Anastasija Samoilova: Winning the 2025 World Championships, Bringing High Fashion into the Sport, and Always Staying True to Herself

Hey friends! Welcome back to another episode of The VolleyTalk Podcast. Thank you so much for being here. We recorded this episode earlier in the year, after Ana and Tina made history in winning Latvia's first-ever World Championship title! We chat about many things including, the amount of award ceremonies she has had to attend since winning, how a week in her life looks like, the importance of building a strong team around you, how a team prepares for an Olympic quad, how she takes care of her mental health, bringing high fashion into the sport, and so much more!

When the winningest player in beach volleyball history sits down and talks with you… you ask a lot of questions.Kent Steffes — Olympic gold medalist, World Champion, youngest AVP winner ever — is one of the greatest to ever play the game.We ended up talking for almost three hours.We covered so much:- Why he left the sport while at the top.- What it was like winning Olympic gold in '96 with Karch Kiraly.- What separates the players who win from the ones who don’t.- And how spirituality and flow played a huge role in his success — both on and off the court.We also talk about the rise and fall of the AVP, life after volleyball, and wrap up with some fun, rapid-fire questions at the end.This one made me think deeply, laugh out loud, and feel incredibly inspired. I hope it does the same for you.00:00- Intro 02:30- Professional beach volleyball is done08:15- Why come back now?14:51- How Kent first started beach volleyball19:17- Winning the Olympic Gold Medal with Karch Kiraly25:00- Winners and champions think differently 29:41- Kent’s proudest performance 32:21- Beach volleyball is a different sport now 38:14- Kent’s training week 41:41- How he would train if he played now 47:36- Phil Jackson, Antisocial Behavior, and Champions1:07:44- Spirituality and Flow 1:20:00- The Rise and Decline of the AVP 1:39:00- Biggest challenge transitioning to life after sport 1:51:33- Kings of Summer 2:04:17- Fun questions, Kent’s advice to young athletes 🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen.📲 Follow @Thevolleytalkpodcast__ on Instagram📲 Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/23879642085038835/

Today's conversation is with Ari Homayun. Ari was my coach at California State University Northridge (CSUN), for the past three years and has been an incredible role model throughout my journey. She transformed our program and led us to our most successful season yet, leaving a lasting impact on and off the court. In this episode, Ari talks about:Why she transferred to UC Davis and how it shaped her journeyHow she rose to the top of the game at a young ageThe powerful role her family played in building a winning mindsetHer unique coaching philosophy and approach to leadershipHonest recruiting advice for young athletesWhy she chose to study history—and what it means to herHer thoughts on how the game of volleyball is evolvingAnd so much more!Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arihomayun/Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/

Welcome to Part 2!! Check out Part 1 if you haven't yet :) Check out his website: https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/ Subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast Check out his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736 Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/

Today’s conversation is with Alex Haapamäki, founder of “Learn Beach Volleyball Fast,” an initiative dedicated to teaching people to learn beach volleyball in the fastest and most efficient way possible. No matter what level of experience you have in volleyball, Alex has a thousand different types of content on his website and YouTube channel curated to serve you. In this episode, Alex talks about:-  -        How a professional skateboarder ended up creating one of the most successful beach volleyball channels on the internet -        How his singing teacher inspired him to coach bvb in unconventional ways (those who have seen his YT videos will know what I mean!) -        His unique coaching philosophy -        Why he thinks that injuries can help athletes become even better than before -        His vision for his future projects on LBVF! -        And as usual, much much more!   Check out his website: https://www.learnbeachvolleyballfast.com/ Subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnBeachVolleyballFast Check out his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learn-beach-volleyball-fast-podcast/id1485342736 Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/

Today’s conversation is with Anhelina Khmil, a 19-year-old beach volleyball player who is now making waves in the beach world. She has won multiple youth European and World Championship titles, Beach Pro Tour Futures event, and she is further accelerating her career by committing to Texas Christian University (TCU) in the Fall of 2022. If you didn’t know, TCU has one of the strongest US programs and is currently ranked 6th in the NCAA. In this episode, Anhelina talks about:- - How beach volleyball turned from a nightmare to a dream for her - How her life has changed after the war in Ukraine broke out! - How she and her partner won a match in the third set despite being 11-2 down!! - Her journey of committing to TCU and the cultural differences she is experiencing - Why she wants to try being a defender! - What she thinks the 2 most essential qualities a beach volleyball player should have And as usual, much much more! Follow Anhelina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anhelina_khmil/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ Check out the episode with another TCU player, Daniela Alvarez: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rX3xM3osiaNWGKgWr2gBz?si=tl8a1lYWR9mROXRJMJCG8A

