The Option

Bryan McDermand is an American Beach Volleyball and Indoor Coach, and a former indoor and open level sand player. He is also the founder and head coach of "Progression Beach Volleyball Club," an indoor sand volleyball club with a state-of-the-art facility in Chicago. His volleyball IQ and application has made him one of the most respected coaches and volleyball minds in his region and to some, the...

Carly Wopat is an American professional beach volleyball player, entrepreneur, and most recently, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Picking up the game in her early childhood, she went on to becoming a two-time first-team all American at Stanford University for their women's indoor team. Her transition to the beach was near-seamless, with multiple top-ten finishes with the AVP an...

John Mesko is an American professional beach volleyball player, entrepreneur, commercial pilot and business owner. A former mountain bike racer (national downhill champ in 1995), he moved to the South Bay to compete on the beach scene in 2002. He has since then been in the top 15 for the better half of 2 decades and had played with and against the best talent in the world. A true renaissance man,...

Xolani Hodel is an American beach volleyball player and college beach standout at Stanford University. Growing up, she has excelled in every single sport she played, particularly in track and field, being the daughter of two elite college track and field athletes. When she chose to take her talents to the sand, she hit the ground running, winning numerous major showcases as a junior, and being a T...

Jeff Samuels is an American professional beach volleyball player, entrepreneur and coach. A former lacrosse and hockey player, he fell in love with the beach and has been doing it full-time, ever since. Starting his career with the NVL, he won newcomer of the year. He has since won a slew of open tournaments, regionally and on big stages, and remains a top player on the tour. A spokesperson for Hy...

Eric Beranek is a professional beach volleyball player. A Redondo Beach native, he worked his way up and became a versatile defender, qualifying for the main draw seven times with six different partners. His breakthrough happened when he made the semifinals in Manhattan beach will Bill Kolinske - through the qualifier. He remains a main draw attraction and his entertaining style of play attracts f...

Mark Fishman is an American beach volleyball and volleyball coach. From club players, to college, to professionals on the tour, to multiple Olympians, his reputation for making players better versions of themselves is well-documented. Tune in, as we chat up changes in the NCAA beach scene, some of his mentors who shaped who he is, AVP Fort Lauderdale, college coaches putting in real work, NY termi...

Chaim Schalk is a Canadian-American Professional Beach Volleyball player. Starting at age 12, he has enjoyed success at the elite level winning championship titles in College, in the AVP, FIVB, NORCECA - and even a ninth place finish in the 2016 Rio Olympics. His versatility with partners, his training and competition against the best in the world is now preparing his next super objective in the n...

Derek Zimmerman is a former American professional beach volleyball player and coach. To say that he has played with and against the best American players in the history of the sport would be an understatement. From a slew of legends on the regional scene, to multiple AVP champs to a handful of Olympic gold medalists, the hard work, love and respect he put in to make his name is well-documented. Tu...

Bryan McDermand is an American Beach Volleyball and Indoor Coach, and a former indoor and open level sand player. He is also the founder and head coach of "Progression Beach Volleyball Club," an indoor sand volleyball club with a state-of-the-art facility in Chicago. His volleyball IQ and application has made him one of the most respected coaches and volleyball minds in his region and to some, the...

Matt Prosser is an American volleyball color commentator, former professional beach volleyball and indoor volleyball player, and college standout at Long Beach State University. He has played with a slew of different partners and has enjoyed a heightened level of success. His longevity has seen him play with players from two different generations, from players as far back as Casey Jennings to rece...

Kyle Friend is an American professional beach volleyball player, commentator, and former indoor college volleyball standout at Long Beach State University. After spending five years playing indoor professionally, he went back to school to finish his masters and eventually took his talents to the beach. His first main draw was Hermosa Beach in 2017 with Myles Muagututia. After that, he has qualifie...

Marc Fornaciari is an American professional beach volleyball player and former collegiate and professional baseball player. He has competed and won a slew of tournaments on the regional and national scene, highlighting last year, a 2nd place finish at the Pottstown Rumble - the most grueling annual grass tournament in all of outdoor volleyball. An all-purpose sand and grass player, his place among...

