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Speaker 1: Welcome to good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're gently

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Speaker 1: reminding got them FC that this is when they need

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Speaker 1: to start making plans for a championship parade. We don't

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Speaker 1: want to jinx y'all, but we also don't want to

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Speaker 1: repeat of twenty twenty three. It's Tuesday, November eighteenth, and

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Speaker 1: on today's show will be chatting with women's volleyball reporter

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Speaker 1: Michela Chester about the biggest storylines of the NCAA season,

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Speaker 1: whether she's confident enough to pick Nebraska over the field,

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Speaker 1: and her take on the crowded, complicated pro volleyball landscape,

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Speaker 1: plus Swedish success making good on a promise and competing

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Speaker 1: for your own award again. It's all coming up right

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Speaker 1: after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to

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Speaker 1: know today. Let's start with golf. Sweden's Lynn Grant won

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Speaker 1: the Anica on Sunday, taking the final event of the

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Speaker 1: LPGA regular season with a three shot victory over Jennifer

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Speaker 1: cup Chow. It marks the second career LPGA title for Grant,

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Speaker 1: who's receive the trophy from fellow Swede and tournament host

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Speaker 1: Anka Sorenstam. Grant also becomes the twenty ninth different player

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Speaker 1: to win an LPGA event this season. The tour comes

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Speaker 1: to a close this coming weekend, with the top sixty

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Speaker 1: players competing at the CME Group Tour Championship for a

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Speaker 1: total purse of eleven million dollars to the ice and

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Speaker 1: figure skating American Alissa Liu won the women's title at

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Speaker 1: Skate America this weekend, continuing a strong trend of results

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Speaker 1: ahead of the Milan Courtina Winter Olympics in just a

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Speaker 1: few months now. Quick refresher on Lieu for those of

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Speaker 1: you who aren't familiar with her story. She first rose

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Speaker 1: to prominence in twenty nineteen, when, at just thirteen years old,

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Speaker 1: she won the women's title at US Championships, making her

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Speaker 1: the youngest ever US women's national champion. She won Nationals

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Speaker 1: again in twenty twenty, and then went on to make

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Speaker 1: her Olympic debut in twenty twenty two at age sixteen,

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Speaker 1: finishing seventh in the individual event. A few months after

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Speaker 1: the Olympics, Lee retired from skating, saying that she was

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Speaker 1: satisfied with her career and ready to do other things

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Speaker 1: like enroll at UCLA. But two years later, in March

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Speaker 1: of twenty twenty four, where she announced that she was

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Speaker 1: back on the ice training. She went on to compete

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Speaker 1: at the twenty twenty five World Championships, winning a surprise

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Speaker 1: gold medal with a fan favorite performance. Leu's short program

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Speaker 1: at Skate America and at Worlds is to the song

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Speaker 1: Promise by Lave and Icelandic Artists, And there was this

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Speaker 1: really fun moment post World Champs where Leo attended a

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Speaker 1: Layve show wearing the short program dress and her gold medal.

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Speaker 1: We'll link to a video of that beautiful Skate America

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Speaker 1: short program and that moment at Lave's concert in the

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Speaker 1: show notes, and maybe we'll see another reunion for those

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Speaker 1: two now that the Promise program has won Leo gold again.

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Speaker 1: It's been really fun to see her back on the ice.

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Speaker 1: We're excited to see her keep skating in the lead

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Speaker 1: up to the Olympics. More winter sports news. The long

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Speaker 1: track speed skating season got underway over the weekend, with

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Speaker 1: Salt Lake City, Utah, playing host to the first stop

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Speaker 1: on the World Cup circuit. Athletes from the Netherlands had

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Speaker 1: a particularly good showing on the women's side, winning both

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Speaker 1: five hundred meter races. Both fifteen hundred meter races and

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Speaker 1: the three thousand meter event. American Mia Manganello won the

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Speaker 1: mass start. Team Japan won the team pursuit, and the

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Speaker 1: American trio of Manganelo, Britney Bow and Greena Myers took

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Speaker 1: third in the team pursuit, smashing the American record in

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Speaker 1: the process. To Soccer, the nominees for FIFA's second annual

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Speaker 1: Marta Award have been unveiled, and for a second straight year,

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Speaker 1: the nominees include the award's namesake, Orlando Pride forward Marta.

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Speaker 1: The Marta honors the most spectacular goal in women's soccer

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Speaker 1: scored for either club or country, and the qualifying period

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Speaker 1: runs from August to August of each year. Fittingly, Marta

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Speaker 1: won the inaugural Marta in twenty twenty four thanks to

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Speaker 1: an incredible long range goal she scored during a friendly

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Speaker 1: between Brazil and Jamaica back in June twenty twenty four.

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Speaker 1: This year, she's nominated for a goal she scored with

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Speaker 1: the Orlando Pride, specifically her game winner against Kansas City

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Speaker 1: during the twenty twenty four NWSL semifinals. You must remember it.

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Speaker 1: She sent four current players to the pitch trying to

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Speaker 1: stop her navigating through their bodies before tapping the ball

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Speaker 1: in net. We'll link to it in the show notes

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Speaker 1: because frankly, you can't watch it too many times. There

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Speaker 1: are eleven nominees for the Marte in total, including Ali

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Speaker 1: Sentinor's goal for the US national team against Columbia in February,

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Speaker 1: she believes cup and Jordan Bugs goal for the Seattle

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Speaker 1: Rain in a two one win over the North Carolina

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Speaker 1: Courage in March. You know what, We'll link to all

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Speaker 1: eleven goals in the show notes. You could see if

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Speaker 1: one beats Marts's best. Fans can vote on a favorite

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Speaker 1: between now and December. Third. Finally, to surfing, Carisa Moore

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Speaker 1: has announced that she's returning to competition. Moore, a five

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Speaker 1: time world champ who also won the first ever Olympic

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Speaker 1: gold medal awarded in surfing back in twenty twenty one,

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Speaker 1: stepped away from the sport after the twenty twenty four Olympics,

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Speaker 1: in which she competed while two months pregnant. She gave

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Speaker 1: birth in February, and in a press release announcing her return,

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Speaker 1: she said, quote, I want my journey to show my

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Speaker 1: daughter and hopefully other women that we can do anything.

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Speaker 1: We can keep chasing our dreams even as life evolves.

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Speaker 1: End quote. Moore is expected to compete in two qualifying

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Speaker 1: Series events later this year and has been given a

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Speaker 1: full season Championship Tour wildcard for the twenty twenty sixth season,

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Speaker 1: which begins in April in Australia. We got to take

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Speaker 1: a quick break. When we come back, we talk all

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Speaker 1: things college bebes with mckellichester joining us now. She's a

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Speaker 1: freelance sports reporter, host and digital reporter the NCAA digital

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Speaker 1: host and reporter for college volleyball, softball and baseball, and

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Speaker 1: a digital host for Big Ten Network College Baseball and Softball.

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Speaker 1: She worked as a sideline reporter for the inaugural season

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Speaker 1: of Love Pro Volleyball and ESPN and the twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: four NCAA Volleyball Regionals on ESPN. A Georgia grad, where

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Speaker 1: she was captain of the club lacrosse team. Based on

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Speaker 1: her insta, she's definitely in her traveling to a friend's

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Speaker 1: destination wedding every other weekend. Face of adulthood. It's Micklichester.

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Speaker 1: I'm mcklla Hi.

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Speaker 2: I don't think anybody has nailed my life that perfectly.

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Speaker 3: That was crazy.

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Speaker 1: You're going to some good places for those weddings, though

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Speaker 1: they look glamorous. I am. You know.

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Speaker 2: It's like I should be complaining, But at least it

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Speaker 2: keeps you traveling and it keeps you going to wonderful places.

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Speaker 2: It's definitely busy with my schedule, but you got to

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Speaker 2: try and balance work in life, and I'm just in

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Speaker 2: that phase now, so doing the best we can.

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Speaker 1: I feel like at a certain age, most of your

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Speaker 1: money just goes to paying for other people's weddings.

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Speaker 3: Oh, it's gone, all of it's gone.

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Speaker 2: It's in an airline pocket somewhere.

