some might take longer. Some might pick it up as quickly as Hartford, who is immensely popular among the athletes, has. But what separates Hartford from the other candidates who sought the job is that he brings more than an ability to prescribe a quality training regimen.

For the first time in Bourne’s memory, there’s a tangible culture being set at USA Volleyball.

“When I got here I asked Tyler Hildebrand ‘What are we trying to create here, culture wise? What environment are we trying to create?’” Hartford said. “We were striving for a new culture.”

He acknowledges that it won’t be akin to a college team, that he’ll be working with Gibb and Bourne at the same time, despite them both vying for the same spot in the Tokyo Olympics. But still, you can find Chaim Schalk and Sponcil competing in Spikeball contests in the weight room. Athletes cheering their fellow athletes in pull-up contests. Others pushing one another on the assault bike.

“Try training 18 gymnasts at 5 in the afternoon after practice,” Hartford said. “You need as much positive energy as you can in that moment so I’m used to creating that and that’s always been a part of my mission is to create the most positive, productive training environment possible.

“To be in this environment where we have 25-30 athletes, it’s been incredible to build all of those relationships. Whenever you’re able to do that, you’re able to dive a lot deeper into the training process and thought process of what you’re doing. You’re also able to get a little more creative with your process as well. A huge piece has been being able to watch and talk to and see every single athlete as an individual perform and see what that person needs from a strength and conditioning side to get better. For me to be working with a specialized crew in a much smaller volume, it’s been a blessing because now I can see them practice, see them live, see how they jump, see how they swing and also talk to their coaches. You can really dive a lot deeper into these training programs.”

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How the 2020 Olympic postponement could impact each team in the race

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:42:04 +0000

On Tuesday morning, what seemed to be the inevitable alas became a reality: The 2020 Olympic Games were postponed, to sometime in 2021. For some, it’s heartbreaking.

“I can understand why other people are devastated,” said Sarah Sponcil, who is third in the Olympic race with Kelly Claes. “They waited literally four years and now they have to wait five.”

Notice that Sponcil said “others” when mentioning those who are devastated. For some, the Olympic postponement is devastating. For others, it’s a blessing not even in disguise: It’s just a blessing.

This week on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we discussed, among a number of covid-19-related topics – is there anything else to discuss at this point, anyway? – how each team in the Olympic race could benefit or set them back from the postponement. We dug into how, depending on the FIVB schedule and any changes the IOC makes regarding the qualification process, the postponement could put additional teams in the race.

Here’s a team by team breakdown of the impact the postponement could have.

Women

April Ross, Alix Klineman

U.S.A. rank: 1

Points: 8,760

This one is difficult to pin down whether it hurts or benefits. On the one hand, Ross and Klineman were coming off their best season together, with five AVP finals in five tournaments and three wins on the world tour. They could have continued that upwards trajectory all the way to Tokyo. On the other hand, it gives Klineman another year to develop on the beach, which she has done at such a rate you’d be forgiven to think she hasn’t been playing on the AVP her entire volleyball career. It’s a bit neutral for these two, who are still all but a lock to go to Tokyo, no matter what year the Games are held. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry to play this year as it was, as they decided not to play in the Cancun four-star that was eventually cancelled, so perhaps this will be a good rest period to heal up the nagging injuries that build up.

Until then, you can find Ross going viral with what has become the April Ross Challenge.

Kerri Walsh Jennings, Brooke Sweat

U.S.A. rank: 2

Points: 6,960

The immediate reaction when thinking of these two is that it would have to negatively impact them. But the more one would think about it, the more that might not be entirely accurate. Yes, Walsh Jennings and Sweat are on the older side of the athletic spectrum, at 41 and 33 years old, respectively. Yes, they have quite a list of injuries and surgeries on the ledger. But Sponcil said it best: “Kerri is a machine,” she said on Tuesday. “She’s just going to keep going all out.”

If there is one athlete in the world who can take this and benefit from it, it might be Walsh Jennings, whose three gold medals and five Olympic appearances did not come by accident. That, and she gets time at home, with her family, when she would otherwise be circumnavigating the world.

Sarah Sponcil, Kelly Claes

U.S.A. rank: 3

Points: 6,640

There are two teams that I really don’t see any downside to this: Sponcil and Claes, and Kelley Larsen and Emily Stockman. For these two, it’s all upside.

“Everyone’s been asking how we feel about it and I feel great because the last year I’ve just been like ‘Ok, let’s get as many points as we can, let’s pass Kerri, it’s crunch time,’” Sponcil said. “It would have been crunch time right now and now I have the time to process the opportunity I have in front of me. I’m trying my hardest to slow down and be like ‘Whoa this is an amazing opportunity having another year to get experience, to slow down a little bit, and take it all in.’ It’s the best thing for our team and for me personally.”

It gives them more time to develop, both as players and professionals, and it allows them, as Sponcil mentioned, to finally slow down. Catch a breath. Sleep for a change. Sponcil has been competing at a breakneck pace for the previous few years, going from UCLA to the AVP then back to UCLA straight into the Olympic race. A break could be just what she needed. It could be exactly what the team needed.

Kelley Larsen, Emily Stockman

U.S.A. rank: 4

Points: 6,080

It is positively bananas that the fourth-ranked U.S. team is also the seventh-ranked team on the planet. America is deep. When you’re as good as Stockman and Larsen are, and you’re behind in the race, time and more events are what you need, and time and hopefully more events is what they’ll get. If they have a dozen more events to climb the ladder and take the second American spot, as they could, depending when the FIVB reschedules its laundry list of postponed events, they could very well do so. Their win in Warsaw proved they can compete with any team in the world. They just need some more time to do so. Now, they might have that time.

Men

Taylor Crabb, Jake Gibb

U.S.A. rank: 1

Points: 6,680

It is hard to imagine how another year added to Gibb’s career would be a positive for these two, but it’s also hard to imagine how Gibb played some of his best volleyball at age 43 as he did in 2019. He, like Phil Dalhausser and John Hyden, have hoarded a gallon from the fountain of youth and just continue to defy athletic norms. For Crabb, it’s just another year to get better. With his trajectory the way it is – a sharp incline upwards – the postponement isn’t going to do any harm. Perhaps this will be a useful rest period for Gibb, a bit of a sabbatical before one final charge in 2021.

Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb

U.S.A. rank: 2

Points: 6,360

Like Sponcil and Claes, and Larsen and Stockman, this is another team where it’s almost only upside. They held a slim lead over Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena for the second spot, slim enough where it was basically a tie. But now Bourne and Crabb have another year to dial in their team dynamic, which both admit they’re only just beginning to figure out. Bourne can dial in his world-class blocking again, while both can dig into the nuances of defense and different roles in transition. It’s inconvenient for anyone to have to wait another year, but as this is this only team where age is not a factor at all, there isn’t much downside to the postponement for Bourne and Crabb.

Phil Dalhausser, Nick Lucena

U.S.A. rank: 3

Points: 5,840

It is impossible to say how this will impact Dalhausser and Lucena. Dalhausser has readily admitted that Tokyo was it for him. Then it was onto family time and working at his new facility in Orlando, Fla. This news obviously pushes that timeline back. Like Walsh Jennings, though, it could just mean more time at home with their families for what could be the remainder of the year. They live close enough to one another that practicing won’t be a burden. If there isn’t another meaningful event until, say, August, maybe later, that’s another five months at home they otherwise wouldn’t have had. It could be exactly what they need, or it could be difficult to sustain the motivation needed to make an Olympic push for another year and a half.

Time will only tell. And time is exactly what we have in abundance.

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The E and T Show goes to Cabo!

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 20:59:43 +0000

CABO, Mex. – When the final point was won, and Eric Beranek and Bill Kolinske moved on at AVP Hawai’i, a seam ace putting the final nail in the coffin for Troy Field and Tim Bomgren, there was no tantrum. No throwing of hats or punting balls. There was hardly even a shake of the head.

Field simply walked under the net and wrapped up Beranek, his good friend, in a sandy, sweaty hug.

“When you see your best friend having success,” Field said, pausing, sitting next to that very friend on a patio in Cabo, Mexico. “I was like ‘Dude, I am so, so proud of you.’ We play each other all the time. Every week. I’m happy for pretty much everyone. I love to share the success of my peers, whoever you are.”

They are, mostly, happy for each other’s success in this sport. They are fellow grinders, Beranek and Field, two big, goofy, extroverted personalities with unlimited upsides, both as athletes and as personal brands. There is Field, with the pink hat, the astonishing vertical, the swings that so few can emulate it’s best not to try. And there is Beranek, a South Bay beach rat, with his fohawk mullet, blonde mustache, and a retro style of play and fashion that can really only be described as the Fresh Prince of Beach Volleyball.

The E&T Show is what they’ve dubbed themselves. You can catch their irregularly scheduled programming mostly on Instagram and occasionally on the Amazon Prime livestream. Field was the first of the two to make his breakthrough, making three straight Sundays to begin the 2019 AVP season. Then came Beranek, who danced his way through the Manhattan Beach Open qualifier and into the semifinals. Eleven matches later, Beranek could finally rest those high-octane legs of his, a third place on the sport’s biggest stage now on the resume.

Now they enter this season – or pre-season, perhaps – with as much hope as any up-and-comers on Tour. Beranek can feel the difference in practice.

“It’s a little different of a vibe, like ‘I’m gonna try to kick your ass, and you know that I can,’” he said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “Whether I do it or not, maybe it’s not up to me that day. I just gotta put the puzzle pieces together.”

The pieces are coming together for both of them. This upcoming season will be the first time for both that they enter with a set partner with whom they can practice. Field has partnered with veteran and Olympian Casey Patterson. Beranek has chosen another younger player in Andy Benesh, whose breakthrough came in Hermosa Beach this past year. They’re still best friends, playing beach volleyball. But now they’re also professionals.

This is, simply, what they do.

“Casey’s my first partner where we’re consistently practicing,” Field said. “He’s seeing my bad moments, I’m seeing his bad moments. He’s seeing my great moments, I’m seeing his. We’re finding that balance of what the practice schedule looks like. I’m still working on my technique and getting better at all this other little stuff, whereas Casey has been there, done that, improving, staying ready, pushing himself to the season.

“I’m learning a ton about him, learning how to be an athlete off the court, how to be a brand. I want to eventually provide for a family like he’s been doing.”

What he learns, he’ll share with Beranek, and vice versa. That’s how they work: Rivals on the court, the best of brothers off it. While the season may be delayed until mid-June, rest assured, Beranek and Field will be putting in their work, waiting for the E&T Show to debut for another year on the beach.

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Melissa Humana-Paredes is gritting up

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 15:14:08 +0000

The lead was gone, momentum completely flipped, and Melissa Humana-Paredes was, in her own words, crapping her pants.

That’s what she said to her partner after their 14-10 lead in the third set of the World Championship semifinals had disappeared. Nobody wants to be in that situation. Nobody asks to miss on four match points of the game’s biggest stage. And yet it was perhaps the most critical moment of the partnership for the team that would finish the 2019 season ranked No. 1 in the world.

“Fourteen-fourteen was a really pivotal moment for Sarah and I because they had gotten three straight aces,” Humana-Paredes said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “They weren’t even rallies. She had gotten an ace down the sideline, ace down the seam, it was ‘Wow.’ There was no time to think about anything, but she was able to see where I was mentally and she was able to relate to me and say ‘I’m a little nervous too. This is not ideal.’ Vulnerability is a beautiful thing and is such a necessary thing in beach volleyball. We’re out there and our weaknesses are exposed. There’s no one else to come in for you. You gotta figure it out, just you and your partner, so in that moment, when you express that vulnerability to your partner, and she shows up for you, she’s like ‘You know what, me too, but you got this.’

“She turned to me and she said ‘They’re going to serve you. You’re going to pass it, I’m going to set you, and you’re going to side out, because that’s what you can do.’ I was like ‘Wow, she’s really confident in you. Step up to the plate Mel.’ That was a turning point for us to grit up.”

Humana-Paredes and Pavan would go on to win that semifinal over Switzerland’s Nina Betschart and Tanja Huberli, 19-17 in the third set, which would precede a 23-21, 23-21 epic of a final victory over April Ross and Alix Klineman.

It became a theme for the season for the Canadians: When things were tight, when they were down, they just found a way to win. They “gritted up,” and in doing so, they only, oh, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, became the first Canadian team to hold a World Champion title, cemented themselves on the Manhattan Beach Pier. They win gold on the road again in Vienna and at home in Edmonton. They finished their season fittingly: On a high, with a first in Hawai’i.

All because, Humana-Paredes said, they found the ability to “grit up.”

“Heading into World Champs, we weren’t feeling our best,” Humana-Paredes said. “We were coming off a couple rough finishes in Warsaw and Ostrava and we weren’t playing super clean ball. Even in the World Champs, even in pool play, they were gnarly, gritty games. We easily could have lost them. Even some games in our playoffs, we easily could have lost them, but we really, really were working hard, and were gritty and were resilient. I think that’s what the 2019 season was: full on grit and heart. It was like that for every tournament. Nothing came easy, and we just worked for it. We’re going into this season with that same mentality.”

They’ll need it, too. This year, like no other, Humana-Paredes and Pavan will be the team everyone is looking to knock down. They’ve had the metaphorical target on their back before, following the brilliant 2017 season that finished with them ranked second in the world.

“We were still in that period while having these new standards and expectations that everyone else was also having of us and to be honest I don’t think we handled it very well,” Humana-Paredes said of the 2018 season. “It was a bit of a roller coaster. We did win some tournaments. We won the Commonwealth Games, we won Gstaad, we won China, but we also had a couple uncharacteristic finishes. We had a couple seventeenths, and it was a huge roller coaster. We sat down at the end of the year and looked at what we accomplished and it was a lot better than it felt. We felt like we dropped the ball but when we looked back at our results we weren’t far from the goals we had set for ourselves. When you’re in it, you can be so hard on yourself and you don’t recognize what you’re accomplishing along the way. When you reflect back on the season, maybe we were too hard on ourselves, because look at what we did. So we took that mindset into this last season in 2019 which was probably our best season.”

It may, in fact, be the most accomplished single season in Canadian beach history. In four months, Humana-Paredes and Pavan will have the opportunity to continue authoring history for the Canadian federation. They know the impact winning an Olympic medal would have on the Canadian beach community. They’ve seen it before, after World Champs, when dozens of girls reached out to let them know that they were the reason they were picking up beach.

“We saw how it affected Canada and how they really took notice, and beach volleyball started to grow,” Humana-Paredes said. “We saw how it affected the growing generation in Canada for beach volleyball, which is ultimately what we want to do. We want to inspire the next generation, and the amount of messages we got from parents and kids saying ‘I want to start playing beach volleyball because of this’ who had never been in the sport and now want to take it up, that just makes it so much more valuable.

“It helped put things in perspective when we were feeling so low. When we got results that we were disappointed with and feeling those emotions, seeing what we had done goes beyond a week after week result. We want to leave a legacy in the sport for ourselves and I think that’s what we usually have to come back to when we’re in the thick of it because sometimes we get carried away with the result and the performance and we need to realize that we’re still making an impact and that is ultimately what we want to do.”

For now, they’ll work on their Olympic seeding. They’ll clean up the small fixes they need to make.

They will, just as they did last year, “grit up.”

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Getting two points better, with Kim Hildreth and Sarah Schermerhorn

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Mar 2020 15:57:51 +0000

Kim Hildreth and Sarah Schermerhorn have been to California. They’ve seen the dozens of AVP main draw-level teams practicing up and down the Hermosa Beach strand. They are not unaware of the talent level in Hermosa Beach, in Huntington Beach, in Manhattan Beach. Which makes them quite familiar with the question they, and other top-level players living out of state, get year after year: When are you moving to California?

“Well,” Hildreth said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, “we just bought a house, so…”

So they’re not coming. They’re happy in Florida. More than happy. They’re thriving in St. Petersburg.

“I’d say we’re ok out here,” said Schermerhorn, who won the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2019. In saying that, they are flipping every piece of conventional beach volleyball wisdom on its head.

It is almost unanimously viewed as a requirement to live in Southern California to excel on the AVP Tour. If you’re to take this sport seriously, you have to pack your bags, stuff them in your Corolla or Camry or Civic or RV or plane, train, or automobile, and make the trek. Doesn’t matter if the inflated cost of living makes you broke, and you have to work three jobs, skip sleep, and live off of canned tuna and pasta. It’s a rite of passage.

Hildreth looks at all of that and wonders the exact opposite of what people often wonder of her. She is often asked how she makes it as a professional beach volleyball player in Florida. She’s curious how in the world people do it in California.

“I wouldn’t call it a disadvantage,” she said of living on the opposite side of the country from the beach volleyball capital of the country. “Seeing how the training and stuff here goes, I feel like unless you’re at where [Tri] is at, where you get to pick whoever you want to train with and you’ve got you’re full-time coach, but the girls where we’re at -- we’re main draw, qualifier range -- they’re maybe getting coached twice a week. I don’t know how you’re able to afford it with the cost of living out here. In Florida, we have a full-time coach, five days a week. It’s consistent. It’s five days a week. We know who’s going to show up to practice. It’s progressive.”

Hildreth goes as far as to call it an advantage to live in Florida, and it’s fair to wonder: Is she wrong?

In the AVP’s halcyon days, Clearwater was every bit as popular of a stop as any Southern California tournament not named the Manhattan Beach Open. Fort Lauderdale was the site of one of the world’s best tournament as the opening event of the Major Series. Its beaches are lined with beach volleyball courts, and there is a rich culture in every corner of the state, be it Orlando, where Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena train, or St. Petersburg, or Clearwater down to Miami and the cluster of beaches in the south.

