MLV All-Star Teams Announced, Crunch Time for Some Teams Heading into LOVB Final Weeks

Hi volleyball fans and welcome back to Volley
Talk, the podcast created for volleyball lovers
who want to dig deep into what is going on in
NCAA and international volleyball. I'm your host
Sarah Pavan. I'm an Olympian, beach volleyball
world champion, former Nebraska Cornhusker, and
longtime pro both indoor and on the beach. And
I'm Adam Schultz, former indoor player, international
volleyball coach, and the show's resident stat
guy. The saga continues and I say saga. In the
best way possible. We got playoffs. We've got
teams climbing ranks. We've got teams hitting
the basement. You name it, we've got it. Champions
League Final Four for women is set. Playoffs
are winding down in major leagues around the
world, which for a lot of you means VNL is right
around the corner, which is very exciting. And
for others of you, it means that we are that
much closer to restarting NCAA women's season.
No matter what your flavor, it's around. So yeah,
we've got a bunch going on this week. We're very
excited to talk volleyball with you guys as always.
So let's get started. We've got a new leader
in volley, Crafty Killers. Only person to crack
4 ,000 aggregated points so far. Congrats. You
know, things were pretty stable in our fantasy
league for like nine rounds. And now everything's
getting shaken up week after week, which means
maybe we all have hope. I don't, but I think
a lot of people might still have hope because
guess what? I'm in the hundreds now. Oh, I was
going to ask if you were. I'm a has been. And
the highest I got was what? My 50s? Yeah. Looking
bleak yet again. I had a decent week. I scored
350. I can't seem to get above that. Yeah, I
scored about 349, which I thought was great.
Then I looked at what other people scored this
week and I was like, not even close. There were
lots of people who had great weeks. Like, what
did you guys do? It's what I want. I know I could
just look it up, but just tell me. Because I
thought I did really well. Well, I finally had
my two dud players come off the books this week.
Those signings. Who were your duds? I had Abercrombie.
And then, yeah, so that was terrible. Adam's
not looking at the injury report. I thought she
was going to be coming back. To be honest, neither
am I, which is probably why I'm not doing well.
I don't think there's an injury report for MLB,
only for love. There has to be. I don't think
so. That's tough. I had a couple bad signings
for three weeks that really killed me. I was
playing wounded, down two men. You know what?
I'm cheering for you guys. All you guys at the
top are vying for that number one spot. I'm happy
for you. I'm more sad for me than I am happy
for you, though. I think my new goal is to have
one 400 -point week before the season ends. Okay,
that's fair. That's what I'm shooting for. I
can aim for that, too. Okay, that's our new goal
because we are... Sucking. Terrible. We're in
the top quarter because we've got over 450 teams
in our league. If you feel like you're missing
out, you are. Okay, there's still time. You can
join in at the average score, which... Right
around me. Right around Adam. So it's not too
late. Go to playvolley .com slash volleytalk.
Playvolley .com slash volleytalk if you want
to get in on the action and understand our pain.
It is fun, though. I'm really enjoying it. Okay,
noteworthy. Results in the NCAA men's side. Are
you ready for this? Number 18, Ohio State beat
number 7, Loyola Chicago 3 -1 and number 15,
Lewis 3 straight. That's a good week for them.
Yeah, they are climbing. Loyola Chicago is going
to have to drop. Outside of the top 10, I think.
Amoeba has been like all over the place. This
season. They're all like beating up on each other.
But it kind of happened last year too. So that
conference is dangerous, you guys. And Hawaii
Long Beach State played this week. Do you know
what happened? Did you look it up? I have not
seen the results yet. Do you want me to tell
you? Yes. I'm going to tell you because I have
to tell everybody. Hawaii won both matches. They
were playing in Long Beach. First one they won
in five. The second one they won three straight.
Did you look at who played? No. Did you? Are
you asking me who played because you want your
boy Cade to have not played? Also known as Kanoa
Wade. I'm just curious if they won with him playing,
but it looks like Trisky did play, although it
doesn't seem like he had two great matches. But
having him on the floor, I think, just changes
the dynamic. It forces teams to look at anything.
They're just better with him on the floor. So
good to see that he's back playing. Well, we're
going to have a new number two now, everybody.
Yep. So those were the big. Matches this week
on the men's side. UCLA still unbeaten. That
makes me nervous going into playoffs. It really
does. I just, I firmly believe you need a little
adversity. And maybe that adversity will be not
winning the MPSF, but winning nationals. I don't
know. But it's just so hard to be perfect all
year long. On the MLV side, the all -star game
is this weekend. We are going to talk about who
made the cut shortly. But same story as always.
Indy at the top, followed by Dallas. Omaha, however,
has jumped into number three. So who knows? We'll
talk about that later too. If they've righted
the ship or not. And big result of the week,
Atlanta beat Orlando three straight. So Orlando
is kind of floundering. Yes, they have not been
great. Do we know what's wrong with Abercrombie?