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Speaker 1: Before we get into some vibestock, I do want to

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Speaker 1: talk about how you got into sports reporting and when

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Speaker 1: you first started dreaming about working in sports. How far

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Speaker 1: back do we have to go?

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Speaker 2: Oh, you got to go pretty much my entire life.

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Speaker 2: I don't remember a time in my life where this

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Speaker 2: wasn't what I was dreaming of. My dad was very

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Speaker 2: hands on when we were younger on picking what we

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Speaker 2: wanted our career paths to be. He always said, in

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Speaker 2: order to be successful, you've got to pick something that

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Speaker 2: you're naturally talented at. So when we were younger, he

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Speaker 2: was like, what are you good at? And for me,

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Speaker 2: it was always storytelling. I wanted to tell stories when

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Speaker 2: I was really little. I wanted to be an author,

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Speaker 2: and I was just always loved talking to people.

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Speaker 3: I could talk to a brick wall. So he was like,

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Speaker 3: all right, there's your talent.

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Speaker 1: What do you like?

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Speaker 3: And I loved sports.

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Speaker 2: I played every sport under the sun when I was younger,

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Speaker 2: from dancing all the way to lacrosse, like you mentioned,

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Speaker 2: which is what I took the longest into my life.

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Speaker 2: So that was what I wanted to do. And then

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Speaker 2: my dad had three girls. He was the biggest sports guy.

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Speaker 1: I knew.

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Speaker 2: He had me sitting down every weekend watching the Giants

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Speaker 2: as we grew up in New York.

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Speaker 3: So I remember sitting on the ottoman one day.

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Speaker 2: I don't remember how young I was, but it was

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Speaker 2: definitely pre middle school and saying that's it. And I

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Speaker 2: never changed my mind or wavered in that path for

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Speaker 2: as long as I can remember. And here I am,

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Speaker 2: it's pretty surreal to be actually doing what you dreamed of.

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Speaker 1: That's amazing. Yeah, I remember I took a more circuitous path.

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Speaker 1: But I remember, like when people always ask me, when

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Speaker 1: did you realize or like think that you made it.

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Speaker 1: The one for me was when I got to put

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Speaker 1: on my tax forms that my job was sports reporter

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Speaker 1: because like every other year, I was working at it,

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Speaker 1: but technically I had to write like waitress, hostess as

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Speaker 1: you being a gig yeah, even like you know, production assistant.

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Speaker 1: And when I finally just got to put like reporter

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Speaker 1: as my occupation, I was like, I made it, even

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Speaker 1: though I made no money and no one knew who

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Speaker 1: I was. I was like, it's got to be pretty good. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I still have moments.

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Speaker 2: I think there's times where I'm always like, oh, like

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Speaker 2: when I get to where I want to be one

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Speaker 2: day and I've just had to bring myself down to earth.

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Speaker 2: There's been a few times where friends or family have

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Speaker 2: said to me, why do you keep saying that, Like

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Speaker 2: you're doing it, and it's hard to process that you're

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Speaker 2: doing it because you're always just thinking about the next school.

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Speaker 1: Well, you didn't ask me for advice, but since you're

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Speaker 1: a youngster, I'll give you my best advice for this business,

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Speaker 1: which is you have to find the right balance of

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Speaker 1: ambition and satisfaction. It's because there's always going to be

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Speaker 1: someone to compare yourself to. There's always gonna be another

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Speaker 1: better job or opportunity or event to cover. And if

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Speaker 1: you're never satisfied, then you're gonna miss all the years

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Speaker 1: where you're actually doing something completely amazing that so many

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Speaker 1: other people would dream about. So don't give up on

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Speaker 1: the ambition, but make sure you're make sure you're still.

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Speaker 2: Being where your feet are and being proud of yourself

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Speaker 2: where you are. Yeah, I need to take that advice.

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Speaker 2: I definitely have heard it, but it's one I need

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Speaker 2: to take to heart.

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Speaker 1: So thank you. Well, there aren't a lot of folks

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Speaker 1: on the college volleyball beat, so I'm happy to get

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Speaker 1: your perspective. What's the toughest part of trying to keep

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Speaker 1: pep up with all the teams and storylines.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so volleyball, I would agree, not a ton of

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Speaker 2: people on the beach. And when I first started doing

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Speaker 2: it about six years ago, I think there was actually nobody,

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Speaker 2: especially on the digital space, talking about it. It has

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Speaker 2: grown so much in the past six years in terms

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Speaker 2: of how many people are now.

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Speaker 3: Talking about it.

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Speaker 2: So it feels crazy saying not a ton to me,

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Speaker 2: it feels like there's a lot now, but that's just

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Speaker 2: because when we started there was nobody. But I will

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Speaker 2: say now that I've been in it for so long,

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Speaker 2: volleyball is definitely the easiest sport for me to cover,

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Speaker 2: just because I feel like I'm so immersed in it.

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Speaker 2: And we go on a road trip with the NCAA,

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Speaker 2: so you're with a new team and meeting all these

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Speaker 2: players and you're just kind of forced to be watching

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Speaker 2: games a week after week.

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Speaker 3: I would say in the beginning.

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Speaker 2: The hardest part was actually one watching all of these games,

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Speaker 2: and I think, you know, when you're doing your rankings

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Speaker 2: and your rotation of the week and trying to keep

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Speaker 2: up with your life at the same time, then being like, no,

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Speaker 2: I actually have to watch them to know it, like

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Speaker 2: you can't just look at school is because it really.

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Speaker 1: Is like volleyball, especially because the box score is just

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Speaker 1: really not going to tell you a story the same

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Speaker 1: way some other sports minds.

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Speaker 3: It doesn't.

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Speaker 2: And that is the exact point I was getting at,

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Speaker 2: is a box score does not tell the story, and

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Speaker 2: you really do have to watch and understand the game

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Speaker 2: to be able to report on.

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Speaker 3: It and have an opinion.

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Speaker 2: Which so even when I am doing life things and

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Speaker 2: going to weddings.

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Speaker 3: Like you mentioned in your open, I really.

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Speaker 2: Do have to make a point too, on Sunday nights

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Speaker 2: or on Monday mornings, make sure I am watching back

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Speaker 2: the games, because it doesn't do it justice by any

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Speaker 2: means to not do so.

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Speaker 1: Thank goodness for DVRs and digital streaming and all the

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Speaker 1: ways we can now go back and watch things when

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Speaker 1: it's a little more convenient for us. I wouldn't survive

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Speaker 1: without it me neither. We've been talking a bit about

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Speaker 1: Nebraska on our show. Nebraska the only team left in

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Speaker 1: Division one volleyball with a perfect record, an unbelievable streak

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Speaker 1: without dropping a set as well. So they're doing this

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Speaker 1: in style. What makes them so good?

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Speaker 3: It's everything. And when you look I remember going to the.

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Speaker 2: ABCA First Served Showcase and it was the first couple

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Speaker 2: of games at the season.

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Speaker 3: I think that.

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Speaker 2: There are teams that are just now at this point

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Speaker 2: in the season reaching the level of play that Nebraska

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Speaker 2: was playing at at that first game. And when you

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Speaker 2: think about this Nebraska core, which I like to say

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Speaker 2: is Berg and Riley their setter, Andy Jackson their middle,

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Speaker 2: and Harper Murray their star outside.

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Speaker 3: They started as freshmen together.

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Speaker 2: To think that as freshmen they led their team to

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Speaker 2: the national championship with no experience, and to be bringing

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Speaker 2: that entire core back into their junior season, it's just

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Speaker 2: not even fair.

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Speaker 3: Top to bottom.

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Speaker 2: This team is leaps and bounds ahead of anyone in

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Speaker 2: the country. They overpower you in every part of the game,

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Speaker 2: and it doesn't matter how good you are, Like every

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Speaker 2: part of their game is just that much better. They're passing,

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Speaker 2: and passing doesn't get enough credit, and that's it's sad

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Speaker 2: to say that, Like the ABCA National Player of the

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Speaker 2: Year watch list doesn't have any liberos on it, because

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Speaker 2: it's just so easy to look at those flashy numbers

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Speaker 2: and think that these outsides and middles are putting up

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Speaker 2: numbers that impact.

