SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter – Details, episodes & analysis

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!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. 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! 

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/

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, Bourne and good friend Savvy Cory -- the former Savvy Simo! – chat about all of the huge changes in the beach volleyball landscape, and especially Savvy’s own. She discusses:

• Changing her own name to Savvy Cory after getting married to Evan Cory
• How her and Devon Newberry became partners
• Why she defected from USA Volleyball’s training group
• Why she’s enjoying getting away from the beach volleyball ecosystem a bit this season

SHOOTS!

Want SANDCAST merch? We got you covered. 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! 

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/

SHOOTS!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and his producers, including a celebrity appearance from Producer Mom, preview this week's Hermosa Beach Open, presented by Wedbush Securities. We chat about:

- How Travis wound up pulling Andy Benesh

- Why Miles Partain is playing with Alex Ranghieri

- Where are Trevor Crabb, Taylor Crabb, and Taylor Sander

- Heather Bansley making her USA debut!

- AVP League questions And, per usual, a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Florida State Beach Volleyball’s entire (and new) coaching staff. Longtime head coach Brooke Niles, her top assistant and husband, Nick Lucena, and the new addition to the crew, Travis Mewhirter, chat all things beach volleyball, including:

• What it’s like being a husband-wife, coach-assistant-coach
• How long it took Niles and Lucena to dive full-time into coaching and not miss playing (hint: maybe the player in them never left)
• How Travis coaching FSU beach volleyball came to be
• Why even a 35-win season can sometimes leave a bitter taste in the mouth
• The vast changes and growth the NCAA has made to the game as a whole

And so, so much more. Such a blast with Brooke and Nick as Travis kicks off a new adventure.

Enjoy our longest podcast to date!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down all things beach volleyball, in this case AVP Chicago, where things got positively wild.

Taylor Crabb in shoes? YUP!

Chase Budinger shoving Trevor Crabb? Oh, yes.

AVP League drama? Got it all.

Miles Partain and Andy Benesh dominating alongside Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson? Check and check. Fun one!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down, preview, recap, analyze, and chat all things beach volleyball. After a week in Germany for the Hamburg Elite16, the boys are back stateside and heading to AVP Chicago, the final stop on the AVP calendar, where there are huge AVP League implications. We chat about:

- What every team needs to do to qualify for the AVP League

- Why we believe April Ross and Alix Klineman will get a wild card, making it an even tighter race for the women

- Why the contender's bracket on Saturday will be the most interesting aspect of the weekend

- Why Travis is all-in on a heroic run from Tri Bourne and Ryan Wilcox to make the league -- zero bias here!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Ryan Wilcox, the next talent coming out of Hawaii in a long, long list of them. Bourne sent some shockwaves through the beach volleyball world when he dropped Chaim Schalk and picked up Wilcox, leaving some wondering: Who in the world is Ryan Wilcox? We cover that and then some during this episode in which we chat about:

• Wilcox’s upbringing in Hawaii, surrounded by McKibbins and Crabbs and all of the names we’re so familiar with
• Why he chose to go to UC Santa Barbara, and how a 6-foot-2 outside hitter was named four-time AVCA All-American
• What it was like when he got the call from Bourne to become his partner
• How beach volleyball was always his planned path as opposed to indoor

And much, much more.

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first-ever LIVE and in-person fan question episode, a feature of our SANDCAST Tour stops, this one being in Missoula, Montana. Because who doesn't put beach volleyball and Montana together? We answer questions about:

- Why did Tri Bourne switch partners, dropping Chaim Schalk for Ryan Wilcox? And for that matter...who is Ryan Wilcox?

- What advice does Travis Mewhirter have for someone who didn't grow up in a beach volleyball state to get better at beach volleyball?

- Travis' hilarious story on why he doesn't drive a stick shift, featuring Eric Zaun, Italy, and stalling out in parking lots.

- How non-coastal areas can become beach volleyball hubs, like Montana

And a whole lot more.

LOVED THIS EXPERIENCE!!!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to Beach Access, where Kyle Friend and Travis Mewhirter break down all things AVP Manhattan Beach Open 2024. On this episode, the boys are chatting about:

• The redemption of Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, who didn’t make the Olympic Games, but just won the biggest tournament on the AVP calendar
• The Hawaiian dominance in Manhattan Beach, where either Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb, or Taylor Crabb have won the last five, and been in every final since 2015
• Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, winning their biggest tournament to date while riding on the fumes of the post-Olympic comedown
• Betsi Flint, SUPERMOM, with her fourth straight Manhattan Beach Open final, and second straight with Julia Scoles

And a whole lot more!

SHOOTS!

***

Get 20 PERCENT off all Wilson products with our code, SANDCAST63. https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!

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. 

We 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!

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/

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.