Last spring, we joined a beach volleyball league called Volo and had to sign up as a "group" to make sure we’d be on the same team. The only catch? Our "group" needed a name. After some brainstorming, we combined our last names—Skinner and Ippolito—and Skippolito was born.

Just before the season kicked off, our friend Celine joined to complete our 6v6 squad, and the rest of the team? A mix of solo players—aka free agents—who had no idea they were about to become part of the Skippolito legacy. To our surprise, during our first game, we discovered that Skippolito was the official name of our entire team for the season!

Against all odds, our misfit crew WON THE SEASON—earning Skippolito champion status (and some iconic Volo sweatbands). That win was just the beginning—teammates on the sand, and in life.