SandyNoles: An FSU Beach Volleyball Podcast

Bailey Higgins, And An Insatiable Curiosity That Will Never Be Quenched

Welcome back to the SandyNoles Podcast, where sophomore standout Bailey Higgins sits down with assistant coach Travis Mewhirter, discussing:
- Her insatiable curiosity, and the importance of asking questions
- The imposter syndrome she experienced throughout her freshman season
- How she was able to overcome that imposter syndrome and accept her role on the team
- What she's expecting from the upcoming 2025-26 season
And a whole lot more. 
GO NOLES!

Gella Andrew: Florida State's Resilient Leader by Example

Welcome back to the SandyNoles Podcast, a podcast about all things FSU Beach Volleyball. This episode features sophomore Gella Andrew, the CCSA Freshman of the Year who sits down to chat with assistant coach Travis Mewhirter. They cover:
- Andrew's first season in Tallahassee, and what it was like to make the jump from juniors all the way to court two
- Why resilience means so much to her, and how she displayed it in spades throughout her freshman season
- Her attitude of "If you're not smiling, what are you doing?" 
- How she has embraced her "weird self" and how the FSU Beach Volleyball culture has encouraged that to happen
And much more!
GO NOLES!

Elena Lam is Playing Volleyball Her Own Way -- Whether You Like it Or Not

Welcome to Season 2 of the SandyNoles Podcast, where we chat all things FSU Beach Volleyball. Our first episode is with assistant coach Travis Mewhirter and freshman Elena Lam, who plays beach volleyball with her own distinct style and is unapologetic about it. 
On this episode, they chat about:
- How, somehow, being home schooled in high school and attending a massive university like Florida State isn't much different
- Her discipline, which has her measuring every morsel of food and waking up at 5 a.m.
- The singular reason she decided to come to Florida State: To win a National Championship
- How she doesn't want to model her game after anyone, but to develop her own unique style
GO NOLES!
 

Nick Lucena, Brooke Niles, And The Building of An NCAA Coaching Legacy

This episode of SandyNoles features the full FSU Beach Volleyball coaching staff: Nick Lucena, Brooke Niles, and Travis Mewhirter, chatting all things NCAA Beach Volleyball and the 2024 season. 

Makenna Wolfe, Madi Trusty, And Wolfe's Home Away From Home

Welcome back to the SandyNoles Podcast, where players and coaches on the FSU Beach Volleyball team chat about all things Florida State beach volleyball. Today, Makenna Wolfe and Madi Trusty chat about the upcoming weekend at Cal Poly, a home tournament of sorts for Wolfe who wrestles with wondering: Where is home, truly? Is it in Tallahassee, Florida, where she has spent her last four years, or is it home in northern California, where she spent the first 18 years of her life? 
Fun one with two close friends. 
Enjoy!

Alexis Durish And Carra Sassack: A look-ahead at LSU's Death Volley Invitational

Alexis Durish and Carra Sassack, the most dynamic of FSU Beach Volleyball duos, are back again, chatting life, ice-breakers, and a look-ahead at this weekend's Death Volley Invitational at LSU, where the 'Noles will play UCLA, Stanford, USC, and Long Beach State. 

Jordan Boulware and Paige Kalkhoff: Volleyball, Brain Rot, And a Hawaii Trip That Changed Everything

Welcome back to SandyNoles: An FSU Beach Volleyball Podcast. On this episode, we have Jordan Boulware and Paige Kalkhoff, a red shirt freshman and a fifth-year senior, respectively, who are, oddly enough given their age gap, the best of friends. 
Or, in their words, Honeys. 
It'll take you roughly five seconds to realize just how good of friends they are, as they laugh, giggle, knee-slap their way through defining all of the "brain rot" words of their generation for a very confused assistant coach, chat how their relationship blossomed on a trip to Hawaii, and even get into some more serious matters like childhood memories. 
It's a fun ride. Enjoy and GO NOLES!

Audrey Koenig: The Indoor Player of the Year Who Chose Beach

Welcome back to SandyNoles: An FSU Beach Volleyball podcast! This week's episode features Audrey Koenig, the 2023 ACC Co-Player of the Year – alongside Louisville’s Anna DeBeer – who is currently headlining the Florida State Beach Volleyball team. Her record, 9-2 in 2025 thus far, suggests an experienced, top-flight talent. Yet she’s only eight months into beach volleyball. What?? Indeed. We chat all about that, as well as:
What it was like for Koenig to play her final indoor match, after playing indoor volleyball for 13 years
The difficulties of transitioning from indoor to beach volleyball
How beach volleyball is the perfect way to train for indoor, but not necessarily vice versa
How far she wants to take volleyball, be it returning to one of the many professional indoor leagues in the USA or head to the beach, where she would be an immediate prospect to get scooped by an elite defender
And, as always, a whole lot more.
GO NOLES!!

Alexis Durish and Carra Sassack: The CCSA Pairs(!!) of The Week

Welcome back to SandyNoles: An FSU Beach Volleyball Podcast! Today's episode features back to back pairs of the week in Alexis Durish, who won CCSA Pair of the Week in week one after an undefeated tournament at Southern Mississippi, and Carra Sassack, who won CCSA Pair of the Week with Bailey Higgins after an undefeated second weekend at home. 
They talk about...a lot: pre-game music, an upcoming trip to Texas and California, being pairs of the week, and existential grape questions. 
GO NOLES!!

Bailey Higgins: FSU's Standout Freshman Who "Can Only Go Up From Here"

Welcome back to SandyNoles: An FSU Beach Volleyball Podcast! Today's episode features head coach Brooke Niles and freshman Bailey Higgins, who had an outstanding debut at the opening weekend at Southern Mississippi, where she went 3-1, including wins over North Alabama, Spring Hill, and Florida Gulf Coast. 
Higgins and Niles chat about:
- Bailey's transition from indoor to beach
- Why she's more nervous for a podcast than an actual match
- How she unexpectedly landed at Florida State, currently the No. 7 team in the country
- FSU's mix of youth and veterans