I haven't heard anything. And I can't, again.
I might not be looking in the right place, but
I don't think there is a clear injury report
for MLV. Not sure. On the love side, Houston
holding on to that number one spot, although
they did just lose to Madison. So that's very
straight. I looked it up. Everybody was playing
except Rafaela Foley. Who knows? I mean, everybody
drops a game now and then. I mean, we just said
it about UCLA. Adam wants these teams to drop
games. But Atlanta jumped Salt Lake. We watched
Love this week. We did. We watched Atlanta Salt
Lake. We watched Nebraska -Austin. Austin has
fallen. They've lost four in a row. They've fallen
to number five. They are currently out of the
playoffs. And we'll look at a couple Love teams
in our game this week. We talked about this at
the beginning of the year. What happens if the
U .S. national team doesn't make the playoffs?
It is a definite possibility at this point. Somebody
tell me why the middle from the Polish national
team is playing behind Molly McCage and Asia
O 'Neal. Somebody tell me this. This girl is
playing in world championships for Poland, and
she's riding the bench at Love Austin. She didn't
go to Texas. I'm honestly surprised that Inouye
is playing libero. It was a little hit and miss
there for a while. Touching goes. Zoe Jarvis
was starting over her now and then, but finally
Inouye is playing. So I'm like, okay, at least
something's happening. At least I saw a match
where Carly Lloyd started setting over Brio Riley.
Tell me when that should happen. There's a lot
of weird stuff happening in Austin. But anyway,
they're in fifth. What did you think of the Nebraska
-Austin match? How is Kettle not playing for
Nebraska? I don't know. They tried to say that
the setter has a better connection with the other
two middles. Trust me, she'd probably have a
good connection with Cattle. I don't know if
she's still injured or... That doesn't make any
sense to me. I mean, Nebraska's winning games
right now, but Cattle is a very, very good middle.
And an outstanding blocker. And Nebraska's passing
well. Like, you can run... I don't know. Can
we also talk about the fact that Austin started
out that match serving Jordan Larson? That...
We talked about the U .S. team at VNL looking
like they didn't necessarily have a plan, not
being able to understand what they were trying
to accomplish. Austin looks the same way to me
now. I don't know what their plan is. I don't
know what they're trying to do offensively, defensively.
Sometimes they're in rhythm. Sometimes they're
not. It feels messy watching them. And yeah,
I'm not sure what their like defensive plan is.
I'm sorry. Dykema is not a particularly consistent
setter. No. Jordan Larson is in her retirement
phase of her career. She's not super terminal
at this point. No, but she is though. Like she's
scoring a ton of points. She's not like jumping.
That's my point. Jordan carved. That team to
pieces. They moved. They weren't in position.
They weren't reading anything. Like, if you see
the ball go over Jordan's shoulder and she's
leaning off the net because the set's not good,
she has nowhere to go but into position four.
Or like rolling it into the middle of the court,
which has scored, I can't even tell you how many
points. She scored on bad sets consistently against
them. What are you looking at? What have you
prepared for? Give Jordan props. The way that
she's finding ways to score is incredible. But
guys. The thing is, is that Jordan is no longer
going to blow you off the ball. Right? You need
to go. You know what, Jordan? If you're going
to hit perimeters and you're going to beat us.
Have at it. You can score those shots. We're
not going to give you the stuff that you're good
at because as soon as you move and she sees open
court, she can hit it. Again, I'm not trying
to take anything away from Jordan Larson. That's
just the reality of the situation. And Austin
was moving consistently, opening things up for
her. They didn't have a plan. They weren't recognizing
when the sets were off the net. They weren't
recognizing when Jordan couldn't swing. It was
like watching high school volleyball. And Bausch.
I do like that Bouch is playing over Jaylee Winters
now. Agreed. Thank you. She's not a player going
up and hitting just outstanding angles either.
And, like, why are you serving Jordan? I'll go
back to it. Serve Ann. Or Lexi. They're not prepared.
They are not prepared to compete against athletes
who know what's going on. It's messy. It's not
disciplined. And there doesn't look like there's
a plan. This is embarrassing, quite frankly,
watching them play. Like you and I had this conversation.
I don't, I didn't have the stats to back it up,
but the two coaches who have international experience,
who have coached outside of the USA system have
brought their teams to the top of love now. And
I don't think that that is by accident. You look
at which teams started hot. Remember when we
were like Sonja Tomasovic not getting rehired?
I take that back. I'm sorry. She's done a fantastic
job. They've done a lot better. This is the mark,
in my opinion, of a good coach. Your teams get
better as the season goes on. You find your rhythm.
Again, maybe it's messy at the beginning because
you're trying to do something the players aren't
used to or you're trying to put a system in or
you're trying to build cohesiveness or a culture.
It has worked for those two teams. They are playing
better and better as the season goes on. And,
I mean, Madison has been bad the whole time,
but Austin started out pretty well, and I don't
believe they've had any significant injuries,
and they have gotten worse and worse. They are
not adjusting to anything that's happening, and
that is not a good sign because that's your national
team staff. Well, similarly, Salt Lake started
8 -1, and we watched them play Atlanta. They
looked very bad. Horrible. Very bad. Alexa Gray,
what was it? She had two kills on 20 swings with
eight errors. You're hitting negative 300. That
is hard to do. That is hard to do. Well, she
wasn't very good. Their passing was in disarray.
Jordan Poulter did not set well. I don't think
she set well. She was running all over the court
on the balls that were actually passed well to
the net. Her sets were trailing off for the hitters.
I thought she actually set better from the attack
line than she did from good passes, but I didn't
love her back row setting. Casanova was leading
the hitters enough in the back row. Yeah, it
was brutal. That's another team that has regressed
because they had their full starting lineup there.
Everybody's back. Everybody is back. That'll
be interesting. Definitely the teams. who are
at the top, who are playing well, have shifted.
I think they probably have the best shot to win
at this point because they're just playing better.
They're making adjustments. They're doing what
they're supposed to be doing. Now, I will say,
I think Atlanta can have their passing broken
down, but the league doesn't serve super tough
consistently. So if they can pass, they'll be
all right. But that, to me, is kind of where
I see their Achilles heel being. Yeah, you've
got McKenzie Adams, San Giacomo, and Hanoi. Yes.
Not the most elite passing lineup there is. Yeah.
But they look way better than Salt Lake. Yeah.
Okay. Something else to talk about with Salt
Lake. They've gotten rid of all their spin serves.
Yes, they have. They were only float serving.
That also has to come from the coach because
you have a couple players. Casanova used to spin
serve. Ronnie Jones -Perry came in to serve,
float serve. She's a spin server. Was there anybody
else? I mean, those are two right off the bat.
They were all float serving. And not only that,
they were float serving poorly. They were missing
serves. They weren't putting a ton of pressure
on. You need to make Mackenzie Adams pass with
her forearms, and she was just stepping up and
passing with her hands. You're letting her off
the hook. If that's the case. And I was a shock
to see that. And where is Kosa Paula? She's like
the only person on the team not playing. All
right. Italian playoffs. Two matches have been
played in the women's semifinals. Milano's up
2 -0 on Scandici. And Corneliano's up 2 -0 on
Novara. So this is potentially coming to an end
next match. On the men's side, three of the four
quarterfinal series are done. Perugia beat Monza
and Chivita Nova beat Trentino. Three matches
to zero. Trentino has had a rough season. This
is not up to their standards. No. I'm trying
to think if... I mean, Micheleto's out. They're
other left side out. We know that. But... still
as a club and the history and tradition they
have, it's got to be disappointing. Yeah, I totally
agree. It's disappointing. I mean, again, you
lost your first two left sides and passing was
a real issue for them against Chivitsa Nova,
but it just didn't seem like they were pushing.
It almost looked like they were resigned to the
fact that it was a written off season. I didn't
think Farr played very well. It's not what you
would expect from a winning culture, from an
attitude and fight standpoint. I know they came
back. I know they pushed a couple sets, but you
would just expect it to be a little different,
I think. But again, Mickey Leto is such a good
player. You've lost your ball control left side
as well. It's definitely a tough position. Verona
beat Milano three matches to one and Piacenza
Modena are heading to a fifth match. So yet to
be determined the exact matchups, but Verona's
playing Chivita Nova and then Perugia is waiting
to see who they play in the semis. And Champions
League. Women's semifinals are set. Vakif Bank
is taking on Conigliano and Scandici is playing
Izazibashi. So, Vacavbank and Milano went five,
both matches. Obviously, Vacavbank won both of
them. Zarin Ankara beat Conigliano in five in
the return match, but Conigliano won the first
one three straight, so it didn't even matter.
Reshov beat Izazibashi in five in the away match,
but they lost the home match in four, so that
one didn't matter. And then Fenerbahce, Scandici
went to a golden set. Gandicci won 15 -13 in
the Golden Set. Full disclosure, we did not watch
the Champions League matches this week. So we
are going to go back and watch them because we've
got a whole month before the Final Four starts.
So we are going to go back and watch those so
we can talk about them more in depth next week.
But that is what's happening on that front. And
then on the news front. Zarin, Sport, Ankara.
It was said that they got their financial problems
under control, but Aleksic and Mihailovic left
the team during playoffs and went back to Serbia
because they are still waiting for a whole lot
of money. So turns out the financial stuff maybe
isn't resolved. But for players to go home. at
the end very end of the season during playoffs
like that is bold and obviously something is
going on so i mean you have played with mihailovich
she doesn't seem like a person who has a ton
of patience so i'm kind of it seems in line with
what i've seen of her but it Kind of means you're
probably not going to get paid at all. Like,
why not wait it out? Yeah, interesting to see
what's going on there and how that ends up playing
out. And if they're a team next year. Well, Sarah
Franklin signed with them. The question that
I kept getting on messages is like, does this
mean Sarah Franklin's going to reconsider her
going there? Who knows? It would definitely make
me pause. It would raise some red flags for me,
too. Absolutely. As we said, lots going on. Been
a big week. We obviously have some huge mashups
that we unfortunately were not able to catch.
