Speaker 1: Normally we have Cat Bell here.
Speaker 2: Obviously she's not here today, and she starts it off
Speaker 2: with a rap. As you know from your guys' first
Speaker 2: time being on a while ago, would either of you
Speaker 2: care to take a stab at that?
Speaker 3: Jordan definitely lay some down. My name is Jeorde, My
Speaker 3: friends are here. We're about to be on this podcast.
Speaker 3: Hope you can.
Speaker 4: Hear Mike job.
Speaker 2: On serving pancakes. We have Micah Hancock and Jordan Thompson.
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna list out your guys accolades quick. It
Speaker 2: only take me about an hour. Okay, Mike ye back
Speaker 2: to back national champion in twenty thirteen twenty fourteen at
Speaker 2: Penn State. We are health Team USA win the program's
Speaker 2: first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and silver at
Speaker 2: Paris Olympics. Also, Jordan will just tag team you onto
Speaker 2: that because you did that as well.
Speaker 1: Congrats to you guys.
Speaker 2: Micah was MVP and best Center for twenty seventeen Pan
Speaker 2: American Cup, three consecutive gold medals, Nations League. You played
Speaker 2: in Italy, Puerto Rico, Poland, and you are a fashion icon.
Speaker 1: And then Jordan all time.
Speaker 2: Kill leader at University of Cincy go Bearcats, gold medalists,
Speaker 2: silver medalists two times BNL gold medals, played in Turkey
Speaker 2: and Italy.
Speaker 1: Is that it?
Speaker 2: And you were the twenty twenty five Love Opposite of
Speaker 2: the year, You are leading the league this year and
Speaker 2: kills even offensive player twice and you were recently engaged period. Okay, wait,
Speaker 2: can you tell us a little bit about your engagement
Speaker 2: and one's wedding and I get to be the flower
Speaker 2: girl or the ring bearer or both.
Speaker 3: You can pass out drinks. Tender tender tis No, truly,
Speaker 3: I would love. We got engaged in December and it
Speaker 3: was very cute and very us All the plans fell through,
Speaker 3: basically excellent and we had to pivot.
Speaker 4: But it was really, uh just special because it was
Speaker 4: just the two of us.
Speaker 2: So yeah, just the two of you in Russia casually
Speaker 2: exactly amazing. Well, congratulations, we are so happy for you, and.
Speaker 1: We'll just like pivot to volleyball. Mikey back in the action, sister,
Speaker 1: how are we feeling? Do you want to maybe.
Speaker 2: Like discuss your what's been going on, like your journey
Speaker 2: back and then how it felt being back in this week?
Speaker 1: Sure? Yeah, I mean it's just weird.
Speaker 5: I you know, I'm an older player, so like being
Speaker 5: out and being like.
Speaker 1: Okay, how's this gonna work? Yeah?
Speaker 5: And the set no, I guess, Like, yeah, being injured
Speaker 5: it's a weird thing. And I think a lot of
Speaker 5: a lot of athletes obviously go through that at some
Speaker 5: point in their journey, but like on the later half
Speaker 5: of me, it's just interesting, right, Like mentally physically, You're
Speaker 5: like if I'm out longer, like what's it going to
Speaker 5: be like when I come back? But I think we
Speaker 5: found a good rhythm and now that I'm back, I'm
Speaker 5: like ready to rip and obviously managed, but it was
Speaker 5: so cool to step on the court and like just
Speaker 5: feel the energy of a crowd again and like I
Speaker 5: don't know, I haven't played with you yet dat, but
Speaker 5: like just being on the floor again was like, oh, yeah,
Speaker 5: this is why I've been working so hard. Kind of
Speaker 5: in the shadows so.
Speaker 6: Truly, and it targets in the shadow.
Speaker 2: I feel like people don't realize that you're like still
Speaker 2: in there every day doing stuff, but like you don't
Speaker 2: get to be on in six on six fully, and
Speaker 2: it's got to be like so frustrating obviously. So how
Speaker 2: do you feel like you like mentally have been doing
Speaker 2: with all of that, and then like what programs have
Speaker 2: you been doing?
