SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter

June Mailbag! Predicting the LA 2028 Podium; Selling Souls; New Partnerships 10.06.2026 1t 10min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where, rather than Travis, it's our Amigo, Kyle Friend in the studio, answering all of your fan questions for our June beach volleyball mailbag episode. They're chatting: - Favorite newcomers in beach volleyball, both on the AVP and Beach Pro Tour - Who they think will make the LA 2028 podium - The impact of Sweden and Norway on beach volleyball - If Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh sold their souls for two forfeit bronze medals

The Hidden Crisis: Mental Health and Resilience in Sports | Dr. Gary Green 03.06.2026 1t 2min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, and welcome back to one of our most-anticipated annual guests: Gary Green. We're talking building resilience in an anxious world. Key topics from the episode with Dr. Gary Green include - Rise in anxiety and mental health issues among students post-COVID - The importance of relationships and social support for resilience - Strategies for coaches to build trust and challenge athletes appropriately - The impact of COVID-19 on athlete mental health and recovery - Practical approaches for athletes to develop growth mindset and self-awareness

John Mayer, Billy Allen: Is A "Correct Technique" Just a Bunch of BS? 27.05.2026 1t 7min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, and welcome back to our fourth semi-annual edition of SANDCASTING Your Brains Out with John Mayer and Billy Allen, the hosts of Coach Your Brains Out. Mayer is the head coach of the LMU Beach Volleyball team, while Allen is the assistant -- and AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year! -- at Stanford. We're recapping the NCAA Beach Volleyball season, where Mayer's Lions won another WCC title, making it seven in a row(!!), Allen's Cardinal made their first NCAA finals, and Mewhirter's FSU Seminoles had their second-best regular season ever, won a Big 12 Conference title, and made the NCAA semifinals, losing to Allen's Cardinal. We're chatting: - Is there a "correct" way to do anything in beach volleyball, and sports? - How do you prep for the post-season in beach volleyball? - Injury prevention techniques - And a whole lot more SHOOTS!

AVP Huntington's International Flair; AK-Alexis STAY PERFECT in Xiamen 20.05.2026 40min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis is talking a big weekend with the AVP debuting its Heritage events in Huntington Beach and plenty to talk about there, and the Beach Pro Tour continuing its season at the Xiamen Challenge, where AK and Alexis stayed PERFECT with another gold medal. We're chatting: - Savvy Cory and Evan Cory having the biggest family weekend ever - Thamela and Victoria putting on a show at AVP Huntington Beach - Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh establishing themselves as the best team in America with their win - Audrey Koenig and Alexis Durish staying perfect with ANOTHER gold medal in China, now riding a 44 match win streak And a whole lot more! SHOOTS!

Mailbag! AVP Goes International! Olympic Qualification Series? NCAA Players Better Than AVP? 13.05.2026 55min

Welcome to the fan question, or mailbag, episode of SANDCAST, where Travis Mewhirter takes on all of your beach volleyball and volleyball questions and attempts to answer them as best as he can. This week, he's chatting: - Is the AVP allowing international players a good thing or bad thing for beach volleyball? (hint: It's AWESOME) - Could this year's Olympic qualifying for the USA Volleyball women be the most competitive yet? - Are NCAA Beach Volleyball Players better than AVP players? - Can the AVP League survive? - What mental skills do you need to make the jump to the next level? And so much more. SHOOTS!

UCLA Dominates NCAA Championships; Brasilia Goes Bonkers; AVP League Roster Breakdown 06.05.2026 37min

Welcome to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have a breakdown of the most recent -- and very full -- weekend of beach volleyball, which includes: - UCLA beach volleyball's dominant showing in Gulf Shores, winning their first NCAA Championship since 2019. Jenny Johnson Jordan has now won as a player, assistant coach, and head coach - Audrey Koenig and Alexis Durish getting snubbed as the Player of the Year, despite being one of three NCAA teams ever to go undefeated, so they are our Slunks College Players of the Year - Savvy Cory and Devon Newberry going bonkers in Brasilia, winning a bronze medal out of the qualifier. - Is Sweden's Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson the best team in the world? There's room for that discussion! - And, alas, a full roster breakdown of the 2026 AVP League SHOOTS!

NCAA Champs Preview! Why 2026 Is "The Most Exciting, The Most Dramatic" Year Yet 29.04.2026 16min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Madison Fitzpatrick is taking over the mic for the week. She's talking about the upcoming 2026 NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She breaks down the bracket, pondering: - If this will finally be Stanford's year to win the NCAA title - Texas shocking the NCAA world with its conference victory in the MPSF, taking out UCLA twice and USC - Can FSU, on the heels of its second best regular season ever, deliver on the national stage? - Will Jenny Johnson Jordan and the UCLA Bruins return to the top? SHOOTS!