So we're going to go back and catch some of those.
Well, I think it's good that we have a month
until the women's Final Four. We can kind of
break down the different series maybe week by
week and watch the games as a little lead -in.
Because there aren't other games happening. It's
fine. But that volleyball is very good. From
the scores of the matches, it looks like they're
going to be entertaining to watch, period. As
we alluded to earlier, the MLV All -Star Game
is this weekend, and that obviously means that
the MLV All -Stars were selected. In taking a
look, it seems that the players were selected
through a combination of fan voting, player input,
not sure what that means, and league selection.
I'm guessing it's mostly fan voting with some
veto power for making sure every team gets some
person or something along those lines. That'd
be my guess. If you were looking at the volleyball
landscape, which team do you think would get
the most pick? My first instinct is who's got
the biggest fan base, which leads me to Omaha.
But I think it should be the best team. So to
me, Indy and Dallas should have the most players.
Okay, so... Indy does have the most players.
They have five. They're also super fun to watch,
which I think is good for fans. Dallas and Orlando
had four each. Tracks. Omaha had two. Maybe the
Omaha fans are upset with their team and voted
for other people. So I was pretty surprised to
see that they had two because Grand Rapids also
only had two. Columbus. Only had two, but they're
at the bottom. Makes sense. But the fact that
Omaha only has two, I was like, what? So that
was weird. You would expect a program with that
much support to get more love. Guess which player
had the most votes out of anybody. Lexi Rodriguez.
They're wrong league. No, I know she's in the
other league. See, I don't even understand why
Adam's trying to be funny. Brooke and Nana Viller.
No. Leah Edmond. Adam. I'm so disappointed. I
have no idea. Elena Scott. Your favorite player
of all time. And it wasn't even on your radar.
I didn't think it would get the most votes. Wow.
Okay. So Elena Scott got the most votes. We all
know how I feel about all -star games. We talked
about it last year at this time. Bane of my existence.
When I was a player, I was like, no, I do not
want to be in this game. All -star games are
terrible for players and for people who like
the sport for the purity of the sport. All -star
games are great for corporate sponsors and families.
Families of the players or families who go watch?
No, families who go watch. The city that is hosting
the all -star game, it's a ton of fun. It's interactive
for the fans, for the kids. It's great for that.
But if you like high -level sports, all -star
games is not it. How do you feel about the college
coaches? Who coach these games. I mean. This
year's Dan Maskey and Beth Launier, by the way.
Sure. We'll see it on social media, but. Adam
doesn't rip apart anybody, but Dan Maskey catches
so many strays from him. Okay. Dan Maskey is
to Adam as Ellis Wendell is to me. I get it.
You don't want coaches from your league doing
it. I think that's just a little strange and
you don't really have. Any other high profile
coaches you can pull in, like the national team
is coaching in love, so you're not going to bring
them in. College would be the next biggest names
in the sport that you would potentially bring
in. So I'm fine with it. I mean, you see this
a lot. I'm okay with it. Let's go through the
list and we can say if there's anybody that we're
like, why are you here? And anybody that is missing.
All right, hit me. Okay, so I'll go by position.
Opposites, we've got Iko Jones, Azani Teeler,
Raina Terry, and Emily Laundot. I don't love
the opposites in the league overall. Same. Abercrombie's
hurt, which makes sense. I would probably have
picked Kaylee Cox over Emily Laundot. I was thinking
about Cox, yeah. That would be, I think the other
three are fine. They've had good seasons. I don't
know whether this was... Like, Londot didn't
even start. She took over. And also, is Raina
Terry even playing opposite? Because let me tell
you, in fantasy, I have her as an outside. I'm
not 100 % sure. But I'm sure they have her. I
mean, I'm sure they have it right here. Okay.
Yeah, I think that would be the only potential
switch that I would make. Fair. I also am not
a fan of the opposites in the league. So, meh.
Okay, Liberos. Morgan Hentz. Shara Venegas. Elena
Scott. Theodora Pusich. I'm like, where's Elena
Ogilvie? That was the one that came to mind as
well. Who would you replace? I mean, she's had
a better season than Morgan Hentz. Fair. Honestly,
like, okay, Venegas, her team isn't very good,
but, like, she has done well over the last couple
seasons. Yeah, it is what it is, but I'm just
saying, like, Ogilvie's had a pretty good season.
I think statistically she... Earned a spot in
the All -Star game. But I don't know who you
replace with that. Given fan votes and everything
else. Setters. We've got Mia Tuoniga. Adams.
Fantasy. Setter. Trumpu. Natalia Valentine Anderson.
And Marley Monserez. I think Sydney Hilly is
one of the best setters in the league. I'm surprised
she's not on this list. Same. I would replace
Marley Monserez, as everybody probably could
guess. Yeah, that's probably the switch I make
too. And just, I thought she was a fan favorite
in Omaha. Well, Omaha clearly didn't show up
because only two of their players got picked.
And Emily Landau was one of them. She's not one
of the ones that I thought would get picked.
No, definitely not. So I'm a little confused
about that. So who is missing for me from this?
And I'm trying to do this from like objectively
who's had good seasons and statistically is playing
well. Not kind of my favorite, but I think Sidney
Hill is probably one of the better setters in
the league. So that was surprising to me. Middle
blockers, Reagan, Pittman, Nelson, Lydia Martin,
Kaz Brown, Lane Van Buskirk, Blake Moeller, Maren
Grote. I think those are solid choices. I'm not
sure I would replace anyone, but I think that
Ramat Alhassan has had a really good season.
So I think that. She could have been on that
list and I would have been okay with it as well.
But she was the one that came to mind as was
potentially left off or just missed the cut.
Like this list for me, I'm okay with it. This
has been the best so far, I think. Yeah. And
then finally, outsides, we've got Mimi Collier,
Paige Briggs -Romine, Brooke Nunneviller, Leah
Edmond, Sofia Maldonado -Diaz, Charity Looper.
Key names missing for me would be Lector Member
Mena. Yeah. And Carly Snyder. Also. I'm wondering
if Lector Member Mena was left off just because
Indy had so many players that were already selected.
I don't know how you leave her off the list.
I'm not sure. I think she's probably one of their
best players, if not their best player. One of
the better players in the whole league. Yeah.
For sure. Maybe she's nursing an injury. Like
maybe she decided not. I'm just I'm shocked that
she is not there. Yeah. And then Carly Snyder,
I think, is having a really good season. They
did take breaks from that team, though. True.
Who is having a good season? Grand Rapids and
overall is not. I mean, you can make a case for
all the outsides who were picked, but I could
also make a case for those ones, too. You know
what I mean? It's like. So, I mean. Again, it
is what it is. We don't know. I'm sure some people
decided not to go. I'm nursing an injury. I don't
want to travel. I wonder if you can choose not
to go. I'm sure you need a medical reason. Maybe
that's the player input thing. Yeah. But those
would be, looking at that list, just kind of
off the top of my head, those would be the players
that I thought could have, should have been in
the running or I wouldn't have batted an eye
if they had been on the list. So do you think
the list is outrageous? Do you think it's about
what we expected? I think it's pretty close.
I don't think it's outrageous. There's nobody
on that list who sticks out as not belonging.
Yeah. There's a couple on the edges, but that's
going to happen in an all -star game. We'll watch
the all -star game. I'm curious to see how it
actually happens. I'm curious to see what the
compete level is, but we'll follow up with this
next week as to what the atmosphere was like,
what the competition was like, see who actually
played. I'm hoping it's a fun event. But I think
very rarely all -star games are done really well.
It's time for our game. Great. I'm nervous again.
So this game is called fraudulent or for real.
Adam loves an alliteration. I think it's pretty
much mandatory when you're naming something.
So I'm going to give you a couple streaks that
are currently happening in volleyball. I want
you to tell me whether you think the streak is
fraudulent and will be reversed or whether you
think the streak is for real and this is what
the team actually is. So most of them have to
do with teams that have kind of flip -flopped,
whether they've been winning, going to losing,
or vice versa. And I want your opinion on kind
of where they're at and what we can expect to
see. So we talked about this a little bit, but
since February 21st, Salt Lake City is 1 -7 after
having a commanding lead in love. Poulter's played
in half those sets, and Alexa Gray has played
in all of those sets in some way, shape, or form.
So this is not a case of missing players. They
might not be healthy, but they have been playing.
Where's your head at with Salt Lake and how they
finish the season? So to go with the naming convention
of this game, I'm going to say that this streak
is for real. I think I was high on Salt Lake
at the beginning of the year. I thought they
looked so good. But this decline and just like
the certain changes we've seen from like serving
tactics, demeanor on the court. decision -making,
who's playing, who's not. I feel like this slide
is showing who this team is. I tend to agree
with you. It's not just one thing. The passing
didn't look good. The serving was not great.
Jordan Poulter doesn't look like herself. There's
just too many things going on to, I think, fix
it right away. I agree with you. I think this
is for real. I think they're going to have to
hang on to a playoff spot. Okay. Also, from Love,
flipping in the other direction, in the last
nine games, Austin is 2 -7 after getting out
to a pretty good start at the beginning of the
season. They don't have any major injuries. There's
nothing discernible that you can kind of put
your finger on. Do you think they're the first
half of the season team, or do you think this
is how they're going to finish? I'm going to
also say for real, because watching them play
from a technical perspective, like you said,
it's not anything glaring. I think it's a tactical
type of thing. Like, Brie O 'Reilly has a good
connection with the middles. She has a pretty
good connection with Eggleston. I don't think
that she has a good connection with Skinner at
all. Does anyone? I don't know. It's just like
something's missing. It's just not it for me.
