Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins are known in Latvia as two of the ‘Holy Trio’ of beach volleyball in Latvia — alongside Martins Plavins. Why? Well, the reasons are myriad, but stories like this, of how Samoilovs and Smedins became the first Latvian beach volleyball team to be ranked No. 1 in the world are just a small sampling. Enjoy as Samoilovs, the Lion King, recalls his ascent to #1 in the world. ENJOY
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About the Author: Travis Mewhirter
Author, journalist, podcast host, and broadcaster, Travis Mewhirter has written 4 number-one bestsellers — including Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball, alongside Olympic gold medalist Kent Steffes. He has also written award-winning features, including a package at the Northwest Florida Daily News that earned him Sports Writer of the Year, and a heartfelt story on the late Eric Zaun in Volleyball Magazine, which was an honorable mention in the 2020 Best American Sportswriting.
Following the passing of Eric Zaun, Mewhirter, alongside Jon Mesko and Katie Spieler, founded the Eric Zaun Award, which has raised more than 25 thousand to fund beach volleyball players.
Mewhirter now devotes most of his time to playing and covering beach volleyball, via his podcast: SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as writing for Volleyball Magazine and commentating on Volleyball TV. Mewhirter and Bourne have written two books together: Volleyball for Milkshakes, and Playbook of Champions, both of which were number-one best-sellers.