Dalhausser recently moved back to Florida, where he and Lucena first learned the game, for similar reasons that Hildreth and Schermerhorn are staying put: The cost of living, astronomical in Southern California, is maybe a quarter of what it is on the West Coast; the weather is excellent year-round; the talent level is high enough to produce bona fide AVP Sunday talents.

Last season, two Floridian teams – Hildreth and Schermerhorn, Katie Hogan and Megan Rice – made AVP finals, in Austin and Hermosa Beach, respectively. Hildreth, a defender who played indoor at Eastern Michigan and a season of beach for North Florida, and Schermerhorn enjoyed the best seasons of their career, their prize money ballooning from $1,500 in 2018 to $17,000 in 2019.

“We’re making it work,” said Schermerhorn, a 6-foot-1 blocker who played at Elon before a professional indoor career in Denmark and south France. “It’s not too hard to get out [to California, where there are three AVP stops per year, plus another in Seattle]. Our goal is to spend more time out here during season, playing with different people, training a little bit. But for the most part, it’s doable, and you got a decent amount of teams coming out of Florida that are making it happen.”

This year, for the first time, they’re branching out of the domestic game and into the international. In February, they traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia for a two-star and qualified. Currently, they are in Guam for a one-star, seeded fourth in the qualifier.

“We’re ready to make those steps and if we need to jump into competition a little bit earlier then that’s what we’ll do,” Schermerhorn said. “We definitely shifted our training and what we were doing to prepare for match play earlier. It’s good to get one under our belt and we’re ready to get some more.”

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Stocks to buy for the upcoming 2020 AVP season

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 13:01:30 +0000

The coronavirus may be decimating the global and American stock markets, but one place you won’t find its impact is the annual SANDCAST Beach Volleyball Stocks to Buy.

This week, as we did in 2019, Tri Bourne and I broke down the top up and coming prospects of the season as our stocks to buy this year. I’m only writing about 10 – five men, five women – so to find the rest, you can listen to our podcast, which also answered fan questions, discussed the new partnerships being formed, and talked a little college volley.

Men’s stocks to buy

Miles Partain

How good is Miles Partain? He already has his own emoji among the beach volleyball community. He's emoji good. You can always identify when Partain is at a practice, as any video of him playing will include the baby emoji, referring to him as “baby Miles,” whereas Miles Evans would be the not so baby Miles. Baby or not, the 18-year-old UCLA recruit’s fifth-place finish in Chicago was no fluke. He’s spent the off-season training with the USA Volleyball groups, and has been called up into similarly high-level practices when he isn’t.

Andy Benesh/Eric Beranek

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the Beranekquake that’s gone viral on social media, the one where he takes a back shoot set from his new partner, Benesh, and pounds it somewhere to Mexico. Granted, there was no defense, and their only tournament to date ended with a second in Treasure Island to Raffe Paulis and Ricardo, but this is a young, up-and-coming team with loads of potential and, better yet, dedication. They have a coach and what appears to be an organized, productive off-season heading into what could be a breakout year for both.

Kyle Friend

Last year was Friend’s first as a defender, and it was also the best of his career. After relieving himself of blocking duties, he scooped up Duncan Budinger and qualified in five of seven tournaments, tying a career-high ninth in Austin. Like Partain, Friend has been a regular in the USAV training sessions, and with a year of defending under his belt, his ceiling is only getting higher. Whether he gets pulled up by a bigger blocker or must begin again in the qualifiers remains to be seen, but he'll be a regular in the main draw this year.

Dave Palm

Palm alas made his AVP breakthrough last season, a much anticipated one after winning five NVL events and making an additional seven finals in four seasons. He and Dylan Maarek, who’s also having a terrific off-season, qualified in Hermosa Beach, stunning Chaim Schalk and Jeremy Casebeer in the second round on stadium court. He’s already straight into AVP Huntington Beach after winning Big Shots in Atlantic City this past fall with JM Plummer, another notable to watch this season, so he’ll have a big stage at the beginning of the season.

Steve Roschitz/Pete Connole

Connole had only won two AVP qualifier matches prior to last season. Then came New York, when, as the 20 seed in the qualifier, Roschitz and Connole engineered upsets over Andy Benesh and Adam Roberts, Maddison and Riley McKibbin, and Kyle Radde and Brad Connors. So quick was their improvement that by the end of the season, it’s possible that none of those wins could be labeled as an upset. They were straight into Manhattan and qualified again in Chicago, making more main draws than Connole had previously won qualifier matches.

Other notables:

DR Vander Meer

John Schwengel

Tim Brewster

Branden Clemens

Kevin Villela

JM Plummer

Ben Vaught

Logan Webber

Chris Austin

Earl Schultz

Jake Urrutia

Silila Tucker

Kacey Losik

Women’s stocks to buy

Kelly Reeves/Terese Cannon

I’m big on this team this year, in large part because I think a breakout has been due for Kelly Reeves for a few years and it seems the pieces are coming in place for it. In just four events together as partners, the two have already logged a third at the Manhattan Beach Open, where their only losses were to Alix Klineman and April Ross and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan; a ninth in Hawai’i; and a silver medal at the Siem Reap two-star. That is a heck of a start to a partnership that has upside, youth, hunger, and a strong all-around skill set.

Corinne Quiggle/Falyn Fonoimoana

Putting too much weight in early results can be a dangerous thing to do sometimes. The honeymoon phase is a real thing. But sometimes they can also be promising indicators, and the two NORCECAs that Quiggle and Fonoimoana have played were won in nearly flawless fashion, with just a single set dropped, and that includes the qualifiers they needed to play as well. Heading into 2020, they’ll both benefit from a full season as professionals under their belt and an entire off-season of training together.

Geena Urango/Emily Hartong

If I had any money to bet – I don’t, because weddings are expensive – and there was someone to take my bet on a team this season this would be the one. Partly because a tumultuous year would have driven the price of the Urango-Hartong stock way down, and therefore the value has the potential to jump quite high, but also because this is just a legitimately really good team that can do loads of great things.

Urango’s been in multiple finals. She knows how to get it done. Hartong was still adjusting to the beach (and snow, and four-on-four) last year, and she still more than doubled her prize money from 2018. I don’t think they’re ready to win an AVP just yet, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them making a push to a Sunday here and there.

Traci Callahan

Want to know why I believe in Traci Callahan? Because Mykel Jenkins, Tri Bourne’s trainer, believes in Callahan, and he hardly believes in anybody. When he compliments someone, it’s a very real, genuine compliment, and he was enamored with Callahan’s work ethic. She spent her off-season working with Evie Matthews, and was rewarded with a fifth at the Siem Reap two-star with Crissy Jones, where they beat eventual gold medalists Sara Hughes and Lauren Fendrick. This is just the start for Callahan.

Crissy Jones

Speaking of Jones, she’s an easy one to peg for this list. Currently a graduate student at her alma mater, Cal Poly, Jones was one of the most delightful stories of the season in 2019, making one heck of an end-of-year push with Zana Muno (she’d be on here too, but I don’t know if they’re playing together, and Muno's stock is already awfully high). A third in Hermosa Beach was followed by three consecutive top-10 finishes, all of which preceded the aforementioned fifth place in Cambodia.

Other notables:

Delaney Mewhirter/Katie Spieler

Megan Rice

Katie Hogan

Mackenzie Ponnet

Zana Muno

Molly Turner

Carly Wopat

Tory Paranagua

Jess Gaffney

Macy Jerger

Bre Moreland

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Camryn Irwin is living the dream

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:17:55 +0000

It’s May 16, 2018, the eve of Camryn Irwin’s debut as an Amazon Prime broadcaster calling AVP tournaments. She gets a call from the AVP. They inform her that she’ll be calling play by play.

“Ok!” Irwin says. “That’s new!”

“We don’t know what the format is going to look like, we’re just going to figure it out as we go.”

“Ok,” Irwin replies again.

“Don’t screw up. This is our brand.”

Now it’s Amazon on the horn, and they’re telling Irwin that “This is our Amazon brand. Don’t screw up.”

“Ok,” Irwin says one more time. “Here we go. I’m calling play by play tomorrow!”

A year and a half later, she’ll recall this experience on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. And she’ll say “talk about fear,” because she’s human, and any human being would be more than a bit intimidated when put into those circumstances. But she did it all the same. And she’s still doing it, establishing herself as a popular and lovable personality on the AVP and Amazon, because this is Camryn Irwin, and she’s done all that before.

Fear? No, fear isn’t the AVP and Amazon asking you to do something you know you’re talented at, that you know you’ll figure out, because you’re the queen of figuring things out on the fly.

Fear is when load up on a block, jump, and, just as you’re about to peak, you feel your back “just release,” Irwin said. “There is nothing supporting me and there was nothing I could do. I landed and my whole spine went thwack. I went back to go serve the next point and I remember tossing it, I went to jump, and I couldn’t breathe.”

This was in Sweden, just two years into her professional indoor career after a successful indoor stint at Washington State. It would take a month for Irwin to find out that she had a rupture in her back, that she had absolutely no business playing volleyball after that jump but she did so anyways because volleyball was what Irwin knew and volleyball was where her teammates and friends were. So she finished her season on her broken back, and when she returned, she figured she’d move onto the next phase of her life’s plan: Irwin was going to become a professional beach volleyball player on the AVP Tour.

Until she began training, and she began to lose feeling in her legs.

She is positive enough to label the injury a “total God thing,” because without that injury, she wouldn’t be spending her summers in the booth with her good friends Kevin Barnett and Dain Blanton. She wouldn’t be spending exponentially more hours in beach volleyball than the players she’s calling. She wouldn’t have a job she hesitates labeling a job because it’s just so much dang fun that it feels wrong to call it anything but a dream.

“It’s literally a dream job, because it’s not just about volleyball, it’s not just about athletes,” Irwin said. “I get to work with two of my best friends and their amazing families on a regular basis. My job is to share your story, so you can impact someone else’s life. That’s the stuff that gets my engine going.”

Irwin was one of the rare collegiate athletes who saw past her career in her respective sport. Even as a successful setter at Washington State with professional prospects down the line, she kindled her passion for storytelling, sacrificing sleep to shoot, edit and produce videos only a handful of people would watch.

“I knew I had this gameplan: I want to tell stories, I want to shape lives,” Irwin said. “I was so driven. But even with that drive in my brain, I was like ‘How in the world do I do this? Where do I even start?’ I’m out from the sticks in Washington State. I grew up on a farm, there’s no network television. It’s not like there’s some guy saying ‘Get an agent, get a head shot.’ I just said ‘Grind it out. Connect with people. Talk to people, and fail 100 times a day and figure it out.’ Still to this day people will ask me how I got to where I am and I say a lot of hard work without knowing the outcome.”

When she returned from Sweden to finish her degree at Washington State, she was able to call football games, learning under the legendary – and enormous personality – Mike Leach, one of the finest minds in the sport. So when she’s calling games for ESPN or the Pac-12 Network, she’s doing so with the education from men like Leach, who is 139-90 in his career with two Pac-12 division titles to his name, and Graham Harrell, the current offensive coordinator at USC. The jobs she was working paid $15 a piece; the education she gained continues to pay dividends, mapping out a rapidly ascending career as a broadcaster.

“It was all about building relationships and writing stories on these guys and I was just hoping the Pac-12 would give me a chance and they did,” Irwin said. “There’s no training for this. You just have to be super ballsy, and you have to be ok sounding like an idiot and not knowing what you’re doing and just listen to yourself, critique yourself, be super hard on yourself, and trying to find out what your voice is.”

Her voice, as creatives know, will be an ongoing project for the remainder of her career. It’ll evolve, improve, change. But her passion for what she does and the people with whom she does it, be it the athletes she’s calling or her colleagues calling with her, is what makes Irwin so good at what she does. It’s what allows her to run off four hours of sleep during AVP weekends, nerding out on volleyball by studying her self-made binders. It’s why she can take calls from the AVP and Amazon the night before her long-awaited debut in beach volleyball and know that it’s going to work out fine.

“I was a volleyball player since I was 5 years old,” she said. “I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where beach volleyball wasn’t a thing. I love the indoor game and I love the beach game, but my biggest thing is to be able to help build and represent a brand and a sport that is so cherished to me, especially something that I got to participate on the indoor side in college and overseas for a few years, I feel like it got ripped from me. To be so involved in a sport that is still so dear to my heart and to have that shown, I can’t work hard enough for this sport because I love it that much. The 4 hours of sleep at night, the stupid binders I make, the relationships – it’s all so genuine to me because I love this game so much and I love all the people in it.

“To get the call from Amazon and the AVP was way more meaningful to me than anybody really realizes.”

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The sweet music of trainer Mykel Jenkins

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:53:30 +0000

A GARAGE IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION – It was all wrong. Mykel Jenkins is all about the soundtrack of not just sports, but life. He wants it to be beautiful, and when something is done right, it doesn’t just look beautiful, it sounds beautiful. It’s a symphony, with violins and cellos and tubas, all working in perfect harmony.

And here was Tri Bourne, “thundering in here with his heavy feet, ‘Boom! Boom!’” Jenkins said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “And I was like ‘Oh, my God, he’s going to break my self-made floor.’”

Jenkins looked at John Hyden, the only beach volleyball player he was training at the time, and asked him what in the world he was doing. Hyden was 40 at the time, and he was bringing Jenkins a project?

“Just look,” Hyden, fresh off a split with Sean Scott, with whom he had a wildly successful partnership, told him.

Jenkins saw some things in the 22-year-old Bourne, yes. But it was maybe one out of every three jumps. Hyden wasn’t going to be beating Phil Dalhausser with this kid. Bourne had been walking out of the gym when he heard that. The PG version of this story reads that Bourne simply disagreed with that sentiment, and if you’d like the R-rated one, you can listen to the podcast. Either way, “once he did that,” Jenkins recalled, “I turned to Johnny and said ‘That’s the dude.’ From that point on, I knew.” And Jenkins had his second beach volleyball player as a client.

He’s a difficult guy to track down, Jenkins. He is at once well-known and a secret in beach volleyball circles, and he likes it that way. He joked – maybe – that he was breaking protocol by having a podcast in his garage, the location of which we’re just going to keep secret because it seems that’s what Jenkins would like. Jenkins is responsible, in large part, for Hyden’s unprecedented longevity and Bourne’s blink-and-you-missed-it rise from 22-year-old kid who was barely qualifying to, in the span of a single season, a regular finalist.

Initially the trainer for Hyden’s wife, Robin, Jenkins was “always inquisitive about an Olympic athlete with his notoriety and skill set,” he said. “And she’d talk about how certain things were hurting him and I’d mention a few things I’d do. As fate would have it, he got into a few situations where they were nagging him so she talked him to coming to see her ‘actor friend.’”

Yes, the ‘actor friend’ is Jenkins. He’s acted in 17 movies and had a 13-week contract on General Hospital as Officer Byron Murphy. He’s currently in post-production on two of his own films where he’s producing, directing, and starring. You might say he’s a man who wears many hats, though here Jenkins will shrug and say that no, it’s all one hat.

It’s all art. Jenkins is here to make something beautiful, be it on the big screen or on the beach.

“The next time you watch an average athlete, listen to the sound of the game and listen to how sloppy it is,” Jenkins said. “It’s like somebody with a drumset who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Then go watch someone special and close your eyes and listen to the way that music plays in your ear. You don’t realize it because you’re caught up in what you see. The soundtrack of that – if you took the soundtrack off Rocky, you’re not watching it. It’s like [Floyd] Mayweather: There’s a sweet science. If the music is beautiful – that’s how I know you guys are playing well.”

Which is why he hated Bourne’s thunderous feet that first afternoon in the gym. There was nothing beautiful about his boom booming all over the gym. While Hyden was flitting over the mats, fast and soft, Bourne was providing an unwelcome percussion to the concert. But then five months passed, and when Jenkins closed his eyes, listening to his team work out, he couldn’t tell who was who.

“I knew we were onto something,” he said. And he was right. Bourne would pile up accolade after accolade: AVP Rookie of the Year, AVP Most Improved, FIVB Top Rookie, AVP Best Offensive Player. He and Hyden would win the AVP Team of the Year in 2015 and make nine finals from 2012-2016. They qualified for the 2016 Olympics but, because of the country quota allowing only two teams per country to compete, were left off, despite finishing the year ranked fifth in the world.

Jenkins joked that Bourne needed a plight. While Hyden had “worked in oblivion” for ten years on the beach before reaching the top, Bourne had been plucked to it. And then that plight came, in the form of an autoimmune disease that sidelined Bourne for the better part of two seasons. Recalling that moment, Jenkins paused, fighting tears. And it is there that you can see why he only trains a select few, why he won’t take dozens of players and train them as he has Bourne and Hyden and, now, Kelley Larsen and Emily Stockman.

“I don’t like heartbreak. I like Hollywood endings,” he said. “So if I don’t see a Hollywood ending, I’m not participating. I like champagne.”

Which is why his list of players he trains includes three – Bourne, Stockman and Larsen – who are contending for the 2020 Olympics, and another, Traci Callahan, who is on her way up the ladder.

“Once you see something special, God takes over,” Jenkins said. “If I don’t see you in the movie, you’re not going to be on the set. But if I do, we’re going to see it through, until we’re going to be on the big screen. I want to build characters who can handle any situation, and then watch them handle it. That’s captivating to me.”