Geena Urango: The Longevity Queen of Beach Volleyball 22.04.2026 1t 14min

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features the veteran of all veterans: Geena Urango. She sits down with Tri to talk about: - Her return to international beach volleyball, and why she is considering playing on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour - Why she loves playing with Megan Rice, and the intimidation factor she brings to the table - Differential learning, and the creative approach she's taking to the game - USA Volleyball's overhauled system, and why it's so promising Chapters with Geena Urango 00:00 Introduction and Career Longevity 01:59 Training Against Young Guns and Age Dynamics 03:53 National Team System and Centralized Training 06:00 Impact of Practice Environment on Performance 07:57 Player Partnerships and Team Building Strategies 10:00 International Play and Domestic Priorities 12:00 Mental Resilience and Mindset Development 13:57 Balancing Competition and Personal Growth 16:05 The Role of Technology and AI in Training 17:50 Energy Work, Meditation, and Hypnosis in Sports 19:52 Science of Energy and Healing in Athletic Performance 21:59 Using AI for Personal Coaching and Performance 23:59 Managing Emotions and Referee Interactions 25:57 Building Strong Partnerships with Self-Assessment Tools 27:57 Love Languages and Communication in Partnerships 30:01 The Power of Creativity and Differential Learning 31:47 Deepening Skills Through Unconventional Practice 33:57 The Mind-Body Connection and Brain Waves 35:58 Healing and Autoimmune Recovery Through Energy Work 38:00 The Science and Mysticism of Energy and Faith 40:11 Future of AI and Energy Science in Sports 42:05 Practical Applications of Meditation and Hypnosis 44:00 Using Technology to Track Brain Waves and Energy States 45:59 Overcoming Trauma and Stress with EMDR and Hypnosis 48:09 The Power of Subconscious Mind and Visualization 50:06 The Intersection of Science, Energy, and Spirituality 52:10 Innovations in Coaching and Performance Enhancement 53:55 Upcoming Competitions and Personal Goals 55:51 The Reality of Qualifiers and Tournament Pressure 58:08 The Joy of Playing in Front of Fans 59:48 Reflections on Refereeing and Game Management 01:01:58 The Future of Volleyball and Personal Aspirations

Supermoms, Death Stars, and Underdogs: BIG WEEKEND In Beach Volleyball 15.04.2026 42min

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a combo episode: A Beach Access, where Travis recaps a big weekend in beach volleyball, going over the Saquarema Elite on the Beach Pro Tour as well as the final AVP League qualifier while touching on new partnerships and potential ripple effects from there. We're discussing: - The new partnership of Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger - Where Miles Evans might go from here - Nina Brunner cementing herself as a SUPERMOM on the Beach Pro Tour - Why Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher are the new death star of women's beach volleyball And more! SHOOTS!

April Mailbag! What's Kent's Business Plan? Is Terese Cannon Back? Wyatt Harrison's Next Step 08.04.2026 55min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have our April fan question episode! We're chatting: - Does Kent Steffes have an actual business plan? - When Terese Cannon comes back, who's she playing with? - What does Wyatt Harrison's future in beach volleyball look like? - Could we see an AVP event in Alaska?! And more!

The One That Makes Sense: Favorites Prevail at AVP League Qualifier | Beach Access 05.04.2026 15min

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down all things AVP League qualifier. Week two was the one that makes sense, in which the finals were battles of No. 1 vs. No. 2 on both the men's and the women's side, and Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft punched their ticket into the AVP League, and Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh did the same. Happy Easter everyone! SHOOTS!

Everything is Bigger in Texas -- Including Beach Volleyball! W/LJ Luciano 01.04.2026 1t 15min

This episode of SANDCAST features LJ Luciano, the co-founder of ATX Beach in Austin, Texas, and the longest listener we've ever had on the pod. No joke: LJ has been with us since DAY ONE. LJ and Tri Bourne talk about the growing, thriving beach volleyball community in Texas, launching new events like the city vs. city series, innovation in the sport, and a whole lot more. Fun one, and a unique one for the pod. Loved it all.

SUPERMOM Betsi Flint And Ageless Paul Lotman Punch Tickets Into 2026 AVP League | Beach Access 29.03.2026 18min

Betsi Flint and Kylie Deberg, and the ageless Paul Lotman and young Jedi Miles Partain punched their tickets into the 2026 AVP League with qualifier wins on Saturday in Manhattan Beach. Meanwhile, Evan Cory and Derek Bradford put on a show, as did Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft. That and more from the first of three AVP League qualifiers. SHOOTS!