Speaker 1: It's for your neck if everyone doesn't know Mike has
Speaker 1: some issues.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's it's been obviously, like you said, frustrating,
Speaker 5: but it's more like focusing on what you can control,
Speaker 5: which is like rest, which is really hard for early athletes,
Speaker 5: and then like what can I crush and petea, like
Speaker 5: how can I like step up with my supplements or
Speaker 5: eating or sleeping, Like what can I really control and
Speaker 5: latch onto that? And so I think that really helped
Speaker 5: me mentally, because otherwise I think I would have spiraled. Yeah,
Speaker 5: and then like once I can put like more load
Speaker 5: on my body with like setting or like more jumps,
Speaker 5: and just focusing on like the positives like Okay, today
Speaker 5: I got to do all these things and I felt
Speaker 5: good and tomorrow I'll probably be able to add. So
Speaker 5: that was just like what I focused on mentally, yeah,
Speaker 5: which really helped.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Were you anxious about like going back on the court
Speaker 2: at all this week or you feel like you've built
Speaker 2: up to the so you felt ready.
Speaker 5: I mean it's always like I don't know, it's weird
Speaker 5: because I'm like well, I have the much time, but
Speaker 5: I'm like, it's also just.
Speaker 1: Like you do it.
Speaker 5: You get on a bike and you can remember, you know.
Speaker 5: So I think that was cool for me to just
Speaker 5: hop back in and be like cool, I'm I'm doing
Speaker 5: that thing that I love to do.
Speaker 2: So yeah, and honestly, it's been really cool to see
Speaker 2: you like off the court too and like more and
Speaker 2: not like a coaching role, but in an essence kind
Speaker 2: of like helping Maddie and Kaiser like do their thing.
Speaker 2: I think that that's been really beneficial for everybody this season.
Speaker 2: Do you feel like you've learned a little bit more
Speaker 2: being out and like having a different perspective of.
Speaker 5: Course, I think, like not only just about volleyball, but
Speaker 5: like about our team in general and seeing like what's
Speaker 5: working well, what can we get better at? And maybe
Speaker 5: sometimes like I always want to be cautious to you
Speaker 5: if I'm sharing feedback, like you know, you know how
Speaker 5: it is there days you don't want to hear anything.
Speaker 5: You're like, I'm just trying to do the thing and
Speaker 5: survive it and okay, and so I'm like I can
Speaker 5: just tell in a certain places are like not in mood.
Speaker 5: So I'm like we'll just talk tomorrow maybe you know,
Speaker 5: like I'll find another time. But otherwise I really do
Speaker 5: enjoy like that feedback loop. So that's been fun, different,
Speaker 5: different vantage point for me.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's awesome. So everything is good. We're feeling good
Speaker 2: going forward.
Speaker 1: We are in it. At the beginning, that was tough.
Speaker 1: The like.
Speaker 2: I remember you telling me that you were like driving
Speaker 2: to practice and to switch lanes you had to fully
Speaker 2: like look like.
Speaker 1: This in your car. It was kind of scary.
Speaker 5: I'm like hoping no one's over there, just kidding, and geez.
Speaker 2: Oh man, I know that's terrifying because everyone's a bully
Speaker 2: on the road today. Today, I actually cut off a
Speaker 2: this is by accident, but I cut off not an
Speaker 2: ambulance but a fire truck, and like they used they
Speaker 2: used the big horn on me. They went and I
Speaker 2: was like, oh my gosh. And then I literally was
Speaker 2: looking at every mirror like sorry, my my bed, sorry, sorry,
Speaker 2: like apologizing to them because I was like that scared
Speaker 2: the life out of me. So anyway east in traffic
Speaker 2: as well.
Speaker 5: If you just see a pickup check, you're like you
Speaker 5: have the right away because otherwise they're taking it.
Speaker 2: Anyway, So No, it's like a monster truck rally on
Speaker 2: the freeway.
Speaker 1: They're running me over. And I've said this before.
Speaker 2: I think because I have California plates that I am
Speaker 2: being targeted.
Speaker 1: They're like, mm, yeah, we're running you off the road.
Speaker 4: It's just gonna be blurred.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they can sell whatever you want. Productions will blur
Speaker 1: this out. Thank you.
Speaker 2: I'm the wild Things saying wild things. Speaking of wild things.
Speaker 2: Our game against Austin, Jordan Thompson had that microphone out
Speaker 2: that it was a hot mic. Maybe we just talked
Speaker 2: a little bit about the game and we just like
Speaker 2: clear the air and tell people we do know how
Speaker 2: to rotate.
Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, first of all, we are professionals and so
Speaker 3: on are our coaches.
Speaker 4: But I would just like the exactly. I would just
Speaker 4: like to set the record straight.
Speaker 3: There are these iPads that we have that our coaches
Speaker 3: have on each bench, okay, and the ref has.
Speaker 4: One on his little stand.