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Speaker 3: The game so much.

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Speaker 2: But Nebraska wouldn't be what it is without its passing.

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Speaker 2: And I mean, they're just giving Berg and Riley dimes.

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Speaker 2: And yes, she's a fantastic setter, but she's able to

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Speaker 2: run that offense so well because of how.

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Speaker 3: Good their backcourt is.

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Speaker 2: They just give her perfect passes right over the head,

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Speaker 2: right on the money, and she's able to just dish

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Speaker 2: it out to her weapons and then you have the

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Speaker 2: most talented players in the country. So how are you

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Speaker 2: not just bouncing balls and hammering balls into the floor.

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Speaker 2: They're hard to stop the best talent, I mean top

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Speaker 2: to bottom. Their setters one of the best in the country.

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Speaker 2: Their outsides are the best in the country, and their

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Speaker 2: middles are probably leaps and bounds the best in the country.

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Speaker 1: I think you can no fun intended.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, literally, it's crazy.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I'm describing it, but it's If they don't

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Speaker 2: win the national championship, it would be because they didn't

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Speaker 2: play their best game.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, well, we'll get to that and who might challenge them?

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Speaker 1: But for those who are not VIBS specialists, tell us

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Speaker 1: about a libero. Help us understand how they maybe don't

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Speaker 1: get enough love, but they are such a vital part

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Speaker 1: of successful twos. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: So, if you're watching volleyball, the libero is in a

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Speaker 2: different colored jersey, and that's because they have unlimited substitutions.

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Speaker 2: There's two middle blockers that are technically in the starting lineup,

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Speaker 2: but a middle doesn't go all the way around, meaning.

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Speaker 3: Doesn't play six rotations.

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Speaker 2: So they'll play three rotations in the front row, and

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Speaker 2: then when they.

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Speaker 3: Rotate to the back row.

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Speaker 2: Typically a team is putting in and out the Libero,

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Speaker 2: but they're just staying on the court because they have

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Speaker 2: unlimited substitutions. So Libero only plays in the back row.

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Speaker 2: They cannot hit past the ten foot line. That would

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Speaker 2: be an illegal attack. And that's why they have that

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Speaker 2: different jersey on as well. And they're just ballers. They

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Speaker 2: keep everything off the floor. They're so fun to watch.

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Speaker 2: I feel like they're getting a lot more fans nowadays

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Speaker 2: than they used to. Their defense is crazy. And then

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Speaker 2: like I said, passing, which when I say passing that

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Speaker 2: me serve receive.

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Speaker 3: So the other team is.

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Speaker 2: Trying to put a really tough serve over the net

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Speaker 2: to get your team out of system. Out of system

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Speaker 2: meaning it is a really hard ball to set. It's

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Speaker 2: not a perfect pass to the setter and then to

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Speaker 2: an outside, right side or middle middle blocker, so out

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Speaker 2: of system meaning either your outside has to pass it.

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Speaker 2: It's a ball off the net, pulling the setter off

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Speaker 2: the net, making it a tougher ball to set to

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Speaker 2: the outside or right side. So passing means serve receive.

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Speaker 2: You are passing the serve keeping your team in system

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Speaker 2: to run a smooth offense.

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Speaker 1: That that's really good sense, Yeah, it was really good.

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Speaker 1: I mean, the libero's not going to get every ball

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Speaker 1: because sometimes the serve is just going to be that

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Speaker 1: crazy about Like a lot of times you're hoping that

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Speaker 1: your libero is patrolling that back line, setting up your

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Speaker 1: setter so that the setter has an easy job of

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Speaker 1: them hoping to set up for a kill. Correct, And

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Speaker 1: liberos haven't always been around as far as like them.

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Speaker 1: The rules changing in terms of substitutions and stuff, right,

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Speaker 1: that's relatively new.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I wouldn't say relatively. I would have to go

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Speaker 2: back pretty far to get to that, probably past the

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Speaker 2: rally scoring error which started long before my time of.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I just feel like I've talked to older volleyball

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Speaker 1: players and been guessing their position and guessing like libero

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Speaker 1: based on height or lack thereof, and them saying like

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Speaker 1: that wasn't an official thing when I played, So I

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Speaker 1: feel like maybe it was a time within reason when

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Speaker 1: it or maybe they maybe they didn't play somewhere that

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Speaker 1: you know, was as elevated in terms of strategy.

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Speaker 2: But and yeah, that's very specialist too, that better subbed

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Speaker 2: in just to play defense and when I say passing.

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Speaker 2: Oftentimes the other team is going to target other back

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Speaker 2: row players. They're not going to serve to your liberro

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Speaker 2: because that's your best passer. But the libero's job is

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Speaker 2: to play defense and to get the ball to the center.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Okay, so you already told us a couple But

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Speaker 1: if a listener wants to tune in and check out

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Speaker 1: a Huskers game, what should they pay special attention to.

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Speaker 1: Whether it's a player who's really great at something, whether

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Speaker 1: that's a style that makes I'm better than everybody.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, if I was watching a Nebraska game for the

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Speaker 2: first time, I would say, you have to watch Harper Murray,

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Speaker 2: who is their top outside hitter. And then Andy Jackson.

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Speaker 2: Andy Jackson is a middle blocker. She is the best

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Speaker 2: middle blocker in the country. I don't think anybody's going

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Speaker 2: to come after me.

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Speaker 3: For that take. It's not that hot of a take.

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Speaker 3: She's that good.

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Speaker 2: I love she is one of the best offensive middle blockers.

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Speaker 2: So if you're watching for the first time, look out

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Speaker 2: for what is called a slide attack. So she's in

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Speaker 2: the middle, but a slide attack is when she will

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Speaker 2: run behind the setter and then attack from the right side.

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Speaker 2: It's very deceptive because you can't see it happening from

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Speaker 2: the other side of the net because she's running behind

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Speaker 2: the setter, and then all of a sudden, that setter

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Speaker 2: can look like she's going to push the ball to

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Speaker 2: the outside, meaning the left pin, but she's going to

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Speaker 2: push it behind her to the right side with Andy.

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Speaker 3: Jackson running behind. She is the best to do it

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Speaker 3: in college volleyball. So watch out for that slide attack.

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Speaker 2: You'll see her running behind Berg and Riley, and then

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Speaker 2: watch out for Harper Murray.

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Speaker 3: The most fun thing about watching her play is that.

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Speaker 2: If she gets super competitive, you could just see her

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Speaker 2: flip a switch mid match. We saw it with UCLA

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Speaker 2: this past weekend. UCLA was the first team to take

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Speaker 2: a set from Nebraska in over forty sets in September,

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Speaker 2: which is stupid that we even have to keep track

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Speaker 2: of that because that shouldn't even be a thing. But

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Speaker 2: they're that dominant. But I think once you saw Harper

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Speaker 2: get a little mad that UCLA was even, you know,

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Speaker 2: on a level playing field with them at one point

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Speaker 2: in the match, she just turned it on and then

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Speaker 2: it's dominants the switch.

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Speaker 1: Well, Harper Murray is someone we've talked about on this show.

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Speaker 1: There was a documentary on ESPN and E six he

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Speaker 1: called No Place Like Nebraska that talked about her sort

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Speaker 1: of journey with mental health, some of the trip ups

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Speaker 1: that she's had while trying to be at the top

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Speaker 1: of the game and deal with, you know, some off

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Speaker 1: the court incidents. What have you heard about her this season,

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Speaker 1: settling in sort of finding her way on and off

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Speaker 1: the court.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I did a sit down with Harper Murray at

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Speaker 2: the beginning of the season and we really dove into

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Speaker 2: all of that and her mental health and how much

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Speaker 2: she's grown as a person. And she's somebody who has

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Speaker 2: become really honest with everything that she's gone through and

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Speaker 2: really sharing with the world what she went through and

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Speaker 2: how she overcame it. And I think that that's really special,

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Speaker 2: especially in women's sports, because it was hard what she

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Speaker 2: went through. And I think women's sports are starting to

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Speaker 2: become mainstream in the way that now these athletes are

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Speaker 2: having to deal with things and deal with the public

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Speaker 2: in ways that it wasn't like in the past. And

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Speaker 2: we have people that are talking about you now constantly

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Speaker 2: on social media, and as we know, social media can

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Speaker 2: be a really dark place, and we go through it

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Speaker 2: as public faces and females in the space, and I

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Speaker 2: can't even imagine how much amplified that is as an

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Speaker 2: athlete and somebody like Harper Murray who deals with it

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Speaker 2: day in and day out. So yeah, she really opened

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Speaker 2: up to me, and she's opened up to her following

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Speaker 2: and just the Nebraska fans in general about what she's

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Speaker 2: gone through, how proud of herself she is for the

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Speaker 2: woman she's grown into.