Miles Evans: Olympian, Manhattan Beach Open Champ, Hermosa Winner -- What's Next? 25.03.2026 56min

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Miles Evans, who had a massive breakthrough year with Chase Budinger in winning the Manhattan Beach Open -- the year after competing in the Olympics and winning the Hermosa Open. What's next for Evans, perpetually underrated on the AVP and Beach Pro Tour? We find out in this conversation.

Troy Field: Entering The Veteran Act of His Beach Volleyball Career 18.03.2026 1t 17min

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features one of our most popular guests of all-time, and the single most popular guest of 2025: Troy Field. They talk about: - How he is entering the veteran act of his professional career, playing with the up-and-coming Ryan Wilcox - The power and influence of social media, and how to harness it for good - Why all beach volleyball players should invest in hiring a coach, as Troy did with Mike Placek, if they are taking the game seriously - Where Troy and Tri think the game is headed, and how to make beach volleyball's future better and brighter

Different Name, Same GOLDEN Result for Kristen Cruz, Taryn Brasher | Joao Pessoa Recap 16.03.2026 18min

Welcome back to Beach Access, presented by Slunks, where Travis Mewhirter chats all things from the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Joao Pessoa Elite, including: - Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher might have new names, but they have the same result: GOLD medals for USA Volleyball - Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh medaling in their first tournament as partners - Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft medaling in their first tournament as partners - USA Volleyball's big showing early in 2026 thus far And more! SHOOTS!

Mailbag! Most Exciting New Partnerships; AVP Coverage; Travis' Beach Volleyball Story 11.03.2026 49min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, and welcome to the March Fan Question Mailbag episode! Thanks to all who submitted questions, as we chat: - Recapping the Bhubaneswar Challenge, where Florida State's Audrey Koenig and Alexis Durish balled out to win gold - Breaking down Sara Hughes' and Ally Batenhorst's play - What are the most exciting new partnerships in beach volleyball? - How do you break up with your beach volleyball partner and find a new one? - What is Travis' story of getting into volleyball, and memories from Bulldog Beach? And so much more!

Maddie Anderson Has Her Spark Back 04.03.2026 56min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where we have, at the Florida State Beach Volleyball courts, second-year professional Maddie Anderson. We've been trying to get Maddie on the pod for some time, and Travis even coached her and Brook Bauer briefly at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite a year ago, but finally, we made it work, and we chat about: - How Maddie made the transition from NCAA to professional beach volleyball so well - Her new partnership with Alaina Chacon - Why living in California to become a professional volleyball player is no longer a necessity, and why she's doing it in Florida - How she almost lost her spark and love for volleyball, but reclaimed it and is now all in And much more! Fun one with Mads.

Dr. Nate Zinsser: The Confident Mind, And The Most Powerful Sports Book Ever 25.02.2026 1t 16min

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Dr. Nate Zinsser, or Doc Z, the author of The Confident Mind, which Travis considers the most powerful sports book of all time. Why? It changed his career – and the careers of everyone he has coached – forever. This one is an absolute powerhouse of an episode, in which the two chat about: - Exercises you can do to increase your confidence in all aspects of life - How you can make your biggest stage, whether it’s the Olympics or a huge presentation, feel totally normal - How to flip nerves into an incredible performance enhancer - The power of journaling, and specifically, journaling about effort, success, and progress And so, so, so much more. Absolute slammer of an episode. SHOOTS!

Mailbag! NCAA Beach Preview, New Beach Pro Tour Format?! Olympic Partnerships 18.02.2026 44min

Welcome back to SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, where Travis takes on fan questions for our February Mailbag episode. He answers: - Can you give us an NCAA Beach Volleyball preview? - What is this new Beach Pro Tour format we're hearing about? - Will we ever see a KOC or QOC again? - What are your optimum Olympic beach volleyball partnerships? And a whole lot more! Thanks as always for writing in! Chapters 00:00 Welcome Back to Sandcast 01:53 Mixing and Matching Players 07:07 Recruiting Indoor Players for Beach Volleyball 12:22 AVP League Model and Future 16:06 King of the Beach Format 18:58 NCAA Beach Volleyball Preview 27:56 Olympic Qualification and Partnerships 31:59 Feedback on World Championships 38:06 New Beach World Tour Overview Takeaways The Confident Mind is a must-read for athletes. Mixing players from different countries can create exciting partnerships. USA Volleyball focuses on indoor talent due to financial reasons. The AVP is committed to its league model despite challenges. King of the Beach format could make a comeback. NCAA beach volleyball is thriving with new talent. End of the year is crucial for forming new partnerships. Players enjoyed the World Championships in Adelaide. The new Beach World Tour is still being finalized. Simplification of tournament formats is essential for fan understanding. SHOOTS!