Speaker 3: The iPad was not correct, so it was glitching. It
Speaker 3: was glitching. So basically we asked, like, you know, are
Speaker 3: we in the right rotation? They said yes, Austin served
Speaker 3: at us and then immediately we're like called out of rotation.
Speaker 3: We're like, what's going on? We literally just asked you,
Speaker 3: and so I said, I went up to the ref.
Speaker 3: I said, okay, what row are we in? And he said, Maddie,
Speaker 3: number nine is in six. I said, okay, cool, we're
Speaker 3: all going back and forth. Sonia's like, but the iPad
Speaker 3: changed like once he told us we were in the
Speaker 3: right thing and then immediately after it switched, and then
Speaker 3: he called you guys out of rotation. So I go
Speaker 3: up to him again, I said, so, what rotation are
Speaker 3: we in? And he said number nine, Maddie, she's in one.
Speaker 3: I said, you just told me she was in six anyways,
Speaker 3: So it was just like a whole thing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So basically getting was saying something different than the
Speaker 2: ref's iPad.
Speaker 4: They were both glitched.
Speaker 2: They were both wrong glitch yes, okay, and then only if.
Speaker 6: You ask the ref, they tell you where you're at
Speaker 6: and then it's done.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Because also we have these media timeouts that are
Speaker 3: super long, so you kind of forget, like you're talking
Speaker 3: about the game plan and what's going on, what you're
Speaker 3: going to do next, and sometimes you forget what row
Speaker 3: you're in.
Speaker 4: So that's why we asked before of like, oh yeah, Okay,
Speaker 4: we're in this row. And then he was like no,
Speaker 4: after he told us that's where we were.
Speaker 2: Yes, so I'm like, we were out of rotation. And
Speaker 2: then but then when so like Skinner was serving at
Speaker 2: me when we were like whatever, out of rotation, and
Speaker 2: then we rotated back to the correct rotation, and she
Speaker 2: still she still goes back to serve again. So technically
Speaker 2: also Austin was out of rotation. Whatever, if we're going
Speaker 2: to talk about all of it, you better talk about.
Speaker 1: All of it, okay.
Speaker 2: So anyway, so we will speak our piece and that
Speaker 2: is that, and we know our rotations except for last
Speaker 2: match when we technically were out of rotation.
Speaker 1: And I was like, this isn't looking good, you guys. No, really,
Speaker 1: after that happened in the game.
Speaker 2: I looked at Jordan and I was like, I'm so
Speaker 2: mad because now it's like we're always out of rotation.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 3: But literally when that happened, we held the tuttle tuttle
Speaker 3: for a really long time and the ref was blowing
Speaker 3: your whistle at me and looking at me, and I
Speaker 3: was like what and she was like, go to your rotation.
Speaker 4: I was like, okay, we're getting there.
Speaker 1: You just start like dancing.
Speaker 3: I was like, but then I was looking at our
Speaker 3: middle and our middle was walking back like we were
Speaker 3: in a different row, and like we row six, and
Speaker 3: I was like, we're in row one, and I'm looking
Speaker 3: at Sonia and I'm like, wait, what's going on?
Speaker 2: And then by the time but the whistle blew immediately,
Speaker 2: like I was looking at you guys like no, and
Speaker 2: they're blowing the whistle and I was like wait because
Speaker 2: trying to keep that. Also, the rate of play is
Speaker 2: like fast, like they are on that whistle. I think
Speaker 2: that that's been something that they're really trying to move
Speaker 2: us quickly. And so then if you walk back, you're
Speaker 2: like you're out of rotation, you know, And sometimes your
Speaker 2: mind is just like woa. Because Kaisa was standing in
Speaker 2: rotation one, you guys were in roads.
Speaker 1: It was just a mess.
Speaker 2: Anyway, we do know our rotations, so for we are
Speaker 2: human also, Yeah.
Speaker 4: And you have to make mistakes or cuss at our coach,
Speaker 4: like when.
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, let's clear that too, because you weren't cussing
Speaker 2: at her.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 3: First of all, I would just like to say me
Speaker 3: and Sonya have worked together previously.
Speaker 6: Relationships, so we were all tighting.
Speaker 3: Her like this, Okay, we go together, we go together.
Speaker 4: No, Like, Sonya is my girl.
Speaker 3: I love her and I would never doesn't matter if
Speaker 3: I like my coach or not. I'm not going to
Speaker 3: ever cuss at my coach. I'm just not that kind
Speaker 3: of person. I don't even like confrontation like that. And
Speaker 3: so I was getting frustrated because one we're in the
Speaker 3: Texas Showdown, like we're trying to win, we're trying to
Speaker 3: own this day, and it's a heated game. It's like
Speaker 3: a tight set, like we're you know, and anyways, so
Speaker 3: I was just saying, I was saying, not at Sonia,
Speaker 3: but just at the situation, like what the f is
Speaker 3: going on?
