This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a little shift from our typical beachy episodes. We’re going indoors, with one of the greatest liberos of all-time in Erik Shoji. In Paris, Erik will make his third Olympic roster, in search of his second Olympic medal (he won a bronze in 2016). We cover quite a bit in this insightful chat, including:

• His childhood, as the son of the legendary Dave Shoji and younger brother of Kawika, an all-American setter as well as an Olympian
• How Michael Gervais’ new book, the First Rule of Mastery, led to a huge breakthrough this season from a mental standpoint
• How he has never been burned out, despite playing the same position since his freshman year of college at Stanford
• The beauties and challenges of life overseas

And so, so much more. Erik is incredibly well-spoken and thoughtful, and this is an episode y’all will surely enjoy!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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

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

This episode is brought to you by Aura! Use our link to get a 2-week free trial -- and even a free trial helps the show!

This episode of the Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the Olympic race to the Paris Games, follows the Espinho Elite16. Big congrats, first, to Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth who made a third straight final and took gold, and Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, who made their eighth straight final and also won gold. As far as the Olympic race goes, Mewhirter talks about:

• The massive role a NORCECA qualifier on April 5 has played for Chase Budinger and Miles Evans
• The even bigger lead now enjoyed by Budinger and Evans over Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb with just two events to go (and what Crabb and Brunner need to do to get back in the lead)
• Matthew Immers’ improbable run to a likely Olympic bid as the odd man left out at the beginning of the quad to now ranked No. 9 in the Olympic rankings with Steven van de Velde
• SHARPIE! For Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, 22-year-old Spaniards who are making history – and then returning to TCU
• Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader stay alive with a ninth

Thank you as always for watching and listening, and thank you, as always, to Producers 1 and 2 for the help!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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

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

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features America’s most popular team: Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. A note: We recorded this interview before their win at AVP Huntington Beach, which, to us, actually makes this all the more interesting. Aside from being two of the best volleyball players on the planet, they’re also refreshingly candid, forthcoming, and well-spoken and introspective. This was an excellent, excellent podcast. We chat about:

• Taylor Crabb’s off-season in New Zealand playing with Phil Dalhausser
• Why Taylor Sander and Crabb decided that the Olympic race wasn’t necessarily for them
• Crabb’s bigger mission, and why he’s chasing far more than individual accomplishments
• How Crabb and Sander would fix USA Volleyball
• The Right Siide, Crabb’s new content venture with Troy Field and Sean Rosenthal

And much, much more.

Such a good episode with the Taylors!

SHOOTS!

***

Looking for the cleanest supplements in the business? Momentous has you covered. Use SANDCAST15 for 15 percent off.

Want to get better at beach volleyball? Use our discount code, SANDCAST, and get 10 percent off all Better at Beach products!

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

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