Megan Rice was always ”just one opportunity away” from her massive breakout season

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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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!

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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!