How the 2020 Olympic postponement could impact each team in the race
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter25 Maalis 2020

How the 2020 Olympic postponement could impact each team in the race

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.

Jaksot(500)

James Shaw, and the pursuit for the goals on the other side of fear

James Shaw, and the pursuit for the goals on the other side of fear

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! 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! 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!

21 Huhti 20211h 8min

Kim Hildreth is thriving, with both feet finally on the ground

Kim Hildreth is thriving, with both feet finally on the ground

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! 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! 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!

14 Huhti 20211h 3min

Mark Paaluhi, the man alas giving beach volleyball the attention he always thought it needed

Mark Paaluhi, the man alas giving beach volleyball the attention he always thought it needed

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! 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!

7 Huhti 20211h 7min

Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Breaking down the Cancun Bubble, training tips, AVP speculation

Beach Volleyball Mailbag: Breaking down the Cancun Bubble, training tips, AVP speculation

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!

31 Maalis 202150min

Matt Fuerbringer: Respecting the work that's required of greatness

Matt Fuerbringer: Respecting the work that's required of greatness

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! 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!

24 Maalis 20211h 16min

Chaim Schalk's American career has finally begun -- from the bottom

Chaim Schalk's American career has finally begun -- from the bottom

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! 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!

17 Maalis 20211h 3min

Don't be fooled by LSU's Kristen Nuss: She'll find a way to win

Don't be fooled by LSU's Kristen Nuss: She'll find a way to win

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! 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!

10 Maalis 202150min

Travis Mewhirter's volatile, adversity-filled trip to and from the Doha bubble

Travis Mewhirter's volatile, adversity-filled trip to and from the Doha bubble

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! 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!

3 Maalis 20211h 8min

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