Sarah Sponcil, Pac-12 Champ, National Champ, AVP finalist

Sarah Sponcil, Pac-12 Champ, National Champ, AVP finalist

It may seem difficult to imagine at first, what with a Pac-12 title, an NCAA Championship and an AVP final under her belt in the span of just a few weeks, but yes, Sarah Sponcil does struggle from time to time.

Take Spanish, for example.

“I have not taken it since I was in fifth grade,” she said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “A lot of people take Spanish in high school, so it was elementary Spanish and I was like ‘Ok, we’re chillin’ with the colors and the weather and all that stuff and the lady is like ‘Ok so the next class we’re going to be speaking in full Spanish. And I was like ‘Wait, what? What did I sign up for? Is there a level below this?’ So that’s been kind of a struggle.”

But on the court? It may take some digging to find a soft spot in Sponcil’s game. Partnered with Lauren Fendrick for Austin, Sponcil won her first four career AVP main draw matches in straight sets, setting up a final against April Ross and Alix Klineman.

“I think I just had that mentality – people are going to be stronger, faster,” Sponcil said. “I think I just tried to put the pressure on, trying to stay aggressive. I think a lot of people go to shots if they get blocked, they kind of just do that. I felt like I was full force. I just want to swing, if I get blocked, I’ll just work around.”

She worked around Angela Bensend and Olaya Pazo, Caitlin Ledoux and Kendra VanZwieten, Janelle Allen and Kerri Schuh, Karissa Cook and Katie Spieler.

It was one thing to play alongside an Olympian and Stanford’s assistant coach. It was an entirely different feeling to play against Ross, the player Sponcil has looked up to since she began playing volleyball.

“I mean, you’re playing against April Ross,” Sponcil said. “I literally had pictures of her when I was like, 14 and 17. Just to be playing against her and seeing me stack up against her was really cool. It was a really great experience.”

She watched the film a few times, enough to know that she stacked up just fine. Ross and Klineman had only dropped a single set prior to the finals, yet there was Sponcil, pushing the two-time Olympic medalist to a 24-22 first set, and again to a 25-23 second set.

“We basically played a third game,” Sponcil said, laughing. “I felt like I was taking it point by point. I don’t know. I thought it was an amazing challenge. You look up to someone for so long and you don’t want to miss this opportunity. You want to show them like ‘Ok, I deserve to be here. It wasn’t a fluke that we were here.’

“Right after we lost, as long as we gave them a run for their money, that was ok with me. Just to be that close and within striking distance gives me hope and just makes you want to play that much more and get that much better so you have the opportunity to face off with them again.”

She will. There is no doubting that. She had to skip New York for her finals, though she plans on playing Seattle and the remainder of the AVP season, and she’s entertaining the possibility of sprinkling in some FIVB stops as well.

At the end of the day, it is this: Sarah Sponcil just wants to keep winning.

“I’m just trying to get to know the beach volleyball world,” she said. “Now it’s like ‘Ok this is a completely different world. Book your own flights, book your own practices with different people.’

“I’m just going to keep trying, keep getting into AVPs, and I’ll see what happens from there.”

Jaksot(480)

AVP Chicago: " HOLY SH%$!" The Shove! The Shoes! The League!

AVP Chicago: " HOLY SH%$!" The Shove! The Shoes! The League!

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 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/ 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/ 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

2 Syys 202430min

AVP Chicago Preview: Who is Going to Make the AVP League?

AVP Chicago Preview: Who is Going to Make the AVP League?

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 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/ 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/ 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

29 Elo 202442min

Ryan Wilcox: Beach Volleyball's Next Hawaiian Baby Court Beast

Ryan Wilcox: Beach Volleyball's Next Hawaiian Baby Court Beast

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 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/ 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/ 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

28 Elo 20241h 19min

LIVE Mailbag Episode: Why Did Tri Switch Partners? Beach Volleyball in...Montana??

LIVE Mailbag Episode: Why Did Tri Switch Partners? Beach Volleyball in...Montana??

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 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/ 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/ 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

21 Elo 20241h 4min

Manhattan Beach Open Recap: The Redemption of Trevor and Theo

Manhattan Beach Open Recap: The Redemption of Trevor and Theo

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 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/ 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/ 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

19 Elo 202427min

Manhattan Beach Open Preview: The Return of The Olympians

Manhattan Beach Open Preview: The Return of The Olympians

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 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/ 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/ 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

15 Elo 202444min

Deahna Kraft: Embracing the Suck to "Make a Little Bit of Magic"

Deahna Kraft: Embracing the Suck to "Make a Little Bit of Magic"

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 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/ 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/ 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

14 Elo 20241h 28min

Paris Pod: Beach Volleyball Enters the Scandinavian Era; Duda and AP put Brazil back on top

Paris Pod: Beach Volleyball Enters the Scandinavian Era; Duda and AP put Brazil back on top

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 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/ 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/ 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

10 Elo 202443min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
aikalisa
rss-podme-livebox
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
otetaan-yhdet
linda-maria
rikosmyytit
the-ulkopolitist
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-sinivalkoinen-islam
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-pallo-keskelle-2
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-terveisia-seelannista
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset