WEBVTT - Khat Bell’s Unrelenting Determination 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.840 As a volleyball player, I trust Adidas to meet my 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:06.240 own court needs, but they also offer the ultimate in 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:11.840 everyday's style. From trendy platform sneakers, vibrant track pants, and cozy, 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:16.360 chic flea sweatshirts from their Zny collection, Adidas has everything 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:21.280 I need to feel comfortable, stylish, and confident. Explore all 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:24.439 that Adidas has to offer at Adidas dot Com or 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:27.400 through the Adidas App and receive fifteen percent off your 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:30.160 first order when you sign up for Addi Club, getting 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:35.040 access to fantastic perks, including free shipping. Unlock your style 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:41.800 with Adidas Today. Hi, I'm Tiffany Oshinsky, and this is 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:45.400 serving pancakes with League one Volleyball. The inaugural Love season 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:47.720 is just around the corner, so we're talking with some 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:49.919 of the amazing people in the league to introduce you 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:52.200 to the players on the court and coaches and others 0:00:52.200 --> 0:00:56.200 involved off the court. Today's episode features Love Austin opposite 0:00:56.280 --> 0:01:00.760 hitter Kat Bell. Growing up in Mesquite, Texas, Cat stayed 0:01:00.760 --> 0:01:02.880 in the lone Star state for college and took her 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:05.800 challenge to the University of Texas, where she played an 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:09.280 integral role in leading the Longhorns to an NCAA title 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:13.120 in twenty twelve, plus two other NCAA semi final appearances. 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:16.959 She's played in six countries during her nine year professional career, 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:22.000 including Puerto Rico, South Korea, Turkya, China, the Philippines, and 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:25.160 the US. In South Korea, she was named v League 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.959 MVP and Best Blocker. While in the Philippines, she was 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:31.480 the Super Leagua Best outside spiker and twice won the 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.240 Super LEGA Championship. And now she's heading back to her 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:38.680 college home in Austin to play for League one. Kat 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:40.520 Welcome to Serving Pancakes. 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:42.360 Thank you. 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.600 I was so excited to have you here. Welcome back 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:47.559 to Austin. What's it like being back? 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:49.560 I mean, it's honestly a dream come true. It's like 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:51.480 a full circle moment right now for me, Like just 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:53.480 being back here in Austin. I just can't believe I'm 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.000 back in the city. But being able to play the 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:57.520 sport I'm still like adoring right now and being back 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:58.320 here is it's amazing. 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:00.200 I'm enjoying being back out. 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.640 Before we actually started recording this interview, you were telling 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.880 me about your apartment that you are creating. I mean, 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:08.360 if you're listening to this on the pot like on 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.880 Apple podcasts at iHeartRadio app then you don't see it, 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:14.720 but if you're on YouTube, you can see this gorgeous apartment. 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:17.320 So tell me about this place real quick. I want 0:02:17.360 --> 0:02:17.520 to know. 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:19.640 So it's my first time coming back home and like 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:21.720 being able to just be here and enjoy my space. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:23.959 So normally abroad, you know you're in an airbnb. 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:26.320 In our apartment, it's already furnished, not kind of quite 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:28.040 my taste, but like it's what you have kind of 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:29.519 have to go through. So coming back, I was like, 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:31.359 you know what, I really want to plant some roots 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:33.800 and just start from the top and being something that's mine. 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:36.200 You know, some girls were running out apartments like Airbnbs 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.519 and stuff, but that's still somebody else's space. So I 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:40.600 wanted to create my own space, my own kind of vibe. 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:44.519 And it's giving like cute, classy, like modern, very very 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:46.960 low key. So my lighting and apartment is awesome as well. 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:48.880 I have a lot of ton big open windows, and 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.000 I'm just enjoying like building on the furniture and just 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:51.639 figuring out. 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:52.400 Like my own kind of vibe. 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:55.600 So yeah, I love it. That's such a fun side 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:57.880 project to be working on all your bag the base. 0:02:58.000 --> 0:02:59.840 Honestly, I didn't know that it was such just a 0:03:00.520 --> 0:03:03.440 stress believer almost like I just enjoyed coming home and 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:06.040 just turn my music on, kind of setting a candle 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:07.799 on and just building my little block sumbles. Feels like 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:10.799 the girls are calling me Bob the builders. So it's great. 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:12.080 But it's still coming together right now. 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:14.440 So I love it. Has this been your favorite part 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:15.200 about being back? 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:21.240 Probably, I really enjoyed being home, honestly, Like I just 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:23.280 you know, the biggest part of that was coming back 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:24.760 and just the social part of it. 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:25.200 It's a lot. 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.240 You know, Normally you're by yourself abroad and like you know, 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:28.920 you don't know the language, so you don't have to 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:33.400 worry about, you know, just building that kind of like bond. 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:35.000 With certain girls. You're just there to do a job. 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.880 But here, you know, having that connection is important, so 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:39.840 I have to go to practice and socialize. 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:40.440 And get to know people and stuff. 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:41.680 So being able to come back home and be in 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:43.800 my own space just to kind of like you know, 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:46.000 unwand and relax is probably my best part. 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:46.920 I'll take a part for sure. 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:50.720 You talked about the social aspect of playing overseas, But 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:53.720 when it comes to the actual game, what's the difference 0:03:53.720 --> 0:03:56.760 between playing overseas and playing here now at League one. 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:00.160 I think overseas, you're there to do a job and 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:02.600 you know you're gonna do it the best possibly you can, 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:04.320 but you know every night you're gonna be on that floor. 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:06.040 I think come back to League one, we have some 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:07.800 great athletes in the gym, and like, I feel like 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:09.320 I have to come to practice every day and compete 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:11.520 every day. You know, before it's like, yeah, can go 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:13.080 to practice and kind of get my reps in. I 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:14.440 don't have to go so hard, but you know, go 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:16.040 into the season, you know it's a challenge because you 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:17.400 want to see the court and you want to play, 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:19.800 and it's competitive gym right now too, So going in 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:21.800 and competing every day is honestly the hardest part. 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:22.720 But I'm enjoying it. 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:24.240 It's kind of a new tick I haven't had to 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:25.720 do in a while, so it's it's fun. 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:26.520 I enjoy it a lot. 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:31.000 And your team love Austin has a bunch of Texas 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:34.680 alum on that roster. Did you know, I mean, I 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:36.280 know that you didn't play with a lot and there's 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.479 a lot of younger women on the team, but did 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:40.760 you know them before? Is there sort of like since 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:44.320 you are all like Texas alums, there's some sort of 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.800 love language between you guys that want to know one 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:48.520 hundred percent, and we kind of be like, kind of 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:50.520 we try to be discreet about it, honestly, just because, 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:51.640 like you know, it's just a. 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:53.000 It's a Texas girl thing, you know. 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:55.320 Julian and I was fortunate enough to meet her and 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:57.320 watch her as I was coming into ut and she's amazing. 0:04:57.320 --> 0:04:59.600 And obviously I got to play two years with Chiyaka 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:01.120 and she's one of my close friends. 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:01.800 Molly as well. 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:04.279 I've been playing with Bali now a full year, you know, 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:08.440 playing with PDF and then the AU and now we're together, 0:05:08.480 --> 0:05:11.280 so that's been great. And then being able to you know, 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:13.760 watch Asia develop her game and logan as well as 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:16.440 I was traveling and still kicking up with Texas Volleyball 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:18.480 and now all of us being together is crazy, And 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:19.600 of course it's always amazing. 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:22.000 I live, she's amazing, So yeah, really it's fun. It's 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:23.200 a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:26.560 Now, have you been watching the NCAA tournament at all? 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:30.000 Not so much until not the season at all, honestly, 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.640 but until you know, the tournament started. I was watching 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:35.680 and then like I was heavily watching obviously this past 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:37.320 weekend when Texas lost and. 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:39.760 It was just it sucked. It was it was it 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:40.720 was hard. You know, it's hard. 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:42.960 It's hard as I'm like to watch, especially too, because 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:44.920 like you've been in that position so many times and 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:47.000 you always like, you know, I wish I could just 0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:48.880 like get back in my jersey and get out. 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:50.600 There and help them figure out and that kind of thing. 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:53.159 So but it's been great to see them, see what 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:55.599 Jerry's been doing with his program the past ten years, 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:57.320 so whatever he's been doing forever long he's been doing 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:00.000 it for and seeing the game developed through Texas Volleyball, 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:00.479 it's been great. 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:03.040 Yeah, I mean, three beats are hard to do, so 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:06.480 it's it's I mean, going back to back is pretty impressive. 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:07.960 It would have been awesome if they got the three, 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:09.080 but you know, it happens. 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:12.240 It happened. Yeah, State was just the reign of its own. 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:14.400 You know, they did like back to back to back, 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:15.760 a few championships back to back. 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:15.960 End. 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:17.640 I think it should be a documentary in that to 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:19.279 be honest, like just to see like the grit in 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:21.360 that gym and have some players come back and talk 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:22.919 about how like, you know, how hard it was to 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:24.279 get there and that through that program. 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:28.200 So now I know you're there's a few international players 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:31.920 on the Love Austin team. US college ball is very 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.920 different than the type of ball that they play in 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:37.880 Europe and that you don't really know it, did you 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:41.400 ladies kind of introduce them to this wild wild west 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:43.280 of college especially. 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:44.880 I think Anna was watching us. 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.080 Alli was watching the other day when Texas was playing 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:49.320 and just to see us like all kind of heaped 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:49.960 in front of the TV. 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:51.719 She's kind of like, what is going on? You know? 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:53.640 So I think her coming and she kind of it's 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:55.279 it's around, you know, it's kind of in our face 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:56.599 a little bit. And of course we're kind of telling 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:58.400 about certain teams that kind of stuff too. 0:06:58.480 --> 0:06:59.720 But I think they love it. They think it's just 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:00.480 a thing. 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.560 Also to her ingesting the American type of style playing 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:06.200 volleyball here, you know, knowing her in Italy, I'm sure 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:09.279 like they have a certain like kind of routine that 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.040 no foreigners is kind of ball into, you know, like 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:12.960 there's days they're like, you'll listening to like, for example, 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.760 I was in Korea listening to Korean music like every 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:18.000 single day, you know, because like he's like, is there 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:19.880 one time we can play like one English song that 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:21.760 I can like, you know, and then now her and 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:24.320 her coming here, it's like all. 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:26.320 English music every single day, and I'm curious. She's like, 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:28.240 can we change it? We're like, no, you have to. 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:31.720 You have to go through. So you have to watch 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:33.800 the college bullet ball. It's amazing. So yeah, I think 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:34.920 they're all used to it right now. 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:37.880 Well, with text us out, who are you rooting for? 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:41.360 My really good good friend Aaron Fairs is a cardinal, 0:07:41.600 --> 0:07:43.120 so I guess I'm kind of supporting here. But I'm 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:45.760 really impressed by Pittsburgh, By pitt I'm really impressed by them, 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:47.680 So I'm becoming to go with that. They're the number 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:49.320 one one team. I'm gonna stick with the Linux. I'm 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:50.400 gonna go pit for sure. 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:54.080 All Right, I've got pitt in Penn State in the finals, 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:57.720 the PA Finals, but I have pitt edging out Penn State. 0:07:58.080 --> 0:07:59.440 I think I think Pitt's kind of go all the 0:07:59.440 --> 0:07:59.720 way through. 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.320 All right, Well, let's talk about you and your volleyball career, 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:20.800 because you have quite the resume. So let's go back 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:22.680 to the beginning. When did you first fall in love 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:23.480 with the sport. 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:26.320 I think I was about I was in seventh grade. 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:28.160 I actually even know what volleyball was. I was a 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.200 big basketball player. I've been playing basketball since I was 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:33.280 in the fourth grade. And I was doing dancing, and 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:35.600 so I was going to my seventh grade year and 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:36.720 one of my friends was like. 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:38.760 Hey, do you want to try for the volleyball team? 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:41.040 And I was like, what the heck is volleyball? She 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:41.760 was like, oh, you. 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:43.400 Know, it's the white ball that you go like this 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:45.880 over the next and I was like, oh, when's the trial. 