His workouts leave anyone who’s allowed to try them heaving. Stockman, one of the fittest women on tour, said that his workouts kick her ass. Larsen said this past season was the best shape she’s ever been in.

“You’re never comfortable,” Bourne said. “So you’re whole gym session is all about finding your music, your flow state.”

Jenkins wants you to find your music among chaos. When he’s watching Bourne or Larsen or Stockman on Amazon Prime, “I turn the volume down, and I watch,” he said. “And I know when to turn it up, because I can see the violins lining up and the tubas because you can hear the beauty of the game.”

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Mike Placek: Diving deep into college beach volleyball

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 5 Feb 2020 15:37:04 +0000

Mike Placek was just looking for the simple stuff. He didn’t need to know tendencies or flaws, what his opponent’s strongest and weakest shots were. He didn’t need to know serving habits or whether they preferred a backhand or a forehand.

All he really wanted to know, as the top-ranked youth tennis player in Southern California, was whether he was playing a 5-foot-9 guy from Argentina or a 6-foot-6 monster from Australia.

“When I went to play, there were zero scouting reports, and a lot of the guys were foreign, so the only way we’d have any idea of who we’d be playing in our next match was this college tennis site,” Placek said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “It was super basic but it showed you who played for what school. It kept a super good data base, had a ranking based on an algorithm, and it was basically all I needed and all the tennis players lived on it.”

Placek’s talent was in tennis, but not his passion. He’d go on to have a solid career at the University of California, Santa Barbara, but he didn’t have any designs on going pro afterwards.

“I didn’t love it, but I was good at it,” he said. “Even watching the Australian Open right now, it makes me nervous.”

Afterwards, then, he turned to where his heart resided: beach volleyball. He’d grown up around the courts in Del Mar, toted along by his mother. He idolized the guys there, such as Sean Scott, and when an AVP would stop in Southern California, there you could see Placek, sitting behind the court, watching 12 hours a day.

“That’s how I learned how to play,” he said. “It was a life I wanted.”

In a decade as a professional, Placek would make an AVP semifinal, in 2008 with Russ Marchewka, and in 2014 and ’15 he’d become one of the top players on the NVL, winning a third of the events he entered. But when his playing career came to a close, and his coaching career at WAVE Volleyball in Del Mar began to take off, he found himself staring down the same exact problem he once had as a tennis player.

As he attempted to follow WAVE alum at the college level, he found nothing.

“I’d have to go on the [school] website, go through a bunch of different things, go onto the next kid,” Placek said. “I was like ‘How is there nothing more simple than this?’ So I started talking to some indoor college coaches, asking them if there was really nothing more going on with the beach game and they said no, so I said ‘Ok.’”

Placek recalled the tennis website he and every other youth tennis player lived off as a kid, and he created exactly that. He hired a programmer and up went collegebeachvb.com, which has become the one-stop shop for all things college beach volleyball.

It’s simple and comprehensive. There, you can find every individual’s record: who they played and when, the results, their rank. Everything you’d need to know, from Division I to CCAAA, is but a few simple clicks.

Three years in, it’s the most reliable site for good, objective information, incredibly beneficial for coaches, fans, and players alike.

“It’s pretty cool and going back to where I started it, there’s all these college kids coming up, and if you’re a pro and don’t know who this kid is, maybe go on the website,” Placek said. “I’m hoping it’ll translate so maybe the juniors will look at the universities and see if they’re junior stacked or freshmen stacked. It’s for the college game but I’m hoping the juniors and parents of juniors can see what programs are out there and how many matches they play. I’m hoping it will be more of a resource for the youth.”

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It's nothin' but love with Falyn Fonoimoana

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 17:32:40 +0000

It’s a late Tuesday morning, and Falyn Fonoimoana has brought the goods again. She’s even brought some freshly baked banana bread, for her coaches, Arthur Carvahlo and Pompilio Mercadante, who smiles and says that happiness is bread and sugar.

Happiness is a great many things for the 27-year-old Fonoimoana. It’s getting a big kill and celebrating it loudly, with a beat of the chest. It’s putting powdered-sugar boot prints for her 7-year-old son, Tavoi, on Christmas morning, showing physical evidence that Santa came. It’s ensuring that Nicolette Martin, all blonde hair and blue eyes, makes it through a throng of fans in Aguascalientes, Mexico. It’s talking a little trash, discovering the sassy side of her new partner, Corinne Quiggle.

Mostly, though, happiness for Fonoimoana comes from being, simply, Mama Falyn.

“Everyone calls me mama for a reason,” Fonoimoana said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I teach recovery, I bring magnesium, they used to make fun of me because I bring a huge suitcase where it’s all the remedies for A, B, C, D that could happen while you’re traveling. I try to be, ‘Hey, I have all this stuff here, if you need it.’ It all comes from things that I’ve experienced and it comes out of love. I love all of my partners that I’ve experienced. I’m invested.”

Most on the beach scene have only seen this side of Fonoimoana, the loving, caring, doting partner who has a track record of bringing out the best in everyone she plays with. She is quick to admit this wasn’t always the case. The niece of both an Olympic butterfly swimmer and an Olympic gold medalist on the beach, Fonoimoana was, not surprisingly, one of the best on every team she ever played. She won a state and national championship at Mira Costa as a freshman, burying balls alongside Alix Klineman, and over the next four years she established herself as the No. 1 ranked high school player in the country.

As a freshman at USC, she started in 31 of 34 matches, finishing second on the team in kills. This 19-year-old Fonoimoana, however, was not the one who brings magnesium and electrolytes and gluten-free banana bread to practice. This Falyn Fonoimoana was, by her own admission, “a crappy teammate when I was young.”

And then, unexpectedly, wonderfully, life happened. Fonoimoana became pregnant with the boy that would change her life in all of the best ways motherhood can change an athlete of prodigious talent and limitless future and, somehow, almost unbelievably, none of the worst. It wasn’t her body that underwent the most lasting of changes – she was working out within five days of giving birth – but her mindset.

“I think that was a huge part of not just growing up but finding who I am as a person and who I wanted to be,” she said. “Being young and volleyball just being everything for me, I didn’t know what life outside volleyball was. It helped me learn what kind of parent, what kind of woman I wanted to be, what kind of spouse, like these are all things that came to fruition once it happened because I have to show him who he wants to be through my actions, and I wanted it to always be positive and I wanted him to see those organic.

“I’m still young, I’m only 27, but I’m really happy with where I am. I love my life, I get to help people, and I get to learn and be open minded about people. Thank God he gave me my son because mentally, he made me ten times stronger, to make me more empathetic, to make me more personable, to be able to slow down and not just think ‘go, go, go’ and really appreciate daily life. I owe my son the world because he makes me be better.”

She extended her indoor career another five years, competing in Puerto Rico, Poland, and on the 2015 U.S. Pan American Games team that won gold, until she had to return home full-time to retain custody of Tavoi. The career move was not an unwelcome one. Fonoimoana had always known that beach was the long game. Being a full-time mom in the United States simply expedited her path.

As it has gone throughout her athletic life, it didn’t take long for Fonoimoana to adjust. She qualified in six of seven AVPs in 2018 with Alexa Strange and Pri Piantadosi-Lima, won a NORCECA in Punta Cana with Molly Turner, with whom she also took third in p1440 Huntington Beach. In the second tournament of 2019, she made her first Sunday, finishing third in Austin with Martin. She piled up five more NORCECA medals, the final two of which were gold, with Quiggle, putting her on the international route she has set her goals on this upcoming year.

“I knew that I wanted to play FIVB, but I was new to the beach game, I needed to figure it out,” she said. “My first year it was ‘Ok, get your feet wet with the AVP. Figure that out. Figure out the travel, how to get it paid for. If you can get to FIVBs, great, if not, get to as many internationals as you can.’ This year I want to get into three- and four-stars.

“I’ve watched my uncle [Eric Fonoimoana] and several other family members go through this exact same thing and I feel like I have enough experience on my back that I know I can get my feet wet and see where I am.

“If I need to, I’ll choose an FIVB over an AVP right now because I need to push myself and see different kinds of volleyball. You need to see every level, you need to see Olympians, you need to get your butt kicked.”

How much Fonoimoana will get her butt kicked remains to be seen. It’s not something that has happened much over the course of her 27 years, but she’s open to the possibility. She knows that it’s the right path, not necessarily the easiest one and that, above all, it’s the example she wants to set for her 7-year-old boy that has taken quite a bit after mom.

“I want him to be better than me,” she said. “I want him to have more opportunity than me. I have to build that path and if I show that discipline, everything I do in that aspect is for him. My why is Tavoi. I teach him all the time it’s free to be kind.”

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Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb are looking to improve upon first year’s foundation

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:57:47 +0000

Tri Bourne found a funny way to describe a learning moment he and Trevor Crabb had towards the end of the 2019 season, their first as partners and first as split-blockers.

“Only at the end of the year did we figure out: ‘Oh, our timing is off. We’re not doing defense right,’” he said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

Not doing defense right? And still finishing 2019 as the second-ranked American team in the Olympic race? Still being ranked tenth in the world, finishing the season with a bronze medal at the Chetumal four-star?

“It seems simple, but when you’re in the middle of the game, it’s really hard to implement a high level, sophisticated defense with all the right movements and everything,” Bourne said. “So in the middle of the year we were learning and trying to apply it but only some of it stuck. Basically, we think of last year as our foundation and now it’s time to grow on that.”

Bourne and Crabb may be in the most interesting position as any team in the United States, male or female. They enter the season as one of the coveted two American teams who, if the Olympics were to take place tomorrow, would be competing in Tokyo. But the race is close enough that it doesn’t really matter, because the Olympics are not going to take place tomorrow, and at the end of the day, it will likely come down to the Rome Major in June.

What Crabb and Bourne do have is this: An upside – and downside – that is entirely unknown. As Bourne mentioned, neither of them really knew what they were doing on defense last year, and they still finished fourth at the World Championships, taking both Russia’s Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum to three sets.

Who knows what the potential upside could be? Then again, who knows how quickly they can begin to, in Bourne’s parlance, do defense right?

Such a quandary is not a quandary at all for either Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb or Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. Gibb, Dalhausser and Lucena have seven Olympics between them, and Taylor Crabb is on the short list of best defenders in the world. In other words: Defensively speaking, you know exactly what you’re going to get on their side of the net.

With Bourne and Trevor Crabb?

“There’s a lot of stuff to clean up,” Bourne said. “Continue to buy into the stuff that [coach] Jose [Loiola] is bringing to the table. We were spending so much time learning how to play this new style of volleyball that I don’t feel like I ever blocked the way I used to, not even close. So I’d like to get back to that for sure.”

What Bourne is grateful for, at the moment, is the fact that he’s back in this situation at all: Six months of Olympic qualifying to go, sitting in the second American spot. It was only two years ago, sidelined with an autoimmune disease, that Bourne wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play beach volleyball again, let alone at a level that could qualify him for the Olympics.

Now here he is, autoimmune disease under control, tenth-ranked team in the world – and he didn’t even “do defense right” the whole time.

“If we play well and get better at volleyball, if we’re a better team, and we play better, and I become a better volleyball player, I’m good with the result,” Bourne said. “I’m gonna be pissed if we don’t make the Olympics. Don’t get me wrong. That is the goal, but what are you going to do? You got better. You improved. And these other teams did better? Ok, I’ll live with it.

“Right after the last Olympic quad I was like ‘This is my time.’ It’s cool to be in this position and I’m super grateful and it’s going to be fun no matter what happens.”

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Life is a blast for Dain Blanton right now

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 17:53:40 +0000

Dain Blanton is smiling. For almost an hour and a half straight, sitting in a room talking about beach volleyball and a life that has revolved around it for almost three decades now, he smiles. At some point in the conversation, it just becomes almost impossible to be in anything but a great mood, because you’re around Dain Blanton, and Dain Blanton is, at 48 years old, living his best life, and he’s really, really happy about it.

“I got a 22-month-old son, my first kid, and that’s keeping me busy,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I got the new head coaching job at USC and that’s about four months old, so that’s been really busy. But I was telling Tri before we began the show, when you’re doing something that you love and it’s fun, you’re fired up to get up and get into work. It’s been awesome. It’s been really great.”

The more you talk to Blanton, the more you wonder if there has ever been anything that wasn’t great. A Laguna Beach kid, he grew up as a dual-sport athlete, good enough in basketball and volleyball that he garnered scholarships for both. He opted for Pepperdine volleyball, and in 1992, he led the Waves to a National Championship. Five years later, he became the first African American to win an AVP event, when he and Canyon Ceman won the Hermosa Beach Grand Slam.

That in itself would be a fine career for anyone. A college education, an historic win, decent prize money. And yet Blanton was only getting started. The next year, in 1998, he and Eric Fonoimoana began a push for the 2000 Olympic Games, in a men’s field that was as wide open as any, competing against some of the biggest names in beach history, including two who top the all-time wins list in Karch Kiraly, who was partnered with Adam Johnson, and Sinjin Smith, who was attempting to qualify for a second straight Games with Carl Henkel.

No matter. Blanton and Fonoimoana, against all odds and most anybody’s prediction, pulled it off. Then they saved their biggest magic trick for last when they stunned one Olympic opponent after the next, shocking Ricardo Santos and Ze Marco de Melo in the gold medal match.

“I remember going down to the Olympics and people were like ‘Take a lot of pictures, have fun’ you know what I mean?” Blanton said. “And you’re like ‘I see what you’re saying.’ And we went down there and we really enjoyed it. And Eric and I said ‘Let’s really immerse ourselves, we’re going to take it all in.’ It was awesome. Sydney was prepared so far in advance. They were so fired up to have it.

“Me and Eric always said ‘Let’s bring home some jewelry, let’s bring home a medal.’ Bronze, silver, gold, we didn’t care. You want to win gold, but if you can focus one point at a time, and one match at a time, and that’s what we were able to do. And it’s cliché, you hear it a lot, but to actually do it, ‘next point, next point,’ but if you watch, Eric stuffs a point and he turns around and tackles me, I’m almost in shock because I’m so locked in to ‘We got another point.’”

By now in Blanton’s life story, which at the Sydney Olympics was just 28 years in its authoring, it would be impossible to doubt anything Blanton would set his mind to do. What had he tried and not accomplished? So when he began to see the writing on his metaphorical beach volleyball wall, and he was tired of the travel, and his body wasn’t quite responding like he was used to, and he set out to pursue a broadcasting career, Blanton began like he did everything else: At the bottom of the ladder.

And he relished it. He reached out to an executive producer at Fox Sports West named Tom Feurer and requested not job or a shot or a gig, but just to shadow. It took an entire year for the gold medalist Olympian to get a call back – to shadow high school football.

“I went and I shadowed and they said the next yea next year we need a high school football sideline reporter. It was a cool thing to do, and a lot of people say how did you get involved in broadcasting and it was interesting to take a step back. People think ‘Oh you’re an Olympic gold medalist, you’re all this’ and you go and broadcast high school football,” Blanton said. “You have to leave the ego on the side, you want to learn a new trait, you’re late to the game, and it was the greatest place because you could totally mess up.”

Here it all begins to make sense, why everything Blanton touches turns to gold. Why he was able to win Hermosa Beach, one of the biggest events on the AVP schedule, as the seven seed. Why he and Fonoimoana were able to pull off what Blanton labels, and not incorrectly, as the biggest upset in Olympic beach volleyball history. Heck, just to qualify for Sydney – leaping Kiraly and Johnson for the final spot – in the last tournament of the qualification period, he had to beat Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego and then, immediately after, Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel.

Once in, most didn’t give them a chance.

“Once we got in, people were like, ‘You know, Karch should probably go. He won the gold medal in 96, c’mon, he’s Karch, he won ’84, 88, 96,’” Blanton recalled. “So that put a chip on our shoulder.”

Not that he’s ever really needed a chip on his shoulder. Blanton’s found a way to earning everything he has in his remarkably decorated life. Which is why he had no problem shadowing a reporter for a high school football game, which led to a gig as a sideline reporter for high school football, which turned into a Clippers game, which turned into more Clippers games, which turned into five years of covering every single Clippers game, flying with the team, being the face of Los Angeles Clippers basketball media.

“I remember I got on the [team plane] for the first time, and in the galley in the back there’s sushi, it’s a nice layout, and I’m just killing it,” Blanton said. “I’m thinking ‘Oh wow, this must be the food for the plane!’ So I’m grinding, feeling good, and I get in, no announcements, no anything, no one’s telling you to buckle up. Five minutes into the flight, the flight attendant says ‘What do you want to eat for lunch?’ And I’ve already killed it. But this was just appetizers. But then you land, you go to Four Seasons, the Ritz, you’re living the good life. It was a great experience.”

And for five years, it was. But there was always a pull back to volleyball. Blanton knew it. Though the break away from the game was nice, at the back of his mind, it was always there. When he began entering the coaching ranks, he began – where else – at the bottom of the ladder: volunteering at USC, learning under Anna Collier. There, he’d win multiple national titles, coach the most dominant team in all of college sports in Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes, and observe Collier and how she ran the program. When Collier resigned, and the job opened up, Blanton, among dozens of others, jumped at the chance.

By now you know what happened next: He succeeded. Because this is Dain Blanton we’re talking about here, and Dain Blanton is going to succeed.

“It’s a totally different experience, being the assistant to being the head coach because every little detail, the buck kinda stops with you,” he said. “You can’t be like ‘Oh, what do you want to do?’ You need to be there and constantly be making decisions which is a lot of responsibility and you just want to create an awesome experience for the players, get them a good education and get them a couple of rings on their fingers because you know that’s what it’s all about. I’m having a blast so far for sure.”