Speaker 2: And well, because truly, what the f was actually going on?
Speaker 2: It was it was chaos. And then like asking, Sonya said,
Speaker 2: she asked some of the people that were behind the
Speaker 2: ref stand after or behind the score table.
Speaker 1: And they were like, we didn't even know what was
Speaker 1: going on. So, you know, it was.
Speaker 2: Just kind of chaotic that day. Yeah, but hey, that's okay,
Speaker 2: it happens. And then you scored thirty one points. That
Speaker 2: was like the thirty two thirty one kills, thirty two
Speaker 2: points carry the one at the you know, thirty.
Speaker 4: Two exactly, I'm seventy nine.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, record breaking performance. Yeah dude, I love that.
Speaker 2: So basically, we know our rotations and it's important to
Speaker 2: know them. And if you don't know volleyball, I mean
Speaker 2: we we know our rotations. So for like the average watcher,
Speaker 2: we're really sorry if like that's really that's happened. But
Speaker 2: usually I would say, out of the whole season, ninety
Speaker 2: nine point nine percent of the time we're in the
Speaker 2: correct one.
Speaker 5: Yeah, so that's something unfortunate. The unfortunate fiasco last year
Speaker 5: against Nebraska. You guys remember that, no what happened, but
Speaker 5: that it wasn't It wasn't really like us. It was
Speaker 5: just like, uh, Massmo or whoever put the rotations in wrong.
Speaker 1: Outside and we were.
Speaker 4: Like, yes, the back row.
Speaker 2: I looked at my right and me and Jess are
Speaker 2: both in the back row at the same time, and
Speaker 2: I was actually like, what what's going on?
Speaker 3: Okay, I'll play outside for oneation and then once our
Speaker 3: outside comes back front row, then I'll stand over here,
Speaker 3: but then I'll run over there and then our set
Speaker 3: will come. And I was literally like trying to do math, like.
Speaker 6: I was so messed up that we would go.
Speaker 2: We would a huddle and I remember somebody saying, just
Speaker 2: play volleyball, and I was like, in this moment, I
Speaker 2: simply can't because there's two outsides right here in six
Speaker 2: right now, and I don't. We're holding hands trying to
Speaker 2: play the right. It makes sense.
Speaker 6: You're like, we'll both playing six perfect.
Speaker 1: We got this. That was so funny. I forgot about that.
Speaker 1: I remember hearing Jordan Laurs go we have just let
Speaker 1: him play. Was like, oh, it's that bad.
Speaker 4: It's like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1: That was around TV. That's awful.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I got subbed out. I remember.
Speaker 3: I think they were like, just put an outside in
Speaker 3: like my position and then it would be easier. Then
Speaker 3: I don't have to pass and one.
Speaker 1: Of them in the rotation. Though when you were playing outside, okay, good.
Speaker 4: No, I was okay.
Speaker 3: First of all, I actually did pass for one entire
Speaker 3: season in Turkey, So.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, okay, ladist you who won?
Speaker 1: Probably you, I don't know, because your team was pretty good.
Speaker 1: That was.
Speaker 2: Oh when I was at asaug Oh yeah, whoa yeah yeah.
Speaker 1: So what was your favorite country to play in?
Speaker 4: Micah?
Speaker 6: Definitely Italy yeah. I mean I was there for seven years.
Speaker 3: So I feel like it's hard to choose between Turkey
Speaker 3: and Italy because they're so different, but there's so many
Speaker 3: good things about both.
Speaker 2: What about you, Maddy, my favorite country? Yeah, I would
Speaker 2: say Turkey. I liked Italy, but it was just like
Speaker 2: much more structured.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 2: I just felt like I didn't have like a lot
Speaker 2: of life outside of all we finished a match, I
Speaker 2: couldn't just leave and like go do what I wanted
Speaker 2: or hang out with my friends. It was always like, okay,
Speaker 2: we have team dinner and then whatever. They really wanted
Speaker 2: to hang out with me all the time or like
Speaker 2: make sure I was with the team, and I was like,
Speaker 2: let me be free.
Speaker 5: Yeah, there's definitely less independence, I feel like in Italy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but Italy is where Jordan and I like kind
Speaker 2: of met for the first time on the national team.
Speaker 2: Jordan was my first national Oh my gosh, Jordan's first
Speaker 2: roomate on the national team was me.
