WEBVTT - Justine Wong-Orantes 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:07.040 Hi, I'm Tifney Oshinsky, and this is serving pancakes. Nope, 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:10.600 not a podcast about food. This is a podcast about 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:14.680 volleyball and more to you. A pancake is a fluffy, 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:18.840 syrup drenched breakfast food button volleyball. A pancake is a 0:00:18.920 --> 0:00:21.640 high effort move when a player flattens her hand against 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.160 the ground to keep the ball in play. And that's 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:27.760 us digging into high efforts that are moving sports forward. 0:00:28.480 --> 0:00:30.400 Listen in as I talk with the people making the 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:36.400 biggest impacts on global volleyball and women's sports perspectives, insights, 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.960 and behind the scenes stories, all with the side of pancakes. 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:44.080 Today's episode features the best liberro in the world, an 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:47.120 honor she earned after helping Team USA take home their 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:50.839 first gold medal in Tokyo in the last Olympics, Justine 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:54.680 Wong Orantis. Justine is a two time All American from 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:57.720 the University of Nebraska, where she helped the corn Huskers 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:01.480 win an NCAA national title in twenty fifteen, and as 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:05.280 a liberro, she knows a lot about pancakes, the volleyball kind. 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.520 This summer, she's part of the team defending the gold 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:11.399 medal at the Paris Olympics, and then returning home to 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.039 play professionally in the US for the first time in 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:16.880 her career as part of love Omaha Volleyball. 0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:17.679 Dustine. 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:21.200 Welcome to serving pancakes, have a seed, thank you. 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:27.000 Welcome to breakfast at Tiffany's. And I'm just it's amazing. Well, welcome, 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:29.080 joy some pancakes. How do you like your pancakes? 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:32.800 Ooh, I'm a simple girl, a just like syrup and 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:34.600 maybe a little bit of chocolate chips. 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:36.360 Did you see pancakes growing up at all? 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:37.119 I did. 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:41.160 Actually, my mom always made chocolate chip pancakes, so that's 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:43.160 like a childhood memory for sure. 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:45.280 Oh, I love that. How many did she make? 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.480 Because I have two kids and they get mad if 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:49.080 I only give them like two, so I have to 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:50.160 make a stack of them. 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:52.680 Yeah, she always made a stack, and then my brother 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:56.720 and I would always just eat what was left. And yeah, 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:58.640 she did a really good job of just making it 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:00.560 in bulk and then we would just eat you as 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.640 a family, a lot of pancakes. 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:05.520 It's a good old family traditional breakfast. 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:06.720 Yeah, exactly. 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:09.040 So going back to growing up, I want to start 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.120 at the very beginning, which is, what did you want 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:11.960 to be when you grow up. 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:14.760 So first I wanted to be a teacher. 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:18.720 I think with my mom being in that education field, 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.280 I always saw her as going to school, and I 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.360 think for me, relating to kids was like always something 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:26.480 that I was pretty natural at. Whether that was like 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:29.480 you know, taking care of kids. All my mom's friends, 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:31.280 they were all like I was the oldest, and so 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:33.799 all the younger kids they were like can you baby say, 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:36.400 and as I would love to, and so that always 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:37.400 came pretty natural. 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:40.000 And then I kind of tied that into sport. 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:42.680 And so it was always like a camp or a 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.680 clinic and helping with all the young ones. That was 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:49.120 always super fun for me and really connecting so both 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:51.839 like you know, with sport and then off the core 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:55.320 love kids. And I think so growing up I was 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:58.640 like being a teacher, that seems pretty natural to go 0:02:58.760 --> 0:02:59.920 into that direction. 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:04.000 And what was your go to babysitting games, sport, the 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:06.480 thing that made the kids want you as they're beating. 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:09.200 Say, I think just being outside, Like I was always 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:11.360 wanting to play tag with them, you know, if they 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:13.840 wanted to play volleyball, I would love to show them 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.000 playing you know, basketball, just being active and being outside 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:19.600 I think that was what I was good as, just 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:21.359 like you know, some people are like, Okay, they can 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:23.480 just kind of chill watch TV, but like I love 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.560 to be outside, and so it was fun because whenever 0:03:26.840 --> 0:03:30.040 my mom and like their parents were playing volleyball, whether 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:31.760 it was outside or the other court, and we were 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.000 always just playing with the with the ball or playing 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:36.040 soccer or whatever it was the parents. 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:38.040 Yeah, I just wanted to go to bed at the 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:40.400 end of the day, exactly, all real quick. 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:42.840 Yeah, so how did you get into volleyball? 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.800 Both of my parents played, so they both played at 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.640 the collegiate level in some capacity, and so for me 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:50.600 to watch up and grow up with them, I feel 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:51.440 like I was always. 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.680 Surrounded by it, and they did a really nice job. 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:57.400 Of kind of laying it out there for us to compete, 0:03:57.440 --> 0:03:58.440 both my brother and I. 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:00.400 But it was never like, oh, you. 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:02.440 Should play this, or it would be nice if you 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.320 would play this. It just was very natural and I 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:07.360 grew up around it, and so I grew to love 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:09.640 at such a young age, and I think that's what 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:12.680 was the most special, because I could have a connection 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:16.000 to the sport but to my parents too because they 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:19.120 were always supporting me at the tournament, at practices, and 0:04:19.200 --> 0:04:21.440 they knew the game really well, so I could always 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.480 bounce ideas off of them and see where their head 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:26.360 was at when I was growing up and playing, and 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:27.480 it was just fun to. 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:30.160 Have that support throughout my childhood up until now. 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:32.360 So going back even farther, I want to see, if 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:36.400 you know the true romance of your parents. They both 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.640 played in college. So how did they meet? Did they 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:39.920 meet in college playing each other? 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:43.920 They played in a league California is like pretty notorious, 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:47.360 where like all these like rec leagues happening, And it's 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:50.160 really cool because they played a lot with their friends too, 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.159 and so that goes back to like all of the 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:53.560 babysitting duties. 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:53.720 That I had. 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:57.359 And so they met at a volleyball league in Tustin 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:01.400 and so super local and yeah, and they met and 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:03.000 then you know, the rest is history. 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:05.840 Had me and my brother and it's just very fun. 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:08.440 Because all of us have played volleyball at some point 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:11.120 in our lives, and I think that's like really cool 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.360 that we have that time to connect with each other 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:15.920 and just be able to support and like show up 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:16.880 for one another too. 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:20.800 Did they know about the club scene and stuff when 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:21.760 they were growing up. 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:23.359 Did they were they aware of time. 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.000 Commitment that, yeah, right, not right. Yeah. 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:28.800 So my dad actually coached for Mazuna Long Beach Current 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.760 Love Club, and so it was nice to have that 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:35.039 kind of connection to the club because I really didn't know, 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:38.479 like being in southern California, there's so many clubs that 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:41.479 you can choose from, and so having that you know, 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:44.240 connection right off the bat was very helpful. And so 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:47.000 Joy and Matt Feerbringer, who were the directors of the club, 0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:49.960 still are and they were like, yeah, bring her on by. 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:51.960 And so I started at a very young age. I 0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:56.480 started at eight years old and going into club and 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:58.599 there was a twelve and under group and I actually 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:00.760 played twelve and under for four years. I was so young, 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:03.200 so I was just playing for you know, up until 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:05.960 I turned twelve. And it was very fun because I 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:08.039 think one year actually my dad got to coach me. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.960 And it was always you know, like that weird feeling 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:14.360 of like not wanting to be favored, but also like 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:18.640 having that you know, soft spot for your daughter. And 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:20.880 it was really cool because you got to meet a 0:06:20.880 --> 0:06:23.680 lot of people and like just club is just such 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:28.279 a unique kind of community because you're with each other 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.200 for like eight months out of the year, and you're 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:34.840 traveling to all these tournaments and practicing basically every other day, 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.880 and so to have both my parents be there for 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:40.960 a good chunk of it was really fun. And also 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:43.560 to just know a lot of people from it and 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:45.599 grow up with them, Like I think I had a 0:06:45.600 --> 0:06:49.200 few girls that we stayed from like basically twelve until eighteens, 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.000 and that's pretty unique to have, and so it was 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:54.200 very fun, and a lot of them I still keep 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:55.360 in touch with, which is nice. 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:57.840 You also play beach, though, I did. So did you 0:06:58.000 --> 0:06:59.480 start indoor? Did you start beach? 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:02.560 I start indoor first, and then that following summer I 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:04.839 started beach. It was kind of like one season, you know, 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:06.840 indoor and then going into the summer was beach. 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:09.840 So it was basically all year round volleyball, which I loved. 