So Blanton is going to smile, because there really isn’t any reason for him to be doing anything else, is there?

At 48 years old, Blanton’s still just living his best life.

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Sinjin Smith, part two: 'You'd compete all day long'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 8 Jan 2020 16:02:50 +0000

Sinjin Smith knows the world is different now. That guys just can’t play volleyball for four hours, jump train for one, take a ride down to South Mission Beach and then play for another four. Jobs. Kids. Families and responsibilities and such. But he is curious. Curious as to why the beach volleyball culture has changed so much from his days. Days when he and the boys would put a ball down on center court and have at it for an entire day. No need for drills or simulated plays.

You just played. And you never stopped playing.

“You’d want to get on the No. 1 court, and you’d play all day,” Smith said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “Eight hours! Imagine all those guys that set up matches, if they all went to Sorrento or Manhattan Beach. All of them. Or Santa Barbara. There’d be a group, and you’d be bummed out if you were third in line to get on center court. You wanted to be on the first court. You’d compete all day long.”

And the guys who did that won. They won more than anybody in the history of beach volleyball has ever won. Mike Dodd, Karch Kiraly, Smith, Tim Hovland and Randy Stoklos – all members of the Hall of Fame, all of whom are proponents of the play all day ethos of training – combined to win 513 domestic tournaments in their careers. It might have been more difficult to get any of them to take a break from playing volleyball than it was to get them to lose.

“If I won the tournament, I’d take Monday off. If I didn’t win, I’m going hard on Monday, all the way through,” Smith said. “We were winning quite a bit, and I’d feel bad sometimes. If it was an easy win, if I didn’t feel like I was totally torched, I’d go out on Monday anyway.”

What Smith found was that the more he played, and the more he played, in particular, with Stoklos, the easier winning became. Why change?

“He was a big 6-5,” Smith said of Stoklos, with whom he played 198 events and won nearly half. “He jumped so well for someone his size, and he played so much volleyball growing up that he had an incredible sense for the game. And of course, he had incredible hands, probably the best hands on the beach. He could set any ball from anywhere. We complemented each other very well. He was great at the net at a time when blocking was becoming more important for the game, and he could dig, but he was better as a blocker, and that freed me up to do in the backcourt to do what I do. We played to each other’s strengths.

“Communication is so important, right? But it got to a point where we didn’t even have to talk. I knew what he was going to do in every situation, and he knew what I was going to do. When you play long enough together with somebody, that’s the beauty of it. You’re not running into each other. You know where he’s going to be, and you know where to go. And if he gets in trouble, I know exactly what to tell him and if I get in trouble he knows exactly what to do.

“It didn’t seem like we had to do anything special or different. It was just natural for us to do what we did.”

What they did was win more than any other partnership in American beach volleyball. When this point comes up, Smith shrugs. He doesn’t quite understand all the hype about the weight room, unless it’s to rehab an injury or work on a specific movement. He’s a proponent that you play on the beach, and the beach is therefore where you should train.

He and Kiraly, with whom he played 14 events and also won a National Championship at UCLA, would put on weight belts when they played at South Mission. When Smith wanted to get a workout in, he’d just jump – jump with no approach, jump with a full approach, slide sideways for three shuffles, slide the other way for three, jump on one foot, jump on the other, then do it all over again.

“We’d do that every day,” he said. “We couldn’t get enough volleyball, indoor, outdoor, it didn’t matter. We just wanted to play.”

Not drill or lift or do yoga.

Just play.

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Sinjin Smith: Building the sport of beach volleyball from the ground up

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Thu, 2 Jan 2020 17:27:45 +0000

On April 10, 1995, Carl Henkel was studying for his law school finals when one of the strangest, most unpredictable and, at that time he would have likely surmised, miraculous phone calls rang in around four in the morning.

“Hey,” said the voice on the other line. “I need you to play this weekend in Spain. Can you make it?”

Henkel nearly dropped the phone. Was that Sinjin Smith on the other side of the line? That Sinjin Smith? Asking him to play?

“How long do I have to think about it?” he asked.

“Well,” Smith recalled telling him on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “You’ve got about ten seconds.”

Ten seconds? Here was Henkel, a 25-year-old who had cobbled together a good but not great professional volleyball career. He had played in more than 30 AVPs, finishing in the top 10 twice, and was playing most of his volleyball on the four-man tour. Whittier Law School was, without question, the wiser career move.

So Henkel did what anybody else would do when Sinjin Smith asked you to make a run at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: “Of course!” Henkel recalled telling Smith, in an interview two winters ago. “Forget these finals. I don’t need these finals. I’ll meet you there!”

Henkel called up his instructors and told them the situation. They worked out a plan to delay his finals. The next day, Henkel was on a plane bound for Marbella, to play a tournament with Smith, the man who had helped co-found both the AVP and FIVB tours and is still considered to be one of the greatest of all-time.

You may, however, be wondering how Smith got here. From the late 1970s through the early 90s, until a bum knee began limiting him, Smith was arguably the best beach volleyball player in the world. Nobody had won more tournaments or more money than him, not even Karch Kiraly or Mike Dodd or Randy Stoklos or Tim Hovland. Nobody had done more for the game.

So how did he end up with Carl Henkel, a guy who hadn’t finished better than ninth on the AVP Tour, who didn’t make the indoor national team, who had spent his most recent days in beach volleyball on the less-heralded four-man tour? Who was studying for a law school final, far away from a beach?

The answer can be boiled down to one name: Ricci Luyties.

A gold medalist on the 1988 indoor team in Seoul, Luyties was a sublime talent, a 6-foot-5 freak of an athlete out of Smith’s hometown, Pacific Palisades. He wasn’t quite the talent that Stoklos, Smith’s longtime partner and the first man to make $1 million in beach volleyball, was, but he had won seven AVPs. They had agreed to make a run for the 1996 Olympics, gunning for the berth that was guaranteed to the top American finishing team on the FIVB. He and Smith would be all but a lock.

And then he pulled out with hardly any warning at all. On the morning of April 10, 1995, he simply left Smith a voicemail: The AVP had pressured him. He wasn’t going to play. He was sorry.

That was the day they were supposed to leave for Spain.

Smith had enough on his mind. His first son, Hagen, had just been born. And now he was supposed to find a partner to go to the Olympics? To give up the next year traveling the world on a tour that didn’t pay well? To drop everything and stay in hotels and planes and abandon whatever other responsibilities they had? And he was supposed to find him in a day?

It was too late in the process to pluck someone from the AVP – which was perhaps the point of the AVP pressuring Luyties so late – so Smith turned to the emergency option: The four-man tour.

“Carl was the first to call me back,” Smith said.

The oddest team in beach volleyball, a legend and a clerk, was born. And they were going to make it.

Smith laughs at all of this now, but still with a shake of the head. There was so much infighting then, just as there is now. It was Smith who, with the help of then-FIVB president Ruben Acosta, helped found the beach side of the FIVB Tour. And it was Smith who helped usher it to the Olympics, despite a heavy, though understandable, pushback from the AVP, a tour and union he also helped found.

“We had an event alongside the ’92 Olympics in Barcelona, to showcase the sport for the IOC,” Smith said. “That’s the event that Randy and I were sanctioned $70,000 by the AVP for going [instead of competing at the AVP event in Seal Beach that weekend]. We happened to win that amount of money. And then the AVP kept us from playing in the biggest events of the season, events that we would win most of the time.

“But from that, the sport became an Olympic sport, so it was all worthwhile in the end for us. They said ‘It’ll never be an Olympic sport, you’re just blowing in the wind.’ So it became an Olympic sport. It was awesome.”

Smith and Henkel would go on to finish fifth at the Atlanta Games, though before they bowed out, they put on perhaps the greatest volleyball match of all-time, a 15-17 quarterfinal loss to Kiraly and Kent Steffes.

“I remember that well,” Smith said.

Some will. Some won’t. But nobody can argue the impact that Smith has had on the sport. The AVP continues to operate as the only domestic professional tour, with prize money that is now eclipsing all but three events on the world tour. The world, which lagged considerably in Smith’s days as a player, has caught up, with teams from Norway, Latvia, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Italy all populating the top-10 rankings.

“It took a little while but players started adjusting to the beach,” Smith said. “We were so good because we had a tour. We had a place to compete, and when you have that tour and you can make money and travel around and you can make a lot competing, you have an advantage over any country that’s not competing.”

Now they’re all competing. They’ve all either caught up or are catching up. And Smith still can’t get enough.

“We couldn’t get enough volleyball, indoor, outdoor, it didn’t matter,” Smith said. “We just wanted to play. It was pretty awesome.”

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Joe Houde: How to keep beach volleyball players healthy on the road

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Joe Houde had just begun his career with USA Volleyball, and there was a dead man was in the road.

“Oh, yeah,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “Just not a good day.”

It was certainly one way to start his stint as USA Volleyball’s newest traveling physical trainer. His first trip with the U.S., to a NORCECA in Guatemala. First time to a third-world country. And there was a dead man in the street.

“It was eye opening,” Houde said. “I got off the plane, and I had never been to a third-world country before, and I was like, ‘Alright!’”

It didn’t end there, of course, because this was a NORCECA and nobody knows when the NORCECA adventures will begin or end, only that they will happen, as inevitable as a sunrise. When Houde and the men’s team cabbed back to the airport, a ride the driver expected to take around a half an hour, the ride kept going, and going…and going. A little less than three hours later, the players sprinted through the airport, just making it in time.

Houde was stuck in Guatemala for another day and a half, where he’d fly to Florida, Dallas, and then home, to Boston.

“That,” he said, “was my first trip with USA Volleyball.”

Some may view that as the worst possible start to a trainer’s career with USAV. Look at it from another perspective, however, and it may have been the best. For now Houde has the mindset that his next trip, to China, “was great!” and he said it with such enthusiasm that he genuinely meant it, making him potentially one of the first representatives from United States Volleyball to describe a trip to China as great.

“I just love to travel. It doesn’t matter where I go. It’s about enjoying it, being with these guys, helping them get to where they need to be,” Houde, a Boston native, said. “I’m not going for vacation. I’m going to work. It’s either, ‘Ok, hopefully everybody loses so I can have a trip.’ Well, I don’t want that to happen. Let’s get on the podium so I have to work hard. It’s humbling.”

Houde was there, for the final event of the season, in Chetumal, Mexico, for the most successful event of the season. He helped keep Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb and Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb fresh enough to win a pair of medals, a gold and a bronze, respectively. It was the first time the American men had won a medal in a four- or five-star since Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena took silver in Doha in March.

That’s what he’s about, Houde. He doesn’t get any medals, but he wants nothing more than to see the men and women he’s there to support to come home with them. That’s how he got the job in the first place, anyway. When Sara Hughes was breaking into the professional scene, she recommended Houde, as they were both located in Orange County and he primarily worked on her for recovery.

His foot was firmly in the door. Not that he travels much. USA Volleyball’s budget only allows Houde to travel a few times per year. And so, in between trips where he navigates dead bodies in the road in Guatemala, he has his own practice, Paradigm Chirosport, and also works with the men’s field hockey team, which won its first medal at the PanAm Games in 24 years.

Houde, of course, takes no credit. This is the guy who told the players to run through the airport so they could make it and he’d be stuck in Guatemala for an extra day and a half.

“I’m a small one percent of their 99 percent,” he said. “It’s very humbling to work for these guys.”

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Mark Burik: Adventuring and the power of ripple effects

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 12:45:58 +0000

Mark Burik tried it. You will notice that to be a theme of his life: The man just tries everything. In this case, a young Burik was trying his best, as a freshman at the University of Delaware, to sell his father on a month-long semester in New Zealand. His father balked.

Fourteen-thousand bucks? What was Mark going to learn in New Zealand that could possibly be worth $14,000?

Well, Mark replied, we’re going to go zorbing.

If you’re wondering what in the world zorbing is, allow Burik a moment to explain.

“It’s when you get put in a clear bubble and they send you rolling down a hill,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

So, no, Mr. Burik was not going to hand his son a $14,000 check to go zorbing in New Zealand. But he did have faith that Mark would find his way to New Zealand at some point, and he’d get to go zorbing or bungee jumping or hopping off of bridges or whatever else he would do – and studying was likely not one of them – on his own dime.

“Once I got the volleyball bug,” Burik said, “I knew I was going to take it as far as I can.”

He means far in every possible sense of the word. Physically, he has gone quite far, to the point that when his longtime girlfriend, Janell Haney, suggests what could be a fun overseas trip for the two, Burik will reply, “Oh yeah, that place is fun.” And then she’ll get frustrated, because she wants to go somewhere new, but finding a new place in the world for Burik to travel is quite a difficult endeavor these days.

He’s gone bungee jumping in New Zealand. Played on the national tours in Austria, France, Norway and Sweden. He’s run volley camps in Germany, Spain, Switzerland. He’s flown in helicopters in Rio, been discouraged at the state of an FIVB one-star in Cambodia.

“I’ve just had trouble saying no to tournaments and saying no to an adventure or trip,” Burik said. “It’s too much fun. There’s too much world to go and see to say ‘No.’ And if volleyball is either your ticket or your excuse, why not?

“I think I love the fact that even if I’m going somewhere to travel, I’ll hunt down my local volleyball contacts, because if you’ve got a sport like volleyball, and you’re pretty good at it, you have built-in friends wherever you go. You don’t even have to do all the tourism stuff and wonder where you have to go because your built-in friends will bring you.”

Burik now is one of those volleyball contacts for players all around the world who are looking for a place to play or train or build a community at any time of the year. Five years ago, Burik founded VolleyCamp Hermosa, a now-booming and wildly popular adult camp of sorts for players of all skills and ages.

He founded it, of course, on some of the most ridiculous premises. He wanted it to be a volley hostel, where he’d find all of the broke and hungry 20-somethings in the sport, give them a bunk to crash in, a court to play on, and a bunch of guys to play with, and let it run wild. It worked for a bit. Burik rented three apartments, squeezing in four bunk-beds in the master bedroom of one.

“It was so much fun and so crazy,” Burik said. “I was cleaning toilets at 3 a.m. getting ready for the next turnover.”

To the surprise of perhaps only Burik, he was evicted from one of his houses – “I did it all legally,” he is adamant to assure you – and has since sent the VolleyCampers to local hotels, where he does not have to clean toilets at three in the morning. Though the hostel vision for VolleyCamp has since changed, the impact of it has only multiplied. Rare is the day you will not see Burik and his coaching staff on second street in Hermosa, teaching from sun-up to sundown, VolleyCampers rotating in and out of the courts the entire day, all year long.

“It’s gotten to a point where it runs itself,” Burik said. This has allowed him to expand into other projects, all in the name of growing the sport. He’s building a YouTube channel, Betteratbeach, with an eponymous website, betteratbeach.com. He’s authoring webinars. Conducting film studies with players from all over the planet via FaceTime and screenshare.

“If you get one, solid piece of advice from one great coach, that’s going to affect the rest of your career,” Burik said. “People think one piece of advice is just one piece of advice but it’s not. It’s thousands of points.”

But it’s not just about improving as a player. It’s about building up this sport that has for so long needed a growth spurt. It’s about building the community that allows players to grab dinners with strangers in Austria, to crash on a couch in Rio, to know the best local spots in Spain, with the only connecting thread being the sport of beach volleyball.

“It goes beyond beach volleyball for me,” Burik said. “It’s about getting a platform. My why is more – get the platform to start making the world better. I think I do that successfully with my coaching. I think I teach people how to be better partners, how to talk to each other better. I teach them how to talk to their partners, similar to how they talk to their wife or girlfriend. You don’t want to nag, you know? You want to build each other up. In the end, my why is about getting a platform and helping, even a couple people. It’ll make their lives a little bit easier.”

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Gettin' jazzed with Kelly Reeves

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 15:45:46 +0000

There is a moment before every practice that is so innocuous, so easy to forget that it’s not all that uncommon for teams to go about practicing without remembering it at all: putting up the antennas.

And yet it is that moment that Kelly Reeves loves – or, in her vernacular, “gets jazzed about” –as much as she loves anything, and allow us to inform you early in this story that Kelly Reeves loves a great many things.

But before she can discuss how much she loves playing volleyball, how jazzed she gets about this game, how she loves the long rallies, getting a scoop on a hard-driven, or the feeling of her lungs searing at the end of a long, three-set match, she wants you to know how much she loves putting up those antennas each morning.

“That’s my moment before practice, setting up the antennas,” Reeves said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “It’s like ‘This is where I’m supposed to be.’ People overlook that. I always set the antennas up, but that’s something I just enjoy. I just look around at the bay and it’s like ‘Wow, life’s pretty good.’ It’s just what I do and I’m like ‘I love being here.’”

It’s possible that Reeves, who won a national championship indoors at UCLA before starting her professional career on the beach, loves more aspects of volleyball, and life, than anyone you’ve met. Workouts that leave her heaving, worn out, walking gingerly out of the gym? Loves them. Rallies – even the ones she loses – that leave her caked in sand, sweaty, out of breath? Loves them. Heck, the 27-year-old even loved, in a weird sort of way, getting roofed by Alix Klineman on match point in the quarterfinals of the Manhattan Beach Open.