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:47.960 She goes after school and I was like, I don't 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:49.199 have any clothes. She goes, okay. 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:51.200 Our other friend, who was in eighth grade had tried 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:53.240 out that morning, and she was like, we can just 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.200 wear big Erica's clothes. And I was like, oh, okay, 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:58.800 but not thinking about it. So my friend is wearing 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.560 the shorts, I'm wearing the sweaty T shirt. And you 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:04.120 had to have some type of gear and we only 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.320 have one pair of nee pad. So I was wearing 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:09.000 my school parents, one knee pat and the sweaty shirt 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:11.440 going to volleyball rild and I made the CEA team, 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:13.880 which was okay, but you know. 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:14.760 But that's how I started. 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:18.160 That's amazing. When did you know that you were actually 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:18.640 good at it? 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:23.360 When I made the A team two weeks later? Two 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.800 weeks later, two weeks later. Yeah, I mean I just 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.079 kind of like I obsessed about it. I was. I 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:29.880 love skating a lot. I just want to fix. Thing 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:31.280 I like do over the weekend was to go skating 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:31.840 with my friends. 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.320 And once I found this new kind of like hobby, 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:36.040 like I was obsessed with it, Like that's all I 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:39.880 wanted to do. Like I would take like newspaper and 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:41.640 I would wad it up with tape and make it 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:43.240 like kind of a ball, and I would just kind 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:45.280 of practice it on my platform against the wall when 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:47.600 when I was at home, and like I just became 0:09:47.640 --> 0:09:49.439 obsessed and like my friends were I was on the 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:51.400 worst team, A sea team, and all my really good 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:53.360 friends were on the A team, and I was like, shoot, 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:55.240 like I really want to like get. 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:55.600 Up there with them. 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:57.320 So I would stay after practice and like get extra 0:09:57.360 --> 0:09:59.040 reps because all it is really in the seventh grade 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:00.920 is like serving and like trying to keep the ball 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:02.320 off the ground. So that was my main thing, was 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:04.240 just like serving the ball, trying to get the ball 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:06.160 over the next I was a string bang at the time, 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.640 not now, but I was a stream just trying to 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:10.400 get the ball within that. And then when I made 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:12.280 the A team, they end up moving my best friend 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:14.839 actually down to the B team, so I took her spot. 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:15.839 So that was the whole thing. 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:17.560 But her mom even told me, she was like, what 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:19.040 aren't you play a little bit worse so you and 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:20.560 canus can be together on the B team? 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:23.880 And I was like, I don't know the girls that 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:24.719 are good like No. 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:27.200 So I made the eighteen and seventh grade and from 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:28.480 there I was just obsessed. 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:29.360 I was obsessed. 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:34.040 That's amazing. When you became obsessed with the sport, did 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:37.800 you start also watching older girls play, like in college 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:38.240 and stuff. 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:41.760 No, So my first experience watching someone play volleyball at 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:43.400 a high level, and that's when I knew, like I think, 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:44.880 I wanted to go to college. I wanted to be 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.000 as good as she was was Courtney Manning. She was 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.160 the metal block at SMU. She puit in me Squie 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:52.319 high school and Courtney. If you're watching this, major shout out. 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:54.960 She was just someone of wasly that looked like me 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:56.960 and was just kind of taking the sport by the storm. 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:59.360 She was six foot two three and just had an 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:01.200 arm of a can. And I'm like, I'm talking about 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:02.719 this girl. We were in middle school to go watch 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:04.719 the high school games. She would hit a ball and 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:06.760 it bounced on the ground and like go up like 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:09.440 eighteen d in the air, like it was insane. I 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:11.400 was like, I want to be like her. So like 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:13.440 in middle school I was watching her games. 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.360 And then once I got to high school, I made 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:22.040 the JV team. I was on JV my first I 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:23.560 was on Davy like the first like two weeks and. 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:25.720 They knew me to varsity. But again I was just 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:27.600 like you know, working a lot. I was always just 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:30.360 like doing something in the sand, like just watching her. 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:32.760 And then like from there I had an opportunity. There 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:34.319 was a girl named Calie. I don't know her last 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:36.360 name was, but she's in California. She's a big time 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:38.640 on one girl, and you know, vollyball and Cali is 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:40.280 a big thing. So she just came to our school 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.680 for that semester and like she was just that big 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:45.679 and Jeff as amazing as Courtney was. But she was 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:48.240 in my gym every day too, so like she definitely 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.120 helped me develop my game throughout high school. And like 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.880 being on varsity, I knew there was an opportunity to say, like, 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:54.280 you know, I wouldn't probably see the floor, but I 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:55.880 knew that, like playing with them, I was going to 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.520 get better at it. And then things happen. A girl 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.280 got her, I had to do this. Start I mid 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.120 a blocker and play, and like Kellie would work so 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.160 many days with me after practice and just like I 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:06.679 was also scared of the ball for some reason, I 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:07.160 don't know why. 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:08.360 So she would like put me on the ground. 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:10.040 I'd have my hands above in my face and she 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:11.840 would just hit balls into my hands on my face 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:13.360 and like tell me like not to move my hand 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:13.640 because I. 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:14.240 Was scared of it. 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:17.400 So it was just I had so many amazing people 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:19.559 in my life as a teenager, and maybe I wasn't 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:20.240 watching on TV. 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.120 They were like literally in the gym with me every day, 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:23.880 so it was amazing. It helped me a lot. 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:27.240 Actually, well, so Mosquite is not that far from the 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.160 University of Texas and Austin. So was that kind of 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:31.960 the impetus for why you wanted to commit there or 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:33.319 were there other plans before? 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:34.640 Oh? Well I did not. 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:37.520 So I had friends that were big OU fans, and 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:39.080 so like I was like, Okay, I'm going to go 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:41.160 to college. I want to go to OU, you know. 