Tina Graudina, Latvian trailblazer, is out to inspire

SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Tina Graudina, a junior at USC and the best Latvian woman to ever play beach volleyball.

In 2019, Graudina and her partner, Anastasija Kravcenoka, in winning the Olympic qualification tournament in Haiyang, China, became the first Latvian women's team to qualify for an Olympic Games. All the while, she's compiled a 64-4 record at USC, twice been named an All-American and once the Player of the Year. She's a brilliant talent on the court and absolutely delightful off of it.

On the episode, we discuss:

- The Olympic Qualification Tournament, its funky format, and how it served well for Graudina and Kravcenoka -- all they needed was a chance

- Beach volleyball in Latvia, and how Aleksandrs Samoilovs, Janis Smedins, and Martins Plavins are considered "the holy trio."

- Graudina's decision to initially play for USC, and how it wasn't as easy as many may think

- Her new role of being one of the biggest role models in Latvian beach volleyball

This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20!

This episode is also brought to you by CROSSNET, a fun new beach volleyball game, where beach volleyball meets four-square. It's an absolute blast, and is actually a great training tool as well. Use our discount code, SANDCAST, for 20 percent off!

SHOOTS!