“It was just so surreal playing against the top teams in the world like ‘What? This is awesome!’ What a fun experience,” said Reeves, who finished a career-high third in Manhattan with Terese Cannon, losing only to April Ross and Klineman and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan. “And, obviously, we lost to both of those teams, and I give Alix a little [crap] because I got absolutely roofed on match point. I was like ‘Either way I’m going in to crank it and see what happens’ and there’s a photo of Alix just reaching her hand, dink, and I’m like ‘C’mon! You couldn’t give me just one?’ But I respect both of those teams and it’s elite volleyball, it’s high level volleyball, and that’s what you want, that’s how you get better.”

Reeves understands the process more than most. It’s why she allows herself to stop and enjoy the peaks like in Manhattan. Where many, after achieving a career-high, seek the next high, Reeves is consciously aware to stop, as she did in Manhattan, and pause for a second to drink in the bliss.

“I just looked around and smiled, like ‘I’m here. This is the biggest stage probably anywhere’ and I had to just soak up the moment,” she said. “It was so awesome.”

And she loves the lows, too, in that strange sort of way that mature athletes do, understanding that there are moments of growth within those lows. She looks at Chicago, where her and Cannon, coming off that career-high in Manhattan, lost both matches and finished 17th.

“You gotta go through the trenches a little bit to see the good and it’s been such a fun journey to be a part of and that’s why longevity for me, you can go forever in beach volleyball,” Reeves said. “There’s just so much you can learn every single day you step foot in the sand.”

At the moment, Reeves is learning as much as she can in the gym. She’s in there, three hours a day, Monday through Friday. She’s playing the long game now, prepping her body for a career that she wants to last as long as possible. John Hyden’s still doing it at 47, Jake Gibb at 43, Kerri Walsh Jennings at 41. She has as much self-doubt as anyone, Reeves. But when those moments of doubt arise, and the numbers in her bank account are looking as if they’ve been on an extreme diet, she journals, does a little introspection: Where’s my bliss?

And then it all comes rushing back, all the love she has for this sport and everything and everyone in it. In an hour-long interview, Reeves used the word “love” no less than 30 times. So it really doesn’t matter what her bank account looks like, because no amount of money in the world can buy that kind of bliss, that self-assurance that, yes, she’s exactly where she needs to be, doing exactly what she needs to be doing, with the people she needs to be with.

“I just love the sport of volleyball,” she said. “I think it brings me joy, it’s made me the person I am, I just love stepping out on the court and sharing the game with anyone and everyone.”

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Mike Dodd: Finding the soul of the game

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Dec 2019 16:28:10 +0000

Mike Dodd apologized.

He’d been getting all wound up, or as wound up as the man, labeled by anyone you ask as one of the nicest guys in the world, can get. He even dropped the f word not once, but twice.

“Sorry about that,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I think I said the f word.”

You can forgive the man for being impassioned. He’s seen beach volleyball in its every iteration, every stage of its growth, from infantile to colossus to broken to slightly built up once more. He competed when there was hardly any money in it at all, in the early 1980s, when he was fresh out of college and finished with a brief – very brief – stint in the NBA with the San Diego Clippers. He’d boycotted the 1984 World Championships, not only witnessing the formation of the AVP – then only a players’ union, not a tour – but playing an integral part of it. He’d won five consecutive Manhattan Beach Opens with Tim Hovland. He’d talked smack to Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos. He’d played in and won the only Olympic qualifier to date, securing a spot in the 1996 Atlanta Games with Mike Whitmarsh, where they’d win silver in one of the greatest shows of dominance the United States has had on the beach, on the men’s side, at least.

And he’s since commentated (in 2000 and 2004) and coached (in 2008 and 2012) and you won’t ever find the man too far off the beach. He’s not one to preach about the old-school days, as some, mostly fans, are wont to do. But he does look at the current landscape of the game in the United States and wonder if there isn’t a simpler solution to the sometimes-complicated hierarchy.

“If I were the czar of USA Volleyball, I would mandate that my eight best guys would just go down. Just go down for five hours in the afternoon, when it’s windy and [crappy] and it’s not little morning 9 a.m. perfect, no wind, no nothing,” he said. “Draw your lines, switch partners, and see who’s the fu***** best. See who’s the fu***** best. Keep score. Keep track. It’s an easy pick.”

It was less about the money than it was about who won, who had bragging rights in an era of bombastic bragging and smack talk, and few won more than Dodd. Few, lest the tour returns to its halcyon days of 20-30 tournaments a year, ever will. Seventy-two times Dodd finished atop the podium in the United States, 73 if you include winning that Olympic qualifier in Baltimore in 1996, which Dodd does.

“If you don’t think an Olympic trial prepares you for the Olympics,” he said, “you’re outta your mind.”

Yet it hasn’t been done since. The FIVB has become the road through which U.S. teams must qualify for the Games. For now, at least. There are other countries who operate differently. Dodd has seen it himself.

Prior to the 2016 Games, he was hired by the Italian federation as the beach program’s head coach. They rented a house in Southern California for the eight potential candidates, and what did Dodd do but bring them out to the beach, draw up some lines, and have them play. They’d mix partners, play in the wind, in the most imperfect conditions. And he’s see who wanted it most, who could just find a way to win, just as he used to do during those endless days when he was a 20-something kid out of San Diego State.

He and Hovland and Karch Kiraly and Sinjin Smith would practice for four hours with the United States indoor national team, put in another hour of jump-training, then find the closest liquor store, pick up a couple of Mickey’s big mouth beers, and play beach until the sun went down. And they’d learn how to win.

It is hardly a matter of coincidence that those four are now all in the Hall of Fame, four of the winningest players in history, four individuals where only a single name will do – Hov, Dodd, Sinjin, Karch – and you know exactly whom they mean.

“It was just the jungle,” he said. “It was natural selection. Smith and Stokie, they’re winning, they’re great. Dodd and Hovland. Dodd and Whitmarsh. This team and that team. You migrated to each other and you did it by survivial because you had the best chance of winning. There was money and this but everybody just wanted to win. At the end of the day, it’s how many opens did you win.”

And then, coaching those eight Italian players a little less than a decade ago, he saw those very same traits emerge again. A cocky, swaggering young player named Daniele Lupo was rooming with Paolo Nicolai, a 6-foot-8 blocker who had won consecutive youth world tour events in 2007 and 2008. When Dodd swung by the house, as he sometimes did, he saw them, after hours on the beach, dinking a ball back and forth in their room, competing still.

“I had the analytics that said they were probably the best team,” he said. “But that’s what told me they would be the best. They just had the love for the game.”

Sure enough, in 2012, Lupo and Nicolai would qualify for the London Games, stunning Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena in the first round. Then they’d claim silver in Rio in 2016.

It’s that love of the game that Dodd wants to see.

Who wants it more?

Who wants to be king of the jungle?

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The Free Agent Podcast: Who's playing with who in 2020

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 20:13:22 +0000

This week on SANDCAST, Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter break down all of the partner switches happening in United States beach volleyball.

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Theo Brunner has undergone his beach volleyball 'rebirth'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 17:22:34 +0000

Theo Brunner was in need, he says, of a rebirth. Not quite a religious ceremony, but something to revitalize a beach volleyball career that had, while not sunk, gone a bit sideways. There was the chronic calf injury that flared up, a nod to the fact that he hadn’t really taken a full off-season in several years. There were the flashes of success – a silver at the Kuala Lumpur three-star with Reid Priddy – sprinkled in with missed opportunities – two crushing three-set losses in country quotas in Gstaad and Rome.

The proverbial rebirth came in the most unwelcome of places, at the most unwelcome of times. Funny how it works like that.

Theo Brunner was thrown back into an AVP qualifier.

“At first I was super-bummed,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, of he and John Hyden being seeded Q1 at AVP Chicago. “But then I thought, this is good for me. It’s good to remember what it’s all about, see what everybody else has to go through every tournament, stop being all high horse, who cares about the qualifier. To get back in there was a nice thing.”

It’s easy to say that in retrospect, of course. It would not have been easy for him to say that midway through the afternoon of August 29, when he and Hyden were down one set to none – 15-21, no less – to Jake Urrutia and Earl Schultz in the final round of the qualifier. Losing the second or the third would have meant the first failed attempt at an AVP main draw since 2009, when he and Matt Heagy fell in the second round in Ocean City.

“I was like ‘Ah crap, what am I doing?’” Brunner said. “But it was a good reminder of the love of the grind, which you can forget sometimes.”

Throughout literature, any moment of rebirth, of finding a new identity or rediscovering an old one, requires a trial. Brunner had his. And he and Hyden prevailed, winning the next two sets, 21-13, 15-7.

It wouldn’t be until three weeks later, though, when he and Hyden were put back into the qualifier again, that they would return to the championship winning team they had been a year prior. It had barely been more than a calendar year since they won AVP Hermosa, coming back at the freeze to beat Billy Allen and Ryan Doherty, 16-14, in the third.

They did that, however, as the one seed.

In Hawai’i, for the final event of the year, they’d do so also as the one seed – in the qualifier.

Just as they did in Hermosa the year before, they returned to the final. And then the most poetic stories of the year came to a crashing halt. Hyden, at 47, would have broken his own record as the oldest to win an AVP title, in searing heat and shallow sand, no less. Had it not been for a Herculean performance from Taylor Crabb, Brunner and Hyden would have locked up the greatest storyline of the year.

Alas, a 20-15 lead in the second set was undone by Crabb and Jake Gibb, just as another lead in the third was undone, thwarted once more by the Bug and Gibb.

“Oh, Hawai’i,” Brunner lamented more than once on SANDCAST. “Still hurts.”

And it will hurt for some time, to be sure, but never has there been a rebirth without a bit of discomfort. Brunner is now entering the off-season, his first blessed off-season in as long as he can remember, one of the most coveted free agents in the sport. Hyden has turned to Bill Kolinske, but after that, who knows where the chips may fall.

Do Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger stay together? Billy Allen and Stafford Slick? Chaim Schalk and Jeremy Casebeer? Priddy?

“It goes from the top down and I’ve been fortunate enough that I’m one of the guys people are waiting on,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying not being super focused on that stuff this off-season but I still have a bunch of people in mind and have chatted with a few different people.

“My wife forced me to watch the bachelor and it just occurred to me that this is a lot like the bachelor. Just trying to find a mate for next season. It’s a lot like a relationship – this guy is really good at this, but I don’t know if we’d get along that well. It’s pretty funny.”

And life, in beach volleyball, is fun again for Theo Brunner.

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Tim Brewster is getting his own type of education

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 15:25:44 +0000

TEL AVIV, Israel – Tim Brewster was thousands of miles from his classrooms at UCLA. His seat in his 300-plus-student lectures was empty again, as it had been for the previous two weeks while he was in the Dominican Republic and the Middle East. And yet, while his classmates and peers were in their seats like good students, listening to the professors, taking their notes, studying, Brewster was getting an education of his own, the same unofficial independent study he’d been getting for the previous three years.

It is one thing to learn about the religions of the world, a class he took with that very name. It is entirely another to stroll the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem, to walk the Via Dolarosa, to see the 14 stations of the cross, to touch the Western Wall, to hear the calls for prayer at the site where Mohammed ascended and descended from heaven.

It is one thing to learn of the poverty of countries like Cuba, and to listen to professors discuss the dangers of men like Fidel Castro. It is another to arrive on your first international beach volleyball trip as a 17-year-old in Havana, and to run out of running water one night, lose power for two, be bereft of functional wifi and any means of communication to the outside world, all the while being subjected to misleading government propaganda.

No, Tm Brewster may not be in the classroom as much as his professors may like.

But rest assured, he’s getting an education of his own.

“Definitely more valuable than college,” he said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. And he said this, of course, not from a classroom or anywhere close to it. He said it at the kitchen table in an AirBNB in Tel Aviv, where he played in his fifth one-star FIVB of the year, finishing with a career-high fifth. He said it after eating in Old Town Jaffa, after praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, after hearing gunshots ring out from war-torn Jordan as he floated in the Dead Sea.

“I’m going to these places that I’ve learned about in school before, which is awesome. I’m getting the real-world experience of it,” he said. “I’m getting to see these cultures and learn a bunch, especially from the people I’m traveling with, because a lot of people I travel with are older. I wouldn’t miss this stuff for the world.

“I took a religion class last quarter and it was all about Christianity, Judaism and Islam and it’s what we saw today, all day. I’ve never really experienced that. It was crazy.”

Talk with Brewster and, aside from the boyish face and the body that hasn’t quite filled out yet, you would be hard-pressed to pin him as a teenager still finding his way in the world. This season alone, which coincided with his current sophomore year at UCLA, he competed in seven international tournaments. He’s competed against Olympians and AVP champions. He’s been coached by some of the all-time greats. He is 19 yet is surrounded by some of the most elite players and voices in the sport.

“It’s weird because these are guys I’ve looked up to for the last five or six years since I was 14 and playing,” he said. “It’s weird that I’m playing against them now. I’m still not there yet but I can see the progress from where I’ve come from and where I’m heading and it’s pretty exciting. It’s really cool, though, getting to play guys at that high of a level and you get to see the things they do well that you don’t.”

At 19, Brewster is considered precocious by U.S. standards in beach volleyball. Nearly every Olympic Games is a testament to the States’ delayed development system. In 2016, the four United States players – Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson – were surpassed in age only by one. Of the six players on the top three U.S. teams with a legitimate shot at making the Tokyo Games, four are older than 30, another, Trevor Crabb, is only a few months shy, and the other, Taylor Crabb, is 26.

And yet there is Brewster, alongside his equally young and aspirational peers in John Schwengel, Miles and Marcus Partain, and Kacey Losik, the few youngsters in the U.S. breaking in before their mid-20s.

This year was a watershed one for all: Brewster made his first FIVB main draw, Schwengel cracked into AVP Hawai’i for his first main draw, Marcus Partain made it in Manhattan Beach, Miles won the AVP Rookie of the Year.

To the United States, they’re young, babies on tour. To the rest of the world’s 19- and 20- year olds, they’re quite normal.

“There’s not a lot of guys my age who are committed only to beach,” Brewster said. “There’s John Schwengel and I, who are basically the only two who are only playing beach without playing indoor.

“A lot of these [international] kids specialize early, and a lot of these countries have academies. We don’t really have anything like that. I think the high performance does a good job but it’s hard to compete with a country like Brazil who has their kids living in a facility, training year-round.”

And so he has created his own developmental system, both on the court and off. On the court, he trains with USA Volleyball’s high performance program when it’s in session and with Jose Loiola when it’s not. Off the court, he is still figuring out his major at UCLA while seeing a great many of his lectures play out in real life while he competes internationally.

“Cuba was my first international trip and it was just wild,” he said. “There’s no way to describe it but just wild and crazy. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, and everything we expected wasn’t there.

“It definitely taught me how to travel in a different way. I’m trashing Cuba but it was one of the most fun trips of my life. There’s something about adversity that bonds you to the people around you. There’s something about traveling. Nothing else matters but can you talk to each other, can you have fun, can you get through these crazy experiences together. It’s the little things like that that make traveling internationally to play volleyball so cool. The friends you make, the things you get to see, doing what you love, nothing beats it. It’s amazing.”

He’s back in school now, Brewster. Cramming for tests. Finishing papers he’s put off. Getting the education most Americans his age are accustomed to. Soon enough, though, he’ll be back on the road, on planes, figuring out how to get from one airport to the next, how to find edible food in China, bottled water in Cuba, seeing with his own eyes the religions of the world.

“Almost,” he said, “like college on the road.”

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Karissa Cook and Allie Wheeler: The Snow Dog Desert Queens of Weird

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 6 Nov 2019 06:28:59 +0000

Karissa Cook is a self-dubbed “inside cat.” She doesn’t need to go anywhere to have fun. Doesn’t really need to see anybody, aside from her fiancé, Shayne Skov, and her pup. She’s good with that.

So when Katie Spieler, her partner throughout the 2017 and 2018 beach volleyball seasons, asked if she wanted to play in a NORCECA playoff for a one-off event in a pinprick of an island named Martinique, she felt very little compulsion to do so. But she did, because Cook loves Spieler, and she does – though she rarely admits it out loud – love volleyball, event at the end of a year.

She was in.

And so began one of the strangest, world-crossing, successful years of Cook’s life. Her and Spieler would win gold in Martinique, which wasn’t so much a beach tournament as it was “jungle ball,” as she dubbed it on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, seeing as it was played in the middle of a tropical forest, in a grove of cleared out trees.

In reality, it would be one of the most normal events Cook would play over the next calendar year. A month later, Cook and Spieler were chatting again, about a new, slightly absurd invitation to play snow volleyball in Russia in December. They added Allie Wheeler and Emily Hartong to the crew, and thus the “Snow Dogs” were born.

“I feel like this year is still bookended by Moscow because that was the origination of the snow team,” Cook said. “Looking back on these 12 months, I’m like ‘How did we get roped into all these strange, amazing country trips and all these amazing environments?’

“Basically, USA keeps emailing and we keep saying yes. Every time, I’m like ‘I’m done for the year’ and then I get an email saying ‘Do you guys want to…’ and I’ll probably say yeah.”

For Wheeler, there is never a hesitation. Not anymore. She said yes immediately to Moscow, and everything thereafter.

Did she want to play snow volleyball in Austria and Italy, three weeks before the AVP season? Yes. And another in Argentina? Yes. How about a fours tournament at the inaugural World Beach Games in, of all places, Doha, Qatar?

“It’s always just ‘Yes,’” Wheeler said on SANDCAST.

It’s easy to see why, too. Every time she’s said yes, she’s returned home with gold. When she agreed to play a one-star FIVB in Vaudz, Liechtenstein, in August of 2018, as the No. 12 team in the qualifier, they wound up winning the whole thing. Perhaps her decision making is expedited by the fact that her goal is rarely about the winning, though for anybody as competitive as Wheeler, a national champ at USC, winning is always a plus.