Speaker 1: So you just got really lucky.
Speaker 3: Well, I did get bullied, and it was something that
Speaker 3: we had to talk to the staff about because it
Speaker 3: was incessant.
Speaker 2: And yeah, when you were having but you you had
Speaker 2: night terrors and you would like get up in the
Speaker 2: middle of the night, you would like scream.
Speaker 4: Actually was somebody on the team. I don't remember who,
Speaker 4: but somebody.
Speaker 1: I won't out them, but it was one of my roommates.
Speaker 1: I told you. Anyway, So they keeping banging on the wall,
Speaker 1: punching me across the face and I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2: It was like like some screaming, but that was Yeah.
Speaker 1: That was literal night terrors that they were having. Anyway.
Speaker 5: Yeah, did you guys do like face next masks that night?
Speaker 1: You guys did, like probably we were bonding.
Speaker 4: Oh yes.
Speaker 2: And then I would always give Jordan ship for not
Speaker 2: having the key. And then was this I lost the key,
Speaker 2: but I said that your key was mine and.
Speaker 4: Then you stole my key said that I yes, yes, but.
Speaker 2: Really three years later, I'm going through an old backpack
Speaker 2: and I find the key from our room Italy, and
Speaker 2: then I texted you.
Speaker 5: I was like, I'm so sorry, Like I do in fact,
Speaker 5: I have that key.
Speaker 1: We can go back in our room now.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, what do you guys? How do you
Speaker 2: guys feel like practice is going and our team flow
Speaker 2: is kind of going these days?
Speaker 1: Yeah, how was your guys practice today. Good, good, bad? Okay.
Speaker 4: Oh I kind of remember.
Speaker 6: I'm like, yeah, you guys did it because you were
Speaker 6: it was just two of you.
Speaker 5: Yeah, they were doing like first ball and then like
Speaker 5: getting the tip and transitioning out of it, and.
Speaker 1: It was just like a lot but it was fun. Okay.
Speaker 3: I feel like at this point in the season too,
Speaker 3: like you know, you're not gonna just you're not trying
Speaker 3: to reinvent the wheel, but it's like, okay, how can
Speaker 3: we fine tune and maybe like add little pieces here
Speaker 3: or there.
Speaker 4: And so I think that's fun because.
Speaker 3: You're not going to make these huge changes, but like
Speaker 3: how can we tweak little things and then prove like
Speaker 3: our weaknesses. And at this point, like we all know
Speaker 3: each other really well in the gym, so it gets
Speaker 3: harder to score, it gets harder to like all this stuff,
Speaker 3: and I think it makes it. I think we just
Speaker 3: are like we challenge each other in practice, and that's
Speaker 3: really fun just being able to compete.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like we've kind of hit like a
Speaker 2: not to I mean, I know, we just like had
Speaker 2: a questionnaire about this, but I feel like we've reached
Speaker 2: kind of like a flow state with our team where
Speaker 2: like we kind of know what to expect and then
Speaker 2: like when we deviate from that, it's really frustrating. Now,
Speaker 2: but like knowing our capability as a team is really cool,
Speaker 2: and I feel like we're like still reaching that, but
Speaker 2: we're getting there, and it's really just the small little
Speaker 2: plays at this point.
Speaker 1: Well, it's that urgency we talk about too, right, Like.
Speaker 5: When we now that we've kind of gotten like the
Speaker 5: confidence in the team and what we can do, it's like, okay, well,
Speaker 5: like if we're in control of these things, let's step
Speaker 5: on the court with those in mind and still obviously
Speaker 5: get better at the things we can tweak.
Speaker 1: Right, For the most.
Speaker 6: Season, I've been like, heck, yeah.
Speaker 2: I know, you've been such a good cheerleader and now
Speaker 2: you got to get back into it.
Speaker 1: You got to find a sense of urgency.
Speaker 2: Has kind of been our I guess motto through the
Speaker 2: through the whole season.
Speaker 1: But I think it's been really helpful.
Speaker 2: I mean it definitely reminds us to check back in
Speaker 2: and lock in when we need to.
Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully from the beginning.
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Speaker 2: Another question on here says, what was your impressions of
Speaker 2: each other before we got to Houston.
Speaker 1: We all kind of knew each other.
Speaker 5: Though, Yeah we had We've had a.
Speaker 2: Lot of years together Micah for like a decade now.
Speaker 2: Time Mike and I met in twenty sixteen, isn't that Corey,
Speaker 2: We used to go.
Speaker 1: I won't. I'll say it. I used to go to
Speaker 1: the bar like every single day. Yeah we will.
