BounceBeach: How a 17-year-old high schooler created the most viral account in beach volleyball

BounceBeach: How a 17-year-old high schooler created the most viral account in beach volleyball

The idea began, like all viral ideas do, with something so blatantly obvious it had been overlooked by everyone. Parker Conley was the rare type of teenaged boy in Arizona who was obsessed with beach volleyball. It isn’t entirely unheard of. A handful of professionals hail from Arizona, and the sport has a small presence.

But it is rare, to be sure.

Conley sought any resource he could to learn the sport. Namely, YouTube. He’d watch anything he could find, no matter the era – old school Sinjin and Karch, all things Taylor Crabb, American or international, male or female. He’d see highlight after highlight, realizing, to his own subtle surprise, that there was no Instagram account that shared them. Other sports – basketball, primarily – have thousands of social media accounts dedicated almost exclusively to highlights, sharing clips that go viral, the type you’d see on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.

Beach volleyball had none of that.

“I thought,” Conley said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, “I should do it.”

Thus, BounceBeach was born.

Maybe. He waffled between names for a bit, seeking something about beach volleyball and some kind of impressive play within the sport. Bouncing a ball is one of the more highlight-worthy plays – just ask Sean Rosenthal, who is still, 13 years later, asked about his “Vegas Line” – and the alliteration worked.

Conley created the Instagram account, pouring over film from The Hague four-star in 2019 as his first event, and began creating highlights.

“I posted six or seven videos, the quality was horrible, I had a huge watermark, you could hardly see the players,” Conley said, laughing at the memory of his first attempt. “I was like ‘I’m not letting those stay on my page.’”

Nevertheless, the social media world took notice. When a sport is starved for content, particularly highlights that players can use to market their own brand, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the highest of quality. As Conley perfected his craft, the momentum only increased, a snowball careening down the mountain.

Soon, the pros themselves, the same ones on which Conley had watched so many hours of film, began reaching out: Phil Dalhausser, Jake Gibb, Nick Lucena, Casey Patterson. Could Conley send over a few highlights they could use?

After sitting down for half an hour, processing the fact that it was, indeed, that Phil Dalhausser who had messaged him, Conley would reply: Of course he’d send over a highlight.

“I had no idea where it was going to go,” said Conley, who is 17 and enrolled in online classes both at a high school and Arizona State. “I’m still blown away by how many people are following it. I thought I would eventually hit the cap and I’d stop getting followers but I haven’t hit it.”

If anything, BounceBeach is only picking up speed, taking on a life of its own. It’s morphed into something of an online forum, a place to discuss the highlights, where the best players in the world can beat their chest or poke fun of others. It’s its own subculture, in a way. When Conley posted a video of John Hyden digging a ruthless swing from Taylor Crabb, putting the ensuing transition point away with a jumbo poke that tagged the back line, Crabb commented, in jest, “Who won?”

This ignited a string of amusing comments and debates, becoming its own chat room.

“As I started growing, it’s been cool to see how the pros interact with it,” Conley said. “That was my goal, originally: to have my name known, build a brand for myself in a way. Having it be a forum in a way where pros will talk about highlights has been kind of surreal.”

In less than a year and a half, Conley has amassed nearly 40,000 followers. More than that, he’s created something that virtually every beach volleyball player and fan turns to when seeking highlights. He tapped the latent gold mine of content, becoming essentially the exclusive source of viral clips. The FIVB took note, asking Conley to edit some highlights for them as well, joining the growing list of players.

It’s become almost a competition among players to get their highlights featured on BounceBeach, which has become beach volleyball’s version of SportsCenter.

“It’s been crazy, surreal to see people say ‘I got on BounceBeach!’ I never expected that,” Conley said. “It’s insane. It almost has become something on its own, where people consider it a brand. When I started, I was just posting highlights for the fun of it.”

He’s still having fun with it. Still digging through YouTube, discovering gems with barely any views.

“I’m like ‘How has nobody ever seen this?’” Conley said.

With him, and BounceBeach, now everybody can.

Episoder(500)

Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander: The most exciting team on the AVP is back in 2023

Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander: The most exciting team on the AVP is back in 2023

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features one of our most requested duos: Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. Fresh off a rejuvenating off-season, Crabb and Sander are looking to follow up on a phenomenal first year as partners, one in which they made five finals and won two events, including the Phoenix Gold Series Championships. We chatted about all manner of topics, including: Why Taylor Sander’s rookie season was historically good, despite what many naysayers might say (and for some reason do) Why they decided to skip the Doha Elite 16, and will be playing in AVP Miami instead of the La Paz Challenge What Sander has learned about his own game, and what improvements he’s making heading into 2023 The mental battle between choosing to play in AVP events vs. Olympic qualifying events And, as always, a whole lot more.

22 Feb 20231h 34min

For Silila Tucker, ’there is no right or wrong route’ so long as he’s on the beach

For Silila Tucker, ’there is no right or wrong route’ so long as he’s on the beach

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Silila Tucker, the most secret Hawaiian on the AVP Tour – so secret even Tri didn’t even know that Tucker spent a good chunk of his childhood summers on Oahu. We talked a ton about that, as well as: Tucker’s HUGE 2022 season, one that ended with a win at the Laguna Open and a third at the Huntington Beach Tour Series Tucker’s new partnership with Paul Lotman, and their plans to hit the international events this year How Tucker approached volleyball, both beach and indoors, as a professional from day one Why he made the decision to move to California, and the dividends it’s already paying And, as always, so much more. SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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 Feb 20231h 25min

Road to Paris No. 2: All hail Alex Ranghieri, European women start strong, Nuss-Kloth shine

