Speaker 1: Should we hit the beat? I gotta to think of
Speaker 1: a new beat.
Speaker 2: I always go, this is it's really real serving?
Speaker 1: Well, I'm just serving pancakes. Yeah, I'm Maddie King and
Speaker 1: this is our guest, Mollie McKay original m B And
Speaker 1: what's an m B U For those of us that
Speaker 1: don't know, I do know, but you've got to tell
Speaker 1: the people. It's a Metal Blocker University n O G members.
Speaker 3: She can't be the U.
Speaker 1: I'm the big Oh you were I was just trying
Speaker 1: to that's a really good I'm pretty good. Wait wait anyways, okay,
Speaker 1: so maybe have Molly the cage? Do you want to
Speaker 1: share her accolades? Did you know all this? You know?
Speaker 1: This is prime time, all all all American. Yeah, also
Speaker 1: very sport. I don't even do that. And also that tread.
Speaker 1: I've actually known Molly for a very long time. You
Speaker 1: all know how she gets.
Speaker 4: I've been on a very long time, and honestly, I
Speaker 4: just I just been playing with her for a while.
Speaker 1: And I just had to come up with epiphany in
Speaker 1: this past week. Like you know, I've done her for
Speaker 1: since high school. You know when you have high school? Yeah,
Speaker 1: she had a bob brace calling me Bob. So it's
Speaker 1: such a full a moment.
Speaker 4: You will see Molly in this beautiful spiritual body that
Speaker 4: she's in and see how much she's grown. And I'm
Speaker 4: just so proud of you and I love you so much.
Speaker 4: Ago that for sure, and welcome to our banks. We're
Speaker 4: happy to have you.
Speaker 1: You am I going to cry probably how many time
Speaker 1: while I'm gonna cry because she probably wild.
Speaker 5: You can't cry because I'm I'm like, I'm a self
Speaker 5: diagnosed contact crier. So other people cry, I start crying
Speaker 5: even if I don't know what's going on because I
Speaker 5: cry first. Non So you all, we're going to hit
Speaker 5: you with some fast hit questions just to kind of
Speaker 5: keep the light symbol and get you going Instagram pancakes.
Speaker 1: Are you ready? Yes? Party, I'm not cheating.
Speaker 4: If someone described long the cage energy in one sentence,
Speaker 4: what would you hope they would say?
Speaker 1: Hi, big one? You know, I think I have like
Speaker 1: slip personal disorder. No, I'm kidding. I think off the court,
Speaker 1: I'm quite light in, giggly and hopefully relatable. But then
Speaker 1: on the court I get ritzy, fear and intense. I
Speaker 1: get after it and like, like my life depends on it,
Speaker 1: like it's my job, I guess.
Speaker 4: But it's like an alter ego, Like Mollie's definitely so
Speaker 4: different like off the court that she's on the court.
Speaker 1: You have an alter you go name like I'm Mom
Speaker 1: the Kate off the court, big dog, the k Dog.
Speaker 1: So my legal name actually just changed it to Mollie,
Speaker 1: like I've gotten that Molly my entire life. But like
Speaker 1: government name is now Molly. It used to be Mallory,
Speaker 1: So maybe it's Mallory that like shows herself on the court.
Speaker 1: It's like a scar girl. Yeah, so this is not
Speaker 1: a quick rapid they're quick hits, but they're just like that.
Speaker 5: Okay, if your team at Texas when you guys were
Speaker 5: there had to show a reality show.
Speaker 1: What would it be called Longhorns Club? Bad Girls Club?
Speaker 1: It No, that's really good. I think that's great. Real
Speaker 1: Bad Girls of Austin, Texas.
Speaker 4: We gave like like royalty that made sense, like you know,
Speaker 4: you have like no off instead of sports out there,
Speaker 4: but you had like you know, the soccer players and
Speaker 4: you have the softball players, which is fine, but like
Speaker 4: you know, we went out downtown.
Speaker 1: It was like, oh my god, you think that persists.
Speaker 5: Now you guys have I feel like Tone was a celebrity,
Speaker 5: I know't Texas.
Speaker 1: That's how I feel. That's how I feel too. I
Speaker 1: think that we made Texas volleyball school. Yeah I would
Speaker 1: say that, and it's so I need to be. But
Speaker 1: what's done it? I was like, yeah, I can't go
Speaker 1: get him. Everyone's bad.
Speaker 4: What's one thing that keeps you grounded no matter how
Speaker 4: crazy life gets?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I have some amazing people, and you guys could it.
Speaker 1: And it's honestly, I I lean on my friends a ton,
Speaker 1: to the point where maybe sometimes I'm like, I just
Speaker 1: tell my therapistiness anyways, but I really do just have
Speaker 1: like solid rockstar people in my life, and I like
Speaker 1: make that intention of mine and so the people in
Speaker 1: my life keep me grounded. And life can get crazy,
Speaker 1: as you guys know, but I very much lean on
Speaker 1: the people around me.
Speaker 4: With that being said, like, what are the things that
Speaker 4: you learned obviously playing the sport and on the court
Speaker 4: that you're applying to your life and in yourself outside
Speaker 4: the court in what.
Speaker 1: Way when you like what I've learned through visiting or
Speaker 1: just like you know, having a certain mentality of going
Speaker 1: off into the world world and applying that yet oh
Speaker 1: for sure, So it's I mean I've had a real
Speaker 1: adult job before. What was it? I was directing of operations.
Speaker 1: I had to get several jobs, but a director of
Speaker 1: operations for the men's Libel team of Pepperdine. I have
Speaker 1: worked at two different startups. As a marketing coordinator, I
Speaker 1: worked at a house plant shop. I was also the
Speaker 1: player player coordinator for Athletes Unlimited all the time and
Speaker 1: what else. I've done various odd jobs for AU in
Speaker 1: different regards. So but as a professional volleyball player, I
Speaker 1: very much take all of the skills in terms of
Speaker 1: I think we are over communicators. That's ingrained in us
Speaker 1: as bollyball players, and it's me when somebody isn't constantly
Speaker 1: communicating as well, and like eye contact and touch is
Speaker 1: actually like scientifically so proven to like expedite relationships interest
Speaker 1: and that's something I think I speak over to like
Speaker 1: the corporate world of like we need constant like even
Speaker 1: if it's not workoated, so like the bands for the jokes,
Speaker 1: the giggles of just like hey, let's catch up for
Speaker 1: an hour and instead of like actually talking about work,
Speaker 1: like sometimes that's more important than that work.
Speaker 5: Stuff truly, so keeping up same aspect to like when
Speaker 5: you meet the new team, where you start a new year,
Speaker 5: like going off the court and getting coffee and doing
Speaker 5: stuff outside of volleyball so much.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what does it mean right now? Couple jobs? Like
Speaker 1: you know, volleyball, you're back, I would say, your pride
Speaker 1: right now?
Speaker 5: Yeah for real, I would agree, great, starting is killing it?
Speaker 1: Like what does it mean just being who you are now?
Speaker 1: Thank you for saying that. I think we needed. I
Speaker 1: needed a little gut check and maybe it comes at
Speaker 1: different times in people's lives, but having the perspective of like,
Speaker 1: well it could be different and coming back and being
Speaker 1: like I am so grateful for this sport. I'm grateful
Speaker 1: for people around me. Our job is crazy amazing, Like
Speaker 1: our hours are great. Obviously travel you know whatever, at
Speaker 1: least you get to see people in travel. I think
Speaker 1: that this one's a huge one for me. I know
Speaker 1: that I have a clock, like we all kind of do,
Speaker 1: you know. So I'm just trying to milk it for
Speaker 1: what it's worth, and especially having League one, like playing
Speaker 1: here in the States is a huge, huge deal, and
Speaker 1: I the benefits that we received from this I think
Speaker 1: like this platform right now is a benefit, you know,
Speaker 1: and sharing our stories is something that we weren't really
Speaker 1: able to do and we were overseas and the frigid cold,
Speaker 1: like you know, we didn't have that kind of stage
Speaker 1: and that's something that's super fulfilling for me as well.