“You don’t have to overthink it- you just gotta have fun with what you’re doing and enjoy the process!” [Catch the LIVE replay on Instagram or Youtube to watch behind the scenes!] Today’s episode will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s my first ever face-to-face interview, and also the fact that we recorded it on Olympic Day- and who else better to represent the value of the Olympic Games besides three-time gold medalist Misty May-Treanor?! I’m truly so lucky to be able to sit down and have a chat with Misty about her journey from the moment she stepped onto a volleyball court, to the accomplished athlete that she is today. In this episode, Misty talks about:- - How she started beach volleyball and played in her first tournament with her dad, Butch - Why she thinks she has never had the “perfect” game - Why the Brazilians were always her toughest opponents - How her training regimen has shifted throughout multiple years (in season & off season) - Why every athlete should start a food journal! - Her mentality when facing injuries (this one is really good!) - How to develop the ability to be a step or two ahead of your opponents - The main difference that separated she and Kerri with the other teams - Why being vulnerable is actually so important in our lives And as usual, much much more! This episode with Misty is a very special episode that I will cherish forever. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did! Follow Misty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mistymayvb/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/

“The man who loves walking will go further than the man who loves the destination!” Today's guest of honor is Kerri Walsh Jennings. Most of us know her as a 5-time Olympian who has won 3 golds and 1 bronze, a 3-time World Championships Gold Medalist, countless world tours and AVP events winner, and is considered to be one of the greatest of all times in beach volleyball.  We usually only hear the successful and happy parts of her journey to the top, but many of us don’t know what it took for her to get there- the discipline, hard work, losses, self-doubt, and heartbreaks that she has had to experience to go down in history as a legend.  In this episode, Kerri talks about:- - How she never had the courage or humility to try beach volleyball in her young adult life! - How she feels she’s in an “in-between” stage of her life right now - Why her toughest challenge is overcoming her own self-doubt, and how she has learned to turn that into her superpower - How she feels that beach volleyball athletes need to stand for themselves more and stop settling for less (very interesting insights!) - How she trains during different seasons and the various training method she uses to get in shape - Why she focuses her nutrition plan around protein and hydration - The story behind her organization p1440, and tips for people who want to build a successful organization - The difference between being great vs. good And as usual, much much more! This episode with Kerri is definitely one that I have to come back and listen to again and again and I’m sure every time I will still learn something new. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did! Follow Kerri on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrileewalsh/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ Check out p1440: https://www.p1440.com/ Check out XPT water training: https://www.xptlife.com/xpt-swimming-training-program

“Live your life today as if you would want to live it a 1000 times over!” Today's guest is Audrius Knasas- beach volleyball player from Lithuania who is currently playing professional indoor volleyball in Austria! A literal “walking quote book”, Audrius dives deep into his personal headspace and shares many experiences that he has had in life through a philosophical lens. In this episode, Audrius talks about:- - How he first started beach volleyball in Lithuania but is currently playing pro indoor volleyball in Austria - What being “more than an athlete” means to him - How he began the process of “searching” and finding ways to cope mentally with the strenuous schedule - Why “alone time” is so necessary for him - How playing in Austria has been like for him (this one is really funny!) - What being an Olympian means to him - How he would still like to be in the sports scene in different ways even after he is retired - Why being a “self-learner” is his greatest strength - How anxiousness actually affects him in many ways, but how he has learned to have a “friendly relationship” with himself - How volleyball has taught him self-love on and off the court And as usual, much much more! Speaking with Aurdrius has opened my eyes and mind to a lot of things that I never gave much thought about before. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from him as I did! Follow Audrius on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audriusknasas/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ Check out “When Nietzsche Wept”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21031.When_Nietzsche_Wept

“Trust the process, trust the timing of life!” Today's guest is Daniela Alvarez- a Spaniard who is currently a sophomore at TCU! She recently won silver in the U21 World Championships alongside her partner Sofia Gonzalez. In this episode, Daniela talks about:- - How it felt like winning silver in the U21 World Championships - How she made the switch from a very high level of tennis to beach volleyball - The story of how she ended up studying at TCU - Who she would love to play against if she had the chance - How her experience in tennis has helped shaped her mentality for beach volleyball - How she’s officially starting her partnership with Tania Moreno - How she fell in love with actuarial science and is majoring in that now And as usual, much much more! It was a lot of fun speaking with Daniela. She is really sweet and was happy to share her life story with us. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did! Follow Daniela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielaalvarezz_/ Follow Daniela and Tania’s team: https://www.instagram.com/alvarezmorenobeach/ Follow The VolleyTalk Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thevolleytalkpodcast__/ Watch Daniela and friends play live! https://gofrogs.com/sports/womens-beach-volleyball/schedule