And yeah, it's not like I watch it. It just seems
like a tactical thing. I don't know. It's like,
I can't even put my finger on it, but I kind
of feel like it's a, this is just the team. This
is how the team is. I also have a hard time articulating
what's going on with them. It seems like they're
moving in a direction at a decent pace. You just
don't know what direction that is. Sometimes
one player will be playing well, it'll come together,
and then it's three head -scratching moments
in a row, and then they'll just do something,
like you said, tactically that leaves you wondering
what the plan is. I think they probably have
a... Better chance of getting it on the rails
than Salt Lake, but I'm still not high on that
happening. Okay. Omaha has won their last three
matches after losing six in a row. They have
beaten... They lost six in a row. They lost six
in a row. MLB? Yes. Their last three games, they
have beaten Columbus, Indy, and Grand Rapids.
Have they figured it out, and is their three
-game win streak for real? Fraudulent. You beat
the two worst teams in the league. Granted, the
Indy match was a huge win, but I don't know.
I'm not buying it. They've been all over the
map this season. They just, something's off with
them. I don't know. I'm not buying it. I think
they're going to continue to see -saw the whole
rest of the way. Yeah, I mean, it's great that
you've won three games in a row. Indy was going
to eventually lose to someone, but you need to
beat some good teams. Like, I want to see you
beat Atlanta or Orlando or Dallas before I'm
on board with... Or when, like, beat two of those
teams in a row. Yeah. And then I might start
changing my mind. You've just seen too much inconsistency
to believe that right now. Trevitsynova is...
Six and one in their last seven matches. Are
they the real deal? Or are they going to wash
out in the semis? I'm going to say for real.
They are playing Verona, who is like, I don't
know, the little brother for me of the Italian
League. A little more free spirited, fun loving,
goofy. Like it's a different vibe of team. But
Chivita Nova, I don't know, they've got some
like dogs. You know what I mean? Nikolov is impressive.
He's playing so well. They're like, Chivita Nova
is also a young team, but they're just like.
Not like the fun -loving young team. They're
the young team who are like, no, we are going
to show you all that we deserve to be here. You
know what I mean? They're out to earn some respect.
So I think it's for real. They're still alive
in Champions League. They're in the semifinals
of the Italian League. I think it's real. Yeah,
watching them play and beat Trentino in the way
that they did. Even if they don't win, I think
they're for real. The matches they play, they're
fighting. They want to win. They're clicking
on all cylinders. I think they're for real. All
right, and our last one. I have a little smile
on my face because I know how you feel about
these guys. Stanford is on a six -game win streak.
Yeah, who have they played though? She didn't
even let me finish. So they beat Concordia twice.
They beat St. Francis University twice, but they
did just beat BYU twice. Yeah. I have a feeling
they're playing UCLA. They have UCLA, and I believe
they have one other top -tier school. Rodulent.
I had high hopes for Stanford going into this
season, but all season long until BYU, it was
exactly what we were seeing. They could not buy
a win against a... top ranked team or a decently
ranked team they've they've done what they needed
to do against unranked teams but you like you
need to BYU I think was the exception I don't
I think this streak is going to come to an abrupt
halt definitely they play UCLA they're not going
to win that game I in fact I would imagine they're
going to lose 3 -0 3 -0 I believe they play another
top team after that and then they have a gimme
match after that before the playoffs. So they're
probably going to go two and six, one and seven
in those matches. So I fraudulent as well. Well,
that was fraudulent or for real. I actually,
how long did it take you to find these streaks?
I had to dig. I had to do a little digging, but
I kind of liked the game. So we love an alliteration.
That's like, everyone's going to, I feel like
people are going to have something to say. About
which part? All the ones who are on a like, I
don't know. I feel like I was not positive for
anybody except Chibi Tanova. I mean, if you're
going to swing your fortunes, you have to be
good teams and you have to look consistent. And
I'm not sure any of those teams are. And quite
frankly, there were more losing streaks than
winning streaks happening. It will be curious
to see. Particularly, I think Omaha is the one
I'm most interested. to watch because you had
such high expectations you kept waiting out of
the teams that are in the U .S. leagues who need
to keep their streaks going like Salt Lake needs
to win Austin needs to win I think Omaha has
the best chance of keeping their win streak going
and finishing strong I would say over Austin
or Salt Lake dang we'll see I don't know I don't
know I don't buy it. I'm not buying a lot these
days, apparently. But this is what makes the
run into the playoffs so interesting. The games
matter now. Austin could catch Salt Lake. For
me, love will be interesting for the last three
weeks. Who is going to fight? Who's going to
squeak in? Is Austin going to win some games?
Is Salt Lake going to keep plummeting? There's
actually some storylines and some intrigue to
follow now. And not everybody makes playoffs
this year, thankfully. Which is fantastic. I
do think Love has made a couple good changes
to the league to make these matches mean something.