Speaker 1: So coming back and being grateful helps with my discipline
Speaker 1: and just knowing that it's leading. It truly is scary,
Speaker 1: but like that keeps it fun. Yeah, but doesn't it
Speaker 1: kind of help you show up every single day? We
Speaker 1: were like, wow, I don't know how the years I
Speaker 1: have left, Like I know, I'm at the tail end
Speaker 1: of my career technically, like I have less years left
Speaker 1: in me than like water behind me. And I'm like
Speaker 1: every day on the court, I'm like this, I don't
Speaker 1: even know when my last day will be, Like I'm
Speaker 1: going to treat it like this last also, like we
Speaker 1: just know what works now. Yeah, we have tried many
Speaker 1: things that didn't work, and so now I like, have
Speaker 1: we talked about this? Whenever? You know, a young man
Speaker 1: of Walker's like, hey, what can I do? And I
Speaker 1: can tell you all the things, but it kind of
Speaker 1: is just reps. Yeah, you just got to learn on it.
Speaker 1: Some things on your eyes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it takes
Speaker 1: time to get good to your craft. We put in
Speaker 1: some time, very long time. I like this one.
Speaker 4: How has your definition of success changed from when you
Speaker 4: were at Texas until now?
Speaker 1: Oh, just a really good one. I think at that
Speaker 1: age I was chasing cloud.
Speaker 6: That.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, I mean all of the accolades and
Speaker 1: like championships meant that you were a great vollball player.
Speaker 1: And now I just know I'm a great level player.
Speaker 1: I don't need the athletes. That's very surprising. I would
Speaker 1: never you never did with you to me what I
Speaker 1: want to me, like us being in the same position
Speaker 1: and I was older than you.
Speaker 4: I felt like you were just trying to chasing to
Speaker 4: be better, you know, And that's so much respected to
Speaker 4: Like I didn't even know.
Speaker 1: That a better trophy. Yeah, yeah, I I think I
Speaker 1: want to. I'm not like like as a team like
Speaker 1: I wanted to be part of like the winning team,
Speaker 1: you know, Like I didn't think that all American was
Speaker 1: in the part to me because the team that I
Speaker 1: was on all Americans, So I was like just here
Speaker 1: for the ride and I want to win with them.
Speaker 1: And so it was an extra bonus to get all
Speaker 1: American awards for sure, But I think I was like
Speaker 1: I want so badly to win and winning now just
Speaker 1: being like doing your best and giving what you have
Speaker 1: and it doesn't define me.
Speaker 5: Yeah, what moment in your volleyball career may be the
Speaker 5: most proud of the WOK to come.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no emotional day, I think your times. You know,
Speaker 1: my path is kind of scarly. You're actually really drawing.
Speaker 1: I know, as you guys know, my path has been
Speaker 1: a little weird. And I stopped and retired and at
Speaker 1: a life crisis and then came back and was like
Speaker 1: am I still good enough to do this? And over
Speaker 1: time I was like, okay, maybe sure, like I still
Speaker 1: want this, but I don't know if it wants me.
Speaker 1: And then slowly over time I was like, Okay, I
Speaker 1: think that I deserve to be here. I think I'm
Speaker 1: always struggled with confidence and like, am I worthy enough
Speaker 1: to be on this team? Do I deserve a spot?
Speaker 1: And then now changing right now, like there's so many
Speaker 1: serious but that too is hard too to be question
Speaker 1: and you'd every single day yeah, and you already do
Speaker 1: that to yourself. So being your own cheerleader and You've
Speaker 1: taught me this many many times. Being your own cheerleader
Speaker 1: is the most important. So maybe it wasn't a moment,
Speaker 1: but it was like a little tiny success is that
Speaker 1: I would get coming back again and being like, oh,
Speaker 1: this is where I'm supposed to be. I wasn't supposed
Speaker 1: to retire earlier, was supposed to come back and enjoy this,
Speaker 1: and I am worthy of the successes that I've worked
Speaker 1: hard for. Yeah, I think, especially as.
Speaker 7: It's always so hard to hear her saying things about herself,
Speaker 7: because like I always like, I wish you could see
Speaker 7: yourself how I see you.
Speaker 1: I'm like, of course you're you're so great, Like what
Speaker 1: look at you?
Speaker 4: Like you've been confidence, you're beautiful, you're outgoing, you're tall.
Speaker 7: Every room you walk in, everyone gravitates to you, you say,
Speaker 7: every room that you're in, And I think it's I
Speaker 7: always want to read that into you, and just like,
Speaker 7: of course you're meant to be here, like you right now,
Speaker 7: what you're doing is legally And second, I believe you're
Speaker 7: moving the way you're moving like I'm shocked, insane, lights
Speaker 7: out like a.
Speaker 1: Lad, like the gym one of you, and like whatever
Speaker 1: moment you're in.
Speaker 4: Just know that you're meant to be there and like
Speaker 4: this is you are in your moment right now and
Speaker 4: so much It's gonna get so much better.
Speaker 1: Toss. I love you so much too. See people, what
Speaker 1: we're talking about. Get real friends. That's the problem. Support women,
Speaker 1: Get friends, mary Win, Okay, what this is going to be?
Speaker 1: What's one thing the younger version of you would be
Speaker 1: shocked to know about your life today? Maybe sorry, we're
Speaker 1: so good at coming up with questions. You had odd
Speaker 1: jobs and you came that one. You could be a
Speaker 1: professionalball player. That's that's a crazy thought, like I could
Speaker 1: do this for a living. That you would be in
Speaker 1: the point zero zero one percent of the sport. So
Speaker 1: I mean thank you whenever we first right out. I
Speaker 1: don't know about you guys, but I was laughably terrible.
Speaker 1: I was on the B team in middle school. I
Speaker 1: couldn't serve over the bar. Yes, in the middle crazy.
Speaker 1: It is middle ber It's so set up. That's why
Speaker 1: you know. Anyway, Oh gosh, I think yeah that she
Speaker 1: that she chose a path and it was super not linear,
Speaker 1: but then she persevered. Anyways, I think she would have
Speaker 1: been proud of the fact that I chose a hard
Speaker 1: pass sometimes on purpose. I think she would have proud
Speaker 1: that she gets to giggle and laugh every single day. Seriously,
Speaker 1: I think proud of her sense of style. Now me,
Speaker 1: I would love to I will. I will tell anybody
Speaker 1: that that is my if we go shopping, that is
Speaker 1: my love language. Let's go shopping ready and spend my money. Yes,
Speaker 1: do you want to spend money? Spend love money on
Speaker 1: close to pick up for me? Yeah, you can make them. Okay,
Speaker 1: what's one thing you still quote from Jared Elliott's practices?
Speaker 1: You still like? I still think it still in there.
Speaker 1: I think it's the middle. I think about this. I know,
Speaker 1: but back we don't have especially because we have nb
Speaker 1: as on our team. However, he would always he would
Speaker 1: have with us sometimes.
Speaker 5: Oh the court, there.
Speaker 1: Was barely grazing over the it was just going point
Speaker 1: credit card. No, but he would was like, here's a
Speaker 1: rich and so I always think of like my shots,
Speaker 1: like my shot book needs to be more because it's
Speaker 1: like I need to be able to use my arms
Speaker 1: saying but also my wrist. I think woman up. He
Speaker 1: always tells the woman and the man out there and
Speaker 1: sorry a bitch. Oh okay, yea. Honestly, if I had
Speaker 1: to be back to Texas when I was playing it
Speaker 1: to you guys, I'd be like, that's a tea. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I don't know, that's the very songs like that whole thing.
