A Death Star Has Arrived
Good morning, beach volleyball fans,
And happy Masters Weekend to all who celebrate. If Rory can win the Masters while ranking 53rd out of 54 golfers who made the cut, you can do anything you ever dreamed of.
That was the skinny of the inspired speech I gave to our Seminoles this morning. Love a good golf metaphor.
Speaking of Seminoles: How ’bout Maddie Anderson and Alaina Chacon? The eighth-seeded underdogs of the third and final AVP League qualifier who went ahead and did the dang thing, winning four straight matches to punch their ticket into The League. Fired up for them, and now the AVP has their hands full with which two teams they feel are most deserving for the final two spots in the League. Do they go with Sara Hughes and Ally Batenhorst, who underperformed in the qualifiers but have been undeniably strong on the Beach Pro Tour? Geena Urango, the former MVP and League champ, and her thrilling partner, Megan Rice? Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen, who played better than any other team not currently in the League? Devon Newberry and Savvy Simo? Hailey Harward and Xolani Hodel?
Someone else entirely?
The men’s side, too, is no easy pick.
Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox took down top-seeded Chaim Schalk and James Shaw for the final spot. There’s a lot of Chaimer hate in the SANDCAST comment sections, but we’d still give them a berth into the League. Hard to turn down a team who made the Hermosa finals, took third in Manhattan, and was the best American team at the World Championships, and instead take a team who does not have a resume anywhere close to that, but I digress.
There’s three spots left, and Chaim and James, Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, Evan Cory and Derek Bradford, Sam Schachter and Jonny Pickett, Avery Drost and Tim Bomgren, and Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst would all require a wild card.
Who are you picking?
And do you pick Budinger and Evans, one of the best American teams — and former League champs — who are no longer really a team?
Wait, what?
Oh yes.
Denise Austin broke the news on VBTV at the Saquarema Elite this weekend that two peculiar names, Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger, were signed up for the Nuvali Challenge in late May. Surprise!
Yes, they’re a new team.
As I said on today’s snippet from Wednesday’s upcoming podcast: All of USA Volleyball’s people are sitting in the right seats on the proverbial bus. Especially the women.
Goodness gracious alive are Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher good. Two tournaments, two wins, zero matches lost.
A Death Star has arrived on the Beach Pro Tour, and it is no longer Ana Patricia and Duda, but Cruz and Brasher. They took down an excellent Canadian team playing excellent in Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, who alas broke through a quarterfinal — they finished fifth six times in 2025. Good for everyone, and good for Supermom Nina Brunner, whose first tournament as a mom, back with Tanja Huberli, was a bronze. Big year for the Supermoms so far, as she joins Betsi Flint in doing ridiculous Supermom things.
Meanwhile, Norway vs. Sweden continues being the storyline of men’s beach volleyball, as Anders Mol and Christian Sorum dusted off Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson in the finals. Martins Plavins, he of the All-Ageless Team, won bronze with his superstar youngster in Kristians Fokerots.
All that in a span of a few days.
Shew.
Cue the Masters piano, and Jim Nantz’s soothing tones, and let’s all settle in for a nice Q&A episode.
