Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Olivares.
Hi Sophia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The three of us met each other on the beach volleyball courts in LA, and over the course of a year worked in the local beach volleyball community. What started as a conversation between friends who shared the love of the game of volleyball continued to evolve into a genuine idea to bring an organized, competitive energy to a community-oriented league. We wanted to create a space where competition is intertwined with social connection. None of the existing beach volleyball leagues aligned with what we believed to be our main goals, so we built our organization to do just that. We immediately became host to Santa Monica’s largest night leagues, and are starting to become one of the most well-known tournament hosts on the West Side, providing inclusive spaces to grow the sport.
We’re still very much in the early phases of growth and not yet where we want to be in terms of creating a movement toward reconnecting with the community that we’re surrounded by. Our main focus is building a community that emphasizes staying active and healthy, while also meeting people that we may have never crossed paths with otherwise. We’ve only been operating since the start of this year but already we’ve seen such a large outpouring of support and interest, we can’t wait to see where we’ll be at the end of the year.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road so far, bumps appear all the time while we continue to grow as a community and organization. Balancing logistics factors, such as weather, and available permitting space through the city are always changing, and we need to stay as on top of those as possible. There’s also no real guide in terms of starting your own volleyball business, so a lot of things you simply don’t know about until it is directly affecting your business. The City of Santa Monica has been incredibly communicative, but we’ve run into the issue of clearing events and permits with one branch of the city, only to have another branch step in and tell us that we’re doing something wrong.
One of the largest bumps we’ve had is simply getting the word out to people– there are a ton of people who want to play in leagues and tournaments, but a lot of the time it just comes down to getting that exposure to a wider audience of people. This should get easier as momentum builds, but the amount of times that one of us will have a conversation with someone very interested in playing but didn’t know about the league or tournament is frustratingly high.
It’s also tough to balance player feedback with curated experience, in the sense that every player has their view and their own opinion on how things should be run, from scoring to tournament formats to locations and setups. Some people have really good advice; it just gets hard to take everyone’s advice to heart while also trying to create your own thing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
C U T S / / O T was founded by three friends who met on the Santa Monica sand while playing beach volleyball. United by the love of beach volleyball, our casual games quickly evolved into a shared vision: to create a league where we are pushed by competition and nurtured by connections. We saw firsthand how volleyball brings people together and wanted to offer players a space to improve their skills and build lasting relationships. As three volleyball players with varying backgrounds in the sport, together we offer a unique perspective on what organized volleyball can look like.
Today, C U T S / / O T is more than just a volleyball league — it’s a community. We welcome players of all levels to enjoy the sport, whether you’re here to compete, make new friends, or simply have fun on the sand.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Joaquin:
I would describe myself as an introvert growing up; less so now because it’s partly my job now to be social. I was the type of kid to be nose-deep in a book until I finished it, lugging around a soft cover of Max Brooks’s World War Z or Stephen King’s 11/22/63 during my lunch period. I grew up moving around a lot, which led me to look for constants that I could carry over from continent to continent and country to country; one of the largest constants I found anywhere I went was sports. I consider myself incredibly lucky that I was exposed to so many different cultures and ways of life, going beyond what sports a country popularizes. A side effect of moving around so much was being open and curious about anything and everything and is an openness that I still very much try to embody as I get older.
From learning to surf on the beaches of Brazil to playing rugby, cricket, and field hockey in South Africa, to playing in international Caribbean tournaments for basketball, volleyball, and soccer, to coming to the US and becoming a college track & field athlete, sports have played a pivotal role in who I am today. I’ve seen so many instances of sports being able to create connections and strengthen relationships within a community, and I’m excited to give back through one of the sports I love the most.
I am an avid reader, writer, amateur photographer, and serial nature enjoyer. I have camped my way across the US on various occasions, and take photos of the landscape and architecture of wherever I find myself. If I’m not on the court, you can most likely find me on the couch halfway through a book, or in the middle of nowhere by a campfire.
Julia:
Growing up, I was constantly outside playing sports with my siblings. As the only girl sandwiched between two boys, I spent most of my childhood outside chasing balls, swinging bats, and doing my best to keep up with the chaos. Wiffleball, basketball, soccer, trick shots, you name it! We were active kids, and I naturally gravitated toward team sports. Softball was the one that stuck. I played varsity all four years in high school, and it became a huge part of my life during that time.
Being part of a team working toward a shared goal gave me a deep sense of fulfillment. It helped me get out of my head, which was important because I’ve always been an overthinker. Sports gave me a kind of peace and confidence I couldn’t always find elsewhere.
There’s something unspoken between athletes, a shared language. Everyone’s locked in on the same goal, pushing each other, relying on each other. That connection was always comforting to me.
Outside of sports, I was drawn to anything creative. I lived for gym and art class. Sports and art were ways to express myself without overthinking and ways to feel grounded. And honestly, they still are.
Sophia:
Growing up in Houston as the middle child of five, everything felt like a competition, who could run the fastest, who could talk the loudest, and who could win the game. That energy shaped me. I played basketball, ran track, and tried just about every sport that came my way, but I fell in love with volleyball. I started playing in 5th grade and kept going all the way through high school – indoor, beach, club, you name it. I loved the grind of practices, the pressure of close games, and the sense of belonging that came from being part of a team.
Sports gave me structure, discipline, and community, all of which became foundational to who I am. That competitive edge, mixed with a natural love for collaboration, is something I carry into everything I do. My creativity, however, stems from my love of film and literature. Growing up, I was obsessed with all things sci-fi and fantasy. Books became my safe space—a world I could escape to and call my own. That sense of wonder still fuels me today and reminds me to keep the younger version of myself close.
After high school, I moved to Los Angeles to attend FIDM and pursue my degree. I finished my last year during COVID-19, which was isolating and honestly tough, but it also lit a fire in me to create community wherever I go. Whether it’s on a volleyball court, in a studio, or at an event, I’m always thinking about how to bring people together around shared goals and creativity.
Pricing:
- We have leagues happening year round and tournaments of varying formats multiple times a month! Our pricing is as follows: Individual league registration starts at $100 per player for 10 weeks of play, which also includes heavily discounted tournament registrations during the season and invitations to any social events that we host! Leagues we’re currently offering: Mix n’ Match Monday Night League – 2v2 & 4v4 Women’s League Wednesdays – 2v2 Co-ed Sundays – 2v2 & 3v3 Tournament registrations are $20 per player for access to one of our single-day tournament events, which range from 4v4, 3v3, and 2v2, as well as grass and sand tournaments— we offer sash prizes as well other potential prizes for winning!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cutshot.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutshot_official/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cutshotofficial