Speaker 1: And then after the game you had you were wearing
Speaker 1: like a what are like a striped and you were
Speaker 1: sitting in the stands of the hood just like this.
Speaker 1: I was like, and I saw this woman in a
Speaker 1: dark alley, I would not want to I was, I'm
Speaker 1: going to be her best friend. Let's be Bessie later.
Speaker 4: Yeah, what's the last thing in Google?
Speaker 1: Honestly flights to California? But we don't we do excellent?
Speaker 1: What do you have? Actually? Hate hidden talent?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 1: I always say I can do the worm right now?
Speaker 1: You really lived her up. And I love being in Texas.
Speaker 1: I learned how to dance from the But like you
Speaker 1: were doing the worm in the club or some time,
Speaker 1: you know, times be one at all the browntime you
Speaker 1: do like the slips in a bar in the last years.
Speaker 1: It's actually almost will always be there right leg were
Speaker 1: playing at Texas right now, say that or not? But
Speaker 1: we it was we got back to the game. I
Speaker 1: was Clebate Halloween, but we'd have costumes. What we did
Speaker 1: was we wore wore up.
Speaker 8: And we all had bought like a group of like
Speaker 8: we were like masks and we literally walked around on campus,
Speaker 8: which is like the nice part of like the campers
Speaker 8: were Lincoln and we were like hopping over cards.
Speaker 1: We were entering people's like random parties and what is
Speaker 1: it called a flash mob? Yeah, it was whenever the
Speaker 1: Purge came out, That's what it was.
Speaker 9: And all these tall girls with these masks on and
Speaker 9: we walked into Rand's houses an apartment and like line
Speaker 9: up like five six seven, and that would hit a
Speaker 9: move and then they was at the same move and.
Speaker 1: We was just and when we recorded, like hey we
Speaker 1: just leave and oh yeah, can you imagine? That was
Speaker 1: on TikTok and they're like tas volleyball team. We went
Speaker 1: in my room. Yeah all right, what's something you unlearned
Speaker 1: that made you a better athlete? I used to be
Speaker 1: obsessed with stats, and now I don't really look at them.
Speaker 1: I mean, yes, we're like okay, you know in the
Speaker 1: leader workop set like there I am, but after games,
Speaker 1: I am way less success I was. I was really
Speaker 1: going through in college, I was like, because year it
Speaker 1: would be like you have to get this certain amount
Speaker 1: to play, and I'd be like, okay, well I have
Speaker 1: to get this hitting percentage. And that made me like
Speaker 1: tense up and lock up. And now I'm like, did
Speaker 1: it feel good? I have a relationship with my setter?
Speaker 1: Do they need to be more for me? What's a
Speaker 1: story about your career that you never get asked about
Speaker 1: but wish people know? If you not want the story
Speaker 1: about my career your injury, want to oh yeah, you
Speaker 1: were there for that. So I played for another week
Speaker 1: and recently and I went through an injury and that
Speaker 1: was the first time in a long time that I
Speaker 1: experienced an injury. Like I've had some finger surgeries, but
Speaker 1: like other than that, like I've been pretty healthy.
Speaker 4: Something almost like out of control of everybody, you know,
Speaker 4: I mean, like, yeah, really figure out what was wrong,
Speaker 4: and like ortunally knew what we.
Speaker 1: Were feeling with you. And when I really experienced your
Speaker 1: experience with so not being injured and then being injured
Speaker 1: it nobody could figure out what it was. So my
Speaker 1: left leg outside of my left knee, I was just
Speaker 1: experiencing pain and I couldn't get off the ground. And
Speaker 1: while they're like all R, let's get them right, there
Speaker 1: was like normal things that are you know, like I
Speaker 1: should be functional. I shouldn't be like losing activation. And
Speaker 1: it took like give me the whole thing. Yes, I
Speaker 1: did the rest of the season because I could figure
Speaker 1: it out. The rest of the summer, I was on
Speaker 1: my own, just going to different like chiropractors and pps
Speaker 1: and being like, hey, can you help me? And then
Speaker 1: we finally figured out what it was. But it took
Speaker 1: like eight nine months. And so I had the L
Speaker 1: five S one here neated in my back and so
Speaker 1: I was hitting them and sending pain signals down my
Speaker 1: left leg. Yeah, nothing is activating because that nerve was
Speaker 1: just like so I finally got a corn zone shot
Speaker 1: in Austin and that helped so much. It was just
Speaker 1: inflamed that little ten spot. Hadn't that nerve crazy? It's crazy,
Speaker 1: like it's really that it hurts your back.
Speaker 4: Went back through the championship game in twenty twelve, and
Speaker 4: it was also sitting on that nerve like I thought
Speaker 4: that was going the literatly every time I said up
Speaker 4: and I'm really girl, this up bad?
Speaker 1: It was like, it was no, that's scarce. It was crazy.
Speaker 1: You got a woman up all right, last quick one
Speaker 1: which haven't been quick? Now? What quality value most anybody
Speaker 1: on that? Yeah, I don't know. Anyway, I can't. I can't.
Speaker 5: Yeah, Okay, now to the beginning of time switching gear
Speaker 5: where Texas?
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, but we're got to go even more back. Okay,
Speaker 1: there we go. The season would never beat us. I know,
Speaker 1: I know, I know, I get it. Anyway, where did
Speaker 1: you grow up? You say? I grew up in a
Speaker 1: suburb of Chicago. Actually I moved to Texas where I
Speaker 1: was ten, I know. So we lived outside of Houston,
Speaker 1: another suburb, yep Age Town, and then I got a
Speaker 1: crewer to go to Texas. But I started playing volleyball
Speaker 1: at age thirteen club volleyball fourteenth year, and I begged
Speaker 1: my parents to stop take me to practice because I
Speaker 1: was so bad. I was like this, I'm embarrassed, I'm
Speaker 1: other things like I was decent at basketball, is decent
Speaker 1: swimming volleyball I was I far the worst at and
Speaker 1: my club coach was like, if you quit, like I
Speaker 1: will make you come to practice, like you will have to.
Speaker 1: I remember them saying you'll have to fry or out
Speaker 1: of my cool dead hands. And then I stuck with it, regrettingly,
Speaker 1: and so the drive. Yes. So my senior year, the
Speaker 1: club's in Houston were kind of all over the place
Speaker 1: like they were folding, and a lot of new clubs
Speaker 1: are happening. So the best club in Texas at the
Speaker 1: time was Austin Juniors, and so my parents it was
Speaker 1: their idea. Actually, they were like, what if we played
Speaker 1: for Austin Juniors senior y and we drove every Sunday
Speaker 1: for two and a half hours. Whoa, yeah, two days.
Speaker 1: So I played for Austin Junior nteans here, which is
Speaker 1: super cool because now we practiced at Austin.
Speaker 10: Juniors and your pictures up there, I know definite. Were
Speaker 10: you scared that you wouldn't figure it out? Did you
Speaker 10: start thinking about.
Speaker 1: What your future would look like you couldn't play again injury? Yeah? Oh,
Speaker 1: more odd jobs in your future may Surprisingly, No, I
Speaker 1: was so adamant of it, about being like, we're going
Speaker 1: to figure this out and I will play again, because
Speaker 1: I have already taken that route. So I was like, no,
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, that's not an option. I can't take that
Speaker 1: for an answer. I remember one of the doctors saying like, well,
Speaker 1: maybe it's time, like you're kind of old. Its it,
Speaker 1: I'm not that old. I know how to take care
Speaker 1: of my body. Like look at Lebron, we're the same,
Speaker 1: rightly exactly, you know what exactly. I was just like, well,
Speaker 1: maybe you can't figure it out and it's your problem exactly.
