A Santa Cruz Tradition
Passed Down in the Sand
Play hard. Be kind. Leave the attitude at home.
For decades, that philosophy has brought people together on the sands of Santa Cruz Main Beach.
Different generations. Same sand. Same spirit.
Where it all Began …..
The Phil Kaplan Era
The story of No Attitudes begins with Phil Kaplan, a longtime volleyball coach and instructor who taught Parks & Recreation classes and coached at both Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz.
As the story goes, fellow tournament organizer Mark Hull had reserved more courts than he needed for a tournament of rated players. He offered Phil some of the extra courts for his students and joked that the competitive players could have the "attitudes" on one side while Phil could have the "no attitudes" on the other.
And just like that, a Santa Cruz beach volleyball tradition had a name.
But No Attitudes quickly became about much more than a clever name.
Phil created a place where newer and developing players could experience real competition without losing the camaraderie that makes beach volleyball special. You could play hard, want to win, and challenge the team across the net—while still respecting them, encouraging them, and having a great day on the beach together.
That philosophy became the foundation of everything No Attitudes would become.
Carrying the Tradition
Forward
The Lizzy Fowler Era
One of Phil's students was Lizzy Fowler, an educator, coach, volleyball player, and familiar face in the Santa Cruz community.
Years later, when Phil began thinking about who could carry No Attitudes forward, he chose Lizzy.
It wasn't simply her volleyball experience that made her the right person. Phil recognized something equally important: she knew how to teach. She was patient with beginners, understood how to help people improve, and believed that sports could build confidence and community.
Under Lizzy's leadership, No Attitudes became a fixture at Main Beach.
Month after month and year after year, novice and intermediate players came from Santa Cruz and beyond to compete. Divisions evolved, traditions grew, friendships formed, and generations of players found their way into the beach volleyball community.
Lizzy kept Phil's original philosophy at the center of it all:
Give your best. Encourage others to give theirs. Compete hard. Have fun.
For many players, No Attitudes became their doorway into the Santa Cruz volleyball community—and the relationships built on the sand often lasted long after the tournament ended.
Lizzy was once asked whether she would ever change the name.
Her answer captured what makes this tournament so special: continuing Phil's legacy mattered more than reinventing it.
And eventually, it became Lizzy's turn to find someone who would protect that legacy.
From Player to Steward
The Kaicie McMurray Era
The next chapter of No Attitudes didn't begin in a boardroom.
It began on the sand.
Long before taking the reins, Kaicie McMurray was a No Attitudes player herself—competing in tournaments, meeting people, winning a few along the way, and experiencing firsthand the community Phil and Lizzy had created.
She understood what made No Attitudes special because she had lived it.
Today, Kaicie is honored to carry that tradition forward.
Her goal isn't to change what generations of players have loved about No Attitudes. It's to protect its heart while helping the community continue to grow.
That means welcoming new players onto the sand. Creating more opportunities to compete. Celebrating the incredible volleyball culture that exists in Santa Cruz. And making sure No Attitudes remains a place where someone can arrive for a tournament and leave feeling like they're part of something bigger.
The tournament may continue to evolve, but its foundation won't.
The Next Chapter Is Yours
Phil started it.
Lizzy nurtured it.
Kaicie is carrying it forward.
But the real history of No Attitudes has always been written by the thousands of players who have stepped onto the sand, called the score, chased down one more ball, congratulated an opponent, met a new friend, and came back for another tournament.