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Speaker 3: She talks about her why.

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Speaker 2: In the beginning, a lot of it was her parents

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Speaker 2: and her dad who she lost when she was younger,

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Speaker 2: and then she said she lost it for a little bit,

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Speaker 2: and then the last two years she regained that why,

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Speaker 2: which she shared this with me, and she said it

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Speaker 2: was for her players. So she always wrote Lexi Rodriguez,

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Speaker 2: who was star Lebarro that has since graduated and is now.

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Speaker 3: A pro player, with love.

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Speaker 2: But she would write Lexi's name on her finger before

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Speaker 2: every game to remind herself that she wants to be

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Speaker 2: better for her teammates that were able to give her

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Speaker 2: love and were able to, you know, just accept her

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Speaker 2: and help her through that time. Players like Merret Beeson,

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Speaker 2: who's now playing professional as well. So she gives her

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Speaker 2: credit back to her teammates and credits that they were

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Speaker 2: able to one get her through a harder time in

439
00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,359
Speaker 2: her life and make her a better person an athlete

440
00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,720
Speaker 2: because of it. And I just think now we're seeing

441
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,280
Speaker 2: her dominie. She's really settled into who she is as

442
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,919
Speaker 2: a person. And she said to me that she's not

443
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,199
Speaker 2: really getting better as a volleyball player, but she's just

444
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,600
Speaker 2: become such a better teammate and so much more confident,

445
00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,280
Speaker 2: and you see it on the court, and that's why

446
00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:12,520
Speaker 2: we're seeing her dominate.

447
00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,560
Speaker 1: It's amazing. And I think finally in the last couple

448
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,680
Speaker 1: of years, we've started to talk about how you bring

449
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,760
Speaker 1: all of that other stuff onto the court and it

450
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,160
Speaker 1: can make you a much better player if everything else

451
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,160
Speaker 1: is more resolved on the outside. Where can we find

452
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:25,920
Speaker 1: that sit down?

453
00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:28,720
Speaker 2: Easiest way is probably like I collab on most things

454
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,480
Speaker 2: on Instagram, so it's like less to scroll through of

455
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,679
Speaker 2: all the stuff, but it's all NCAA volleyball platforms and

456
00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:35,840
Speaker 2: probably on YouTube as well.

457
00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:40,560
Speaker 1: Cool. So we're talking about Nebraska's undefeated starts since nineteen

458
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,919
Speaker 1: eighty one, only four women's college volleyball programs finished the

459
00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,320
Speaker 1: regular season undefeated and went on to win the national championship.

460
00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,320
Speaker 1: Nebraska's one of them back in two thousand. Yes, do

461
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,359
Speaker 1: you see this year's Nebraska team becoming the fifth?

462
00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:00,199
Speaker 2: So I don't want to say yes, because I do

463
00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,880
Speaker 2: think we've gotten to a place with volleyball where it's

464
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,040
Speaker 2: not so obvious anymore. Like, yes, this Nebraska team feels

465
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,200
Speaker 2: the best in the country, and I've been very straightforward

466
00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,879
Speaker 2: about that and not afraid to say it by any means.

467
00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,960
Speaker 2: But I always think that anything can happen in the tournament.

468
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,280
Speaker 3: Do I think that they could do it?

469
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,960
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And looking at the rest of their Big Ten

470
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,960
Speaker 2: schedule and just the fact that I think the Big

471
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,040
Speaker 2: Ten not that they've fallen off, but I think is

472
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,320
Speaker 2: not as strong as it has been in the past.

473
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,760
Speaker 2: Penn State having a little bit of an off year,

474
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,480
Speaker 2: which is typically one of Nebraska's biggest rivals and challengers,

475
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,199
Speaker 2: and we saw them win the championship last year and

476
00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,680
Speaker 2: knock off Nebraska in the national semifinals. So with them

477
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:49,239
Speaker 2: having an off year, Wisconsin, they're definitely peaking now that

478
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,679
Speaker 2: their setter is back, but they're typically one to challenge

479
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,080
Speaker 2: Nebraska in the regular season, and they've been struggling a

480
00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,399
Speaker 2: little bit with injuries through the mid part of the season.

481
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,720
Speaker 3: So I do think that they can go and they should.

482
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,440
Speaker 2: I say should because if they are having a good game,

483
00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,160
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone in the country can beat them.

484
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,560
Speaker 2: I think it can happen. As far as who can

485
00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 2: challenge them, I think it's Kentucky and maybe Texas.

486
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,520
Speaker 1: Yeah. There's a difference between being the favorite and picking

487
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,399
Speaker 1: the favorite over the field, right, you have to be

488
00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,200
Speaker 1: so far and away above to pick one team over

489
00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,359
Speaker 1: every other competitor. Ye, but they are the favorite to win. Oh,

490
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,320
Speaker 1: you mentioned Kentucky. They're sitting in second right now at

491
00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,120
Speaker 1: twenty and two, Pittsburgh third at twenty one and three. Yeah,

492
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,720
Speaker 1: Texas and fourth at nineteen and two, and Stanford rounding

493
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,480
Speaker 1: out the top five. They're in fifth at twenty two

494
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,040
Speaker 1: and three. So Kentucky is the one that you think

495
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,280
Speaker 1: could present the biggest challenge to Nebraska.

496
00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,600
Speaker 2: I do, and that is because I think to win

497
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,800
Speaker 2: a national championship you have to have production on the outside,

498
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,119
Speaker 2: meaning two outside hitters which play the left pins and

499
00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,800
Speaker 2: usually go all the way around, and Kentucky has the

500
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,360
Speaker 2: two best outside hitter duos in the country with Eva

501
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,719
Speaker 2: Hudson and Brooklyn Delay. It's hard to stop them because,

502
00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,879
Speaker 2: similar to Nebraska, they do have so much weapons, and

503
00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,359
Speaker 2: Kentucky has great defense, has a great liberro in Molly Tuzzo.

504
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,960
Speaker 2: I don't think they're as good in the middle as

505
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,080
Speaker 2: Nebraska is, but those outside hitters are just lethal. Eva

506
00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,480
Speaker 2: Hudson and Brooklyn Delay are extremely good, two of the

507
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,119
Speaker 2: best players in the country, so you can't just stop

508
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,160
Speaker 2: one of them. Whereas Pittsburgh you have Olivia Babcock. Yes,

509
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,040
Speaker 2: she's I think gonna win records left, yeah, and I

510
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,919
Speaker 2: think she's gonna win National Player of the Year again understandably. So,

511
00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,760
Speaker 2: I mean, she puts up forty five kills against a

512
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,600
Speaker 2: top ten team in Louisville and Arrival and it's like, yeah,

513
00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:36,679
Speaker 2: they're trying to stop her.

514
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,199
Speaker 3: It doesn't work, it doesn't matter. She goes up and

515
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,000
Speaker 3: over the block. But to win a national.

516
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 2: Championship, I think you got to have more than that,

517
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,440
Speaker 2: And what pitt lacks is that production on the outside.

518
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,120
Speaker 2: Olivia is a right side hitter, so outside meaning left

519
00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:54,399
Speaker 2: side pins so Eva Hudson, Brooklyn Delay, Kentucky has that,

520
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 2: and that's why I think they are the team that's

521
00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,840
Speaker 2: going to be most able to challenge Nebraska, and they

522
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:01,760
Speaker 2: have already this season. We saw it with a five

523
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,280
Speaker 2: set battle earlier in the year. Kentucky went up two

524
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 2: sets to none and was pretty dominant, and then Nebraska

525
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,320
Speaker 2: came back and reverse swept. So that was already I

526
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:12,280
Speaker 2: would love to see it again.