Speaker 1: I had no doubt in my mind. Of course, it
Speaker 1: felt like my body was betraying me for a second
Speaker 1: because I've been so healthy and like generally fit for
Speaker 1: a while. But then I was like, you know, a
Speaker 1: little depressing because I couldn't work out the way I
Speaker 1: wanted to, Like I couldn't run. I really really enjoy running,
Speaker 1: and like obviously can be around my people. So I
Speaker 1: was like, Okay, this star I don't love and obviously
Speaker 1: then you're a boy yourself a lot. So there were
Speaker 1: always a period that I was like, I know how,
Speaker 1: but it's not going to take away from the sport. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you can grind your way back. Yeah. It was always hard.
Speaker 4: That because like last season I was wearing like two
Speaker 4: knees please with a strap, and I just have one
Speaker 4: sleeve of one strap.
Speaker 1: I'm actually jumping higher than I. I feel stronger, so
Speaker 1: like your body can definitely thinke. You know, sometimes it's
Speaker 1: just telling you, O, hey, like I do you need rest? Yes,
Speaker 1: A lot of people said that, and at first I
Speaker 1: was like, stop saying that I don't want the rest,
Speaker 1: but like I actually didn't need it, And in perspective
Speaker 1: and understanding, I think I have a very good handle
Speaker 1: on what my body needs. Now. You know, you have
Speaker 1: to go through hard things to come out of it
Speaker 1: a better person. Yeah, retweet that. But also, I feel
Speaker 1: like you are playing your best volleyball right now. I
Speaker 1: was like, maybe you just need that, like recess reset
Speaker 1: you think. I don't think it was a great Also,
Speaker 1: connection was wasn't there? But like that he's the same,
Speaker 1: Like it's not honestly to Bruce. I don't even know Bruce,
Speaker 1: but yeah, I don't know these workout plans. Like I
Speaker 1: feel strong, like I feel empowered, I feel stable. We
Speaker 1: came to the tournament we're playing in.
Speaker 4: We were training with our conditioning coach from what Altin
Speaker 4: and Bruce he's Likenown from Texas.
Speaker 1: He also coached I think a little bit NFL football
Speaker 1: sometimes Yeah, NFL a bunch of track athletes, so he
Speaker 1: knows this stuff and like that's training with him. Like
Speaker 1: my I'm wearing one I've been wearing the past like
Speaker 1: eighty years, which is crazy. So and Mollie is looking
Speaker 1: like an Olympic triathletes Olympics.
Speaker 4: Could you looking like you know? But she's she's crushing. Well,
Speaker 4: it's insane, it's insane. Do you feel like going through.
Speaker 10: The injury helped you appreciate your body more and I'll
Speaker 10: help you enjoy playing more?
Speaker 1: Oh? For sure, for sure, for sure you know that,
Speaker 1: Like especially as we age too, like the limit does
Speaker 1: not exist. I always think of that, like I can
Speaker 1: get so strong and like, let's see how how fit
Speaker 1: I can be, how healthy I can be. Let's see,
Speaker 1: like if my mobility is off, let's see if I
Speaker 1: can tweak that. Like there's never a like, oh, this
Speaker 1: doesn't work anywhere. I'm done. Like, your body is actually
Speaker 1: so malleable, and how you treat it is how how
Speaker 1: much you get out of the sport and your body. Truly.
Speaker 10: You know, in college, I used to eat every day
Speaker 10: and I don't do that right, and now you're flying,
Speaker 10: so there we go.
Speaker 1: Yeah, truly, take care.
Speaker 4: Of your body, take care of your body, and I
Speaker 4: heard like, take care of your body, get the toyst too,
Speaker 4: Yeah about it?
Speaker 1: And we go out, what the one is good? I'm okay,
Speaker 1: back to the youth.
Speaker 10: What was it about Budel that like you did eventually,
Speaker 10: like once you figured out that you liked it.
Speaker 1: So it's kind of the same thing, like I'm so
Speaker 1: bad at it and at first I was embarrassed. There
Speaker 1: was a lot of shame of like I don't know
Speaker 1: how bad I am, and I think that stuck with
Speaker 1: me even throughout college, just like the volleyball is again
Speaker 1: mistakes that for many therapy sessions I wear this, but
Speaker 1: also this head of that is it's almost that I
Speaker 1: can't figure it out. So I'm going to try my
Speaker 1: best to figure it out. And that's what made me
Speaker 1: be like I just want to, like a lot, I
Speaker 1: want to figure out. Everybody talks about like you have
Speaker 1: so much potential, Like we've all heard that you have potential,
Speaker 1: and I was like, what is the potential? What do
Speaker 1: you mean? Let's figure it out? And so I think
Speaker 1: I fell in love with the figuring it out? Yeah,
Speaker 1: why did you figure out that you were good? I've
Speaker 1: been honestly when Jared was on my court and I
Speaker 1: was like, this is interesting, that's crazy. Like I was
Speaker 1: looking at you know, I you Indiana and like Florida
Speaker 1: was a big one at the time. But then like
Speaker 1: when Texas was like, oh, we think you're my sophomrey
Speaker 1: in high school and I was like, oh, okay, you
Speaker 1: think that. Yeah, I looked.
Speaker 6: I was like surely tall right like you, just because
Speaker 6: I'm tall. But and then.
Speaker 1: I think this is constantly feeling like I was, is
Speaker 1: a feeling of being surrounded by players, everybody. And that's
Speaker 1: why I changed, because I knew that everything I got
Speaker 1: the opportunity to learn and get better. And so I
Speaker 1: think that has then told me and I'm good enough
Speaker 1: to be in those spaces. I think also.
Speaker 8: Especially in process, like oh, you come here, we're going
Speaker 8: to start to you're gonna be back.
Speaker 4: But like going to forty Acres and being these amazing
Speaker 4: athletes here, it's like you can like cool, but.
Speaker 1: I can't guarantee you that I'm gonna to come in
Speaker 1: here and work hard. What's that great for you? Come
Speaker 1: in here, you are going to get better. And that's
Speaker 1: what I was acting as well, that like I wanted
Speaker 1: to see how much that I could be around one
Speaker 1: more experience than I was and a high level me. Yeah. Sure, yeah,
Speaker 1: it's just such a thought after program. To be a
Speaker 1: part of that is huge. Okay.
Speaker 5: What something about Molly that you know that would surprise people?
Speaker 5: You have thatch a big heart, I think, and I
Speaker 5: think people really seeing you as like this is your
Speaker 5: very business woman like, very like street, your business like character.
Speaker 4: But like your heart is so ut and you love
Speaker 4: so that's why you don't think here that take care
Speaker 4: of your heart.
Speaker 1: I'm like, it's so precious. And I can say honestly,
Speaker 1: like you're kind of close in the past, like you're
Speaker 1: gonna have to be years and like I can see that.
Speaker 4: Just growing even more and you're being more comfable and
Speaker 4: allowing yourself to love people and.
Speaker 1: Feelings and your emotions. And I'm just been really annoying
Speaker 1: to be able to you.
Speaker 4: On a person wove that way, like You've shared some
Speaker 4: really meaningful things with me, and like I love you
Speaker 4: so much, like like my thing, I love you. You
Speaker 4: know how much I love you, you know? And also
Speaker 4: if I want to she is hilarious, Okay, Okay, Her
Speaker 4: humors like kind of dark but if you've met me hilarious.
Speaker 1: Adversity, you're gonna be hilarious hilarious loyalty. Actually, so yeah,
Speaker 1: I don't feel a couch.
Speaker 5: Okay, one another question here says for me. Do you
Speaker 5: remember the first time you met Mollie? And the first
Speaker 5: time I remember not I don't think we met, but
Speaker 5: it was at the All American banquet our senior year,
Speaker 5: so you were a junior.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I just remember you like you're a human being.
Speaker 5: It just like takes up space and you have such
Speaker 5: a presence in a room and I was just like,
Speaker 5: holy shit, engage and I was like wow.
Speaker 4: Like these Texas girls, I'm just not like them. And
Speaker 4: it was just a really cool moment because like you
Speaker 4: were like a celebrity in my that.