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:44.120 And at that time, I wasn't really playing volleyball. I 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:45.480 just like, I just want to go to go to 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:46.960 school there, you know, if I was a head opportunity 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:48.760 to go to college. And then as I got better 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.640 in the sport, I was like, oh, like wait a minute, 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:54.160 like I'm really good at this, and like I got 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:56.000 to see like the perks of being really good at 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:57.959 the sport and how like, you know, I'll never forget. 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:02.679 I got my first letter from. 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.760 It was from a like I think Wichita something state 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:06.280 or something like that, and I was like, I'm going, 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.440 like I'm the first I'm the first college graduate in 0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:10.319 my family. So I was like it was a big 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:12.320 deal when you go to school. So I was like 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:14.360 I'm going. Like my coach was like hang on, like 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:16.120 you know, I was like I think I was a 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:17.680 sophomore and she's like, this is gonna start happening. 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:19.040 You know, the better you get, you know, the more 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:20.600 college office you'll get, like just just wait. 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:22.320 And I'm like, well, this is one right like they 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:24.440 have a schulship for me, Like this is free school 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:25.960 right here, Like I need to get there. She's like 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.080 just wait, just wait, just wait. And so as I 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:31.439 got better, also comes the ego as well too, you 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:34.040 know what I'm saying. So like I was after really I. 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:35.199 Went to a OU visit. 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:36.800 I knowew, I don't want to go to school in Texas, like, 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:38.560 but I was really a ride in this OU train. 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.280 And you know when you go on your visits and stuff, 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:42.640 you know, you're treated like royalty. 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:42.960 You know. 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:44.920 I went to my OWEU visit and there was like 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.400 twelve girls in the visit, like it was maybe not twelve, 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:49.600 but it was like more than five on the same 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:52.640 visit as me. And I'm like, I don't I wanted 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:54.480 to feel, you know, kind of special and stuff. I 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:56.160 don't feel like that, you know. Wherever it was a 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:57.640 budget or what, I don't know what it was. And 0:13:57.679 --> 0:13:58.840 I was like, you know, I'm gonna go to Florida. 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.000 I want to go to Florida, Like the colors are great, 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.160 like it's Florida, Like, why not go to Florida? 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:04.760 And I did. I went to a Florida camp. 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:06.560 I did a little visit when I was there, and 0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:09.400 I loved Florida was great, and I think my mind 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:10.520 was pretty set on Florida. 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:12.200 And then I hadn't gone to Texas. 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.959 Jared came to all my games and my high school 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:18.320 small like mosquit is a very small city outside of Dallas, like, 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:20.520 and Jered came to all my tournaments. He came to 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.240 he came to watch him play in Mosquite. He would 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:24.680 sit in the stands like you could. He would be 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:26.520 him on one side, like the UCLA coach on the 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:28.960 other side. I wouldn't give him the time or day, 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:31.840 like I would not even speak to him. And so 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:34.400 my he was really adamant about, like, you know, just 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:36.200 trying to just get me down for a visit. And 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:37.920 he told my high school coach, he was like, just 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:39.640 get her down here, Like if you guys, just get 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:42.080 her down here. So my high school coach told my 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:44.160 mom was like, let's we really, I really think cashould 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:46.040 go down to Austin just to see And so she 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.400 packed my bag and they had me staying in the dorms, 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:49.160 and I watched, like a lot of. 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:53.440 Scary movies tell the story. I was telling the story. 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.880 So she packed my bag and I terally was that 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:58.280 I was gonna like stay in the dorm with one 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.000 of the girls. And I was like in the movie, 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:02.680 he's like, that's all the stuff happens in the dorm room. 0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:09.040 So I packed a knife. I was, I packed a knike. 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.680 I never protected myself, you know, So I packed a knife. 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.120 And the girl I was saying with was Rachel Adams. 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:15.840 I love Rachel. Me and her are still good friends. 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:17.480 I don't know if she knows or not, but I 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:19.760 packed a knife in my bag just in case something 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:20.400 was gonna happen. 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:22.640 No, I don't know it was whatever I saw on TV. 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:25.080 But I went down to the I went down. I 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:26.280 remember driving down. 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.680 To Austin and just like I wasn't talking in the car, 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:31.440 I was really I was pissed. I was like, there's 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:32.640 no I don't know why they forced me to. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:34.640 Come down here, Like, don't piss me off because of 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:35.320 the knife and mine. 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.560 Yeah, exactly, Everybody like I'm not the one like you know, 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.040 So the whole drive down like I'm just I'm mad. 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:44.040 So we get to campus and I'm like, okay, like, 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:44.720 I guess. 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:46.520 I have never been often before, so I was like, oh, 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.040 this is like and it's like the fall, so the 0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:50.440 weather's nice and like you know, it's the capitalist. I 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:53.280 was like, oh, like this is cool, Like this is cool. 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:56.680 I guess whatever. And so again I've seen Jared from Afar, 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:58.680 but never like face to face. And so I go 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:01.640 into the facility where they do film at and Gregory 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.280 and there's like this is when I'm getting This is 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:05.080 when I find. 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:06.120 Out who Deathney Hooker is. 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:08.640 And Julianne Fall said and like I've never seen so 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:10.000 many black women on the roster. 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:11.160 That was my first thing because I was. 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:13.480 Always the only black female playing in my school when 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.400 I was growing up. So like I walked into the 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:19.440 film room, you see all of their like pictures on 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:19.880 the wall. 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:21.440 And I was just I was just so taken by it, 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.520 and I was like WHOA. And then like Jared walks in. 