527
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:13,800
Speaker 3: That would be a pretty cool rematch.

528
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,000
Speaker 1: You talk about the left pins and how helpful it

529
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,320
Speaker 1: is for a team to have successful outside hitters players

530
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 1: on the left pins. Is that because the position is difficult,

531
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,760
Speaker 1: particularly for right handed players to be hitting from. Why

532
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,399
Speaker 1: is that a tougher place to find talent.

533
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,520
Speaker 2: I wouldn't say it's a tougher place to find talent.

534
00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,040
Speaker 2: I just think that the outside position is so important

535
00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,040
Speaker 2: because one, they typically go all the way around, so

536
00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:46,200
Speaker 2: they're typically playing six rotations. If they are good enough defenders,

537
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,560
Speaker 2: they will go all the way around. So you're impacting

538
00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,720
Speaker 2: the game in so many different ways. You're having to

539
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,360
Speaker 2: play defense, and teams are going to target those outside

540
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,879
Speaker 2: hitters when they're in the back court because they know

541
00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,560
Speaker 2: they're trying to keep it away from the barrow and

542
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,240
Speaker 2: the defense a specialist, right.

543
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,520
Speaker 1: So you have to be also a talented passer and

544
00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:04,159
Speaker 1: serve receiver.

545
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:08,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, you've got to be a talented passer, receiver and defender.

546
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,960
Speaker 3: Two. I mentioned out of system play earlier.

547
00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:14,399
Speaker 2: Most of the game is played out of system, and

548
00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:16,600
Speaker 2: you know it's not going to be perfect every time,

549
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,000
Speaker 2: but most of the out system sets, So if a

550
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,520
Speaker 2: libero is having to touch the second ball and set

551
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,560
Speaker 2: it is going to go to the outside. They always

552
00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,720
Speaker 2: say that the outside hitter has to take out the

553
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,760
Speaker 2: garbage they're getting, you know, just way more set.

554
00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 3: They're getting the trash stuff that isn't perfect exactly.

555
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,840
Speaker 2: And I think with really good teams you see like

556
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,760
Speaker 2: we see Kentucky, they have really Malli Tuzzo's their libero.

557
00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:42,560
Speaker 3: She's a really good out of system setter.

558
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,080
Speaker 2: So when she's getting the second ball, teams might be like, oh,

559
00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,320
Speaker 2: it's going to the outside obviously because the setter is

560
00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,159
Speaker 2: not setting it. But Molly Tuzzo is really good at

561
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,040
Speaker 2: She'll set a back row attack shell.

562
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:54,320
Speaker 3: She's just a really.

563
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 2: Good out of system setter. So that's like another dimension

564
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,880
Speaker 2: a team can can reach. But most of the time,

565
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,080
Speaker 2: the trash is going to the outside, So the outside

566
00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,040
Speaker 2: just has to be really productive in order for a

567
00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:06,720
Speaker 2: team to be next level good.

568
00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, makes sense. Well, Nebraska's stealing a lot of headlines

569
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,920
Speaker 1: because of that undefeated record. But are there some other

570
00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,639
Speaker 1: good storylines or teams we should know about across college

571
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:17,160
Speaker 1: vibes this season? Yeah?

572
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,600
Speaker 2: I think you really, I really love the storyline of one.

573
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,840
Speaker 2: The SEC Tournament is back for the first time, and

574
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,399
Speaker 2: I don't even know how many years all of the

575
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:30,159
Speaker 2: Power four conferences haven't done a conference tournament. They just

576
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:35,399
Speaker 2: take the regular conference winner and that's the team that

577
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,000
Speaker 2: gets to the auto bid for the tournament. Well, the

578
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,320
Speaker 2: SEC Tournament is bringing back the tournament for the first

579
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,400
Speaker 2: time out of all the Power four conferences.

580
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:43,760
Speaker 3: It starts this Friday.

581
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,399
Speaker 2: So Texas, let's see, Kentucky is the one seed, Texas

582
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,240
Speaker 2: A and M has the two seed, and Texas has

583
00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,800
Speaker 2: the three seed, which is crazy because Texas is ranked

584
00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,080
Speaker 2: above Texas A and M.

585
00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:56,520
Speaker 3: But Texas A and M has the head.

586
00:26:56,359 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 1: To head win. Yeah. Texas started out on a nice

587
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,000
Speaker 1: defeated streak as well, but it was the back to

588
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,560
Speaker 1: back losses that kind of sent them down the rankings

589
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 1: a bit.

590
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:06,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they lost to Kentucky and Texas A and

591
00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,959
Speaker 2: M in the SEC, so understandably those are gonna get

592
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,000
Speaker 2: the one in two seeds just because it's based on

593
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,520
Speaker 2: head to head in the SEC and not overall resume

594
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,000
Speaker 2: for the season. So yeah, I think watching those three

595
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,560
Speaker 2: teams are three teams that are just so good. Texas

596
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:28,240
Speaker 2: getting possibly another go at Kentucky who swept them. The

597
00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,840
Speaker 2: SEC Tournament's gonna be fun and it's like so many games.

598
00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,199
Speaker 2: It's gonna be interesting because the coaches were fighting for it,

599
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,679
Speaker 2: but it will be it is hard. They're gonna have

600
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,280
Speaker 2: to the top seeds potentially play three games in three days.

601
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:42,440
Speaker 2: That's a lot of swings that some of the top

602
00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:44,920
Speaker 2: players in the country are taking in November right before

603
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,639
Speaker 2: the tournament. Tory Stafford another player I think that you

604
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:54,200
Speaker 2: have to watch at Texas. She's unbelievable. I mentioned Olivia Babcock,

605
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,640
Speaker 2: Harper Murray, Tory Stafford is right up there with them.

606
00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:59,679
Speaker 2: So that's one storyline. SEC Tournament's gonna be fun. It's

607
00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 2: gonna be SEC Network all week. I will be there

608
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,600
Speaker 2: sideline reporting, So I'm excited for that one. And then

609
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,000
Speaker 2: after that, I think the ACC is pretty messy right now. Pitt, Louisville,

610
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,960
Speaker 2: and Stanford just three teams that I was doing my

611
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,000
Speaker 2: Power ten rankings this morning and I was like, I

612
00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,800
Speaker 2: have no idea what to do here, and.

613
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:21,160
Speaker 3: Throw SMU in the mix.

614
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:22,960
Speaker 2: I mean, they can all beat each other on any

615
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,639
Speaker 2: given night, and these are all teams that can compete

616
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,600
Speaker 2: for a national title. I mean it is after Nebraska,

617
00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:31,960
Speaker 2: it is anybody wide open. It is anybody's game in

618
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,800
Speaker 2: the top ten, and that's really cool. I think the

619
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 2: tournament's going to be super fun because of that.

620
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,719
Speaker 1: We'll get to the tournament bracket in a second. But

621
00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:41,240
Speaker 1: you know you mentioned earlier in Nebraska almost feeling like

622
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 1: unfair returning all this talent. We've seen the college basketball

623
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,640
Speaker 1: world change a lot as the results of the transfer portal.

624
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,520
Speaker 1: Is college volleyball seeing a lot of big name transfers

625
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:51,840
Speaker 1: as well in the last couple of years.

626
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,840
Speaker 2: Absolutely, and that has changed the game a ton Tory

627
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 2: Stafford was the second biggest transfer last year. She was

628
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,760
Speaker 2: at Pitt with Olivia Babco, so they were one of

629
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:02,360
Speaker 2: the most dangerous duos.

630
00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:03,760
Speaker 3: She transferred to Texas.

631
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:05,920
Speaker 2: Texas also brought in Ramsey Gary, one of the best

632
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,440
Speaker 2: liberos in the country, and then Kennedy Martin was at Florida,

633
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,160
Speaker 2: one of the best right sides in the country. She

634
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,760
Speaker 2: went to Penn State. The movement has been crazy. When

635
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,880
Speaker 2: you bring up Nebraska.