Speaker 1: We carry that too, you know, like everyone says, I
Speaker 1: love that. Yeah, it is a cool thing and like
Speaker 1: a little chip on your shoulders all of you Texas girlies.
Speaker 1: But like it carries late, you know. Okay, I'm crazy. Yeah,
Speaker 1: let's just turn the table. What was Kat like in college?
Speaker 1: Oh my god, Oh my god. Okay, okay, I was
Speaker 1: before we started. Day changed. I have grown.
Speaker 4: Funny because cat and.
Speaker 1: Is relationship has blossomed over the past couple of years,
Speaker 1: and I almost regret not seeing more of Cat because
Speaker 1: I know that you had this in you in college
Speaker 1: and I'm almost like, man, we just put aside because
Speaker 1: they're very different people, and that's okay. I think we
Speaker 1: struggled with accepting our differences. Is still recognizing that we're compatible,
Speaker 1: you know. And but Kat is the sunshine in every
Speaker 1: single room, Like she is such a leader, She's so personable.
Speaker 1: Every seaman is like, what's that doing? Like she's always
Speaker 1: been such a magnet always really and I think that
Speaker 1: you you also have a giant heart and you you
Speaker 1: share that with everybody, and that part I was like,
Speaker 1: I'm just fortunate to be the person that receives that
Speaker 1: kind of love. Even whenever we knew that we were different,
Speaker 1: as how you always took care of me regardless.
Speaker 4: That was funny, is like I talk to people sometimes
Speaker 4: you didn't always say like, no, you're more close now,
Speaker 4: Like did you'll not get along in college?
Speaker 1: I wouldn't even say that. I no, Like I can
Speaker 1: think back.
Speaker 4: To moments that like we did have conversations and we
Speaker 4: did connect and we did bond and that kind of
Speaker 4: stuff too.
Speaker 1: I think also like me and mother put a stay
Speaker 1: position at the time, she wants to say beef or
Speaker 1: like not nicely, okay, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 11: So freshman year, I was sharing a room with Nicole
Speaker 11: Halton and I had a poster of my favorite artist
Speaker 11: ever any One House r I p WAT Artists R
Speaker 11: P RIP.
Speaker 1: But she's one of my all time faves, and I thought,
Speaker 1: all he wasn't with her. Molly like loved her, and
Speaker 1: it was a little bit too much. She was like okay,
Speaker 1: like okay, like okay, Bruney's beers. You know I'm saying
Speaker 1: she really did. It was a lot She's thinking about
Speaker 1: some deep stuff. Yeah, you know, it was a lot
Speaker 1: of soul. Anyways, I was going through some things and
Speaker 1: I had, you know, a step dollar poster from Walmart
Speaker 1: hung up on my wall in my dorm, and what
Speaker 1: were we even fighting about? You just came in And
Speaker 1: cats are a person like te these people and like
Speaker 1: kind of pushes them to like be going to react,
Speaker 1: and I, at that ripe age of eighteen, was not
Speaker 1: ready to be teased like that.
Speaker 4: She came in, and I know how much like Molly
Speaker 4: loves She's like, don't touch the poster like whatever whatever,
Speaker 4: Like it's one of those like don't touch my poster
Speaker 4: like it's.
Speaker 1: One of those kind of things. And I was like, oh,
Speaker 1: don't dutch it. I'm going to rip it off your wall,
Speaker 1: off the wall, the wall corner. You see that wall.
Speaker 1: You probably were taking the corner and looking at her
Speaker 1: in the eyes and you're like, I tore the smallest piece.
Speaker 3: And I definitely was like like Dennis, and then it
Speaker 3: was like like, yeah I did.
Speaker 1: I felt that too, yeah, yeah, And then she's my
Speaker 1: position to have already a little scared of her. When
Speaker 1: did you switch to ling opposite though? Senior year?
Speaker 4: And even with that, I felt like we were competitive
Speaker 4: in that too, because also wanted to play the opposite
Speaker 4: but but.
Speaker 1: You yeah, so then we was Pauline there yet or not?
Speaker 1: She wasn't there yet later junior year because I play
Speaker 1: opposite only my senior year. Okay, maybe yeah, she wasn't.
Speaker 4: Whenever it was it was only me and you kind
Speaker 4: of seeing we're gonna play opposite, and then when Paulina
Speaker 4: came in and kind of like.
Speaker 1: Made it, it was almost like a six to when
Speaker 1: Polina came in. Eventually, you know what because he always
Speaker 1: wanted to play Sarah Hattas. I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding,
Speaker 1: but for what she probably had a good Yeah, we
Speaker 1: have the Olympian on our team.
Speaker 4: I don't know which was crazy, but yeah, we so
Speaker 4: really opposite my senior year and it was most funny.
Speaker 1: It is like me and which hat and I'm liking myself.
Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, I don't want to run slide anymore.
Speaker 1: I don't want to block everywhere. I'm like, you got it,
Speaker 1: ain't no way eating in this and that's the chance
Speaker 1: to just stay in one area. I'm gonna stay right here.
Speaker 1: So that's what when she's going out every single day like.
Speaker 4: Back robots, play outside like my first two years, my
Speaker 4: first year, this all right, now we're going to.
Speaker 1: Go post collegiate. Okay, was on pro? Did you know
Speaker 1: you wanted to play pro? No? Absolutely not. How did
Speaker 1: that come about? Nothing else? Do? How did you did
Speaker 1: you know people that had played pro though at that time? Yeah? Okay,
Speaker 1: yeah I had my teammates yeah yeah, And I was like, yo,
Speaker 1: what is it like? Like, how do I do this?
Speaker 1: I felt like the roadmap to playing pro was so
Speaker 1: ambiguous and nobody was like like I could ask for
Speaker 1: more players, but like everybody's path is so different. We
Speaker 1: signed with different agents, and I was like, should I
Speaker 1: just do exactly my teammates? Dude, like what's master for me?
Speaker 1: And everybody was like figure out on your own and
Speaker 1: I was. And then it was like, okay, I'm a
Speaker 1: middle I'm not earning, you know, opposite money, which is
Speaker 1: another reason I want to play out, but you know,
Speaker 1: and I was like, I don't know if this is
Speaker 1: worth it. It's not a big paycheck, Like should I
Speaker 1: just go work at Freeola and like it's mental device
Speaker 1: sales like every other athlete that graduates, Like I couldn't
Speaker 1: figure out what to do. And it was actually I
Speaker 1: member my sister. I was talking I just signed with
Speaker 1: an agent, sat on my sister and I was like
Speaker 1: this kind of seems lame, like it's not a big paycheck.
Speaker 1: And then I I live in Germany. I don't know
Speaker 1: if I want to be away from home that long.
Speaker 1: And she was like, you get to be a pro athlete,
Speaker 1: like maybe you should give that a shot and if
Speaker 1: you hate it, yeah, but like how many people can
Speaker 1: say they get to be pro athletes? I was like, Okay, fine,
Speaker 1: you're right, but it was never like I got to
Speaker 1: be professional, like I got to take this to the
Speaker 1: next level. I was like, sure, I guess I.
Speaker 4: Was almost decision that happened towards the end, so you
Speaker 4: don't really think about it like in the season. I.
Speaker 1: Once I finished, I was like, I don't really know where.
Speaker 4: To go here, and you're like agree in draft, I'm like,
Speaker 4: that sounds I guess the showcase myself.
Speaker 1: That's what I can do. I'm sayings down on me
Speaker 1: like it was crazy anyways. Yeah, yeah, it was kind
Speaker 1: of as you guys know, you kind of figure out
Speaker 1: your own I was like, I.
Speaker 5: Don't know if I want to do that. It's the
Speaker 5: most wacky way to get a job. You have to
Speaker 5: from big schools where like people have gone on and played.