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:25.960 He has these big blue eyes and he's just such 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:28.480 an amazing father figure and I right away got that 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:30.560 feeling from him. He walks in and I was kind 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:32.880 of like, you know, he's very nice and Slimmer walk 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:36.240 Boyle was assistant around that time, and Brian was still there, 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:38.400 but Eric had came in yet. But they were, you know, 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:40.080 meeting the staff of the first time was all nice, 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:42.520 and then the girls come in and I will never 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:44.760 forget the feeling that I had just seeing I can 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:52.520 always tear up just seeing such like a panel of 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:55.640 girls who were tall and like, you know, not a 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:57.760 change of their height and their complexion and like just 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:01.280 so many different just so much diversity. Jared was painted amazing, 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:03.080 and he had so much diverse on his team, you know, 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:04.080 hit Sarah Palmer. 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:04.520 Who was Hawaiian. 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:07.520 You had so many black women on his team, and 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:10.480 I was like, dang, like wow, like this is like 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:11.720 I want to be a part of this, you know, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:13.439 and they're all just amazing people, and like I got 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:15.720 to meet them and you know, Washington practice and like 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.040 they're just I mean, these girls are good. Like I 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:19.879 watched him practice and like just seeing him go aswere 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:21.680 they were going. And I think it could be intimidating 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:23.080 for some girls, you know, like to go into that 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:24.480 gym and be like Okay, well if I come on 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:26.320 this team, you know, it comes kind of comes down to. 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:27.240 Where I want to go. 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:28.879 Do I want to go somewhere I know I'm gonna play, 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:30.600 or do I want to go somewhere where Like there's 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:31.840 a chance I'm to set the bench, but I'm going 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.240 to develop, you know, and my mindset how it was, 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:37.600 I was like, there's no freaking way that, Like if 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:40.080 I come here, I'm sitting the bench. And like the competition, 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:41.879 I was playing it outs at the time, and like 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:45.320 Destiny and Julian for graduating, but he still had like 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:48.640 two or three seniors coming in, sophomores coming in. Hallett 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:50.320 come in and was also coming in, and I was like, 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:52.600 I don't know, I don't care what I got to do, 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:54.560 but I'm about to come in here and I'm. 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:55.720 Gonna just go crazy. 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:57.640 And so I just immediately just being in the atmosphere, 0:17:57.640 --> 0:17:59.720 in the environment, and again I was going to visit 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:00.480 by myself. 0:18:00.840 --> 0:18:02.399 I personally got to know the girls from personal. 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:04.840 They were arguing at the table at lunch in front 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:06.280 of me, you know, so I was like, oh, like 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:06.760 this is. 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:10.960 Tea Like y'all, y'all real real, Okay, they're not fronting vacant. 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:11.800 It's not a show, you know. 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:14.240 It was it was real and that was the most 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:16.240 That was just that's what shoot out to me the most. 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:19.080 And so after leaving the visit, I found out, you know, 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:20.399 I didn't want to leave. I was under so much 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:21.840 dress because like I was a number two recruit in 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:25.119 the country, and I had so many like college coaches 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:26.760 and emails and like told me, like I had this 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.679 huge finder and like I would cry some nights because 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:31.480 when you talk to players and you're asking him, you know, 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:32.119 what are you looking for? 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:33.680 What's the feeling? They're like, you just get a feeling. 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:36.199 I'm like, I'm not getting this feeling, and like this 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.159 is a very important choice, you know, for myself, and 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:42.760 the choice is only mine, you know. And the feeling 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.680 for me was I felt away from home, but close enough, 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:46.879 do you know what I'm saying. I didn't know that 0:18:46.960 --> 0:18:49.440 Austin would give me that much of space between Dallas, 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:52.280 and just like it was a place I felt like 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:54.320 I belonged, you know what I'm saying. I wanted to 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:57.720 be somewhere where the gym was amazingly high talented, being 0:18:57.760 --> 0:18:59.320 around girls who were more developed than I was. To 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:01.119 win the game faster I was able to do that 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:03.080 or play with the girls at a higher level. I 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.639 was able to develop faster. So I went home and 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:06.600 I was like, that was it. 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:09.359 That was it, that was it. And then I went 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:11.720 back for another visit and I didn't know how to commit. 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:13.200 I'm like, what do you do? Like you just like 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:16.360 call on the phone. Do you tell him? But what's 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:19.040 the process? You know? So they might be down again. 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:20.800 I was sitting on the bench and I'll never forget. 0:19:20.880 --> 0:19:24.000 They were playing Kansas State, and I'm like, I gotta 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:25.600 tell him, and I don't know why decide to tell 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:27.640 him right then and there, but like I'm like, here's 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:27.920 my eyes. 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:28.800 I'm like, i gotta tell him. 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:30.360 And so Jared's come like pac him back and forth 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:31.840 what he does, and I'm sitting there. 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:35.359 I'm just like I was like coach Elliott and he 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:38.000 was like, yeah, I said I want to come here. 0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:43.720 He was like what. I was like, I'm like, I'm 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:44.480 doing this the wrong way. 0:19:44.520 --> 0:19:46.520 Like I was like, I want to go to school here. 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:47.679 He's like, do you want to play for me? I 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:48.840 was like yeah, I was like I want to play 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:49.959 for you. I want to go to school. And he 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:51.040 was like that's great news. 0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:52.600 So it's like he'said, okay, let me. He's like, okay. 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:55.520 He ended up going to Salema and he goes, hey, Salema, 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:57.520 like I got something to tell you. He goes man Cat, 0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:58.920 he played a joker and slap me. He's like, man 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:01.240 cat just told me she wants to go to Florida. 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:02.920 And I remember othern forget Sleiman looks down on me 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:04.719 down the bench and I can see her. 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.719 She's like, get off the bench. She's like, watches it. Man. 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:10.080 He's like, now, I'm just kidding the girls. 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:12.000 He not the girls for the game, and like they 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:15.040 came over to me and everyone huging, congratulating me. I 0:20:15.040 --> 0:20:17.600 got to watch them when and like when I said, 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:19.920 I want it was the best decision of my entire life. 0:20:20.040 --> 0:20:21.800 Like I know, Texas was the one place that I 0:20:21.840 --> 0:20:24.119 needed to be and I know that, like me, going 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:27.760 there has just developed me so much, becoming the woman 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:28.399 that I am today. 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.920 So it was definitely the right decision. So yeah, I. 