“For me, I think about it – in Liechtenstein, me and Lara were down, 13-12, in the third set in the quali, obviously terrible scenario, so we were like ‘Alright, it’s a win win. If you lose you get to travel. If you win you get to play more volleyball,’” Wheeler said. “We ended up winning and then won the whole tournament so it was pretty cool.”

Everything about this year has been cool for the two. Cook has won events in a forest (Martinique) and in snow (Moscow). She won her first AVP, in Austin, and claimed gold at the Pan American Games with Jace Pardon in Lima, Peru. Together, her and Wheeler, adding Geena Urango and Kelly Reeves to the snow team, won the inaugural World Beach Games in Doha.

“This year, I went into it with a lot of uncertainty, but my only two goals were to not get burned out and be really conscious with my limits and not doing too much because I feel like I have to,” Cook said. “And then just to play with really good people. I think getting slightly more points than opponents was cool, but it was just a cherry on top. Winning helps, it definitely makes it more fun, definitely preferable, but I can’t control that.”

So here’s what they can control: The mindset and the team they bring with them. They’re all close friends now, the snow dogs, and the two “desert queens” in Urango and Reeves. Good friends and world champs.

“Well they’re going to pay for us to go to cool places so long as we keep winning,” Cook said. “So let’s do it.”

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SANDCAST: Sponcil, Claes figuring it out -- on and off the court -- heading into Olympic year

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:02:59 +0000

It was somewhere in the space between the Gstaad Major and the Espinho four-star when the façade came crashing down.

How long had it been since Sarah Sponcil had decompressed? Relaxed? Reflected on all that had happened in her life in the past six blurs of months?

In that span, she and Lily Justine, her partner at UCLA, established themselves as the best No. 2 NCAA beach pair in the country. In May, the Bruins repeated as NCAA champions. Days later, Sponcil was on a flight with Kelly Claes, her professional partner, to Itapema, Brazil, for an FIVB four-star where they’d play Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat in a country quota.

They lost in 28 minutes.

“It’s such a surreal fast-paced experience, national championship to pro in three days, trying to adjust my game to match the opponents, the best in the world,” Sponcil said when she and Claes joined us on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I’m just speechless when I’m asked that question. You’re never ready. You never know what you’re really doing and if I didn’t (go for the Olympics), I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

On the outside, though, it very much appears as Sponcil is ready for all of this, as if she has keeping up with her rapidly-changing world, no problem. She and Claes rebounded from Itapema with four straight top-10 finishes, including a ninth at the FIVB World Championships.

They didn't just look like they knew what they were doing. They made it look -- dare we say? -- easy.

On top of all of that, in Warsaw the week before, while the rest of Sponcil’s teammates and classmates at UCLA were walking across the stage back home, Sponcil and Claes put on a comical photo shoot of Sponcil “graduating,” cap and gown included, diving for a ball on the sand.

It can all look so glamorous sometimes -- the world traveling, the funny Instagrams, the hilarious videos of them running through airports and Sponcil walking around the world doing handstands -- that it’s easy to forget that she’s never done any of this before.

“Sometimes I can’t even wrap my head around how stressful this year has been for her,” Claes said. “I think back to my first season coming out of college. We finished the USA Pairs Championship and jumped on a flight to Rio. We jumped on the world tour and it was so stressful and we had so many new things coming at me and I felt like my head was spinning and on top of that it’s an Olympic qualifying year for her.”

And then, after dropping in the qualifier in Gstaad, now two months on the road with stops in Portugal, Tokyo, Vienna, and Moscow still looming, Sponcil let down her guard.

“Sarah sent me a text to come outside and she’s balling,” Claes said. “And I’m like ‘OK, we’re doing this.’”

They’re a fun-loving duo, Claes and Sponcil. They’re goofy and happy and wildly talented, two of the top players in the country despite being in diapers when Kerri Walsh Jennings, who they’re trying to beat out for the 2020 Olympics, was making her Olympic debut on the beach. But they are -- in spite of how magnificently tailored their lives may look at times -- human. Three months on the road is a monumental task for a human being, much less one who had never done any of this before. Full-time World Tour, Olympic race, figuring out flights and hotels and meals and how in the world to survive this thing.

“Honestly, I felt like I had nothing together,” Sponcil said. “I was missing home, I felt like I was trying to change so many different things in my game, and you can’t change a whole lot and still feel like you’re playing free. Everything was just crazy in my mind, and definitely had some teary moments, and I was just honest with Kelly and open and vulnerable and I was like ‘I am not OK right now.’

“To get closer you have to be vulnerable in those positions and it sucks to acknowledge that you don’t have it all together, especially coming off of college where you had everything. You did so well and now you’re being pushed in ways you didn’t think you could be pushed because you won a month ago, on cloud nine, and now it’s ‘Oh, shiz.’

“But Kelly had been in the same position and her listening to me means everything. It was a step in the right direction to know if we win, we lose, whatever, we’re still in this together, and that’s really powerful. That was a huge moment for us.”

Claes may be the perfect partner for Sponcil, old enough to have done this for three years now, young enough to still be able to fully empathize with where Sponcil is in life. Perhaps that explains why, once considered underdogs by many in this race, these two are eighth in the world in the Olympic ranks and third in the U.S. They trail only April Ross and Alix Klineman and Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat, with another 12 or so events -- depending on what they want to play -- left in the qualification period.

Theirs is a chemistry wholly unique to them. Last October, Claes was still unsure with whom she was going to partner for this run. She and Walsh Jennings played a few events, and when Walsh Jennings turned to Sweat, Sponcil turned out to be an easy decision.

“Chemistry is huge for me. So that’s why when Sarah and I initially started talking I was leaning towards her,” she said. “Once we started talking and hanging out and training together, I was like ‘Shoot, we line up on so many things.’ I get that a lot of people see a partnership as more of a business but I think it’s important to have that chemistry. There’s so much time off the court.”

On flights, they write rap songs together, which they debuted, hilariously, terribly, on SANDCAST. How much fun they can have off the court allows them to play free and creative on it, allowing them to stretch their full skillsets without fear of making mistakes.

“We had a flight from Czech to LA, and literally the entire flight we wrote songs,” Sponcil said. “The lady was like ‘Do you want something?’ and we were like ‘No! We’re working on something!’”

Indeed they are. They’re working on an Olympic run. A full album of songs. How to get from one place to the next, be it in the air or on the ground. They’re figuring this thing out, Claes and Sponcil, and the first step to doing so is acknowledging that they have absolutely nothing figured out.

“You’re trying to force yourself to figure it out, whether it’s transportation or strategy in a game. It’s so different than in college and I think when you accept that you’re never going to have it all figured out and just accept it -- moral of the story, we don’t have it figured out,” Sponcil said. “So don’t try to figure it out. Delayed flights, canceled flights -- just smile and wave. We’ll somehow find our way to the next destination, we just don’t know how yet.”

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Kelley Larsen and Emily Stockman: Making LAX your new home

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:32:02 +0000

There was a time – a very brief time in the middle of a jet-setting, globe-trotting season – where Kelley Larsen had the correct count of how many tournaments she and Emily Stockman had played at that point in the year.

“We did count at one point,” Larsen, an Olympic hopeful with Stockman, said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “We did a certain amount in a row, we did – what was it? – ten back to back in a row. Ten in a row. I think that was our longest stretch. I don’t know how many tournaments it was this year. I think I lost count halfway through.”

It’s easy to do when you’ve had a year like Larsen and Stockman. The official count, at the moment, with two more tournaments to play, is 19 tournaments in all – five AVP, 13 FIVB, one NORCECA. It has included competition in 13 countries, with a third trip to China coming up next week and a first to Mexico a week after that.

“LAX is our home,” Larsen said, laughing. “It was a lot of travel this year. We were gone six or seven weeks straight at one point and then before and after that we would be at a tournament overseas then come back for a tournament, be home for a few days, and we’d be back and forth. So ever since May, we’ve been gone the majority of the time.”

They knew they were getting themselves into this, Larsen and Stockman. When they both broke it off with their respective partners prior to the onset of the Tokyo race, they knew that international volleyball was the priority, that the Olympics were the goal, and that being anywhere from moderately to severely jet lagged would be the new default.

“I knew her work ethic was already incredible,” Stockman, a Colorado native, said. “Every time I was in the gym she was there, so I knew she was working hard. But to sit down and be like ‘Our goals all align,’ that was huge for me.”

For the most part, everything has seemed to align for Stockman and Larsen this season, both on the court and off. On the court, they won an enormously valuable silver medal at the Warsaw Four-Star and then followed it up with a win at AVP Seattle, Stockman’s first AVP victory. Off the court, their quiet yet warm, independent but caring personalities meshed perfectly. During downtime on the road, Stockman would wander for a good coffee shop; Larsen would take a walk. At home, Stockman retreats to the mountains, Larsen, somehow, still to the beach.

And then they’re back at it, on the beach with coach Evie Matthews or in the gym with their new trainer, an ass-kicking, no-nonsense man recommended by Matthews.

“There’s a lot of teams that sort of started breaking down a little bit and we felt good throughout the year,” Larsen said. “I think a lot of that is due to what we were doing in the gym, just conditioning wise. And all of our training was specific to you and to volleyball. Every movement we do in the gym is very related to volleyball and has a purpose for why we’re doing it.

“His workouts are killer. You get your butt kicked and you don’t lift a single weight. It’s bizarre. It’s definitely helped us conditioning wise in matches this year.”

They have but a few matches left, in China for an upcoming Three-Star in Qinzhou and then a Four-Star in Chetumal, Mexico. Then Stockman will take to the mountains, Larsen to the beach and planning her wedding with Manhattan Beach semifinalist Bill Kolinske. And then, before they know it, season will begin again. And they’ll be back on planes, back to their passports getting tattooed regularly, back in their new home-away-from-home: LAX.

“We’re like the Brazilians now,” Stockman said. “Just nonstop.”

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SANDCAST-AVERSARY: Two years and a lifetime of lessons from the podcast

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 13:25:13 +0000

Of all the indelible moments we’ve had on SANDCAST these past two years – and there have been countless many, with massive lifetime milestones from both Tri Bourne and I – none stood out quite like the moments after our latest podcast, which published today.

For the first year and a half, our typical post-show routine was a bit collegeish: We’d barbeque, drink a few beers, watch some football or a documentary or YouTube. Sometimes Trevor Crabb would come over and hang. Gabby Bourne, Tri’s amazing wife and resident ‘Pod Mama’ as we’ve affectionately dubbed her, would invariably be present, joining the boys.

It’s not that those days are over, but things have certainly changed. After we recorded the show on Monday, an exasperated Pod Mama walked upstairs, a crying newborn Naia Zuri Bourne in tow. She passed him off to Tri, and now instead of cradling a Kona or a small glass of red, he was cradling his infant. Listening to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Anything to put Naia to sleep.

Life comes at you fast.

“That evolution of where I was, and all of the things that have happened since then, it all started with the SANDCAST,” he said, and he did say this jokingly, because, obviously, there are a lot more important things that have been changing the direction of Bourne’s life. But the podcast, in its 110th episode, has been there to document it all.

It was there, on episode one, to document Bourne when he was deep in the throes of his now-famous autoimmune disease.

“The New Tri Bourne: Buddha Tri Bourne,” is what we dubbed that episode, which, in retrospect, is a funny name, because now that is such an old version of Tri Bourne it hardly seems to exist anymore. That Tri Bourne wasn’t allowed to sweat – “I wanted to sweat,” he said, “but I literally wasn’t allowed to.” He wasn’t allowed to jump, or to lift weights, or to play the sport that is his lifeblood and his way of life, how he supports his growing family.

Now he’s ranked No. 1 in the Olympic race among American teams.

“Yeah,” he said, “that is crazy.”

The podcast was there to document the publication of my first non-fiction book, We Were Kings, just as it was there to document my first main draw, in Austin of 2018 with Raffe Paulis. It was there to document Bourne’s return to beach volleyball, in Manhattan Beach of 2018, which seemed to just be a one-off with his buddy Trevor Crabb, but then it became more. It became a partnership for the next event, in Chicago, where they finished fifth, and the next, in Hawai’i, where they beat Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena and took third.

Now, should they continue to play well on the World Tour, they could be Olympians in Tokyo in eight months. With an extra fan, Naia Bourne, cheering him on from phone. With a podcast to document the journey, as it has for the last two years.

“In this situation,” Bourne said of the year-and-a-half in which his autoimmune disease sidelined him, “I had to rethink it all. I was like ‘Alright, all I know is, I want to come out of this better than I was before.’ So I just planned it out. Assuming I was going to get better, I had to stay solid to that mindset: ‘Ok, I’m going to get better, I’m going to get back to where I was, what do I want to have gained from this?’”

He has gained more than he could have ever imagined. He’s switched partners, switched positions, switched roles in life from a newlywed to a dad of a baby girl. He’s written a forward for a book, come back from an autoimmune disease and, remarkably, recorded a career-high finished at World Championships, claiming fourth with Crabb in Hamburg, Germany.

Meanwhile, when Tri and I launched the podcast, I didn’t own a passport. By the end of this year, I’ll have been to 10 countries.

Life takes you places. This sport takes you places.

And gosh is it fun to have a podcast to record every step of the ride.

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Lee Feinswog and Ed Chan: 'And that's how we became publishing magnates'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 9 Oct 2019 15:27:03 +0000

It took a matter of weeks for Lee Feinswog to rebound from being laid off. Not a month had gone by from the moment he received a call from the higher-ups at Turner, for whom he freelanced to write college volleyball stories on NCAA.com, when he began scrolling through his phone, idea and contact in hand.

His passion for writing about the sport came as a surprise, even to him. Here was a guy who had covered LSU basketball in the Shaq days, who had written about the highest levels of the NBA, MLB, who ran in circles with some of the best writers in the country – and he was smitten by college volleyball. It’s possible that it was the novelty of it, at the time. He had watched his first men’s match only a year before, a semifinal of the NCAA Championship where, as fate would have it, he sat next to Hugh McCutcheon, then the head coach of the women’s national team and one of the most brilliant minds in the game.

“I learned more that day than you could possibly imagine,” Feinswog said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. A few days later, he found himself in Anaheim, watching the women’s team practice at the invitation of McCutcheon.

But Turner, which owned NCAA.com, was bleeding money, and the first to go were the freelancers, including Feinswog. McCutcheon, though, wasn’t the only contact Feinswog had made at that semifinal. He had also exchanged contact information with the editor at Volleyball Magazine, Aubrey Everett.

“All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wait, I sat next to the editor of Volleyball Magazine,’” Feinswog recalled. “I sent her a note and said ‘I’m a free agent, can you use me?’

“You guys have never seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but it’s kinda like where he goes, ‘Well, considering I’m desperate and you’re exactly what I need…’ so I picked up with the magazine and wrote for them for four, five six years as a freelance writer.”

Despite holding what was basically a monopoly over volleyball coverage, the magazine wasn’t immune to the downsizing of the journalism industry as a whole. The print edition was shrinking, circulation was down, the website was limited.

Simply put: It wasn’t going to last long.

Feinswog knew this, as did Ed Chan, who had subscribed to the magazine for more than 40 years and had been one of its most reliable freelance photographers. They agreed that, when the magazine hit a certain threshold of pain, it would be willing to sell.

They’d be the ones to buy it.

“It got to that point,” Chan said. “So I asked if they were interested in selling, and they said yes.”

It was the simplest of business negotiations, almost to comical levels. Feinswog was driving down I-10 in Houston. Chan called and said “We can buy volleyball magazine, you want to buy it?”

“Ok, sure.”

“That was it,” Feinswog said, laughing. “That was our business negotiation. And that’s how we became publishing magnates.”

He says this jokingly, but on a relative scale, Volleyball Magazine – since renamed VolleyballMag.com in Feinswog’s and Chan’s ownership of the publication – is without a doubt the most reliable and regular source of news coverage on all things volleyball, be it beach, indoors or otherwise.

Their goal was to become the daily digital news source of volleyball, which is exactly what has happened. They cover college women. They cover college men. They cover the pros, to the point that Feinswog watched every single match during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Not just every American match.

Every match.

“And then I was like, ‘Wait, now college is about to start?’” he said.

They have covered the AVP and the NVL and the World Series of Beach Volleyball and p1440 and CBVA and every other iteration of professional volleyball there has been on the beach. They have covered the college game.

And while competitor sites such as Volleymob and FloVolley have either shrunk or folded, VolleyballMag has grown and expanded at an impressive, if not staggering, clip. The number of stories that are read through organic Google searches has exploded by 800 percent in the four years they’ve owned it. They’ve hired freelancers to cover whatever the two of them cannot, expanding to juniors and even to Brazil. It was Feinswog who named the very podcast on which he told this story.

Yes, SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter was as much Feinswog’s creation as it was Bourne’s and Mewhirter’s.

Now a new chapter of VolleyballMag.com begins, as the magazine – “magazine” used loosely here, since there is no longer a print edition – has been acquired by p1440, equipping them with the resources they’ve long needed but haven’t possessed.

“It’s amazing really,” Chan said. “It’s kind of like making the transformation from being a garage band to getting a recording contract. We had all these ideas. We wanted to expand to juniors. We wanted to expand to Brazil. Normally we would be ‘OK, how are we going to pay for this? Who are we going to get to buy into this? How are we going to promote it?’ With p1440, if they see it as a viable idea, they greenlight it and we go with it.”