Speaker 5: You're like, okay, I could contact this person. Like for me,
Speaker 5: I think I know two people that I played BRO,
Speaker 5: So I was like, what do I even do? So
Speaker 5: it's it's crazy that we got here ended up here.
Speaker 5: Thank goodness they put a league in the US. Okay,
Speaker 5: where did you play?
Speaker 1: BRO? You went to Germany first, I went to Wiesbaden, Germany,
Speaker 1: and then I went to Stuttgart. For two years and
Speaker 1: then I was like, hey, actually i think I'm done.
Speaker 1: So just Germany, did you pick up any German? Yeah,
Speaker 1: a little bit. Yeah, I could get around. I think
Speaker 1: I hear you saying a bad word in German.
Speaker 4: You have a like, was the transition from college to
Speaker 4: pro they jump for you or were you like this
Speaker 4: is easy?
Speaker 1: Yes, and that they expected more from me. I will
Speaker 1: say at Texas there were times that I was like,
Speaker 1: You're just a middle blocker. And then I got to
Speaker 1: Europe and they were like, no, you have to be
Speaker 1: a volleyball player and do all of the other skills,
Speaker 1: and I was like, I don't know what set so
Speaker 1: so they expected a lot from me. Of course, the
Speaker 1: game is like a little bit more powerful, a little quicker.
Speaker 1: I'd say, like on my team in v spot In,
Speaker 1: I think we were we were kind of low level
Speaker 1: of the league in Germany. That Germany is like a
Speaker 1: decent league, you know, like the top couple of teams
Speaker 1: learn Champions League, but like the lower level. It's like
Speaker 1: I felt like I was one of the better ones
Speaker 1: on my team. That being said, I had a really
Speaker 1: really great coach, and then playing against the teams that
Speaker 1: were in Champions League. I was like, oh, I have
Speaker 1: a giant learning curve here, Like I just wasn't reading
Speaker 1: well at all.
Speaker 4: Would you say that, like the very important students to
Speaker 4: go overseas and get that learning go to that learning curve.
Speaker 1: Yeah, good, it's so important. I still encourage college athletes
Speaker 1: once they graduate overseas first, and of course these leagues
Speaker 1: are amazing. I will not go overseas now, like I
Speaker 1: have a great life. But being a foreigner is one thing.
Speaker 1: Learning a different style of the game is another. Just
Speaker 1: being out of your comfort zone and learning from people
Speaker 1: that you never would have paths I don't know, and
Speaker 1: different people from all over the world. I just think that, like,
Speaker 1: it's good for you as a human being and also
Speaker 1: a volleyball player to go overseas.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you get adversity on all fronts, the volleyball front,
Speaker 4: the human front, the traveling front.
Speaker 1: How do I turn myself on another country front?
Speaker 4: Like, oh, there's just so many little pieces of it
Speaker 4: where you're like, Okay, I have to figure all these
Speaker 4: things out on my own.
Speaker 1: And you grew up instead of people having to do
Speaker 1: it for me. Yeah, And at Texas they did everything
Speaker 1: for us. Everything I was like, wait, I have to,
Speaker 1: like I'm on vitamin's now and learn how to learn
Speaker 1: how to take care of my body. Yeah, wild, Yeah,
Speaker 1: How do you think volleyball has shaped you as a person?
Speaker 1: Oh god, It's been everything. That's why I'm playing for
Speaker 1: the Women's Sports Foundation. I think that girls who play
Speaker 1: sports are women who lead. And I wouldn't be the
Speaker 1: person I am today without volleyball and being around strong
Speaker 1: women all of the time. How many other jobs get
Speaker 1: to do that? Like this is I am constantly empowered.
Speaker 1: I know my worth. I know that I can show
Speaker 1: up in space as and be a leader like I
Speaker 1: wouldn't have been able to develop that kind of confidence.
Speaker 1: But I didn't play a lot of ball in mins,
Speaker 1: I don't think. Yeah, and like having a cat bell
Speaker 1: in everyone? No, really truly? All right, let's switch a
Speaker 1: little bit of gears outside of volleyball. You're a multi
Speaker 1: faceted person.
Speaker 4: You advocate for sustainable fashion and intersectional environmentalism.
Speaker 1: Yes, I do drop drop some knowledge because that those
Speaker 1: words were crazy. Oh yeah, I you know, fashion is
Speaker 1: a pretty giant polluter on this so behind it's Oily
Speaker 1: g Acid's fashion actually, and there's a literal fashion island
Speaker 1: in the middle of the ocean of like our waste,
Speaker 1: Like we're just so obsessed with fast fashion as a society,
Speaker 1: so I thrift as oft as modify, also signing that
Speaker 1: drifting is like fits me better as a tall woman
Speaker 1: last longer because it was stuilt in a time that
Speaker 1: they didn't have fast fashion and is cooler. So I
Speaker 1: try to thrift as often as possible. It's not dealable
Speaker 1: all of the time, especially with like sports care and stuff,
Speaker 1: but it's something that I want to be conscious of.
Speaker 1: And intersexual environmentalism it means that it cross acrosses different organizations.
Speaker 1: So it's not just fashion, but it's like the way
Speaker 1: people you know consume like their local produce. Like there's
Speaker 1: so many things that like intersect as humans in society.
Speaker 1: Like if we are just a good global citizen, we
Speaker 1: know that we're affecting like our neighbors, our communities. Like
Speaker 1: it's just more about awareness and like you know, where
Speaker 1: am I getting this produce? Where am I shopping for this?
Speaker 1: Like being a good consumer and understanding that if your
Speaker 1: purchases affect others is a huge passion the world be
Speaker 1: a better places. We have as president, why is it
Speaker 1: important to you to use your platform as an athlete
Speaker 1: for good. I think it's quite vulnerable. Sometimes it's not
Speaker 1: always easy. I think it's sometimes kind of painful to
Speaker 1: be like, well, this is my story and you guys
Speaker 1: are going to dissect it and give your opinions about
Speaker 1: me and I am, but I find it so fulfilling
Speaker 1: knowing that I can help somebody. You know. It's funny.
Speaker 1: Coaching just keeps coming up with my life too, and
Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't know if I want to coach,
Speaker 1: but like being somebody's mentor even like, you know, there are.
Speaker 4: Young middles that are playing in this league and they're like,
Speaker 4: you know, how did you learn how to take care
Speaker 4: of your body?
Speaker 1: How did you get you know, how are you playing?
Speaker 1: How are you jumping well at age thirty one? Or
Speaker 1: how do you read blocks so well? Which are wonderful
Speaker 1: compliments that I'm like, it's crazy you think I'm doing
Speaker 1: these things well because I'm also in my head of
Speaker 1: like sometimes I'm not. I want to be perfect and
Speaker 1: I'm not, and that's it's not here nor there. Okay,
Speaker 1: that's okay, But the fact that like I get to
Speaker 1: help somebody and using my platform to do that. Like,
Speaker 1: I think that that is the most fulfilling thing for me.
Speaker 1: It's a privilege to have this stage. As you guys
Speaker 1: know it was. It's funny that sports allow you to
Speaker 1: do that. Like, it's not many jobs that you can
Speaker 1: be so good at your your job and that people
Speaker 1: following regardless. But I think, especially with women's lleyball, we
Speaker 1: are incredible role models. Almost no all of my teammates.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm like, you're you are such a role model.
Speaker 1: You're also hilarious, You're also like beautiful. There's so many
Speaker 1: things that like women's while I'm like, yes, the youth
Speaker 1: should follow us. I don't know. We just like know
Speaker 1: how to work hard, Like we know that we know
Speaker 1: how to be teammates who know how to lead. Like,
Speaker 1: I think that the platform should be ours and that's
Speaker 1: the fint I want to keep hiding. We're taking it over. Yeah,
Speaker 1: come for that freaking platform. Yeah all right.
Speaker 4: Fashion questions What do you love about fashion and how
Speaker 4: does it help you express yourself?