You know what else I'm going to say about Love?
I am so happy that they don't say best in the
world every other sentence this year. Correct.
They've done a much better job with the announcing
of the matches. If only some North American broadcasts
would show the end court view, I'd be happy.
All right, let's dive into some listener questions.
We've got a whole bunch today. Let's go. So question
one, who do you think are the contenders for
Liberos for 2026 VNL? I assume Hentz and Rodriguez.
But do you think Maya Sands, Elena Scott, or
Elena Ogilvie all have the potential of being
invited? Is Zoe Fleck slash Jarvis still an option
or has she not progressed enough? I think the
first two will be she wins to get a shot. And
has had the worst season. I mean, I think she'll
still get a chance. I think those two are still.
She has not been playing well. But those two
are. She's improved since leaving Omaha. Still
going to be the front runners for VNL. I think
Zoe has played herself off personally. Yeah,
I thought that before last season too, though.
Well, yeah, but she got some opportunities and
she didn't perform. If I'm a USA coach, I'm looking
at that going, okay, I saw what I needed to saw.
I want to give somebody else a chance and see.
I've seen what I needed to see. Yeah. Potentially
Elena Scott, potentially Ogilvy could get a shot.
Maya Sands, I don't think so. No, I don't think
so either. So I think one of those two will be
added to the roster, whether or not. They get
a chance to play VNL. I'm not sure, but I think
they'll be on the wide roster. Agreed. I mean,
somebody like tell us, but I like kind of heard
last season that Elena Scott said no to national
team. But then I also heard that she wasn't invited.
So I'm like, those are two very different things.
Which one is true? If she wasn't invited last
season. I think she's made a case for herself
for sure to be picked. If she wasn't invited
to me, that was a, we're choosing Zoe over you.
Now Zoe's gone, but you have to have three liberos
at minimum three liberos on the wide roster in
case somebody gets hurt. You're either going
to have three or four. I think Elena Scott after
those other two is probably my first call up.
I would put Elena Scott over Morgan Hentz right
now, honestly. Elena Ogilvie has made a case
for herself. Agreed. After the season she's had
in MLV. But also, would I be shocked if they
hold up Roseno again? No. I feel like the love
athletes definitely get priority. And so, yeah,
I wouldn't be shocked if Briseño, I wouldn't
be shocked, honestly, if they even put Grimes
ahead of them because now she's playing for Madison.
I just think that it's. If that happens, it's
a case of them not doing their full homework.
The whole staff is playing. Or just like being
prejudiced against MLB. I mean, maybe. And like
the perceived level of that league, I would say.
I honestly. Even though I think Ogilvy has made
a case for herself and that Elena Scott has made
a case for herself, I think that they will prioritize
Briseño because she's playing love. Whether it's
deserved or not, it is what it is. But I think
Hentz will get a chance because she's been in
the program. But that is just my intuition. Question
two, I would like to hear more about how NCAA
athletes and pro athletes train. What was training
like when Sarah was at Nebraska? It was forever
ago. How did she manage the jump to pros? What
were her strategies to maximize performance and
minimize injury? Does it seem like the current
NCAA teams are emphasizing or investing in strength
training more than in years past? Does NIL money
allow NCAA athletes to train more like pros?
First of all, I played a long time ago in college,
but I will say Nebraska was definitely ahead
of its time for strength and conditioning, which
was a big draw for me of why I chose to go there.
For us, in my experience, in season, we trained.
We had games Wednesdays and Saturdays. We trained
every other day, like three hours a day. We had
one day off a week, two days a week. We were
also lifting in the off season from January till
March. We did conditioning, strength and conditioning
for mornings a week. And we also did the same
thing in the summer. So all of us always stayed
in the summer. We took summer classes and did
strength and conditioning. to prepare for the
season I honestly think that a strong emphasis
on strength and conditioning and recovery whether
it's stretching or yoga or recovery stationary
bike whatever I think is a huge reason why I
had such a long career I spent a ton of time
taking care of my body and really, really prioritized
strength and conditioning, my band exercises,
my warmups. Like I showed up at practice so early
to just like go through all my band work for
my hips, for my shoulders, for everything. So
it is tedious. It is boring. It's not fun. But
I will say I probably spent as much, if not more
time taking care of myself outside of practice
time than I did in. And that includes like body
work, chiropractic, massage, you name it. And
this is one of the things that I was going to
bring up is your health and how you play. Again,
sometimes there are freak injuries. Sometimes
there are bodies that just break down. That happens.
But I think for the most part, whether you stay
healthy or not is about consistency and how diligent
you are when you're not injured. This is one
of the most common things I see with athletes
is they're very good with rehab when they're
coming back from injury, but then they don't
do anything when they're quote unquote healthy.
That's just about your own personal discipline.
It's about knowing your body. It's about. understanding
what you have to do to stay healthy. It's about
grinding it out. And sometimes that's tough in
college when you're doing classes and everything
else, but definitely as a pro, it's a non -negotiable
if you want to have a long career. And I think
it's something you did really well. And that
includes eating well, sleeping eight hours a
night, making sacrifices and prioritizing those
things, which, you know, we've talked about before,
but you were always very disciplined with that.