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:34.320 Mean the whole story was like a path of maturity 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:39.600 and like growing up and learning who you are. Oh well, 0:20:39.680 --> 0:20:42.159 it never is right. I feel like it's not easy 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:43.879 to grow up and learn all the kind of that 0:20:43.960 --> 0:20:46.520 kind of stuff. But I was like seventeen, eighteen year 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:48.639 old or were you sixteen? Were you sophomore when I 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:49.480 was seventeen? 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:50.240 I was seventeen. 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:52.639 Yeah, yeah, I feel like, yeah, you're still learning so 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:54.680 much about yourself. So to be able to like put 0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:59.000 all that emotion and like understanding into that visit and 0:20:59.040 --> 0:21:01.199 like realize that this this is what I want and 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:03.200 what I need and these are the people I want 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:04.720 to be around. I'el like, that's so machure of you, 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:07.760 and like, obviously it worked out. I mean, you ended 0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:10.840 up winning a title in twenty twelve as a sophomore. 0:21:10.920 --> 0:21:11.639 What was that like? 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:15.600 So my freshman year, I tore my a CEO MPM 0:21:15.640 --> 0:21:18.720 and this damn near complete blew my knee out. And 0:21:18.760 --> 0:21:20.800 my biggest thing was like I'd worked so hard and 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:22.840 I was like I want to see those shiny blue courts. 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:24.400 Once I come out to Texas, I had to watch 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:26.320 more and I was like, I have to get to 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:27.080 those blue courts. 0:21:27.200 --> 0:21:29.760 Going into my freshman year, like I think I was 0:21:29.800 --> 0:21:30.399 picked myself. 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:31.920 I was competing for Freshman of the. 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:35.080 Year and like I was went from the outside and 0:21:35.160 --> 0:21:36.920 we had a tough conversation with you. It wasn't tough, 0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:38.679 but like I'm a team player, Like whatever you need 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:40.160 me to do, I'm going to do it or whatever 0:21:40.160 --> 0:21:42.000 you need. And we had a lot of blocking issues 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:45.160 in the middle for the M two, So Jarry was like, hey, 0:21:45.280 --> 0:21:47.080 like I got to ask. 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:48.879 You to do something. I'm like what He's like, I 0:21:48.880 --> 0:21:49.919 need you to play middle for me. 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:52.600 And I'm like freak like dang, like I'm just not 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:54.919 getting my rhythm, like I'm going crazy out here. But 0:21:54.960 --> 0:21:57.000 I'm like cool, like whatever it's going to take for 0:21:57.080 --> 0:21:58.960 us to get to where we need to be. And 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:01.440 I'm hitting two balls in the middle, likes flying high, 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:04.840 hitting two balls from Hannah Allison, like racking up killed points, 0:22:04.920 --> 0:22:07.720 not doing a lot. But I also was say like 0:22:07.760 --> 0:22:09.439 I'm a mature enough now, woman enough now to know that, 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:12.000 like what I was doing on the court was not 0:22:12.040 --> 0:22:13.720 reflection the person I was off the court, you know. 0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:17.119 And I think God has a really has an amazing 0:22:17.119 --> 0:22:18.600 way of showing you that like just as easy as 0:22:18.640 --> 0:22:19.760 can give it to you, is the easiest way I 0:22:19.800 --> 0:22:23.760 can take it from you. And November, towards the end 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.280 of October, I think we're playing at Kansas, I'm doing 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:28.480 what I normally. Do you know I'm hitting those two balls. 0:22:28.520 --> 0:22:30.840 I'm going crazy, going crazy. I'll never forget. The ball 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:33.320 was set to me and it was set and more 0:22:33.320 --> 0:22:35.880 to my left. So I jumped in the air, flew 0:22:35.920 --> 0:22:37.760 in the air, hit the two ball, got the point, 0:22:37.840 --> 0:22:41.639 came down done, and I immediately grabbed my leg And 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:44.159 as soon as it happened, I knew what had happened. 0:22:44.160 --> 0:22:44.720 I already knew. 0:22:44.800 --> 0:22:47.240 And I'm like, Dan comes over and she's like just 0:22:47.240 --> 0:22:49.800 telling me to calm down. End up carrying out the court, 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.240 and I already knew what I had done, you know. 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:54.960 And Dean looked at me and she was like, well, 0:22:55.000 --> 0:22:56.560 get a choice, Like righting in there, Dan's like you 0:22:56.560 --> 0:22:57.000 have a choice. 0:22:57.000 --> 0:22:59.359 It's like either you're going to come back and be 0:22:59.440 --> 0:23:01.359 stronger orre you gonna let this thing defeat you. It's 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:02.040 up to you. I don't know. 0:23:02.080 --> 0:23:03.240 Thing I can do is bring it to the well. 0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:05.040 Can't make you drink. So I was like no, like 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:07.200 I'm going to come back. And it ended up being 0:23:07.200 --> 0:23:08.960 like I think, going the fastest recovery that text has 0:23:09.000 --> 0:23:11.920 ever had. This is like the November I was back 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:15.080 playing by. I was running by March and cutting I 0:23:15.160 --> 0:23:18.720 was back playing by April May, and I was full 0:23:18.760 --> 0:23:20.399 blown ready to go before season even went on. 0:23:20.520 --> 0:23:22.199 So like I was not also pushing it. I mean, 0:23:22.280 --> 0:23:22.960 my training was. 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:26.480 It was intense. Like I pushed myself a lot. Even 0:23:26.480 --> 0:23:28.080 when I was in the training facility with d N, 0:23:28.160 --> 0:23:29.080 I was doing my own stuff. 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:29.960 There were sometimes there was. 0:23:30.040 --> 0:23:31.400 Days that she had to call me and be like Kat, 0:23:31.520 --> 0:23:34.240 like you can't be on the football field flipping tires, 0:23:34.320 --> 0:23:36.000 Like that's not going to help your recovery. 0:23:36.040 --> 0:23:37.520 But I'm like I need to get back, you know. 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:39.440 So that motivation. 0:23:39.119 --> 0:23:42.560 Definitely pushed me to be whatever my team needed to 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:44.880 be going in twenty twelve, which was a starting middle blocker. 0:23:45.080 --> 0:23:50.320 And going through that trial and then coming. 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:52.240 Back from that and then playing and having an amazing 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:55.000 season twenty twelve, and then like I'll never forget this. 0:23:55.040 --> 0:23:57.600 We're playing Michigan and it's the practice before, no practice before, 0:23:57.600 --> 0:23:58.800 that's championship, That's what it was. 0:23:59.160 --> 0:24:01.720 And I go up just to do a blocking move, 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:03.679 come down, and I feel like my whole back collapse 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:03.920 on me. 0:24:03.920 --> 0:24:05.360 I don't know if people know this or not, but 0:24:05.760 --> 0:24:08.080 the night before the day before the NFT Championship game, 0:24:08.400 --> 0:24:11.760 I had a bolding disc. My whole back collapse on me, 0:24:12.000 --> 0:24:14.720 like it was it was out, it was on a nerve. 0:24:14.760 --> 0:24:17.160 I had a shooting pain, like I probably shouldn't play, 0:24:18.280 --> 0:24:20.120 but obviously, like it's like, ain't no way. 0:24:20.280 --> 0:24:22.000 I've come all this way and. 0:24:21.960 --> 0:24:24.040 I'm not finna get this, get get this money, like 0:24:24.080 --> 0:24:25.159 I'm not about to get this ring. 0:24:25.280 --> 0:24:27.919 I'm I'm not gonna do it. So the doctor came in. 0:24:27.960 --> 0:24:30.640 They're okay, we can give you like a pain relief shot, 0:24:30.640 --> 0:24:32.360 but it's docked. I mean, it won't last as long, 0:24:32.400 --> 0:24:33.440 but it can kind of help you through things. So 0:24:33.760 --> 0:24:35.560 we're kind of trying to time it where I could 0:24:35.560 --> 0:24:37.640 be on the floor. I got a shot right before 0:24:37.760 --> 0:24:40.800 going onto the court, and I played. 0:24:40.600 --> 0:24:42.760 Well, played well, play well by the time the second 0:24:42.760 --> 0:24:45.160 where we went three zero that game, thank god, thank god. 0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:47.480 But by the time the halftime mark came in, the 0:24:47.520 --> 0:24:49.840 medicine was wearing off, and so I'm back like quidling 0:24:49.880 --> 0:24:52.320 down again, like I could barely walk. And there I'm 0:24:52.359 --> 0:24:53.840 like what are we gonna do? And I'm like, can 0:24:53.840 --> 0:24:55.280 I have another shot? And we were like you sure, 0:24:55.280 --> 0:24:56.719 I'm like, give me, give me one more, just give 0:24:56.720 --> 0:24:58.960 another shot. So I had another shot in my back. 0:25:00.080 --> 0:25:02.680 We won, everyone goes out that night to celebrate. I'm 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:06.639 like in the hotel bed ridden. Like flying back was 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:08.359 the craziest pain I've ever been in. I had to 0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:10.520 get an epidural on my back, like I was out 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:13.480 a month again. Trainers at Texas are amazing, Donnie may 0:25:13.520 --> 0:25:15.840 if he's amazing. They got me back going and come 0:25:15.880 --> 0:25:17.760 back from an injury. And then when NAT Championship was 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:19.560 the best thing ever. 0:25:19.400 --> 0:25:25.720 Ever despite the desk Yeah, where I mean, your whole 0:25:25.800 --> 0:25:27.920 journeys so far from what you've told me, You've had 0:25:27.960 --> 0:25:31.880 all this insane like determination. Where does the determination come from? 0:25:32.160 --> 0:25:33.800 I think, Regina? My mom. 0:25:34.160 --> 0:25:38.359 My mom is such a boss. Like so I was 0:25:38.440 --> 0:25:40.440 raised in a single parent home. I still really reallyships 0:25:40.440 --> 0:25:43.280 with my dad, But my mom has just. 0:25:43.280 --> 0:25:44.440 Raised me to be who I am. 0:25:44.480 --> 0:25:46.600 You know, she worked, you know, two jobs sometimes to 0:25:46.640 --> 0:25:48.480 take care of all of us, and like she really 0:25:48.560 --> 0:25:50.640 just did what she had to do to make sure 0:25:50.680 --> 0:25:53.760 that we had what we needed, you know, And I've 0:25:53.760 --> 0:25:55.440 always wanted to take care of her. And like I'm 0:25:55.440 --> 0:25:56.639 proud to say that, Like, you know, I want to 0:25:56.640 --> 0:25:58.560 went pro. I was like, quit your job, like you're 0:25:58.600 --> 0:26:00.240 done like I can do it. I can do it. 0:26:00.280 --> 0:26:01.760 So I've been taking care of my mom now since 0:26:01.760 --> 0:26:04.400 I've gone pro, and I can't imagine how she even 0:26:04.400 --> 0:26:04.600 did it. 