Speaker 5: Twenty sixteen weekends it was our first time with national team,
Speaker 5: and then on the weekends we just go up to
Speaker 5: hermosains like have a great time, play beach, volleyball, play beach.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would go.
Speaker 2: I would literally go from playing volleyball, race home and
Speaker 2: then go to the beach and play volleyball all day. Yes,
Speaker 2: and now if I tried to do that, my legs
Speaker 2: would break in half.
Speaker 3: Yeah, especially after national team practices, like because you're not
Speaker 3: you're lifting, getting like a good hour hour and team
Speaker 3: minute lift in and then practicing.
Speaker 4: For like three hours like it's very intense.
Speaker 1: There's no way we'd recover. Yeah, my body'd be dead. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I would just like be walking around on the beach
Speaker 2: like my legs would be in.
Speaker 1: So much pain.
Speaker 2: But I was like, oh, I get to go play
Speaker 2: beach five all. Just do it, and then I would
Speaker 2: wake up and do it again. The next day. I
Speaker 2: was like, how am I functioning? Oh I'm twenty three.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't feel anything.
Speaker 2: I feel nothing. Yeah, I'm totally fine. Yeah, thirty two
Speaker 2: hits a little bit different. Yeah, Jordan, you'll get there.
Speaker 1: How's it? And the call? Truly? Wait?
Speaker 2: How do you in my early twenty Oh I thought
Speaker 2: you were thirty.
Speaker 4: No mean literally twenty four?
Speaker 2: So okay, how do you feel after scoring after like a.
Speaker 1: Thirty point match?
Speaker 4: Right?
Speaker 1: I've ever asked you that? Are you like after Yeah?
Speaker 3: I will say after the Austin match, my shoulder was sore,
Speaker 3: and I feel like usually my shoulder doesn't get sore
Speaker 3: or tight, Like I feel like, I don't know. Yeah,
Speaker 3: you take a lot of attempts I think to like
Speaker 3: be like okay, wow, so.
Speaker 1: We could give you more if you want, my god.
Speaker 3: Yeah no, but I mean I feel like, honestly, the
Speaker 3: reason I'm the most tired after matches is because of
Speaker 3: the talking, like after place during rallies, like trying to
Speaker 3: communicate like that, yes, that's exhausting.
Speaker 1: It's not a rotation exactly, my coach, It's like it
Speaker 1: takes a lot out of us exactly.
Speaker 2: That part is really hard though, because I feel like
Speaker 2: it's mentally draining to be talking every rotation. We know
Speaker 2: also our rotations, but we also know what the other
Speaker 2: what the rotations the other team is in, Like we
Speaker 2: go through scouting, we have to know all their stuff
Speaker 2: and we know what's going on on the other side
Speaker 2: and what rotation they should be in they should have
Speaker 2: pulled us, what rotation we should have been.
Speaker 3: The rotation that they're in, but what they like are
Speaker 3: most likely going to set, or like what their tendencies are,
Speaker 3: like the amount of information that's going on in our
Speaker 3: brains during a game. I think it's like, what's so
Speaker 3: cool about volleyball is there's so many different layers to it.
Speaker 4: Like the first first learning, you're.
Speaker 3: Like, oh, three touches, boom, SIT's bike and then you're like,
Speaker 3: whoa rotations, setter's back round, setter's.
Speaker 4: Front row, six two five one, like like there serve.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Like there's so many levels to it, And I
Speaker 3: think that's what's I mean sports in general, I think
Speaker 3: you can always find that, but I think volleyball is
Speaker 3: there's so much going on that the casual viewer probably
Speaker 3: has no idea about.
Speaker 2: Right, and it's all happening in like very very split seconds.
Speaker 5: And the moment, like the momentum shifts that happen in volleyball,
Speaker 5: it's huge for our game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and then like the out of rotations I started
Speaker 2: to beat it dead horse, but like that is such
Speaker 2: a momentum shift like that could do that.
Speaker 1: I think that kind.
Speaker 2: Of like catapulted us to like play even harder in
Speaker 2: the Austin game because we were just pissed off, like, oh,
Speaker 2: you're gonna call us out of rotation when like we
Speaker 2: didn't feel like we were in the wrong in the moment,
Speaker 2: but like technically, I guess we kind of I don't know,
Speaker 2: but those are like infuriating moments that people don't realize.
Speaker 2: I think that that could like kind of make or
Speaker 2: break you. Like you could be like, oh, damn, we're
Speaker 2: out of rotation. We lost the point, like shoot, we
Speaker 2: needed that, or like, okay, you call us out of rotation.
