Mailbag: Who are the top five blockers and defenders in the world? More fan questions

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!! *** 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.  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/

24 Des 1h 3min

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 *** 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.  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/

17 Des 56min

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! *** 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.  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/

10 Des 1h 9min

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! *** 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.  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/

3 Des 1h 10min

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! *** 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.  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/ Our medical timeout was brought to you by SHIELD Athletic Tape. If you’re an athlete, coach, or just train hard, you know that staying healthy is easier said than done— it’s about staying supported. That’s where SHIELD comes in. SHIELD is a U.S.-based athletic tape company built by athletes, for athletes. Whether it’s rigid tape for serious support, kinesiology tape with true 4-way stretch for maximum mobility, or turf tape to fight off burns on the field — SHIELD’s got you covered. They even make recovery wraps for post-session cooldowns and inflammation control. And because it’s all made right here in the U.S., you’re getting elite quality and fast delivery —they are truly not cutting corners. Try SHIELD today — support that actually performs. Check them out at shieldhealthandfitness.com and use code SANDCAST for a discount. Tape smarter. Train harder. SHIELD up.

23 Nov 22min

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! 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.  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/ Our medical timeout was brought to you by SHIELD Athletic Tape. If you’re an athlete, coach, or just train hard, you know that staying healthy is easier said than done— it’s about staying supported. That’s where SHIELD comes in. SHIELD is a U.S.-based athletic tape company built by athletes, for athletes. Whether it’s rigid tape for serious support, kinesiology tape with true 4-way stretch for maximum mobility, or turf tape to fight off burns on the field — SHIELD’s got you covered. They even make recovery wraps for post-session cooldowns and inflammation control. And because it’s all made right here in the U.S., you’re getting elite quality and fast delivery —they are truly not cutting corners. Try SHIELD today — support that actually performs. Check them out at shieldhealthandfitness.com and use code SANDCAST for a discount. Tape smarter. Train harder. SHIELD up.

22 Nov 31min

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 had 8 matches of commentary today from the world champs – and then delivered this pod, where Travis chats about: 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! *** 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.  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/ Our medical timeout was brought to you by SHIELD Athletic Tape. If you’re an athlete, coach, or just train hard, you know that staying healthy is easier said than done— it’s about staying supported. That’s where SHIELD comes in. SHIELD is a U.S.-based athletic tape company built by athletes, for athletes. Whether it’s rigid tape for serious support, kinesiology tape with true 4-way stretch for maximum mobility, or turf tape to fight off burns on the field — SHIELD’s got you covered. They even make recovery wraps for post-session cooldowns and inflammation control. And because it’s all made right here in the U.S., you’re getting elite quality and fast delivery —they are truly not cutting corners. Try SHIELD today — support that actually performs. Check them out at shieldhealthandfitness.com and use code SANDCAST for a discount. Tape smarter. Train harder. SHIELD up.

21 Nov 29min

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! *** 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.  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/ Our medical timeout was brought to you by SHIELD Athletic Tape. If you’re an athlete, coach, or just train hard, you know that staying healthy is easier said than done— it’s about staying supported. That’s where SHIELD comes in. SHIELD is a U.S.-based athletic tape company built by athletes, for athletes. Whether it’s rigid tape for serious support, kinesiology tape with true 4-way stretch for maximum mobility, or turf tape to fight off burns on the field — SHIELD’s got you covered. They even make recovery wraps for post-session cooldowns and inflammation control. And because it’s all made right here in the U.S., you’re getting elite quality and fast delivery —they are truly not cutting corners. Try SHIELD today — support that actually performs. Check them out at shieldhealthandfitness.com and use code SANDCAST for a discount. Tape smarter. Train harder. SHIELD up.

20 Nov 30min