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:05.880 I don't know how she did it, you. 0:26:05.800 --> 0:26:07.919 Know, And to see her work the long hour she 0:26:08.000 --> 0:26:09.919 working and still be a mom, be a parent, provide 0:26:09.920 --> 0:26:11.920 for us and like so she always preached just about 0:26:12.119 --> 0:26:15.480 staying preyed up and taking care of yourself and you know, 0:26:15.760 --> 0:26:17.960 don't let you know circumstances put you down, like just 0:26:18.040 --> 0:26:19.000 prevail through yourself. 0:26:19.080 --> 0:26:20.320 It's definitely stems. 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:22.320 From her, for sure, super mom right there. 0:26:22.359 --> 0:26:23.720 For sure, Girl, that's my dog. 0:26:39.440 --> 0:26:42.520 So when it came to playing professionally, did you know 0:26:42.600 --> 0:26:45.600 about professional volleyball when you were in college or how 0:26:45.600 --> 0:26:47.479 did that come about? Where you decided that you were 0:26:47.480 --> 0:26:48.760 eventually going to go play abroad? 0:26:49.160 --> 0:26:51.879 Kind of sort of, But I wasn't mave sure like 0:26:51.880 --> 0:26:54.520 about like, you know, my opportunities because I again, I 0:26:54.520 --> 0:26:57.080 had been at Texas for four years. I played outside 0:26:57.320 --> 0:26:59.560 my freshman year, but then move to the middle, then 0:26:59.600 --> 0:27:02.480 moved play a middle blocker my sophomore and junior year, 0:27:02.720 --> 0:27:04.280 and then my senior year, Jared moved me to the 0:27:04.280 --> 0:27:07.239 opposite side. So I kind of bounced around a little bit, 0:27:07.280 --> 0:27:09.200 so I wasn't sure, like you know, about film, like 0:27:09.280 --> 0:27:11.280 how that would look or what the process even was. 0:27:11.320 --> 0:27:13.480 And like at the time, Jared's close friend is Tim Kelly, 0:27:13.520 --> 0:27:15.479 who was running an agency at the time. The majority 0:27:15.480 --> 0:27:17.199 of the girls that came through Texas always like went 0:27:17.240 --> 0:27:20.239 through him to play pro, and I didn't really think 0:27:20.240 --> 0:27:22.280 about it, honestly, Like I didn't really think about going 0:27:22.320 --> 0:27:26.119 pro until you know, Haley left and she went to Korea, 0:27:26.960 --> 0:27:28.760 and like I heard about her experience and it wasn't 0:27:28.760 --> 0:27:31.119 the best experience. But again, like you know what they 0:27:31.160 --> 0:27:33.200 giving you, you get making what I'm about to go. 0:27:33.080 --> 0:27:36.200 Get that money like that I can be in an igloo. 0:27:36.480 --> 0:27:38.639 Don't worry about it. I can go get that money, 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:38.919 you know. 0:27:39.040 --> 0:27:41.359 So, And that's why I tell some girls too. It 0:27:41.359 --> 0:27:42.760 depends on how you want to kind of like send 0:27:42.760 --> 0:27:44.840 your careers, like do you want to go make money 0:27:45.080 --> 0:27:46.520 or do you want to go travel or like you 0:27:46.560 --> 0:27:48.560 want to go playing zeph Cup. I've always seen my 0:27:48.600 --> 0:27:51.320 career around making money because I'm provided for my family, 0:27:51.359 --> 0:27:53.480 Like I take care of my family, So that was 0:27:53.520 --> 0:27:53.959 the main thing. 0:27:53.960 --> 0:27:56.359 It's like, Okay, I have to make money. 0:27:56.359 --> 0:27:57.679 I take care of myself and take care of my 0:27:57.680 --> 0:27:59.520 body and make better choices, whether it's working out or 0:27:59.560 --> 0:28:02.760 eating because I have to make money. Like when Hailey 0:28:02.800 --> 0:28:04.679 went pro in Korea and she showed her experience and 0:28:04.760 --> 0:28:06.440 like how hard it was, but like what she was making. 0:28:06.520 --> 0:28:08.600 I was like, well, you know, I love volleyball, but 0:28:08.680 --> 0:28:10.600 like if this can make me some money, let's keep 0:28:10.600 --> 0:28:11.159 doing it, you know. 0:28:11.280 --> 0:28:12.560 So I got a. 0:28:12.560 --> 0:28:16.640 Wind to the Korean tryout and they had the Korean 0:28:16.680 --> 0:28:19.159 try in Anaheim, and that's when Emily Hartong was also on 0:28:19.160 --> 0:28:21.440 the team that you're Leslie Secra. There's a few girls 0:28:21.440 --> 0:28:22.800 that I met that are playing and we're on the 0:28:22.840 --> 0:28:24.760 same tryout, and like, you know, I had to play. 0:28:24.640 --> 0:28:26.639 All these positions, like I can set, I can pass, 0:28:26.720 --> 0:28:28.639 I can play defense, I can play middle. 0:28:28.560 --> 0:28:30.800 And also like I made other girls look good and 0:28:30.800 --> 0:28:32.920 that's been you know it? So who was the draft 0:28:33.080 --> 0:28:35.520 was just like playing volleyball with my friends, you know, 0:28:35.600 --> 0:28:37.000 And I knew what team I was gonna be on 0:28:37.080 --> 0:28:39.240 before the draft even happened, and like that's a draft, 0:28:39.280 --> 0:28:41.360 you can't tell through the balls being picked. I just 0:28:41.400 --> 0:28:43.040 knew the team I was going to be on. It 0:28:43.080 --> 0:28:45.880 just happened to be Haley's team, and because you show me, 0:28:45.920 --> 0:28:46.440 She's like, well, how do you know. 0:28:46.480 --> 0:28:47.040 Gonna be the team? 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:49.360 They can be picked the draft pickers for like the 0:28:49.680 --> 0:28:51.480 fourth time, and like you not get picked by the 0:28:51.520 --> 0:28:52.080 I'm like, it's. 0:28:51.920 --> 0:28:54.080 All the draft is a draft. I just knew. I 0:28:54.080 --> 0:28:55.400 don't know how I knew. I just knew that I 0:28:55.400 --> 0:28:56.480 was gonna be on that team that way. 0:28:56.600 --> 0:28:58.760 So when that opportunity came to me about playing in 0:28:58.800 --> 0:29:01.520 Korea and going pro and I talk to Jared, I 0:29:01.560 --> 0:29:04.440 was like, hey, I need some film for this trial, 0:29:04.520 --> 0:29:06.200 and there goes like okay, they helped me get some film, 0:29:06.200 --> 0:29:07.800 and like it was all over the place, but I 0:29:07.840 --> 0:29:09.920 sent in and the best thing was like if I 0:29:09.960 --> 0:29:12.800 can get to a tryout, I don't need film, you know. 0:29:12.880 --> 0:29:14.560 So going in to the Korean draft, went to the trial, 0:29:14.600 --> 0:29:15.760 and from there the rest was history. 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:16.840 So that's awesome. 0:29:16.920 --> 0:29:19.560 Now, out of all the countries that you've played in, 0:29:19.880 --> 0:29:22.719 what's kind of been your favorite, both to play and 0:29:22.840 --> 0:29:23.400 just to be in? 0:29:24.160 --> 0:29:27.360 Korea is my favorite and Turkey. I really enjoyed Turkey 0:29:27.360 --> 0:29:29.080 a lot. I pick up the language pretty easily as 0:29:29.120 --> 0:29:31.320 well too. I think any girls that play there it's 0:29:31.360 --> 0:29:34.120 just you developed the language very quickly. The food is amazing, 0:29:34.120 --> 0:29:36.120 but I also love Korean food. But I just love Korea. 0:29:36.320 --> 0:29:38.080 And also just like it's just an accid that I am. 0:29:38.120 --> 0:29:41.080 Like, Korea is hard, It is tough, and it is 0:29:41.120 --> 0:29:43.200 a grind, and anyone that has played there, and it's 0:29:43.200 --> 0:29:45.720 played there multiple years can tell you that, Like my 0:29:45.800 --> 0:29:47.840 body's not the same I'm playing there, like it's done 0:29:47.920 --> 0:29:50.600 some damage. But like you know, it's you come out 0:29:50.640 --> 0:29:52.040 like a phoenix, you know what I'm saying, Like, no, 0:29:52.200 --> 0:29:53.160 I was chasing this. 0:29:53.480 --> 0:29:54.800 I don't know what I feel like. I was just 0:29:54.880 --> 0:29:56.640 chasing this dreams, you know with Korea. 0:29:56.680 --> 0:29:58.680 You know, my first year of Korea, it was, you know, 0:29:58.800 --> 0:30:02.480 going to something like that and being twenty one, never 0:30:02.520 --> 0:30:04.720 been really abroad like that before. And like my mom 0:30:04.720 --> 0:30:06.720 went with me because that was amazing heard of them 0:30:06.760 --> 0:30:09.600 with me. But like it's a hard job. I mean 0:30:09.720 --> 0:30:11.880 practice is I'm talking about. I would go to practice 0:30:11.960 --> 0:30:15.600 twenty nine pay like nine am. I wouldn't be done 0:30:15.680 --> 0:30:17.360 until like nine o'clock at night, Like it was a 0:30:17.760 --> 0:30:19.800 like a twelve hour thing. Like I would my mom 0:30:19.880 --> 0:30:21.680 had to force me to eat, that's how tired I 0:30:21.760 --> 0:30:23.680 was I think. I was like, right now, I'm one 0:30:23.720 --> 0:30:26.280 hundred and come about one hundred and eighty five eighty 0:30:26.280 --> 0:30:31.360 seven pounds probably like I'll say, we'll say like nineteen 0:30:31.400 --> 0:30:34.560 percent eighteen percent body fat something around there. In Korea, 0:30:34.600 --> 0:30:36.440 I was one seventy five and I was nine percent 0:30:36.440 --> 0:30:41.000 body fat like I was. It was giving starvation like 0:30:41.040 --> 0:30:43.280 it was bad, but it's because like my body was 0:30:43.320 --> 0:30:45.200 burning so much and I was trying to consume. 0:30:45.240 --> 0:30:47.320 But again, like the food there's already naturally healthy as well. 0:30:47.440 --> 0:30:48.720 So it was a lot. 0:30:48.760 --> 0:30:52.720 But when I won the Korean Cup two years ago, 0:30:54.200 --> 0:30:55.560 the team was in the fourth when I got there, 0:30:55.640 --> 0:30:57.520 I left and left Turkey and the team was like 0:30:57.560 --> 0:30:59.560 in fifth place, and so I was like, there was 0:30:59.600 --> 0:31:01.520 one girl was the national team, wasn't the gym anymore. 0:31:01.560 --> 0:31:03.360 She kind of completely just giving up on the team. 0:31:03.680 --> 0:31:04.640 And I got a chance to talk to her. 0:31:04.680 --> 0:31:05.920 She came out to practice and I was like, if 0:31:05.920 --> 0:31:08.200 you can trust me, we can get we can get 0:31:08.200 --> 0:31:10.480 out of this hole. And we did and it took 0:31:10.520 --> 0:31:14.280 everything we were down. Kim Young is one of the 0:31:14.280 --> 0:31:16.040 best house sides in the world. She's Korean and she 0:31:16.200 --> 0:31:17.800 was that's like her first it was her first season 0:31:17.800 --> 0:31:20.200 playing back in Korea, and so like everybody was just 0:31:20.280 --> 0:31:21.760 like crazy about her. On top of she was on 0:31:21.800 --> 0:31:23.040 the team, She's on the team that I was on 0:31:23.080 --> 0:31:25.200 the year before, and so it was this whole kind 0:31:25.200 --> 0:31:27.760 of like storyline. They're kind of building up and Pink 0:31:27.800 --> 0:31:29.680 Spiders they had beat us every time we played them. 0:31:29.680 --> 0:31:31.520 Once I got there, they beat us every gain every match. 