Speaker 1: I love playing dress up and putting on different hats
Speaker 1: and feeling you know, beautiful different ways, or feeling myself
Speaker 1: in different ways because we all have different sides of us.
Speaker 1: And I think that fashion is you're able to express
Speaker 1: herself in so many different ways. I gained so much
Speaker 1: confidence through the clothes that I wear and the things
Speaker 1: that I pick out. I also gained so much fulfillment
Speaker 1: styling people and so like Danny Durms came to my
Speaker 1: room and was like, hey, silently for this photo shoot,
Speaker 1: and I was like, for sure, I have all of
Speaker 1: these things that I know are going to look great
Speaker 1: on you, and I made her try them on and
Speaker 1: I could tell that she was like, I'm not comfortable
Speaker 1: in this, and I was like totally like that's fine,
Speaker 1: you look amazing, and that's yes, I should tell her that,
Speaker 1: but I also want her to feel comfortable. So then
Speaker 1: like learning the person through fashion is also really cool
Speaker 1: for me to see of like what are you comfortable wearing?
Speaker 1: What makes you feel powerful? Like I think fashion is
Speaker 1: such a cool platform into building confidence in women.
Speaker 5: What would you say, Sorry, somebody who's like doing a
Speaker 5: new a new wearing something new, a new piece of
Speaker 5: fashion that's like maybe not in their normal.
Speaker 1: Style and they just want to try it, and you're
Speaker 1: like you should just go for it or like absolutely
Speaker 1: go for it. Yeah, at the end of the day,
Speaker 1: it's new. Who matters. I'm just like, like I used
Speaker 1: to be so hung up of like being a tall
Speaker 1: woman and like sleeves every being long enough, you know,
Speaker 1: And now I'm like, I don't know if I care anymore,
Speaker 1: like my risk a cold, which they're never cold in Austin,
Speaker 1: But like, I just am going to wear something because
Speaker 1: I want to wear it and I know that it
Speaker 1: makes me feel cool. So if it makes you feel
Speaker 1: often and you bought it with your own money, what
Speaker 1: would be your advice for, like, like someone who's building
Speaker 1: a new cloth called clothes, what like the basics you
Speaker 1: think that someone should have when they're building up from
Speaker 1: the ground up. Yes, I'm a big like jeans girl.
Speaker 1: I think I have over thirty pairs of genes. That's
Speaker 1: actually kind of a problem finding a pair of jeans
Speaker 1: that feel you, that are comfortable that you can always
Speaker 1: be like, Okay, if I put these on, I feel
Speaker 1: the most to me. I would say jackets. They're great
Speaker 1: for layerry. You can find like a denim or a
Speaker 1: leather jacket. Every time I wore my leather jacket, I
Speaker 1: get comments you wore my leather jacket and you also
Speaker 1: look great man, and like, I don't know, I just
Speaker 1: feel like a leather jacket is like a statement piece
Speaker 1: and but it's easy to find and like especially drifting,
Speaker 1: and then all the basics. You know, sometimes it's surprising
Speaker 1: that I'll put on an outfit and people like I
Speaker 1: am obsessed with them, like really it's like a tank
Speaker 1: and pants and about I don't know, how do you
Speaker 1: choose your walk in outfits? For love?
Speaker 4: And then like do you style other people too? Or
Speaker 4: we actually we like calling so this stings passed me.
Speaker 4: Tiaka and Malli like always want to dress up together
Speaker 4: and we're like calling each other. But eventually we came
Speaker 4: like themes like okay, we're going to go business and
Speaker 4: like new sow is the way you want to do
Speaker 4: business style? Yeah, guys, I like for fun, I play
Speaker 4: dress up. Yeah, by myself.
Speaker 1: I put on a good playlist, and I know I'm
Speaker 1: not kidding. I just go through my entire closet and
Speaker 1: just start putting up its together. I take pictures of them,
Speaker 1: so I have like logs of all my outfits. And
Speaker 1: then yeah, no, yeah, everybody every woman should do every
Speaker 1: person on the Star. I would want to do that.
Speaker 1: But like the method of cleaning I'm putting the clothes
Speaker 1: back is what I don't want to do. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: try it on and hand that up. Yeah, but like
Speaker 1: that is my like therapy, that's my favorite thing to do.
Speaker 1: And then I'll make lists of things that I wish
Speaker 1: I could add to it. So I'm like heavily on
Speaker 1: Pinterest and like I have like a wish list and
Speaker 1: like it would be great to add this purst to
Speaker 1: this habit, and then I'll be a noish list and
Speaker 1: then it's my goals of like I want this bonus
Speaker 1: to my this curse. Okay o good? Yeah, So do
Speaker 1: like love that we get to do the tunnel walk
Speaker 1: ins and everything, similar to like w NBA so much life.
Speaker 1: I'm not kidding the five seconds that we get it,
Speaker 1: we're so adding about it.
Speaker 4: Like for the photographers, if we're not getting the pictures
Speaker 4: we're looking for, we started taking our own pictures of our.
Speaker 1: Own phone, yes, to make sure we.
Speaker 4: Got to know.
Speaker 1: I love whenever people who are not comfortable doing walkins,
Speaker 1: but they try it and they also feel powered and
Speaker 1: they're like, oh I get to like show up to
Speaker 1: a game in a way that like builds up my
Speaker 1: confidence and I don't know, I just encourage people. It
Speaker 1: might not be your thing, but like try it once
Speaker 1: and like it just kind of feels great and gurly
Speaker 1: pop to be taken photos of and like in your
Speaker 1: outfit that you that you chose, like, I just I
Speaker 1: love it. I love the concept. Do you have outfits
Speaker 1: in the works for next season already? Yeah? You do,
Speaker 1: Like we won what you're gonna Do you have a
Speaker 1: huge closet? Yeah, yeah, I have a lot of clothes
Speaker 1: Fashion Island actually in your closet? Yeah? Actually yes. How
Speaker 1: do you clean your closet?
Speaker 4: You can close it every every summer. Do you like
Speaker 4: Good Steed Go Away? Like you guys, I'm not to
Speaker 4: go through a.
Speaker 1: Giant purge because the past over and a half, you know,
Speaker 1: I think I'm gonna make it a series. The past
Speaker 1: year and a half, all of my stuff is then storage,
Speaker 1: so I live out of like two three suitcases at
Speaker 1: a time. I knews newly, so I rent clothes sometimes
Speaker 1: it helps us, Like Stephen pieces for like the walk Ins,
Speaker 1: I'll like rent the piece and then return it. They
Speaker 1: have an option to buy. I have a lot a
Speaker 1: few things, but yeah, so I'm going to unpack my
Speaker 1: entire storage unit whenever I get back to Austin in
Speaker 1: a couple of days and have to go through all
Speaker 1: of that, so I'll come over. That sounds really exciting. Okay,
Speaker 1: speaking of going back to Austin, season two is coming up.
Speaker 1: We're there so soon. What are you looking forward to
Speaker 1: this season specifically? I am very much looking forward to
Speaker 1: being with my friends. I'll we have up. That was crazy.
Speaker 1: I love Austin. I love Austin so much. I love
Speaker 1: the fact that I get to play Austin Juniors and
Speaker 1: see those people from from whenever I was in high school.
Speaker 4: Being back, Like it's a moment for you, Like, how
Speaker 4: is it like you're enjoying a lot more than you
Speaker 4: enjoy when you're in school thing.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, because like I know that I am always
Speaker 1: taking care of in every regard if I need anything,
Speaker 1: I have people. I think that's what's so great about
Speaker 1: Austin and where I felt like, especially whenever I got injured,
Speaker 1: I didn't feel like people had my back and I
Speaker 1: was like, I'm the only one advocating for myself right now,
Speaker 1: and it made me learn that. But in Austin, I
Speaker 1: our network is huge. We have great medical connections, Like
Speaker 1: we have friends outside of volleyball. Like I just feel
Speaker 1: like I have a whole complete life in Austin and
Speaker 1: my job isn't defining me. Yeah yeah, okay.