Louis "Big Lou" Jones is an American strength and conditioning coach, former football standout at Washington, sports broadcaster for football and Rugby, and the host of "The Sports Lounge with Big Lou" on multiple networks, radio outlets and platforms. Tune in, as we chat up why some great players become great coaches and why some do not, the dedication it takes to be the best, the path athletes w...

Sam Shweisky is an American collegiate volleyball coach and former player. From Prestigious Hunter High School to Vassar College to several overseas stops, his love for the sport lead him to coaching at the collegiate level. Stops at UNLV, and Central Florida led him to Princeton, where he won the EIVA twice in the last four years, which is an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. His heightened e...

Iya Lindahl is an American professional beach volleyball player. Starting as early as 8 years old, it is safe to say she was born to play. She played four years at Cal-Berkley and then transferred to Loyola Marymount University to play her graduate year for their sand volleyball program. She made her first AVP pro main draw in 2018 in Hermosa beach, and has made multiple appearances on the tour, a...

Jeff Samuels is an American professional beach volleyball player, entrepreneur and coach. A former lacrosse and hockey player, he fell in love with the beach and has been doing it full-time, ever since. Starting his career with the NVL, he won newcomer of the year. He has since won a slew of open tournaments, regionally and on big stages, and remains a top player on the tour. A spokesperson for Hy...

Wendy Jones is an American Beach Volleyball Player, Author, Podcaster, Entrepreneur, and one of the last of the red-hot power women. She is the founder of "The Optimists Journal," an intriguing site where the journals read like a novel, and the podcasts are insightful and amazing. From athletics, to medicine, to mental and spiritual health, the "Optimists Journal has it all." 00:45 - Where the pod...

Evan Cory is an American professional beach volleyball player. His upbringing in Louisiana has instilled a 'me against the world' mentality that has shaped his DNA in everything he does. From the "Bayou Boys," to Lincoln Memorial University, to dominating the regional scene, his hard work has earned him two main draw spots in 2021, as well as some quality wins against high level competition in hig...

Sports Debate Tuesday/Sunday with Jay and Rob kicks off March 6, 2022, 2022! 00:00 - Cain Velasquez, Suns bank shot vs Knicks 08:52 - post-match reaction from UFC 272 Main Event 22:27 - highlights of reaction in real time (double main event)

Theo Brunner is an American professional beach volleyball player. A top-two blocker on the domestic scene - and among the best on the international stage - he continues to sustain performances where he remains in the title-capturing mix every single tournament. Multiple-time AVP winner with a diverse group of partners, the self-proclaimed "boring" player continues to light people up at the net on...

Wendy Jones is an American Beach Volleyball Player, Author, Podcaster, Entrepreneur, and one of the last of the red-hot power women. She is the founder of "The Optimists Journal," an intriguing site where the journals read like a novel, and the podcasts are insightful and amazing. From athletics, to medicine, to mental and spiritual health, the "Optimists Journal has it all." Ashley Clark is an Am...

Toni Rodriguez is an American professional beach volleyball player and former indoor standout. Her story is a remarkable one, from coming back from two torn ACLs to a shoulder injury, all the way back into the competitive mix. She took her talents from indoor to the sand, player for top-five beach program LSU. From LSU, to the AVP, all the way to the main draw in Manhattan Beach, the future looks...

Sports Debate Tuesday with Jay and Rob kicks off February 22, 2022! 00:28 - NCAA MBB Fallout with Michigan and Wisconsin 15:15 - UFC: Is the Covington/Masvidal beef for real? 28:44 - Flores hired by the Steelers 33:34 - To SHAME, or NOT to Shame 37:35 - Quick Question 40:50 - Before we go...

Conner Faulkner A.K.A. Dyve is a hip-hop artist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He made his name with his number one single, “That’s My Sh**” in late 2020, grabbing the attention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who began posting his music via Instagram and featured Dyve in his Dwayne Johnson’s Progress Workout Playlist. From there, he took off, continuing to make hit song after hit song. Washingto...