“There is a vision,” Feinswog added. “There is an expectation of greatness on a tremendous scale. All I can tell you is you’re going to see more amazing things not just on VolleyballMag.com but from p1440.”

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Creating value with Kevin Barnett and Jeremy Roueche

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 2 Oct 2019 15:49:20 +0000

Kevin Barnett has never been required to do just about anything he does in his current chapter of life. He doesn’t need to be out there on stadium court, swinging a homemade hammer at miniature volleyballs into a crowd of thousands. He doesn’t need to make art for the Amazon Prime set that becomes his home away from his Redondo Beach home for four months out of the year. He doesn’t need to dress up in gold and do the goofy dizzy bat skits and the shows at the technical timeouts. Just as he hasn’t needed to host a volleyball show called the Net Live on – most, as his and Jeremy Roueche’s joke goes – Mondays for the previous decade.

He hasn’t needed to do any of that, though this is only partially true.

From a work standpoint, he hasn’t. Amazon never told him to do anything, really – “I can basically do whatever I want,” Barnett said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

But his mind did. Two-time Olympians do not simply retire onto beach chairs and Coronas. And when Barnett retired from professional volleyball in January of 2006, not by choice but by the unrelenting demands of ticked off knees, he grew restless, and fast. He and his wife, Arian, flipped roles. She put her MBA to use and went to work while Kevin watched the kids, two boys then ages two and four.

“My life,” he said, “was goldfish and sandwiches.” Which is fine, even idyllic, for a great many people. But Olympic athletes are wired differently. Their entire lives, up to that point, are predicated on solving problems, improving, beating out another guy for the spot – “suiting up with the mindset to go kill somebody,” Barnett said.

There were days he’d sit there with the boys and think “‘Bro, I used to be somebody!’” he said. “Internally, I’m like I used to do something that people valued, and now I’m like ‘What am I doing here?’ There’s one night that sticks out. I was back in my former rental house in Redondo, and there was a bunch of moving boxes back there, and the moving boxes paid for my frustrations. I don’t know what the neighbors thought. I was spiking balls on an Olympic court a year ago and now what am I doing?”

What he did was get back to work, not on anybody’s else’s terms but his own. What he did was create value where value was needed. His love for volleyball hadn’t waned; the only problem was, well, how in the world do people follow volleyball?

If Tom Brady sneezes, ESPN reports on it. But if Reid Priddy sprains an ankle and is put on the bench for a few weeks, nobody knows why.

“There was no talk between events, and on the indoor side in particular, the World League is happening every week,” Barnett said. “If you’re watching World League every week, you don’t know why the roster changes happen from one week to the next. You don’t know if somebody’s hurt. You don’t know if somebody’s trying to decide a spot. There’s no chatter.”

And so began the next season of Barnett’s life: A season of creating. He, alongside Priddy, Dan Madden, and Chris ‘Geeter’ McGee, created a show, The Net Live, which would report on all things volleyball most Mondays out of the year. Together, they brought an element of news and entertainment that volleyball had never previously enjoyed, while Barnett began honing the skill set that would become his next career – announcing, hosting, analyzing.

Creating.

“My volleyball acumen and personality gave me a shot at being an analyst,” he said. “That was a hobby, not a career.”

The Net Live, in essence, gave him the reps he needed to turn that hobby into a career. For three years, he stuck with it, adding Roueche to the team in 2011 after McGee left for a job with the Lakers and Priddy continued his professional playing career. Those reps, in part, earned him a shot at the London Olympics calling matches, which earned him a two-way with Dan Patrick, which earned him job offers as a studio host discussing high school football and a gig with ESPN.

Kevin Barnett had himself a new career, born out of creating something where there was previously a void, creating something that nobody told him he needed to do but he just did it anyway, because that’s how things get done.

“Volleyball needed it,” he said of The Net Live. “And I needed it. You have to bring value. That’s what you have to do.”

And after 10 years, The Net Live has run its course. Roueche didn’t even intend to be on the show anyway.

“I got duped,” he joked on SANDCAST. Priddy had initially asked him to be the sound guy, adding musical elements to the show, occasionally piping in with the one-liner here and there. But then Priddy left and Geeter was gone, and it was just Barnett and Roueche, a creator in his own right as the AVP’s longtime DJ, doing their thing.

“I would just make fun of people once in a while,” Roueche said. “Then they all started dropping like flies and then it was just Kevin and I.”

Though The Net Live will soon be finished, their work as partners is not. Barnett is the lead Amazon announcer for the AVP’s livestream; Roueche the DJ. It’s Roueche’s booth that Barnett retreats to when he’s not on the mic.

So they’ll continue to innovate. Barnett, after successfully implementing the whimsical Hammer Award, which earned a sponsor and became a surprising new source of revenue, is adding a Shield Award. He’ll keep decorating the sets with his own artwork, because that’s just what Barnett does: He creates value where some might not even have known it was needed.

“Whatever it is, if you’re dedicated to the process, you’ll find your space,” he said. “If you’re all in, you’ll find yourself in that industry if you want to be. Bring value. Whatever you do, bring value.”

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NORCECA adventures with Kyle Friend

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 15:41:09 +0000

This SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is with Kyle Friend and was recorded in Bonaire, where Friend and Mewhirter are competing in a NORCECA.

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Trevor Crabb: It's time to rack 'em up, tally 'em up

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 17:04:43 +0000

It almost seemed as if Trevor Crabb couldn’t believe what was coming out of his own mouth, when he recalled his conversation with Casey Patterson following his victory at the Manhattan Beach Open. Crabb’s first AVP win came after seven losses in AVP finals. It came after the beach volleyball world populated the hashtag #NevorTrevor, where some pushed it in their posts seriously and others just jokingly.

Everybody knew, of course, that Crabb would get his. One doesn’t simply make seven finals and lose all of the rest to come. Crabb claimed, on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, that there was no added pressure with each passing tournament and no title. What it did do, however, is build up that moment, when he sealed the seam with his right hand and blocked Patterson for the final point of his first win on tour, at the biggest beach volleyball tournament not named The Olympics, no less.

The euphoria afterwards was so high, such a rush, in fact, he told Patterson that “I almost wish it didn’t happen, because I know the feeling and what it did so I want that same feeling again. It’s all downhill from here.”

So where do we go from here, Trevor?

“Just rack ‘em up,” he said. “Tally ‘em up. Win as many as possible.”

It is funny, how that first win came. Tri Bourne had broken his hand at the Vienna Major, leaving Crabb not short of options but certainly short of his No. 1 option. He asked the AVP to allow Italian Alex Ranghieri, with whom Crabb is good friends and plays the Manhattan six-man, but they shot it down. He shot a text to Sean Rosenthal, with whom he had made the 2018 Manhattan Open finals, but that got shot down, too. Which left, of all things, a text from Rich Lambourne that went without reply.

“Priddy-Crabb on the Pier, 2019?” Lambourne asked Priddy and Crabb in a group text.

Nobody replied, though it remained in the backs of their minds. Crabb was going to reach out to Priddy before he did, so when Priddy gave Crabb the call, they were both all in. Didn’t matter if Priddy hadn’t blocked since 2017, for just a single event, or that they had never played together before, or that they had once shared some trash talk and brief rivalry.

Crabb knew they could win.

“To be honest, I knew it was definitely a possibility,” he said. “It was going to be tough to do but I knew that both of us really just wanted it bad. I’d been to the finals seven times, that was my eighth, lost all seven. Reid’s never made a final yet in his two years so we were both long overdue for that.”

That win was more than just a victory for Crabb and Priddy, but a win for the mindset they share: To be the best, you cannot specialize in one element. You must be versatile. You must, as Crabb and Priddy proved, be able to play both sides, both positions.

Basically: You just gotta get the job done, from anywhere, anytime, in any condition. And they did.

“In order to call yourself a beach volleyball player, you have to be able to side out from anywhere on the court so I kind of took that on me and focused and learned how to side out on the right side,” Crabb said. “It’s a lot more challenging than the left. You have a lot less vision, you have to rely on a lot of things first. It’s going pretty good so far. I can’t say I miss the left at all though. It’s nice to play both sides. I think that’s what separates me from someone else.”

And now the next chapter of his career begins. His AVP victory – his first, certainly not the last – is finished. Now it’s time to rack ‘em up, tally ‘em up, build ‘em up to the ultimate crescendo: The 2020 Olympic Games.

The one victory he would never wish didn’t happen.

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Delaney Knudsen: If you can't have fun, then why are you doing it?

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 15:42:59 +0000

Good luck in your search. You can travel to every tournament, watch every match, pour over film for hours. Good luck finding a moment on a beach volleyball court in which Delaney Knudsen is not smiling.

She’ll pop up smiling after losing a point, because what a rally it was. She’ll smile after making an error, because sometimes errors can be funny, you know? She’ll smile after her partner makes an error, because, gosh, what a good idea it was to hit that shot.

But don’t allow that joyful demeanor to bely the competitor underneath the 1,000-watt smile and ubiquitous laugh. She’s a winner, Knudsen. Always has been, from the days she practiced with the boys team at Valencia High School to her All-American years at Pepperdine to the career year she’s currently having on the AVP Tour.

It’s just not the wins that she lives for.

“I think that if you don’t have fun playing this game, then why are you playing this game?” Knudsen said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I don’t really see any other viable reason to be playing professional beach volleyball unless you have fun playing beach volleyball. There’s not enough money in it, there’s not the fame that you’re going to be recognized on the street for playing it. So if you can’t have fun, then why are you doing it? It’s been awesome to play with Katie because she gets that: If it’s not fun, then why are we doing it?”

She has a blast with Spieler, truly. And we’ll get to her in a minute, and the friendship that has blossomed out of their love for this game. But Knudsen finds the fun in everything. She’ll laugh wildly at Jess Sykora’s jump-bump kills, and the memory of playing behind Sykora in New York City last season, when they stunned Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan in the qualifier. She’ll beam when recalling the grit and work ethic of Emily Hartong, with whom she qualified in Seattle a few months ago.

But there is something, or dozens and dozens of things, about Spieler that Knudsen loves to her core. It makes sense, too. They grew up playing in the U.S.A. High Performance system together, every other year. They made their first main draws together, in Manhattan Beach of 2014, when they were both teenagers. They’ve got the same mindset, both on the court and off: Let this game, and life, be fun.

“Just being able to laugh and have fun and work hard, which are all my favorite parts of the game, she loves those too, so it feels super comfortable to be out there with someone who has the exact same goals as I do,” Knudsen said. “I think that just the ability to push my body and to work really hard is my favorite part. I love getting to the end of a rally where you’re sandy and you’ve grinded out and bunch of one-handed scramble plays, and win or lose, I can’t come out of a rally like that not smiling, because just working and leaving it all on the court even in just one rally is my favorite part. We come out on top of most of those because we love that pressure and love that work that kind of gets on people’s nerves.”

Spieler feels the same, too. After finishing 17th in Hermosa Beach earlier this season – a deceptively low finish, as they were the ones who sent Zana Muno and Crissy Jones, eventual semifinalists, into the contender’s bracket with a 21-14, 21-10 win – they met with their coach, who had made an interesting observation from Spieler. Last year she had taken a fifth, this year, 12 spots lower.

Yet she was unquestionably happier after this one.

“It was interesting to see what someone else could weigh in on our partnership and just the chemistry we had and just the way we played together and that I could kind of help foster that enjoyment of the game for her just as she was doing for me,” Knudsen said. “I would not have expected that we would have finished the season together but couldn’t be any happier that we are.”

No, it was not the initial plan to finish as a left-side blocker. For the majority of her professional and college career, Knudsen has been a defender. While she’s always been adept at switching sides, she played on the right for most of 2018 with Sykora. Then came Spieler’s call to play Hermosa, and suddenly Knudsen was taking on a new position, a new side, and a style of play that can only be described as grind the other team into the ground.

And then laugh about it.

“If you would have told me I would have ended this season as a blocker I probably would have laughed and been really embarrassed because I don’t really consider myself to be a strong blocker,” said Knudsen, who finished AVP Chicago ranked second among all blockers in blocks per set. “I wouldn’t do it any other way, getting the opportunity to play with Katie and grow my game in such a unique way has been an incredible experience.”

As much as she’s enjoyed the physical learning curve as a blocker, competing with a new but old partner, Knudsen is particularly enamored with the mental strides she’s made, and is making.

“We can be down three points at the end of a set and I’m not worried, because [Katie] wins,” Knudsen said. “She makes those plays at the end and it’s been really cool to learn from her and adapt that into my own game, to know have that internal confidence. People say it all the time: ‘You’re never out of the game, lotta game left, that’s why we play’ but it’s all just words until you feel it. And playing with Katie I’ve been able to feel what that feels like and it’s been incredible.”

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Reid Priddy is going for "double-black belt status"

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 4 Sep 2019 15:51:40 +0000

Two years ago, maybe it would have worked. Maybe, when Miles Evans put a ball away, looked directly at Reid Priddy and Trevor Crabb, flexed and yelled with everything he had, “C’mon!” it would have done the trick. Thrown Priddy off.

It had worked two years ago, from the guy who was now on the same side of the net as him. Crabb, in the semifinals of the Manhattan Beach Open, had famously run his mouth. It did a number on Priddy, then, though he couldn’t fully understand why. He didn’t understand where all that talk was coming from.

Hadn’t all their previous interactions been cordial? Polite? Even friendly? Priddy didn’t know, at the time, that was just what Crabb does on the court. He talks trash. Doesn’t matter if you’re out of the qualifier or out of four quads with the indoor national team: You’re going to hear him.

Afterwards, Priddy broke it down.

“‘Why was I so mad?’” he wondered.

“And it was ‘Well, he showed you disrespect,’” Priddy recalled on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “But why should I have the expectation that somebody should respect me? So it was almost really great because I let go of that expectation at all, even if I subconsciously had it. It was probably that moment, that interchange, that I let it all go.”

So when Evans buried the ball to close out the first set, and piled a little talk on top of it, Priddy didn’t mind. He’d been there before. He’d learned from it. And then he gave it right back.

“From that moment on,” Priddy said, “it was just ‘All right, now we’re in it. Let’s battle.’”

Let’s battle. If there are two words that could accurately summarize the mindset of William Reid Priddy for these past 41 years, those may be the ones to do it. He’s a self-proclaimed underdog story, but unlike a number of athletes who like to push that sometimes-false narrative, his is rather genuine. Raised on a steady diet of soccer, Priddy is the son of Ken and Sharon Priddy, who thought it was funny that, after 11 years of soccer, Priddy was going to try volleyball.

“They were like, ‘All right, we’ll just come watch. We have nothing to offer,’” Priddy said. He was athletic enough to help Mountain Pointe High in Phoenix, Arizona, to the school’s first state title, in 1995. Still, the sport was so new to the state, in just its second year as a varsity sport, that Priddy was no blue-chip prospect or can’t-miss recruit. He was still the blue-collar kid who had played mostly soccer his entire life.

It was enough, however, for LMU to offer him a spot on a team that recruited seven outside hitters and hadn’t yet developed a single All-American.

In 2000, Priddy would become that All-American. Years later, after the program was shuttered, he’d become the first volleyball player to enter the LMU Hall of Fame.

That was, in the grand scheme of his career, the easy part. At 6-foot-4, even by the standards of the early 2000s, he was undersized for an outside. Now he was set not to compete against of diamonds in the rough at LMU, but against the best in the country for a spot on the national team. It is that exact environment, though, where the kid who wasn’t the biggest, the one relegated to the “sandlot teams” growing up, the one who only got in fights with bullies because he just couldn’t see the bigger kids picking on the smaller ones, thrives.

He didn’t spurn the odds but embraced them, clutched them to his chest.

“Nobody ever looked at me and was like ‘That guy’s going to be great.’ I was never the blue-chip guy,” Priddy said. “Now I purposefully channel that. A lot of us, we could have these mental lapses of confidence, ‘Oh man, can I do this?’ Once I learned to channel the competitiveness, how I felt about myself was no longer relevant, because a job had to be done, I gotta put this ball away.”

Oh, he would put balls away, all right. For 16 years, he’d represent the United States. He’d play in four Olympics, win a gold and a bronze. His tenure with Zenit-Kazan would be so wildly successful, in fact, that it almost felt weird, how expected it was to win.

“That was a strange feeling,” he said. It went against everything his underdog upraising had fostered.

If the expectation was to win then where did the satisfaction come from? It seemed, at times, that there was no real reward: Win and it’s what you were supposed to do; lose and what just happened?

He’s not a fan of expectations, Priddy. Steals not only a lot of the joy of playing this game but from the purpose of it all.

“I have tremendous self-belief but I don’t like expectations,” he said. “In my best years in indoor, my mental routine was do whatever I wanted to do. We could play cards on the bus and we’d be betting but there was always a moment in the locker room where it was ‘Ok, now it’s go time.’

“The shift that took place when my generation came in and with all of our coaches, it was very focused. We’re here, so let’s be here. All in. I really love that stuff.”

But expectations, from the outside, anyway, are inevitable when one has had the success Priddy has enjoyed.

Unless, of course, you switch sports. Change settings. Do something totally radical that nobody could have ever expected him to really make the Tokyo Olympics on a different surface, right?

That, in a way, is what happened when, in 2017, Priddy took to the beach.

Hacking the beach. That’s what Priddy called his strategy to transfer his indoor skillset to the beach. He gently kicks himself for the name now. He never meant it to imply there were shortcuts to success in the beach game, but optimizations.