636
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,160
Speaker 3: They didn't have any anybody leave.

637
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,640
Speaker 2: This past year with legendary head coach John Cook leaving.

638
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,920
Speaker 3: And that is crazy.

639
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,520
Speaker 2: And I always say it was the best coaching change

640
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,040
Speaker 2: I've ever seen in.

641
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,760
Speaker 3: Collegiates, like as far as a transition.

642
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, So John Cook is one of the most legendary

643
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:38,840
Speaker 2: coaches to ever grace the sport.

644
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,520
Speaker 3: And I mean there's a statue of.

645
00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,480
Speaker 2: Him now outside of Bob Devaney Center, and they named

646
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,280
Speaker 2: John Cook Arena like he is that legendary. And when

647
00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:52,520
Speaker 2: he stepped down, within thirty minutes, Danny Busboom Kelly, who

648
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:57,000
Speaker 2: was Louisville's head coach and a Nebraska alum run a

649
00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,800
Speaker 2: national championship under John Cook, was named as head coach,

650
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,800
Speaker 2: and then Dan Meski, the assistant at Louisville, was named

651
00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,440
Speaker 2: head coach at Louisville, and not one player left from

652
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,600
Speaker 2: either program. Wow, it was perfect, Like it was seamless,

653
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,440
Speaker 2: and it seemed like that was kind of been in

654
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,760
Speaker 2: the works for a really long time. I think everybody

655
00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:20,480
Speaker 2: knew that DBK would be the successor for Nebraska, and

656
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,760
Speaker 2: then Dan Meski was probably or arguably the best assistant

657
00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 2: coach in the country. I'm sure he turned down hundreds

658
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:30,680
Speaker 2: of head coaching jobs leading up to taking over to

659
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,560
Speaker 2: take over, Yeah, that's great, it was awesome.

660
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,000
Speaker 1: Speaking of coaches, you mentioned last year Penn State winning

661
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,360
Speaker 1: it All and coach Katie Schumacher Cowley became the first

662
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 1: female head coach to lead a D one volleyball team

663
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:44,080
Speaker 1: to an NCAA title while she was undergoing treatment for

664
00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,120
Speaker 1: breast cancer. An incredible story. We know a lot of

665
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,720
Speaker 1: women's sports don't have nearly enough women in coaching roles,

666
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,560
Speaker 1: but volleyball has long been one of the worst offenders,

667
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 1: which is especially wild because it's a sport where we

668
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,280
Speaker 1: automatically default to women, particularly an indoor as being the

669
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,880
Speaker 1: dominant gender for this important the way when we talk

670
00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,960
Speaker 1: about it, both in the college game and the pros

671
00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,440
Speaker 1: is there something about volleyball that has led to this

672
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,040
Speaker 1: that defies logic.

673
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,400
Speaker 2: It is pretty bizarre, But I do think that we

674
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,120
Speaker 2: are seeing a new wave, Like Mary Wise at Florida

675
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,240
Speaker 2: was a big one for that. She just retired and

676
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,280
Speaker 2: is now working at ESPN, But she was really one

677
00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,800
Speaker 2: of the first females to be making huge waves in

678
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,920
Speaker 2: the coaching space and doing so. I think we're seeing

679
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,360
Speaker 2: more and more of female coaches that are moms and

680
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,520
Speaker 2: grandmothers and still managing.

681
00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:35,600
Speaker 3: And now DBK at Nebraska is.

682
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:39,080
Speaker 2: Probably gonna completely change that narrative because I gotta imagine

683
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:42,160
Speaker 2: she's gonna hang a few banners in her tenure at

684
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,600
Speaker 2: Nebraska and she's a mom.

685
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:46,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I love to see I feel like.

686
00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:48,800
Speaker 1: That often is the thing that we come back to

687
00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,760
Speaker 1: is whether or not the job is being made possible

688
00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,840
Speaker 1: for someone who also has other responsibilities in life, And

689
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,520
Speaker 1: hopefully that continues to change and evolve so that there

690
00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,080
Speaker 1: are more women who feel like they don't have to

691
00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:04,480
Speaker 1: make that. You mentioned the SEC tournament, but we've also

692
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,760
Speaker 1: got the bracket reveal for the major NCAA women's volleyball tournament.

693
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,400
Speaker 1: It's coming up at the end of the month. Can

694
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,080
Speaker 1: you explain what seems like a very complicated process for selection?

695
00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:15,880
Speaker 1: You don't have to get too nanty gritty, but like,

696
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 1: why isn't it just a very simple process both for

697
00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 1: the actual selection committee, and for you when you were

698
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:23,719
Speaker 1: making your faux bracket.

699
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,640
Speaker 3: Oh, they don't even get me started on my faux bracket.

700
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:27,840
Speaker 3: I have to do another one.

701
00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,840
Speaker 2: So I just always say to myself, all right, this

702
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:32,560
Speaker 2: is going to be the worst day and night of

703
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:32,920
Speaker 2: my life.

704
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,680
Speaker 3: And I say that every time I do it. Yeah.

705
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:40,160
Speaker 2: So the committee's seeds differently, obviously than what the rankings

706
00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,240
Speaker 2: would be. They come out with a top sixteen reveal

707
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,520
Speaker 2: to give an idea as to where their heads are at,

708
00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 2: and I think it looked a lot different than a

709
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,840
Speaker 2: lot of people were expecting. So when I'm doing my

710
00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 2: bracket projection, I'm trying to go by their criteria and.

711
00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:55,440
Speaker 3: That makes it difficult too.

712
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,360
Speaker 2: But they the top sixteen seeds are the most important

713
00:32:58,360 --> 00:32:59,760
Speaker 2: part because those are the ones that are going to

714
00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:03,880
Speaker 2: host a first and second round regional, and then the

715
00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,880
Speaker 2: top four seeds would host moving forward after the first

716
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 2: two rounds. Then I think what the difficult part is

717
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,840
Speaker 2: of the bracket, and I think it's gonna, hopefully in

718
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,680
Speaker 2: the future, just continue moving away from this as the

719
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,720
Speaker 2: sport gets more and more popular and gets more and

720
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:25,160
Speaker 2: more investments into it. But they see the first I

721
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:26,880
Speaker 2: want to say thirty two teams, and I should know

722
00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:28,240
Speaker 2: this because of my bracket projection.

723
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,760
Speaker 1: Yes, it looks like they'll identify the top thirty two

724
00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,360
Speaker 1: and then they yeah, the top sixteen or in rank

725
00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,000
Speaker 1: order and a seed grouping.

726
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,280
Speaker 3: Yep, and then it's broken down into eight seeds.

727
00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,240
Speaker 2: So now they make it so that one of the

728
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,400
Speaker 2: four to eight seeds has to go to one of

729
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,680
Speaker 2: the four to one seeds, one of the four to

730
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:46,360
Speaker 2: seven seeds has to go to one of the four

731
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:51,040
Speaker 2: two seeds. So that is to create more parity. Whereas

732
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:55,320
Speaker 2: in the past they had a four hundred mile travel rule,

733
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,440
Speaker 2: so you weren't technically getting a true one, two, three,

734
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,160
Speaker 2: and four seed in each regional because a lot of

735
00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,240
Speaker 2: those Northeastern schools.

736
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:05,160
Speaker 3: Had a lot of those.

737
00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:11,120
Speaker 2: Mid major or conference champions that are much lower in RPI,

738
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,640
Speaker 2: all within four hundred miles, so like Penn State or

739
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,880
Speaker 2: pitt was getting like three four seeds in their regional.

740
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,560
Speaker 2: So they now changed it that they see through thirty

741
00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:23,960
Speaker 2: two and now at least you're going to get a

742
00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,759
Speaker 2: one and a two seed in each regional. Before that, yeah,

743
00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,920
Speaker 2: but that's the hardest part. After that, then again it

744
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,759
Speaker 2: becomes that travel role and.