Speaker 4: So then also you were with the national team this
Speaker 4: summer and now you have Eric Commedy, you have Tayubadummy
Speaker 4: Rol Brownie coming.
Speaker 1: Tell yourself, it's just we've translated everybody and putting them
Speaker 1: in Love Austin. Yeah, it's really cool and another full
Speaker 1: circle moment having Eric. So Eric was our coach, our
Speaker 1: assistant coach at Texas and now the dash team head
Speaker 1: coach and then also the Love Austin coach. And it's
Speaker 1: really cool because I Eric is like a dear friend
Speaker 1: of mine and so having him be my coach again,
Speaker 1: and I I mean, throughout my pro career, I've attributed
Speaker 1: a lot of my like locking to Eric, like the MBU. Yes, yeah,
Speaker 1: a lot of things like this crazy Yeah well you said,
Speaker 1: so I SuDS like this is one. It's so hard
Speaker 1: it oh for sure for sure. Yeah. Anyways, No, it's
Speaker 1: really cool. I this just the fact I felt like
Speaker 1: the summer flew by, So I'm really really excited to
Speaker 1: keep learning from that coaching staff. Obviously they all have camaraderie,
Speaker 1: so like just the blend of like Texas people and
Speaker 1: national team. Like I think that, like it's like a
Speaker 1: built in connection that we get to have. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: actually really awesome. Yeah, sorry, whatever, we have a good
Speaker 1: team too. He's a great team. Else. You guys have
Speaker 1: some new people this year, right, you are excited about
Speaker 1: you know, Magdalena Yersick the Polish medal. I'm a big
Speaker 1: fan of hers. I think that she yeah, yeah, watching
Speaker 1: her play this summer. She is super fast. I love
Speaker 1: how patient she is as a middle blocker. Like, I
Speaker 1: just I admire she's not like super undersized, but she's
Speaker 1: a little undersized as a middle and I just admire
Speaker 1: undersized middle It's like, you know how hard they have
Speaker 1: to work to its already her job. Yes, I don't
Speaker 1: know how yet. Yeah, I know I'm gonna be obsessed
Speaker 1: with her. We're adding another longhorn Berg Mark. Yeah, MBU
Speaker 1: is everyone on your team from MBU, every middle except
Speaker 1: for Okay. Yeah, I don't know if i'm saying your name, right,
Speaker 1: I'm so sorry if I'm saying that. Ologies girl. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but I'm excited to meet you, Okay, why do you
Speaker 1: think volleyball is getting more popular? I think it's fine
Speaker 1: getting its flowers, you know. I think that participation in
Speaker 1: the sport is growing on all sides. The youth level.
Speaker 1: It's to pass youth basketball recently, let's go finally less concussions,
Speaker 1: and also adult participation so adults such are fun, Like,
Speaker 1: it's a huge, massive sport indoor, beach, grass like. I
Speaker 1: just think that there's a lot of relatability that's finally
Speaker 1: happening in the US, and it's surpassing basketball, it's passing
Speaker 1: other teams sports, and that like such a fun sport
Speaker 1: to play, but also a really fun sport to watch
Speaker 1: and be part of. I also think the community is amazing,
Speaker 1: like experiencing and I don't want to trap other sports,
Speaker 1: but I'm like experiencing other sports and like that we
Speaker 1: are so special. I'm not kidding. There's like bruin upon
Speaker 1: the like the volleyball world is just full of really
Speaker 1: great people. What do you think it is that makes
Speaker 1: volleyble so unique? It is, to its core a team sport.
Speaker 1: You can't have somebody like in basketball. You can have
Speaker 1: a player like take up take over the whole entire game.
Speaker 1: But like track, it's like just that, just that athlete,
Speaker 1: the porcer's relays. But like, volleyball is such a team sport,
Speaker 1: And then I think that because it's such a team sport,
Speaker 1: everybody has to be a team player and therefore likable.
Speaker 4: Every way, Like you don't get the set, you need
Speaker 4: less to get the past you need, You don't get
Speaker 4: the attacking lets you get to set you need, and
Speaker 4: if you get to set, you need to get a
Speaker 4: ball and you get blocked, you get that everyone covering
Speaker 4: for you.
Speaker 1: Everyone has to be takes the whole village. Yeah, you
Speaker 1: have to be selfless, and the coolest people are selfless, Yes, totally, yes, Okay, Well,
Speaker 1: and where do you think volleyball is going to be
Speaker 1: in like the next decade? Gosh, I see volleyball just
Speaker 1: being the sport that people are excited to go watch
Speaker 1: and be a part of. I think that the past
Speaker 1: couple of years that like how profitable women's sports are
Speaker 1: because they are different than men's sports, Like it's not
Speaker 1: that we're comparing at all, and volleyball is actually a
Speaker 1: really special space and that like we don't have the
Speaker 1: men paving the path for us. Mother yeah, and that
Speaker 1: is so cool because I think we're we're still kind
Speaker 1: of forming our identity and like what does that look like?
Speaker 1: And it is different from all of the other sports.
Speaker 1: It's it's different from men's sports, but I I really
Speaker 1: want to see it in a way that like is inspiring.
Speaker 1: It's taking over brand partnerships, and it's on ESPN regularly,
Speaker 1: Like I just think it needs to be more accessible.
Speaker 1: And once we make it accessible, it's like, of course
Speaker 1: you're going to fall in love. You're going to fall
Speaker 1: in love with the players are going to fall in
Speaker 1: love with the game, Like how fast it is, how
Speaker 1: physical we are, Like there's just so many things about
Speaker 1: the sport that I'm like, how would you not love it?
Speaker 1: Like truly, we are jumping so high, we're all so graceful,
Speaker 1: we're all so strong, Like we're also strategic, Like there's
Speaker 1: so many this we're also beautiful, Like we're also jumping high.
Speaker 1: Product she's something super high. Like I remember so whenever
Speaker 1: we you know, first came first volleyball professionalllyball in the US,
Speaker 1: And I have some basketball friends that were like, oh
Speaker 1: my god, you guys are like crazy athletic and like
Speaker 1: you never you're so humble about it, and I'm like, yeah,
Speaker 1: I know, that's crazy. I mean, I'm teoting around horn
Speaker 1: like hard right now, I'm not for real, like we
Speaker 1: are kind of super human. I don't know. Yeah, there's
Speaker 1: a lot of super human volleyball players. It's pretty impressive.
Speaker 1: The fans are saying, oh, why are you have a
Speaker 1: women's league man's league, because some do it better. Hey, okay,
Speaker 1: put on the shirt. I will say. I love I
Speaker 1: love men's follyball. I learned a lot from men's allyball.
Speaker 1: So working at Pepperdine for that one year, I I
Speaker 1: door men's alliball in the way that they're all super grateful.
Speaker 1: We'll be there. I don't know if it was just
Speaker 1: a Pepperdine thing or a men's volleyball thing, but I
Speaker 1: was like, why are you guys so happy all the time?
Speaker 1: But a hormone is colorship, scholarship so and or they
Speaker 1: get cut from programs, so they're just like yeah, and
Speaker 1: they don't have a professional league here, but they like
Speaker 1: just sattle that still play and it's it's a different game.
Speaker 1: But I felt like I learned a lot because it's
Speaker 1: a different game. And I was like Oh that's how
Speaker 1: they gott how you hit it like? I can do
Speaker 1: that too? But am I happy that women fall all
Speaker 1: gets to pay the way? Yes? Agreed. Wow, this has
Speaker 1: just been really great episode. Yeah all right, this has
Speaker 1: been Serving Pancakes. I'm Maddie Kingdon. I'm on the cage.
Speaker 1: We'll get you on the flip side.
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