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:12.080 I love being in the gym or being on the beach, 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:13.920 and so I feel like it was also a great 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:16.160 change up. You know, being indoor and then playing on 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:19.000 the beach is such a different atmosphere and it's honestly 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:21.160 such a different game, and so for me, it just 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.880 taught me a lot of well roundedness, kind of seeing 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:25.920 a lot of different parts of the game and kind 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:29.040 of bettering each skill. So I really enjoyed my time 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.520 and like doing both sports because I think it was 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:34.720 super important for my overall ability to see the game 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:35.600 and to read the game. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.680 Hey guys, time for your first fun fact of the episode. 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:43.280 And it's not volleyball specific. 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:44.160 Now. 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:48.040 Although beach and indoor volleyball are somewhat similar, as Justine said, 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:52.360 there are different skills involved and it is a different sport. 0:07:52.600 --> 0:07:56.080 In fact, playing multiple sports as a kid is actually 0:07:56.200 --> 0:08:00.640 really important. It can prevent injuries due to overuse, less 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.840 emotional burnout. Kids get exposed to different kids and roles, 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:07.600 and it allows them to see what they like and 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:10.280 don't like, so that later down the road they can 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:14.760 eventually specialize. And who knows, maybe kids not burning out 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.880 could lead them to become an Olympic champion just like Justine. 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:20.040 But now let's get back to volleyball. 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:23.440 So I started club when I was twelve. I wait, 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:24.280 teen and everything too. 0:08:24.360 --> 0:08:27.800 Yeah, but I remember when I was fourteen, I said 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:30.240 to myself, fall I'm a really good indoor player, so 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:33.440 I can play beach, And I went I was in 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:35.480 California for a trip, and I went out and tried 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:39.559 to play, and I was dying, absolutely dying. I can't 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.280 handle the cminus. So you learn a lot from playing 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:45.160 beach versus indoor, But did you find one to be 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:46.280 particularly harder one? 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:47.400 Do that you enjoy it more? 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:48.400 I would say the. 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:51.320 Hardest part of beach volleyball is just there's two people 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:53.200 out there, so there's no really hiding. 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:55.319 Both of you guys have to do all the skills. 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:57.240 You have to pass that hit, and I think that 0:08:57.559 --> 0:08:59.960 just teaches a lot of people about reading the game 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:03.040 and also how to be good at each skill. And 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.959 so I think for me, getting exposed to beach volleyball 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:08.079 at such a young age actually taught me a lot 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:11.440 and also about you know, stamina and being like I 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:14.320 felt like every time I transitioned from beach to indoor, 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:17.000 I felt faster, I was jumping higher, just because the 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:20.360 sand just creates a lot of difficulty to move. And 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.000 so it was honestly really good cross training. 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:26.040 Did you find yourself teaching the younger kids how to 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:28.160 play or were you involved in any of that since you. 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.040 Did enjoy being with Yeah, So at Mazuno we had 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:33.160 this one team. It was called Beach Babes, and they 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.200 were like, I think they could be they could start 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.240 as young as they wanted, and they went up to 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.400 ten and so each team had to do one tournament 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.719 of Beach Babes of like helping out coaching, just kind 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.320 of being their mentoring. And it was so cute because 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:50.400 they're playing with those light balls and they're usually playing 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:50.880 like from. 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.560 The tenth line to like half core. 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:54.880 It was such a great way to like connect with 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.640 the younger athletes and show them a thing or two, 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:00.560 but also grow the game because when you starting at 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.640 that young of an age, it's so fun to be 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:05.200 able to see the older girls like and also see 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:05.959 that they care. 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:08.040 About you and want to support you. 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.200 And I think that's one thing that Maszuna Long Beach 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:12.960 did a great job of is just creating a family environment. 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:15.680 And you felt that from you know, twelve and unders 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:16.640 to eighteen and unders. 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:18.480 That's like California's so good at volleyball. 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:22.360 Yeah, so let me ask you when you got to 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:25.280 club and high school, what position were you? 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:26.600 I was a setter? 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:29.280 Okay, yeah, so were you running a five one or 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:29.880 a six to two? 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:32.520 I ran a five to one actually up until my 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:33.960 senior year. 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.000 Real quick before, since you know there are people who 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:38.920 are listening to this who don't know volleyball, can you 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:40.880 explain what a five one is versus six to two? 