Hector Gutierrez is building another college beach southeast power at TCU

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!

22 Jul 20201h 10min

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!

15 Jul 202059min

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!

8 Jul 20201h 30min

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.

1 Jul 20201h 2min

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!

24 Jun 20204h 10min

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!

17 Jun 20201h 4min

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!

10 Jun 202059min

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!

3 Jun 20201h 2min