0:31:31.520 --> 0:31:33.520 Every match, I was getting blocked left and right, like, 0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:35.560 and my coach was like, you know, when you play 0:31:35.560 --> 0:31:37.720 against Kink Spiders, you don't play that well. I was like, 0:31:37.760 --> 0:31:39.800 I don't know, it's just God telling me not to 0:31:39.800 --> 0:31:41.640 play good. Ask it, but when it counts, it's gonna 0:31:41.640 --> 0:31:43.400 cut turning on. He was just like, cut, you know, 0:31:43.480 --> 0:31:46.000 think I'm crazy. I'm like, no, Like I just I 0:31:46.120 --> 0:31:48.800 manifest every I believe it, you know. So we get 0:31:48.840 --> 0:31:51.640 to the finals and we're playing Pink Spiders again. They 0:31:52.000 --> 0:31:54.240 wiped us off across the floor every time they played us, 0:31:54.600 --> 0:31:57.320 and it's five sets, five game series. 0:31:57.360 --> 0:31:59.640 They were playing five max and five sets every other day. 0:31:59.720 --> 0:32:02.640 So the we're down two zero in the set and 0:32:02.680 --> 0:32:04.560 then in the series, so they just need one more 0:32:04.600 --> 0:32:07.840 game and that's it. We win the third third match 0:32:08.600 --> 0:32:10.280 and I'm crying. So now I'm like, we ain't no 0:32:10.320 --> 0:32:12.440 way I came all this way. There's no way I 0:32:12.480 --> 0:32:14.840 came all this way. We won the fourth game, So 0:32:14.920 --> 0:32:16.760 now I was going to the fifth series. Day five 0:32:16.800 --> 0:32:20.480 of playing. We go, we go up two sets, they 0:32:20.520 --> 0:32:22.320 win the third set, they win the fourth set, I mean, 0:32:22.360 --> 0:32:23.880 going to fifth set, and I'm like, I'm. 0:32:23.680 --> 0:32:24.959 Not I haven't cracked a smile. 0:32:26.120 --> 0:32:27.920 Every ball that hits my hand at least my hand 0:32:27.960 --> 0:32:29.479 is a point, like I'm not cheering. 0:32:29.880 --> 0:32:31.240 I don't know. I'm not gonna look at the score 0:32:31.240 --> 0:32:32.360 and the scoreboard at this point. 0:32:32.720 --> 0:32:34.280 And next thing you know, we win the fifth set 0:32:34.400 --> 0:32:38.800 literally fifteen thirteen like it was, I mean every I. 0:32:38.760 --> 0:32:40.400 Wanted it so bad. I knew in my mind. I 0:32:40.440 --> 0:32:42.320 was like, if I want this, it's going I'm gonna 0:32:42.320 --> 0:32:43.360 have to get everything that happen. 0:32:43.440 --> 0:32:44.920 I get everything, and I end up being it was 0:32:45.040 --> 0:32:46.320 the first thing they ever had a four and MVP 0:32:46.480 --> 0:32:48.360 before normally did the girls get it. 0:32:48.400 --> 0:32:50.040 So I was the first scoring MVP and it was. 0:32:50.360 --> 0:32:51.960 It was a whole thing. I in a Korea amazing la. 0:32:52.160 --> 0:32:55.440 I was like, when you come back, I'm like, probably not. 0:32:56.120 --> 0:32:58.000 I mean, it's like a mic drop right there. 0:32:58.040 --> 0:32:59.920 But you can't do it better than that, you know. 0:33:00.200 --> 0:33:03.160 So what made you ultimately decide to come to the 0:33:03.280 --> 0:33:05.240 US and then now play for League One. 0:33:05.520 --> 0:33:07.480 Just being back at home, honestly, like coming back to 0:33:07.480 --> 0:33:09.440 Austin is a full circle moment. I've been thinking of 0:33:09.480 --> 0:33:11.840 retirement already as it is, and to be able to 0:33:11.840 --> 0:33:14.880 retire back in the States would be amazing. I've had 0:33:14.920 --> 0:33:19.440 so much love overseas, but like being away for nine 0:33:19.440 --> 0:33:21.479 months at a time, it just became too It's just 0:33:21.480 --> 0:33:21.800 it's a. 0:33:21.720 --> 0:33:23.320 Grind and some manage who want to do anymore? 0:33:23.360 --> 0:33:25.240 And like, fortunately I have the opportunity to play like 0:33:25.240 --> 0:33:27.120 in short seasons like I was in the Philippines this summer, 0:33:27.440 --> 0:33:28.520 and then that was amazing. 0:33:28.520 --> 0:33:28.680 You know. 0:33:28.680 --> 0:33:30.880 I spent my whole summer playing volleyball and making money 0:33:30.920 --> 0:33:33.560 and like traveling and being in a warm climate, which 0:33:33.600 --> 0:33:35.719 was great. But just doing that long term eight month 0:33:35.760 --> 0:33:37.040 season and broad is just something you just didn't want 0:33:37.080 --> 0:33:39.400 to do anymore again, going back to always one wanting 0:33:39.480 --> 0:33:41.560 to be around and compete with the best, So that 0:33:41.600 --> 0:33:43.400 definitely was something that when you want to come back, 0:33:43.960 --> 0:33:47.000 and then when I often have a team, I was 0:33:47.040 --> 0:33:47.640 like oh for sure. 0:33:47.800 --> 0:33:49.000 Like I want to be a part of that too. 0:33:49.040 --> 0:33:50.520 So now, like you know, have theses and nephews that 0:33:50.560 --> 0:33:52.840 are older now and that can watch me on TV 0:33:52.880 --> 0:33:54.280 and watch me play and come to the games and 0:33:54.320 --> 0:33:55.880 watching play, So that's really important to me. 0:33:55.960 --> 0:33:57.560 So, yeah, who were some of the players that you 0:33:57.600 --> 0:33:59.960 were excited to both play with and play against? 0:34:01.560 --> 0:34:03.880 I would say Haley Washington. 0:34:04.200 --> 0:34:07.240 She is amazing, Like I've watched her since she was 0:34:07.240 --> 0:34:08.359 also in college as well. 0:34:09.280 --> 0:34:10.360 I love her attitude. 0:34:10.400 --> 0:34:12.920 I love how she's like just this amazing beast on 0:34:12.960 --> 0:34:15.720 the court and. 0:34:14.600 --> 0:34:16.560 She's very entertaining, and so am I too, you know. 0:34:16.600 --> 0:34:18.000 So we even talked a little bit on insigin that 0:34:18.080 --> 0:34:19.600 like this one game we can kind of trick for 0:34:19.600 --> 0:34:22.239 a little bit, don't do too much, don't do too 0:34:22.320 --> 0:34:25.839 much pretending for fake, and go away real quick. 0:34:25.920 --> 0:34:28.799 So but no, she I loved her energy in the 0:34:28.800 --> 0:34:30.720 court as well. Kelsey Robinson. 0:34:30.760 --> 0:34:32.319 I was able to watch her at Tennessee and when 0:34:32.320 --> 0:34:33.680 she went to Nebraska and when she did there for 0:34:33.680 --> 0:34:36.160 that program, and obviously watched her game to the national 0:34:36.160 --> 0:34:36.640 team as well. 0:34:36.719 --> 0:34:38.360 So when I saw those names kind of come in 0:34:38.480 --> 0:34:39.000 was amazing. 0:34:39.080 --> 0:34:42.359 And then I think Maddie came in towards the end, 0:34:42.360 --> 0:34:44.120 which I was already signed, but then Mattie Kingan is 0:34:44.160 --> 0:34:45.840 like one of my best friends. So Maddie being in 0:34:45.920 --> 0:34:48.440 Houston was like even amazing. So I was able to 0:34:48.480 --> 0:34:51.239 like literally talk to Chiyaka about coming. So I talked 0:34:51.239 --> 0:34:52.600 to her into comments and once she was coming, I 0:34:52.680 --> 0:34:53.240 was like, Yeah. 0:34:53.040 --> 0:34:54.360 This is gonna be amazing experience. 0:34:54.400 --> 0:34:56.520 So I think the people, for sure, people definitely made 0:34:56.560 --> 0:34:58.360 it the experience for me, are making it the experience 0:34:58.400 --> 0:34:58.640 for me. 0:34:58.880 --> 0:35:01.520 All right, well, let's talk about you as a person, 0:35:01.680 --> 0:35:06.440 because you are so fun and fascinating and your personality 0:35:06.520 --> 0:35:10.840 is great, So let's talk just hobbies, passions. What do 0:35:10.880 --> 0:35:11.799 you like to do for fun? 0:35:12.360 --> 0:35:15.000 I really just like growth is a big thing for me. 0:35:15.200 --> 0:35:17.160 I think I love anything that can make me develop 0:35:17.280 --> 0:35:20.040 my just becoming a I have a vision of myself 0:35:20.080 --> 0:35:22.239 as this woman and anything I can do to get 0:35:22.280 --> 0:35:24.080 me there, that's my biggest thing is like, Okay, what 0:35:24.120 --> 0:35:26.520 can I do to get to her faster? You know, 0:35:28.000 --> 0:35:30.480 I like to cook. I really do enjoy cooking. It's 0:35:30.520 --> 0:35:32.759 one of my favorite things to do. Yeah, and just 0:35:33.360 --> 0:35:35.239 my new thing right now is building things. So going 0:35:35.320 --> 0:35:37.400 to like home goods and find different things to put 0:35:37.440 --> 0:35:39.759 into my apartment and different chemises and that kind. 0:35:39.680 --> 0:35:42.279 Of stuff too. So yeah, just chilling, developing. I like 0:35:42.280 --> 0:35:43.680 to go to church those kind of things. 0:35:44.440 --> 0:35:46.120 For the last question, I just want to, you know 0:35:46.360 --> 0:35:50.200 it bring it back to love. Ended on a love note. 0:35:50.520 --> 0:35:55.080 What are you hoping to showcase in this inaugural season 0:35:55.200 --> 0:35:58.120 for love? Both as a player yourself, but also like 0:35:58.160 --> 0:35:59.960 when it comes to women's volleyball in general. 0:36:00.320 --> 0:36:02.640 I mean, the sport is growing, and you know, I 0:36:02.719 --> 0:36:04.520 just want to showcase the attraction for the sport. You know, 0:36:04.560 --> 0:36:06.440 hopefully we can get enough people like to really believe 0:36:06.440 --> 0:36:08.279 in us and watch us and you know, show that 0:36:08.360 --> 0:36:10.440 like you know, volleyball is an amazing fun game is 0:36:10.560 --> 0:36:13.120 like everywhere else, you know, and I really hope that 0:36:13.160 --> 0:36:15.960 the girls really dive into that aspect of it, Like 0:36:15.960 --> 0:36:17.880 it's entertainment. People want to come and be entertained, and 0:36:17.960 --> 0:36:21.080 volleyball is already entering support. But like you know, having 0:36:21.239 --> 0:36:23.600 amazing cheers on the sideline or cheers in the court, 0:36:23.640 --> 0:36:25.600 and like you know, a little smack talking between the 0:36:25.680 --> 0:36:27.680 that a little bit can like also drive it up. 0:36:27.719 --> 0:36:28.960 I think that's one thing that did really well for 0:36:29.000 --> 0:36:29.800 women's basketball. 0:36:29.840 --> 0:36:32.960 So just a showcase, like the sport is fun and 0:36:32.960 --> 0:36:34.640 it's growing, developing, and like to show that, you know, 0:36:34.719 --> 0:36:36.440 young girls that do look like me, that you guys 0:36:36.440 --> 0:36:40.359 have an option to play after college and there's something 0:36:40.360 --> 0:36:42.880 you can do professionally at home. So it's you know, 0:36:42.920 --> 0:36:45.440 I just wanted to keep going and just a showcase 0:36:45.440 --> 0:36:47.440 to the sport and just that it's an amazing thing 0:36:47.600 --> 0:36:48.920 for us to have here in the States. 0:36:48.960 --> 0:36:51.520 So yeah, I love it. Well, Thank you so much, 0:36:51.600 --> 0:36:54.520 Cap for coming on. Serving Pancakes. It's a pleasure, Thank you, 0:36:54.560 --> 0:36:58.160 Thank you for having me. Serving Pancakes is an iHeart 0:36:58.200 --> 0:37:02.400 women's sports production in partner with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. 0:37:02.840 --> 0:37:05.799 You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 0:37:06.040 --> 0:37:09.920 or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by League One Volleyball, 0:37:10.400 --> 0:37:14.960 I'm your host Tiffany Oshinsky. Anya Olivarez is our senior producer. 0:37:15.440 --> 0:37:19.480 Our executive producers are Carrie Stett, Tamaradike, and Lindsay Hoffman. 0:37:20.239 --> 0:37:23.920 Our marketing lead is Juwara Parker. Sound editing and mixing 0:37:24.040 --> 0:37:28.400 by Daniel Gonzalez. Our theme music is Pancakes by Eric W. 0:37:28.600 --> 0:37:29.320 Mast Junior. 0:37:30.120 --> 0:37:33.800 Special thanks to kat Bell, Stay tuned for another episode 0:37:33.800 --> 0:37:36.000 of Serving Pancakes. Thanks for listening.