How could he make those proverbial 10,000 hours as efficient and effective as possible, so as to rapidly expedite the improvement of his skillset to the point that Tokyo 2020 really wasn’t out of the question?

He brought an entirely new developmental strategy to the beach. He had statisticians at practice, charting serves, both location and speed. He had trainers. He had coaches ranging from Marcio Sicoli to Rich Lambourne. He fostered a community in Huntington Beach, where the training was no longer separate, just a bunch of teams meeting and winging it, to a full-on program of hundreds of reps in a compact, 90-minute training session, where teams weren’t pitted against one another, but worked alongside one another.

“There’s no shortcuts to skill acquisition,” he said. Which is how, after two years of reps reps reps reps reps, he found himself down one set to none to Evans and Doherty at the Manhattan Beach Open. A loss would leave him and Crabb in ninth. But this wasn’t the Priddy Evans would have faced two years prior. This was a different Priddy, one who had grown in abundance from the previous edition.

“I have no expectation of how people should treat me, how they should interact with me,” he said. “I don’t feel 41 in my brain, I don’t feel like a gold medalist. I don’t go into matches thinking ‘Oh, I’m a gold medalist.’ I’m super aware of my deficiencies.”

Which is why he’s able to shore them up so quickly. And with each match, those deficiencies became harder and harder to find. They came back to beat Evans and Doherty, 15-13 in the third set. Then they knocked out Tim Bomgren and Troy Field, Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, and, in the finals, Chase Budinger and Casey Patterson.

In winning the Manhattan Beach Open, Priddy hadn’t hacked the beach. He had simply out-worked a lot of people on it. No learning opportunities went to waste, something he refers to as “double-black belt status.”

“When I think about volleyball, and anything, I like to channel martial arts,” he said. “The sensei did not get there thinking ‘I’m 21-0.’ Martial artists, it’s about proficiency. It’s about competence. The way I like to look at it is: ‘Here’s my end goal. This is what I think is possible for me as a player or us as a team. What are the behaviors to display, what are the feathers I need in my cap to be that player?’

“And then you work towards that. It’s kind of like a street fight. Now you’re in Manhattan, you’re playing in a match, you are who you are. It’s not like being 1-0 or 0-1 has somehow changed your proficiency, so it’s always about trying to level up to the next level. That comes not from wins and losses, you can learn from both, but it comes from ‘How good can you guys get as a team?’ That’s what’s important. It’s hard to do that when it’s your profession. I want to get to that double-black belt status.”

Not that Jose Loiola would ever let him think he has that. No, the coach of Priddy and Crabb during Manhattan Beach had them back on the sand two days later. He wasn’t full of congratulations. He didn’t take it easy.

“Nobody cares,” he told them.

Priddy loved it.

“The ultimate is when you can win but you treat wins as losses,” he said. “When you can take just as much from a win as from a loss, to me, that’s double black-belt, like legendary status. I think that’s the goal for all of us. How can we not let all of the little things go just because we won? Once that little euphoria dies down and we think we’re on top of the world, how can we look back and say ‘I could have done this better.’”

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Eric Beranek: Setback, setback, setback -- then massive breakthrough

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:17:54 +0000

You know what they say about plans. Some say that when God hears you making plans, he just laughs. Mike Tyson claims that everybody’s got plan, until they get punched in the face.

Eric Beranek had plans this year. He was going to get a coach. Play the year with one guy. Do it the right way, finally.

Then God chuckled, and Beranek was, proverbially, punched in the face. He began the year well enough, with Curt Toppel. Straight into main draw. But Toppel was, well, “Toppel,” Beranek said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. He said this with a laugh, because Toppel is Toppel. Full-time job. Kids. Just had enough points to make main draw, so why not go out and play?

Beranek knew, though, that Toppel wasn’t his full-time guy. Wasn’t into it like he was. So he turned to Marty Lorenz. That, too, went well enough at first. They made main draw in Austin. Played well, too. Only thing was, Beranek had a cyst on his tailbone. Didn’t tell anyone but shew wee, you should have seen that thing. Went to the hospital right after he got home, and the surgery seemed to go ok, until, an hour later, he was sitting in the bathroom, body rejecting everything, plunging into septic shock.

He spent a few more days in the hospital. Had to skip New York, and then Seattle, though the latter turned out to be a bit serendipitous. When Lorenz called Beranek to tell him he couldn’t play Seattle, Billy Kolinske phoned no more than two minutes later, asked him to play the Pottstown Rumble, a big money grass tournament just south of Philadelphia.

“I still wasn’t quite right,” he said, but he went anyway, and wouldn’t you know it, they made the finals. Won a good bit of cash, too. Maybe this year was looking up. Going to turn around, close on a high.

Somewhere, God laughed.

Maybe he knew Beranek was about to get punched in the face again.

The day before AVP Hermosa, where he was set to partner with Lorenz again, Beranek’s girlfriend broke up with him. Then salt was poured in by Dylan Maarek and Dave Palm, who knocked him out of the final round of the qualifier.

“I didn’t play two AVPs, don’t qualify, girlfriend breaks up with me, ‘I’m like, awesome! We’re back. All time low. Sweet!’” Beranek said, laughing. That’s the things about slamming into the bottom: You bounce.

And he did. He set up a practice with Corey Glave, just the two of them. He told Beranek that the player he once knew only wanted to win. He needed to become the player who expected to win.

“You gotta find that, and you gotta work super hard to get back,” he told him.

“Ok,” Beranek said. “Here we go.”

Here we go meant eighth seed in the AVP Manhattan Beach qualifier. No longer with Lorenz, Beranek was back with Kolinske, his Pottstown partner. Lorenz almost encouraged the move. He had trouble dialing in Beranek’s set in transition. Kolinske, who’s world-class at the art of transition setting, would be a better partner for him.

That’s one plan God didn’t laugh at.

Beranek was finished, for the weekend, at least, getting metaphorically punched in the face. They qualified, and then, after dropping their first match to Ed Ratledge and Rafu Rodriguez, they battled back to win a three-setter over Travis Mewhirter and Raffe Paulis. Their legs were toast. Didn’t matter. They rallied, one more time that day, to beat John Hyden and Theo Brunner. With six matches on their legs, they were moving onto Saturday.

“Holy shit,” Beranek thought. “This tournament just started.”

It would have been funny, for anyone in the stands, to see Beranek’s dad there. He’s made quite the turnaround. He’s his biggest fan now, Mr. Beranek, but a few years ago, to imagine his son competing on a Saturday at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open? No way.

He’s got his own Aerospace manufacturing business. His son was set for life. Didn’t matter if he had dropped out of OCC, dismayed by grades and volleyball. Eric had a job.

“You’re set!” he pleaded with his headstrong kid. His friends weren’t much different. When Beranek told them he wanted to play beach volleyball professionally, “they looked at me like I was crazy,” he said. “They said ‘Ohhh, you want to be an actor too? You probably have a better shot at that.’ That was a funny and weird thing I struggled with.”

So his friends would laugh, and his dad would send his daily offer: Want me to help pay for trade school? Stay in the shop? Want to be a hairdresser?

Nope nope nope.

He may have dropped out of OCC, but he had his own kind of education in mind. He skipped work one day and biked down to the strand to find Holly McPeak. He asked if she knew of any coaching opportunities available, and she said no, but there’s this guy, always dressed in Pepperdine gear. Name’s Marcio Sicoli. He’d be down at 15th street tomorrow morning. Go find him. So he skipped work again, found Sicoli, and for the next four months, became the world’s most dedicated ball shagger. From 8-10, he’d be with Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross, and from 10-12 he’d work with Kolinske and Casey Jennings.

He took the work he saw them doing and applied it to his own game. The results, as they do, lagged at first. Took their time to come in. But a main draw in Seattle of 2018 led to Hermosa, and Manhattan, and Chicago.

And then he made plans for the 2019 season, which is when everything began to dissolve – crystallizing only when Kolinske, in a poetic reunion, needed a partner. Then came Manhattan, qualifying, stunning one team after the next: Hyden and Brunner, Avery Drost and Chase Frishman, Ricardo Santos and Sean Rosenthal, Chaim Schalk and Jeremy Casebeer.

And now they were in the semifinals?

Eric Beranek?

The kid who had to trick his way onto the court at OCC, telling the starter that the coach wanted him in instead, only for the coach to notice, one play in, and yank him again?

That kid?

Oh, yes. He had made the switch Glave wanted. Eric Beranek expected to win.

“It was ‘We need to win. How are we going to win?’” Beranek said. “We were playing good ball. I’m playing good volleyball against these guys. We can beat them.”

He’s able to sit back, relax now. Now that the legs aren’t feeling like jello and the adrenaline has reduced his heart rate to somewhat normal. He didn’t know when his time would come, only that it would.

He simply had to be ready.

“Everyone’s timeline is different,” he said. “Some people will say ‘I’m this age, so I should be doing this at this age because he is,’ but there is a lot of those pressures and I think it’s easy for younger guys, girls, to look up to people, the superstars who come out of college and are placing super high. There’s a lot of that. There are girls my age that are in contention to winning tournaments. I thought ‘Man, when is that going to come? Am I going to be 25? 26?’

“I didn’t really know, and I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to do that. I just said it’s going to come when it’s going to come. Everyone has their own timeline, so I’m just going to keep grinding.”

Keep grinding.

The one plan God doesn’t laugh at.

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Brandie Wilkerson: 'The next thing you know, your goal is the Olympics'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 18:54:30 +0000

In 2016, Brandie Wilkerson saw everything there was to see, up close and in person. She saw the ceremonies. The athletes, both beach volleyball and otherwise. She practiced on stadium court with the women. She practiced against the men. An alternate for the 2016 Rio Games with Melissa Humana-Paredes, she did just about everything all of the other beach players were there to do, save for compete and one other element of being a participant of the Olympic Games.

She didn’t go to the Athletes Village.

Not yet.

“A part of me didn’t want to stay in the village, because I wanted to earn it,” Wilkerson said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “So I was like ‘I’m going to get there myself one day.’”

Get there herself? Wasn’t this the 24-year-old who had only picked up beach volleyball less than five years ago? The one who was almost as likely to play rugby in college as she was volleyball? Anybody who hadn’t yet heard of Wilkerson may have been able to take that comment and shelve it into the legions of other players who make similar proclamations but don’t follow up. Yet this was not an athlete who belongs in a class of anyone else.

Brandie Wilkerson is a class of her own.

This was the daughter of Herb and Stephanie Wilkerson, the former an NBA draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers and, the latter a runner for Switzerland. A five-sport athlete in high school, winner of four volleyball championships and one in rugby.

What would be one more sport for her?

Actually, it was, shockingly, to Wilkerson, a bit difficult, though that only raised the appeal. For so long, sports had come so easy. Here was one that presented a worthy challenge.

“Playing beach, it was ‘Whoa, there’s a lot more going on here,’” Wilkerson said. “I was attracted to that challenge, and with any competitive athlete, you just want to prove to yourself that you can do it.”

She hit the NORCECAs first, 19 in all from 2013-2016, adding 15 FIVBs, making seven main draws.

And then the breakthrough.

The team for whom her and Humana-Paredes had been the alternates in Rio, Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley, split. Pavan grabbed Humana-Paredes. Bansley, who had been named the best defender in the world, scooped Wilkerson.

Gone were the qualifiers and in was an entire season of top-10 finishes, including a fifth at the Vienna Major. Her prize money tripled, her world ranking improving 90 spots, to 20th.

“I just kept raising the bar and I looked up and it’s ‘Oh, I’m doing this full-time right now.’ I was pretty surprised two years ago, when I was stable, I never thought I would be here, and that’s kind of my whole theme with beach volleyball is that I never pictured myself here,” Wilkerson said. “I just knew I wanted to challenge myself and accomplish a goal and it was little goal, little goal, little goal, and the next thing you know, your goal is the Olympics, and it’s like ‘When did we get here?’”

By the end of 2018, her and Bansley would be ranked No. 1 in the world. They’d win tournaments in Itapema, San Jose, Las Vegas, Chetumal. Wilkerson would be named the best blocker in the world.

Suddenly a goal of reaching the Olympics that could have seemed like a stretch at first now looks more like an inevitability.

“I feel extremely blessed,” she said. “I’ve had times where I was debating switching countries because it’s so difficult to be successful in Canada and I had so many other interests I could make a living doing. I wanted to impact the environment, and I can’t do that just playing sports. But I feel like if I have an opportunity to be young and physical and have those chances so many people don’t, I’d be silly to give it up and grow old doing the other things.”

There’s only one way into the Athletes’ Village, after all, and it isn’t by doing other things. But still, there is work to be done, an entire season to be played before Tokyo 2020.

“I haven’t proven myself consistently, which I think is really the epitome of being the best,” she said. “I think I can get there, and that’s my goal. Watching these people dominate and seeing that it can be done, it’s like ‘Well I want to do that.’”

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Anna Collier: The Coaching Legend who's now a 'teenager with money'

Admin@bleav.com (Travis Mewhirter) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 15:17:59 +0000

Anna Collier is sitting on Tri Bourne’s couch, and she is – if you can believe it – relaxed. She hasn’t been to the beach in months, aside from when she rides her bike down the strand. She’s getting facials, going to the spa. Reconnecting with old friends. Getting fit.

“Just call me Soccer Mom Anna Collier,” she said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter.

For anyone who knows, or has known, Collier, this is a near-impossible thing to imagine. For the past four decades, Collier hasn’t had time for facials. Trips to the spa.

Relax?

How can you relax when your day job, for just shy of 40 years, included acting as the Athletic Director, compliance office and volleyball coach at Santa Monica College? Most coaches take the summers off, do they? Not Collier. That was for FIVB, for AVP, for juniors. Non-stop the coaching cycle went, around and around and around.

Until, on June 6, it came to a halt. Collier announced her retirement from USC, where she had built not only a beach program, the first of its kind, but had played an integral role in building beach volleyball as a sport at the collegiate level.

“It was time,” she said.

There is never any one reason for such a monumental decision in one’s life. But as those reasons accumulate over the course of 40-plus years, sometimes it takes one gentle nudge, from a former protégé, to tip you over the edge. That came, in part, from Misty May-Treanor, whom Collier had once coached.

“When,” May-Treanor wondered, “are you going to have won enough?”

On Collier’s fingers, figuratively, were seven National Championship rings at USC. On her resume were 206 wins and only 38 losses at SC. To her name is virtually every coaching record one can imagine: 62 consecutive wins, an NCAA recore; two-time Coach of the Year; first head coach to reach 100 wins, and 150, and 200. Enough victories over rival UCLA for the rest of the university to be happy.

The more Collier thought about it, the easier it became for her to admit, both to herself and to the public, that “it’s time.”

And for the first time in as long as she could remember, she slept like a rock. No longer was her mind whirring over recruiting – Who to call, when to call them, who to look for – or how she could tinker with this lineup or that partnership.

Her biggest decision, suddenly, was: “Do I take my bike this way, or that way?”

And she loves it.

“I haven’t had a summer off in a long time,” she said. “This is literally the first summer I’ve had off in four decades.”

What she leaves behind is a legacy and coaching epoch that will be labeled as iconic. She, alongside similarly Hall of Fame caliber coaches such as Nina Matthies at Pepperdine, helped usher in an entirely new era of beach volleyball, growing the college game into the fastest growing sport in NCAA history.

And it all began with crashing a golf cart.

In 2013, Sara Hughes was one of the best indoor players in the country. A four-year starter at Mater Dei, an athletics powerhouse in Santa Ana, Hughes was named team MVP in three consecutive seasons, the Female Athlete of the Year. All-American. All-League. All-Everything.

And Anna Collier had a shot.

Hughes had grown up playing sand in Huntington Beach. When she was touring schools, she made a firm rule that it needed to have a beach program, which less than 20 in the country did when she was making her decision.

USC had launched its program in 2012, with only one scholarship athlete, Geena Urango. Collier had no idea if she could even offer any others, but this was Sara Hughes. She’d find a way. There was only one problem: Her recruiting trip was a complete disaster.

Collier loaded up Hughes and her father, Rory, in then-indoor coach Mick Haley’s golf cart, and off they went, driving around campus, which Collier was hardly any more familiar with than Hughes was. She was still working at Santa Monica College at the time, and hadn’t had much availability to learn USC’s campus outside of anything volleyball related.

So they toured, and Collier “just made stuff up,” about the buildings, making a mental footnote to actually learn a thing or two. But she can’t make up the next part, about Collier coming to a structure of arches on campus – and crashing the golf cart directly into them.

“She walks out the door and I look to my assistant and I’m like ‘We’ll never see her again. That’s it. We’re done,’” Collier said. She’s able to laugh about it now, because, as you know by this point, Hughes became a Trojan, launching one of the most dominant four years in all of college sports.

And it wasn’t just Hughes. With five more scholarships than had been originally budgeted, a rapid increase thanks to “an anonymous tip,” Collier said, laughing a surreptitious laugh, she locked in Kelly Claes, Allie Wheeler, Nicolette Martin.

Born was the indomitable power that would become USC beach volleyball.

Now that power is in the hands of Dain Blanton, who coached under Collier for four seasons as the volunteer assistant. Collier knows USC is in good hands. Blanton’s the right man for the job.

As for her?

She’s already had requests to coach at the professional level. Her answer every time: I’m not doing anything. Not this summer, at least. She’s enjoying the Summer of Anna Collier. She likes being Soccer Mom Anna Collier, where she gets to wake up and wonder: Do I go left on the strand, or right?

For the first time in more than 40 years, it really doesn’t matter.

“This,” she said, “is sweet.”

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