Speaker 2: Now I'm angry at the rest and now we're staring
Speaker 2: people down and now I'm getting thirty two points of whatever.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think it is like a lot of
Speaker 2: little nuances that people don't necessarily notice, which is so fun.
Speaker 1: It's all our little secrets.
Speaker 2: So favorite things about having each other on the team.
Speaker 1: You guys can tell me.
Speaker 2: I was gonna say, like, I love playing skydow at
Speaker 2: the airport with you guys. It's like one of my
Speaker 2: favorite sky joke. Could sponsor us, that would be really
Speaker 2: great because we do play that a lot. No, I
Speaker 2: think that. I mean, Mike, you I think we talked
Speaker 2: about it. No, we didn't talk about this the other day.
Speaker 2: But like, Mike, you're not even been on the court
Speaker 2: as much with us. But I feel like Jordan, it's
Speaker 2: been really fun and like a lot of pressure off
Speaker 2: of me to have you on the court this season,
Speaker 2: just because I feel like we're both kind of in
Speaker 2: that leadership role and so it's like nice to be
Speaker 2: able to share the weight of that. And Mike, You're
Speaker 2: just always a great time And I think that having
Speaker 2: you on the sideline has been really cool. Just to
Speaker 2: see you help Kaisa and Maddie walk has been awesome,
Speaker 2: and like seeing you kind of being a coaching role
Speaker 2: and still involved even though what you've been dealing with
Speaker 2: I know has been like very challenging. So I'm really
Speaker 2: proud of both of you.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Mattie, I told you that. I told you that yesterday,
Speaker 1: just like.
Speaker 5: Watching you, you know, we didn't have the best start
Speaker 5: to season, but like you were trying to find like Okay,
Speaker 5: I'm going to be more ball handily, I'm going to
Speaker 5: do the thing and like lead and I think like
Speaker 5: after that game like game three we lost, you just
Speaker 5: like turn it around, and I like think that's huge
Speaker 5: for our team. Like, yeah, JT, you're carrying a really
Speaker 5: heavy scoring load, but like we needed some balance and
Speaker 5: I think you guys found a really good like equilibrium there.
Speaker 1: So watching you guys do that.
Speaker 4: It's been really just like cool elevating. You know, yeah,
Speaker 4: we're just elevate guys.
Speaker 5: Okay, I'm gonna tell the story. It's one of my
Speaker 5: first practices back and I like set Jess on a
Speaker 5: pipe and I don't know why, but I like felt
Speaker 5: like being fruity and I like ran through said the
Speaker 5: pipe and I was like, yes, elevate and like I
Speaker 5: swear time flow.
Speaker 1: She was like what did you just say? And I
Speaker 1: was like, don't make me say it again. Now it's
Speaker 1: a whole joke.
Speaker 6: The whole team is like what, Like, I'm just gonna
Speaker 6: give you guys on your toes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like now we're time. Every time someone goes
Speaker 2: up to hit, I want to be like elevator.
Speaker 1: Instead of being like, yeah, okay, crush its elevate, go
Speaker 1: get it. I was like I need I need some variety.
Speaker 1: I've never heard anyone say that, and it's just like
Speaker 1: so uniquely you.
Speaker 5: I would say, like, also, in addition to working with
Speaker 5: both of you, it doesn't feel like work, and I
Speaker 5: think that's really rare, Like it feels heavy, Yeah, to
Speaker 5: have friends who like can compete at a level like
Speaker 5: we do. And also like you get each other off
Speaker 5: the court. It's just really special, so doesn't feel like work.
Speaker 3: I feel like we just have so much fun, and
Speaker 3: I think it's like really cool that we.
Speaker 4: Can have so much fun while we're playing.
Speaker 3: I think find that balance of like joking around but
Speaker 3: also being like super intentional and like staying locked in.
Speaker 3: And I think when you are playing at a high
Speaker 3: level and you have the experience that like you guys
Speaker 3: do it just I don't know, it's really fun to
Speaker 3: be teammate and joke around and whatever, but then like
Speaker 3: at the same time have each other's back on the court,
Speaker 3: and I think that's really special. But sometimes I'm like, Okay,
Speaker 3: I feel like I do have to check myself because
Speaker 3: I just love having fun and giggling.
Speaker 4: Sometimes I'm like okay.
Speaker 2: Because yeah, sometimes though, like okay, the three of us,
Speaker 2: I feel like we can get away with it because like, Okay,
Speaker 2: I can joke and then I know how to like
Speaker 2: when I need to do my job.