745
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,200
Speaker 1: Then they also are trying to avoid conference matchups in

746
00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,560
Speaker 1: the first and second round, which is smart because if

747
00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,839
Speaker 1: you're you've seen those teams play each other, and if

748
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:43,879
Speaker 1: there's a ton of talent in one conference, you don't

749
00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,839
Speaker 1: want them all, you know, pouncing each other before they

750
00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:47,840
Speaker 1: get to the later rounds.

751
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,080
Speaker 3: Exactly before we let you go, I want to ask you.

752
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:52,640
Speaker 1: You know, you covered AU volleyball this season, you covered

753
00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:55,879
Speaker 1: the inaugural season of LOVE. Now we've got Major League

754
00:34:55,920 --> 00:35:00,279
Speaker 1: Volleyball absorbing PVFY. It's just like, how do you see

755
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,719
Speaker 1: the pro volleyball landscape? Where's the best talent and what's

756
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,399
Speaker 1: the draw or appeal of the different leagues? Like can

757
00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,000
Speaker 1: they all coexist? It's all very confusing to me. I

758
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,280
Speaker 1: can't decide that they're cannibalizing each other or for eventually

759
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:12,759
Speaker 1: one of them is just gonna buy all the other ones.

760
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:19,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, very confusing topic to talk about. Obviously, we started

761
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,560
Speaker 2: with PVF MLV that hadn't started yet, Love League One Volleyball,

762
00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,400
Speaker 2: and then AU now MLV.

763
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:30,080
Speaker 3: Like you said, consumed PVF.

764
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:32,560
Speaker 2: I don't know what the right word is for that, right, absorbed,

765
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:36,200
Speaker 2: absorbed like a twin in the Womb. Yeah, and then AU,

766
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,120
Speaker 2: I think you can look at that one a lot different.

767
00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,160
Speaker 2: I look at it, and I think they do too,

768
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,560
Speaker 2: as it's kind of like an All star league. It's

769
00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:46,800
Speaker 2: it's yeah, it's kind of like they play in a

770
00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,480
Speaker 2: different format. There's no coaches, there's team captains, it's only

771
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:50,239
Speaker 2: five weeks long.

772
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:52,120
Speaker 1: It's a tune up for the best.

773
00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:53,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think it's like a like an all

774
00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,600
Speaker 2: star competition because one player wins, it's not a team

775
00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:57,120
Speaker 2: that wins.

776
00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,240
Speaker 3: So AU I look.

777
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,440
Speaker 2: At as different, and I think that that is a

778
00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,120
Speaker 2: different conversation. It's really cool that there's an opportunity like

779
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,720
Speaker 2: that for these players to continue playing in the US

780
00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,040
Speaker 2: in the off season. And it's cool because we get

781
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,320
Speaker 2: to show like both leagues and bring them together.

782
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:12,600
Speaker 3: Right.

783
00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 2: So I love the AU and I think that that's awesome,

784
00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,080
Speaker 2: But I wouldn't consider it the same as what MLV

785
00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:21,279
Speaker 2: and LOVE are now competing for, which is to be

786
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,239
Speaker 2: the premier professional league in the United States. When you

787
00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,920
Speaker 2: look at League one versus MLV. Obviously I sidelined for

788
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,400
Speaker 2: League one, so I'm a little bit more well versed

789
00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:36,759
Speaker 2: in that League one has all the Olympians, and I

790
00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:41,680
Speaker 2: would say the most the more talented of the two leagues,

791
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:46,080
Speaker 2: but MLV is more Americanized.

792
00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,200
Speaker 3: Maybe you can say all the.

793
00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,560
Speaker 2: Volleyball that was successful was all overseas, like these players

794
00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 2: used to have to go play in Italy and Turkey,

795
00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:56,680
Speaker 2: and League One is trying to compete with those leagues

796
00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,680
Speaker 2: and trying to pull those talent so that the systems

797
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:03,160
Speaker 2: a little different and it doesn't seem as Americanized, but

798
00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:04,600
Speaker 2: they have the talent.

799
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,680
Speaker 1: And americanized based on where the players come from, or

800
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:08,800
Speaker 1: like rules or something.

801
00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:15,040
Speaker 2: Logos, uniforms like mascots like I think you know you're

802
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 2: looking at MLV and you have like the Indie ignite

803
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,520
Speaker 2: and the Atlanta vibe, whereas Love is like love Atlanta,

804
00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,319
Speaker 2: love whatever, with all the logos like it. The uniforms

805
00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:29,400
Speaker 2: look like the ones overseas. Like it's just a little

806
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,080
Speaker 2: bit different. But the the thing about it that people

807
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,280
Speaker 2: don't understand with Love is that they're trying.

808
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,360
Speaker 3: They're going to get there. It's a very long term process.

809
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,920
Speaker 2: They wanted to keep the teams as blank slates so

810
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,359
Speaker 2: that they could bring in gms and owners that can

811
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:48,240
Speaker 2: really own and create those brands based on learning the market,

812
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:50,839
Speaker 2: So I think Love is really playing a long game

813
00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:54,080
Speaker 2: in that way, and they have the talent they I

814
00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:58,200
Speaker 2: mean they got last year when they started, they called

815
00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:01,360
Speaker 2: it the Love six, but they got the best six.

816
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,799
Speaker 3: Players from college volleyball, and that's a cool thing.

817
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,400
Speaker 1: What's the drive to go to PVF then? Is it

818
00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,080
Speaker 1: those who aren't invited or can't make love or is

819
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:12,759
Speaker 1: there a reason why some of the best Why are

820
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,440
Speaker 1: most of them choosing Love? In your opinion, I.

821
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:20,560
Speaker 2: Would say there's more opportunities with MLV. Probably there's more teams.

822
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,840
Speaker 2: They've been playing longer, so there's gonna be more spots.

823
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,200
Speaker 2: I think money is a factor in terms of I

824
00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:29,560
Speaker 2: don't know what everybody's getting offered. I'm not on the

825
00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,480
Speaker 2: inside in that type of way, but I'm sure that

826
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:37,600
Speaker 2: that's a factor. And then it's just opportunity and what

827
00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,680
Speaker 2: they think is best for them. I think a lot

828
00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:41,960
Speaker 2: of players do see it as a cool thing, like, yeah,

829
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,319
Speaker 2: there's two leagues that are competing, but it's also really

830
00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,319
Speaker 2: awesome that there's more opportunities for these women to play

831
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:51,080
Speaker 2: in the United States and not have to go overseas,

832
00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,640
Speaker 2: and to be able to create families like a bunch

833
00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 2: of the Olympians.

834
00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:55,359
Speaker 3: That played for Love.

835
00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:57,719
Speaker 2: And I only know these stories because again I sidelined

836
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:03,520
Speaker 2: for League one. But players Kelsey Robinson Cook and Jordan Poulter,

837
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:07,640
Speaker 2: they're Olympians, they're the best volleyball players, some of the

838
00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,120
Speaker 2: best in the world, and they've been overseas for the

839
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,640
Speaker 2: past ten years and they've said, you know, we haven't been.

840
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:14,440
Speaker 3: With our families.

841
00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:17,279
Speaker 2: We haven't been you know, celebrating Christmas at home, we

842
00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:22,200
Speaker 2: haven't been able to think about having a family. Kelsey

843
00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,040
Speaker 2: Robinson Cook just announced her pregnancy and like she's still

844
00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,480
Speaker 2: involved with Love like things that she now has the

845
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,120
Speaker 2: opportunity to do and for her family to be at games.

846
00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:33,880
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's not ideal that there's two leagues competing,

847
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,520
Speaker 2: but it's a positive spin on it is.

848
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:37,640
Speaker 1: There's a lot of opportunity.

849
00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:38,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I.

850
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,080
Speaker 2: Don't think it'll go on like this eventually. I don't

851
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,680
Speaker 2: think they'll combine. I don't think that will happen, but

852
00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 2: eventually there will probably be just one. I think a

853
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:48,400
Speaker 2: lot of pro sports.

854
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:49,640
Speaker 3: Do that eventually.