Road to Paris No. 2: All hail Alex Ranghieri, European women start strong, Nuss-Kloth shine

This is Episode No. 2 of The Road to Paris, a monthly Olympic Beach Volleyball breakdown hosted by Travis Mewhirter. The Doha Elite 16 marked the opening event of the Olympic qualifying process, and while it might prove to be relatively inconsequential in the long run, big moves were still made, namely by Italians Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri, the European women, and Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth. Let us know what you think! This is a new series, so we're open to feedback and suggestions! PHOTO CREDITS: Volleyball World Episode No. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYbRdFFZBR4&t=206s Mewhirter's 2024 Olympic predictions: https://volleyballmag.com/2024-olympic-beach-volleyball-predictions-013123/ SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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 Feb 202322min

Delaynie Maple, the mental fortress leading USC’s new-look 2023 team

Delaynie Maple, the mental fortress leading USC’s new-look 2023 team

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Delaynie Maple, a junior at USC and one of the most talented, must-watch players in NCAA beach volleyball this upcoming 2023 season. When she was still in high school, Maple took a fifth at AVP Hermosa with Megan Kraft. At USC, she’s already competed on court one, going 36-1 as a sophomore alongside Julia Scoles. Could not recommend watching her enough. We chatted about all sorts of topics, including: How COVID made for the strangest of freshman years for Maple The role that mental toughness has played in her success, and how she has trained that skill Her and Megan Kraft’s fifth-place run through AVP Hermosa in 2019 How USC is going about replacing 13 players from its NCAA Championship-winning team That, and, as always, so much more. SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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

8 Feb 20231h 10min

Lexy Denaburg: UCLA’s senior leader is setting the best of examples

Lexy Denaburg: UCLA’s senior leader is setting the best of examples

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features our regular guest host, Savvy Simo, who is currently in Doha, competing in her first OLYMPIC QUALIFYING event, and Lexy Denaburg, her former partner at UCLA who is now charged with leading a deeply talented Bruins team. Denaburg is, simply, awesome. A lovely, gracious, humble 21-year-old out of Florida who you should absolutely watch at some point in the near future. Already an All-American, she is one of the most talented players in NCAA Beach Volleyball right now. We chatted about all manner of topics, including: UCLA coming into the 2023 season as the clear No. 1 and favorite to win an NCAA Championship The impact of the senior class before Denaburg, and how she is now finding herself in a leadership position How her addiction to weight training was actually an issue (a good issue for a college student…) and how she’s learning to take care of her body What it’s like being at the top of the NCAA Beach Volleyball food chain – and how that’ll only make her and her teammates better SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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

1 Feb 20231h 20min

Season-opening Mailbag! Why Tri split with Trevor; new beginnings with Chaim; four-man volleyball

Season-opening Mailbag! Why Tri split with Trevor; new beginnings with Chaim; four-man volleyball

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is our FIRST MAILBAG OF THE YEAR! It was a full one, too, and Tri Bourne was firmly on the hot seat, answering all sorts of questions, including: What happened to him and Trevor Crabb? How did Trevor take the news? What aren’t Tri and Chaim Schalk playing the Doha Elite 16? What are Phil Dalhausser’s plans for the upcoming AVP season? And a whole, whole lot more. SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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

25 Jan 20231h 11min

The secret’s out! How Carly Kan became Hawaii’s first female AVP Champion

The secret’s out! How Carly Kan became Hawaii’s first female AVP Champion

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is, incredibly, our first podcast IN HAWAII!! Tri Bourne took the mic on the road with him to sit down with Carly Kan, the newest AVP champ and the first woman from the state of Hawaii to win an AVP, as well as her coach, the founder and master of secret training himself, Danny Alvarez. Kan is one of many bright young female stars on the AVP, while Alvarez is one of the brightest minds in the game. Absolute gem of a podcast, ladies and gentlemen, covering a wide variety of topics, such as: How women’s beach volleyball wasn’t much of a thing in Kan’s childhood, and how the University of Hawaii’s beach program changed that How Alvarez became the first – and still really only – beach volleyball coach in Hawaii How an open gym turned Carly Kan, who was recruited to play libero for Missouri, into one of the best outside hitters in the country The many, many factors that led Kan to her first AVP win And, as always, so much more. SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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

18 Jan 20231h 15min

Savvy Simo and Toni Rodriguez: Healthy, rested, rehabbed, and ready for a push to Paris 2024

Savvy Simo and Toni Rodriguez: Healthy, rested, rehabbed, and ready for a push to Paris 2024

This episode of SANDCAST features Savvy Simo, our favorite female host, and Toni Rodriguez, her partner for this season and, at least, the next as they begin their push to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It has been quite an off-season for Rodriguez, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at AVP New Orleans in 2022. While she rehabbed, Simo played with anyone who would, anywhere in the world. Now, they’re back together. We chatted about all sorts of fun stuff, including: AVP New Orleans, and how Rodriguez briefly wondered if she would continue playing volleyball What Rodriguez’s rehab process looked like, while Simo was scrambling for partners What their plans are for the upcoming season What both of them learned in their albeit brief rookie seasons as professionals And, as always, a whole lot more. SHOOTS! *** NEW BOOK ALERT!!! Travis Mewhirter and Kent Steffes just published a seminal work on the history of beach volleyball in their new book, Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball. Check it out on Amazon!! https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Summer-rise-beach-volleyball/dp/B0B3JHFKM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WGJFWHPBGPQ2&keywords=kings+of+summer+book&qid=1658922972&sprefix=kings+of+summer+book%2Caps%2C1328&sr=8-1 We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27 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/ 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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball 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

11 Jan 20231h 12min

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