Speaker 1: Also, you guys like I can lock in and do
Speaker 1: my job.
Speaker 2: But then you have some teammates who like if you
Speaker 2: get too silly, then they're like, oh, I can get silly,
Speaker 2: and then you're like, no, now the whole practice is
Speaker 2: sloppy and silly or game like. Yeah, it's just gotten
Speaker 2: too out of hand. So there's a fine line, and
Speaker 2: I think we walk it nicely most days. Some days
Speaker 2: are a little unhinged, but.
Speaker 1: You're found to like one.
Speaker 2: Yeah, do you guys have any special routines like travel,
Speaker 2: favorite team meal that you have too, so that you can.
Speaker 1: Share nap coffee? Nap coffee, Jordan, you eat a lot
Speaker 1: of salmon? I know that.
Speaker 4: Yes, I'm a big salmon and rice girl.
Speaker 2: Is that how you get the flex so like big, yes,
Speaker 2: strong exactly.
Speaker 4: So like a lot of people have been asking what.
Speaker 3: My meal preth is for these big old bus schools
Speaker 3: and all protein.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's all this album.
Speaker 1: It's not all that sound dang. And then the people
Speaker 1: want to.
Speaker 2: Know what is our group chat called big say six
Speaker 2: Big sex Thies. Yeah, I don't remember how, but our
Speaker 2: group track is called Big Sexies. And who's on the
Speaker 2: background photo is it? I can't remember either, I think it.
Speaker 2: Let me look at Big Sexies really quick. Oh yeah
Speaker 2: it's Amber And she's really.
Speaker 1: Like she's got a who's your guys' favorite roommate? On
Speaker 1: the road. Well, can we both see you? Okay, basically,
Speaker 1: I mean if people really want to know, we all usually.
Speaker 2: Are not roommates together, but like it'll be two of
Speaker 2: us because two of us will be together and then
Speaker 2: one will be singular, so we all actually get to
Speaker 2: hang out the extra which is really fun. And you
Speaker 2: guys are great sleepers, both quiet, both respectful and organized.
Speaker 1: I've had the.
Speaker 2: Worst roommates that have had nighttairs, so that's true, and
Speaker 2: you guys are great.
Speaker 1: That was I know.
Speaker 2: Exactly who it is, but I cannot publicly yeah them
Speaker 2: because I'm nice at night terairs are crazy. Okay, Well,
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna do a little look around the league.
Speaker 1: We have us in first place.
Speaker 2: We have Salt Lake City, then Atlanta, Austin, Nebraska, and Madison,
Speaker 2: Nebraska is making.
Speaker 1: A little run for it.
Speaker 2: We wanna, we wanna speculate on what's gonna happen, or
Speaker 2: we just want to let it ride.
Speaker 1: I do you think we keep our eye on him?
Speaker 1: We're watching you.
Speaker 3: We are looking at you, Nebraska, and we're seeing Gonna.
Speaker 1: We'll be watching and also every.
Speaker 2: Other single team because they're all good and they can
Speaker 2: all beat us on any day and we have to
Speaker 2: lay the SmackDown.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, all right.
Speaker 2: Jordan Thompson, who is here with us, remains on beast mode.
Speaker 1: That's you, Jeordane, keep doing your thing. Mica is back
Speaker 1: in action, sitting in bowls.
Speaker 2: And then we're at We're at Madison on Saturday, So
Speaker 2: make sure everybody tunes into that because it's because it's US.
Speaker 2: So you're gonna want to watch that, and you're gonna
Speaker 2: want to see you and you might see Micah again.
Speaker 1: So uh, who's to say?
Speaker 2: We have also Atlanta versus Nebraska on Wednesday. Saturday is
Speaker 2: US versus Madison and Salt Lake. Oh, Salt Lake versus Atlanta.
Speaker 6: Mm hm.
Speaker 1: Cool?
Speaker 2: All right, And so now I'm gonna wrap it up.
Speaker 2: This has been serving pancakes. I'm Mattie Rischel, I'm Mikey Hancock.
Speaker 4: I'm Jordan Thompson.
Speaker 1: Clock and there we go.
Speaker 2: I'm clocking and this has been serving pancakes.
Speaker 7: Serving Pancakes is an iHeart women's sports production and partnership
Speaker 7: with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. You can find us on
Speaker 7: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever.
Speaker 1: You get your podcast.
Speaker 7: Production by the League One Volleyball, We're your hosts Cat
Speaker 7: Fell and Mattie Rochelle.
Speaker 6: See you on the flip side.