855
00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:52,040
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, we had Jordan Poulter on the show and

856
00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,279
Speaker 1: she talked about just like it was amazing to play

857
00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:55,919
Speaker 1: a game and then sleep in her own bed. Yeah,

858
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,680
Speaker 1: and that she hasn't hasn't done that. Okay, last question

859
00:39:58,719 --> 00:39:59,959
Speaker 1: for I know I already said that, but you're giving

860
00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:03,080
Speaker 1: me so much to think about. When we had Jordan

861
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:04,920
Speaker 1: and we also had Rosie Spaulding on and we sort

862
00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,400
Speaker 1: of were introducing the idea of Love as this new league,

863
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:09,279
Speaker 1: and we were talking to them about what are some

864
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,960
Speaker 1: of the services resources that are coming along with creating

865
00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,279
Speaker 1: this new professional opportunity. When we say professional, that means

866
00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,040
Speaker 1: getting a salary, but we also then anticipate facilities, resources,

867
00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:23,040
Speaker 1: health insurance benefits, things that have been sticking points in

868
00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:26,440
Speaker 1: negotiations in more established leagues like the WNBA and WSL,

869
00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,280
Speaker 1: things like that. In volleyball, does it seem like players

870
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,200
Speaker 1: are satisfied with those elements of the pro landscape or

871
00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:35,239
Speaker 1: is that some place that either Love or PVF or

872
00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:38,560
Speaker 1: somewhere can take a step ahead by getting further and

873
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,480
Speaker 1: more involved in terms of the full professional landscape that

874
00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:42,040
Speaker 1: they're offering.

875
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:45,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm not totally well versed on what they're

876
00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:48,839
Speaker 2: able to offer in terms of health benefits and things

877
00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:49,120
Speaker 2: like that.

878
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,600
Speaker 3: I don't know the ins and outs of that.

879
00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,160
Speaker 2: I do know that there's probably more money to be

880
00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:56,960
Speaker 2: offered overseas if those players are at that level. Right

881
00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:59,840
Speaker 2: Like players like Catherine Plumber are getting offered probably a

882
00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:02,960
Speaker 2: lot more money to play overseas. But what love and

883
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,759
Speaker 2: what MLV is offering is like, sure, take a pay cut,

884
00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:09,240
Speaker 2: you're already established, you're already an Olympian, But like here,

885
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,040
Speaker 2: you get to be home and you're selling a different brand.

886
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're selling a different aspect of it.

887
00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:16,680
Speaker 2: And I think the goal is to become a pro

888
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,920
Speaker 2: league that can offer a career and that can get

889
00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,320
Speaker 2: to that standard of offering that amount for those athletes.

890
00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:27,359
Speaker 2: But right now, it's like the big seller is being

891
00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:32,799
Speaker 2: home and less so the money and the benefits and

892
00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:35,240
Speaker 2: all of that. It's like these players didn't have another

893
00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:39,560
Speaker 2: option to play here, So theres is like, yeah, some

894
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,080
Speaker 2: of the best of the best playing overseas or getting

895
00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:45,720
Speaker 2: probably a crap ton of money and a huge deal,

896
00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,799
Speaker 2: but it's like, are you wanting to come home? Are

897
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,680
Speaker 2: you willing to maybe relinquish some of that to be here?

898
00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:54,560
Speaker 2: And that's the seller. And I think the hope and

899
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,440
Speaker 2: the dream is that they can get to the point

900
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,520
Speaker 2: where they could build the league to a point where

901
00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:00,840
Speaker 2: you know this is this is it like, this is

902
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:01,759
Speaker 2: where you getting.

903
00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:03,360
Speaker 1: Well the talent is coming here, which is certainly a

904
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:06,560
Speaker 1: good place to start. It is Micaala, I learned so much.

905
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:08,520
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for coming out and talking vibes

906
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:08,879
Speaker 1: with us.

907
00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:10,319
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me.

908
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:10,920
Speaker 1: It was a lot of fun.

909
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:15,160
Speaker 3: You had great questions. That was a fun convo. Thanks

910
00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:16,840
Speaker 3: again to Mkala for taking the time.

911
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,600
Speaker 1: Also, if anyone like me is still a little confused

912
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,879
Speaker 1: about how exactly rotations work in NCAA Volleyball, will link

913
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:25,600
Speaker 1: to a helpful explainer in the show notes.

914
00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:27,799
Speaker 3: We got to take another break when we come back.

915
00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:30,200
Speaker 1: If it looks like a duck and it shoots like

916
00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:42,880
Speaker 1: a duck, it's probably Sabrina. Stick around. Welcome back, Slaces.

917
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:44,640
Speaker 1: We love that you're listening, but we want you to

918
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,560
Speaker 1: get in the game every day too. So here's our

919
00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,920
Speaker 1: good gameplay of the day. Cast your vote for the Marta,

920
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,120
Speaker 1: and you don't have to actually vote for Marta the player,

921
00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,320
Speaker 1: but do vote for the Marta the award. Fan input

922
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:00,080
Speaker 1: has weighted at fifty percent of the overall score and

923
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,719
Speaker 1: voting is open till December third check out the show

924
00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:04,560
Speaker 1: notes for the link to the ballot and videos of

925
00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:07,360
Speaker 1: all eleven nominees. Oh and don't forget. We're still soliciting

926
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,080
Speaker 1: your favorite annual Thanksgiving traditions, whether they're sweet or silly

927
00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:14,480
Speaker 1: or quirky. And we want your holiday hot takes. So

928
00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,520
Speaker 1: whatever gets you fighting around the Thanksgiving table or while

929
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,760
Speaker 1: you're decorating the Christmas tree, whatever you fight with people

930
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,680
Speaker 1: on the internet about, send those holiday hot takes our way.

931
00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:24,960
Speaker 1: Hit us up on email, good game at Wondermedia network

932
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,279
Speaker 1: dot com, or leave us a voicemail at eight seven

933
00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,520
Speaker 1: two two o four fifty seventy And I tell you

934
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:31,120
Speaker 1: every day.

935
00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:33,880
Speaker 3: Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.

936
00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:38,680
Speaker 1: It's real easy. Watch Sabrina Quacking up the Fans at Oregon,

937
00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:43,239
Speaker 1: rating ten out of ten. Fake chins review Sabrini and

938
00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:46,520
Speaker 1: Escoopole to Missus doubtfire on the Matthew Night Arena, Faithful

939
00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:50,319
Speaker 1: on Sunday donning an elaborate disguise to surprise fans at

940
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:53,359
Speaker 1: her alma mater. During halftime of the Oregon Ducks eighty

941
00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:56,440
Speaker 1: fifty five win over the Army Black Knights, a dark haired,

942
00:43:56,520 --> 00:44:00,800
Speaker 1: bespectacled woman announced as Jennifer scone step to compete in

943
00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,440
Speaker 1: a free throw contest. She promptly airball to practice attempt,

944
00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:07,080
Speaker 1: then sunk ten free throws in a row with picture

945
00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:12,760
Speaker 1: perfect form. A totally believable Chad Powers esque disguise, complete

946
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:15,720
Speaker 1: with fake nose and chins, had the entire crowd fooled,

947
00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:18,960
Speaker 1: but eventually the New York Liberty Star revealed herself to

948
00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:22,000
Speaker 1: a massive cheer, and she earned two thousand dollars for

949
00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:25,239
Speaker 1: charity with her sharpshooting. Now it's your turn, y'all rate

950
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:29,160
Speaker 1: and review. Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Mikella,

951
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,080
Speaker 1: Good game, Melissa. You that moment when you realize you

952
00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:36,399
Speaker 1: agree with Marjorie Taylor Green but just about like one thing,

953
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:44,359
Speaker 1: just like one little thing, not most things. Good Game

954
00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,960
Speaker 1: with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in

955
00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,000
Speaker 1: partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find

956
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:52,759
Speaker 1: us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

957
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,320
Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers

958
00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:59,920
Speaker 1: are alex Azie Grace, Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones.

959
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:03,880
Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Christina Everett Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan,

960
00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:07,520
Speaker 1: and Emily Rutterer. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez

961
00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:11,399
Speaker 1: and Gianna Palmer. Production assistants from Avery LOFTUS and I'm

962
00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:12,680
Speaker 1: Your Host Sarah Spain