Brooke Niles: Building Florida State’s beach volleyball powerhouse as ”a family that works hard”

Brooke Niles is the longtime beach volleyball coach at Florida State University, heading into her ninth year at the helm. She’s also one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Beach Volleyball history, taking the Seminoles to the NCAA Championship every single year it has existed, something no coach in the country can claim. She’s helped produce professionals such as AVP champions in Jace Pardon, Macy Jerger, and Alaina Chacon, as well as AVP mainstays in Katie Horton, Brook Bauer, and Maddie Anderson, among others. Alongside her husband, Nick Lucena, the assistant coach, Niles has helped build FSU beach volleyball into a powerhouse on the foundation of “a family that works hard.” We chat all about that on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as:

• How crazy NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships have gotten with the single elimination format
• How Nick Lucena, a Hall of Fame player, is already one of the best coaches in the country
• Getting hired at just 34 years old and learning on the fly
• What it will take for FSU to finally win the elusive NCAA Championship

And so much more.

ENJOY!

PHOTO CREDS: Florida State

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Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter 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!

A huge shoutout to our new sponsor, Goodr! Making the best shades on the beach, for the easy price of $25! Goodr makes $25 active sunglasses that don’t slip, don’t bounce, and are 100% Polarized! If you want to support the show and pick up a pair, goodr is giving SANDCAST listeners FREE SHIPPING on your first order! You can go to goodr.com/SANDCAST and use code SANDCAST to get FREE shipping. goodr offers a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee and 100% Satisfaction. Find your pair at goodr.com/SANDCAST and use code SANDCAST to get FREE shipping.

We have a new -- but temporary -- sponsor with the Saucedwear Tournament, a $17,000 open with $5k to the winners down in Navarre Beach, Fla., where Travis Mewhirter first learned to play. Registration ends on July 14, and players can sign up at saucedwear.com! 

We are FIRED UP to announce that we've signed on for another year with Athletic Greens! Stay healthy with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter and get your greens today! https://athleticgreens.com/partner/d35ctoffer-strength/en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sandcast_d35ct__a3172__o27&utm_term=cac__a3172__o27&utm_content=sport__a3172__o27

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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! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball

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

SHOOTS!