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.439 Yeah, five to one is when the setter just comes 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.200 from the back row, setting from the back row all 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:48.360 the way through the front row, and then six to 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:50.560 two is just when the setter is setting from the 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:54.000 back row and then typically an opposite that's coming in 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:56.320 and then they do like a double sub and they're 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.120 able to only set from the back row, So you're 0:10:58.120 --> 0:10:59.960 always having three attackers. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:02.920 Played five line. So I'm sure I know you're five 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:06.839 to six. Yeah, short people, you know some love right here. 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:11.160 When you were in the front row, did you struggle 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:12.640 at all or were you working hard? 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.760 Did the beach yes, say and get you to jump 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:16.000 high and help with blocking and. 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:17.040 Yeah, yeah. 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.880 I feel like, honestly, that was one thing that I 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.520 had to really overcome, is you know, the height and 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:24.880 the disadvantage that I had, and so I feel like, 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:27.080 honestly that was one thing that Beach helped me with, 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:29.640 was just the vertical and just trying to at least 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:32.360 put some sort of hands above the block but we 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:35.760 did a really good job of My coach JP called around. 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:37.920 He made sure that no matter what position you were, 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:39.520 you were doing all the skills. So if you were 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:43.120 a metal blocker, you were involved in defense, passing, and 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.559 so I feel like that, Like, honestly, we had a 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:48.560 really good ball control team, and so it was kind 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:51.200 of filling gaps where was needed on that team from 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:55.120 like sixteens because my sixteen seventeen eighteens year was the 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:57.960 same team, and so we kind of knew each other 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.240 and we did a really good job of, you know, 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.840 training everything. And I think that's so important as a 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:05.560 young athlete is not to put yourself in a box 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:08.559 and specialize in one position. I think, of course, when 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:11.559 you're getting to recruitment time and you're starting to look 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.360 for colleges, yes, you can have a specific position that 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:17.240 you want to go for, but when you're ten, eleven, twelve, like, 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.960 play all the positions, yeah, enjoy and try to do 0:12:21.000 --> 0:12:23.800 everything you can because I think that's what's going to 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:25.960 make you a really good volleyball player down the road. 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:40.119 And recruiting was a little. 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:42.280 Tough for you, right, yeah, I mean I had the 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:42.800 same thing. 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:47.280 Yeah, So what's your story with recruiting, Yeah, that Nebraska. 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:50.360 So I was mainly looking at a lot of local 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:53.520 schools in California as a setter. As a back row setter, 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:57.920 you know, maybe a DS super quick. 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:03.520 DS means defensive specialist and does what the name says, 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:08.120 specializes in defense. So this position only plays back row 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.160 and teams must use a substitution to go in and 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:13.800 out of the game. A libero, on the other hand, 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:17.120 is free to replace a back row player whenever, as 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:20.520 long as it's in between plays. Libero's became a position 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:23.439 internationally back in nineteen ninety eight and was introduced in 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:25.560 college in two thousand and two to help with ball 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.559 control and make the game more exciting. You'll know who 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:32.079 the libero is because they always wear a different color jersey. 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:34.840 All right, Back to Justine. 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:39.360 What's funny is that going into my junior year of club, 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.400 we were at nationals and my coach it was never 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:44.679 a conversation. He just was like, we need you to 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:47.360 go to play libero because we need some passing. And 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:50.199 so I was like freaking out because first of all, 0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:53.400 I didn't bring my other jersey because normally at every 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.560 club tournament they're like brainbow jerseys just in case I 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.400 was the one that did not, and so I ended 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:02.640 up having to borrow a libero jersey from a different team. 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:03.800 You know, it worked out. 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.960 I was playing libero for that tournament and Nebraska was 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:10.360 you know, kind of roaming the courts and they saw 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:13.040 me play. And then after that that tournament we ended 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:15.920 up talking and setting up an official visit because after 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:19.000 that junior season was into my senior year, so I 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:20.600 was pretty late in. 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:22.360 The recruitment you know period. 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:25.040 I was a senior when I committed to Nebraska and 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:29.320 with like no libero experience at all, and so that 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:32.520 was honestly such a like kind of mental block because 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:34.840 for me, I'm like thinking I need to chase and 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:37.280 like catch up with every other libero in the Big 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:40.240 Ten that's been playing for however many years. But I 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.720 really do credit that to beach volleyball, because I think 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:45.760 without beach like, I wouldn't have had all the skills 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:49.000 in the court awareness that beach volleyball gives. I was 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:51.320 at a good starting point, but of course I wanted 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.360 to do more and have more. 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:54.480 Experience in that position. 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:56.960 So yeah, that was a fun time though, Like I'm 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.400 so happy for my experience and how club all ended 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.320 up in just that whole story. But it was just 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.960 so funny how my coach was like randomly, Like it 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:09.120 was never a conversation of like, hey, we're thinking of 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:10.120 playing you Libero. 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.000 It was just like, hey, you're going in there. 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:13.800 Get that jersey right, right. 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:15.200 And for those who. 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:17.480 Don't know what a libero is, libero, where's a different 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:18.240 colored jersey. 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:21.360 It's called Libero. It's Italian, yes, free, So that's why 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:23.200 they go in and out without any subs. 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.480 So when I played in high school, I was actually 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.800 an outside hitter. Okay, at five three and a quarter, 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:30.280 I always had that quarter in there, right, you have 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.280 to go extra right, But when it came to club, 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:36.320 all of my teammates were five ten or taller. 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:38.520 Yeah, so I was put as Libero. 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:43.080 And I just remember at first hating it because I'm like, 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.360 you just want people to hit balls at me basics. 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:49.160 Yeah, I'm the person that they're just aiming for. But 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:50.440 I loved it. 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:53.680 Yeah, when you transition from Cetter to Lobero, did you 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:55.000 love it like in college or were you. 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.080 Kind of nervous because Colin is a different life. 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.680 Yeah, For me, I was excited to play because I 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.440 did love defensive aspect, like I felt like I was 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:05.440 as a setter. I love to play defense, like that 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:07.680 was the one thing I was like, I love playing 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:11.360 and I took pride and playing defense, and so that 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:12.960 part I was like pretty confident in. 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:16.760 I think it was more the serve reception part and not. 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:20.640 Having as many repetitions as maybe other liberos had. And 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:23.600 so that was the struggle for me, is like how 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:26.240 do I take up space in the serve receive portion 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:28.480 of it? And that's a really tough space to be 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:32.040 in because you know that's the first contact and honestly, 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.680 you're setting it up for all of the offense to 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:37.760 be successful. And so my first couple of years at Nebraska, 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:39.640 I think that was the biggest struggle for me to 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:42.000 kind of overcome, is like how can I be good 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.240 at SERVI receiving but also be able to like take 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:47.920 up more space because as a libero, you know they're 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:50.800 not serving you as much, but how do you relieve 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.960 some of your hitters and other attackers to do what 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.560 they're doing best? And I think that was the major 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:59.440 change for me, is like how can I give an 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:02.040 other way that you know, as a setter, you're touching 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:05.560 every other contact, You're very involved in the play, and 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:09.000 you're leading the charge, leading the offense, and Walberrow is 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:11.840 kind of like a different way. I've had to learn 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:14.520 how to lead in a different way. And I think 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:17.360 mainly in that way, I was using my voice and 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:21.080 just directing traffic and seeing how I can be big 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.160 for other people. And so I've learned that over my career, 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:27.000 and I was definitely a transition, but over the years, 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:29.760 you know, trial and error, and just with different teammates too. 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.040 You learn about different teammates and how you can give 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:34.840 to them and how you can add in any way, 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:36.440 well paid off, you are the. 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:38.840 Old I mean, I had Nebraska, so I think you 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:40.000 figured it out pretty well. 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:41.960 So when you were in. 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:44.119 College, did you have any idea that you wanted to 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:47.000 keep playing and go pro or play on the US 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:47.880 women's national team? 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:48.520 Is that the dream? 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:51.359 As I got older into my career, I was getting 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.080 more confident. I think for me, confidence was like a 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:57.320