But I will say like in college, you're young,
you are, I mean, at least when I went to school,
it was like very much about education. And obviously
times have changed. When you're young, it is
very much program and coach driven. So like our
whole team did strength and conditioning in the
off season. Our whole team stayed in the summer.
We had to go to strength and conditioning in
season on this day and this day. When you go
to the pro level, it's like nobody's babysitting
you. It's up to you. And the way I always viewed
it is like, this is my job. I am being paid to
be as prepared as possible to perform at my best.
And nobody is going to make sure I'm doing it.
So it's on me because like my body is my job
and how I make money. So it is, I have to like
hone that tool. And I truly believe that like,
You need to invest in your career. And that is
an investment of time. That's an investment of
money. That's, you know, because your body is
your tool. And I really believe that you need
to invest in it, especially at the pro level
when you can only depend on yourself. NIL, do
I think that it impacts things? I really do think
that it is still program driven despite NIL money.
I mean, I can't speak to it because. exact knowledge
but my interpretation would be that these things
are still very much program driven and not athlete
driven to me that's the time in your life where
you're learning what your habit should be like
this doesn't happen as much anymore a lot of
the kids coming into university have strength
coaches their club is is lifting and doing those
kind of things but you're learning your body
you're understanding what a college season grind
looks like what you need to do There's a lot
or should be a lot of education around staying
healthy in college so that you're prepared and
you have the knowledge to make your own decisions
when and if you choose to play pro. Okay, question
three. This one's for you. Because we know that
Adam did watch Chivita Nova Trentino this week.
So I'm curious to know what Adam's opinions are
on Chivita Nova's three outside system. Okay,
because we were talking about how this question
came in weeks ago, but I feel like we haven't
had a chance to watch Chivita Nova, but Adam
finally did. So we were talking about how so
many teams have two distinct outsides, one very
clear right side, but Chivita Nova plays the
three. So anyways, that's the background. Watching
them was actually outstanding. I had a ton of
fun. watching. Sometimes they had Nikolov not
passing. Sometimes he was in all of their hitters.
I mean, let's be honest. If you have a person
who can terminate on the right side and pass,
it's a bonus. It just gives you so much flexibility
in terms of how you can line up, how you can
set up your serve receive against different servers,
depending on what angles they're coming from,
depending on which way the ball curves, depending
on who you want to hit out of the back row. And
I thought, They used it incredibly well. I think
it's definitely a luxury to have two of three
outside hitters who are both terminal and can
pass. Great roster construction. And I thought
Nikolov was great in the matches that I watched,
as were the other outside hitters for them. But
I do think Chivita Nova does a really good job
utilizing their personnel, specifically in that
three outside hitter configuration they have
going on. Okay, question four. What do you think
about UCLA's new women's coach? If you missed
recent episodes, Alfie Reff has moved on to be
the head coach of the new Love San Francisco
team. So there was a vacancy, which has been
filled by Matt Worley, which if you want to wind
it back to last year, was the head coach of...
Grand Canyon men volleyball. He left them halfway
through the season to go be the assistant coach
for Kansas women's volleyball. And now he was
named the head coach of UCLA women. He also brought
over Brian Delamico, who he kind of screwed over
and left the head coaching job to NGCU. So it's
a big mess. That's what's happening. I don't.
So he was successful at GCU, ran a good program,
was very good there, so knows obviously how to
run a program. Do you know if he's ever coached
women before? Kansas. Kansas had their worst
season historically, I think, in a very long
time. They didn't do horrendous, but they lost
a lot of Big 12 games. A lot of players left
the program, and they got absolutely... Slapped
by Nebraska. He obviously knows volleyball. He
knows men's volleyball. Having coached both at
a high level, they're different. Yeah. Particularly
NCAA men's where there is like a limited number
of teams. Yes. And then NCAA women's where it's
insane. And you're entering the Big Ten. Yeah.
Not only is some of the volleyball pieces different,
but how you approach men and women, specifically
at this age, is very different. If you haven't
done it before, it may take a few tries to kind
of find your legs in terms of... You know, how
you motivate people, how you get the best out
of your players, how you communicate. Like, I
think back to how I was coached in college, and
my college coach definitely couldn't have coached
women. I'm curious to see how it goes more from
a can he get his team to buy in, can he get the
most out of them, less about the volleyball,
if that makes sense. When the job came open,
I was speculating who it could be. Never in a
million years did I think it would be this guy.
I was shocked. Do you think part of it is because
people don't want the job? Do you think this
is a coveted position? I mean, it should be.
I mean, they're not doing well. I don't know
what their budget is for women's volleyball these
days, but historically they have been a good
program in the past. I just don't love how it
all went about. Like you leave Grand Canyon suspiciously
and then the program folds. So it's like, hey,
you clearly knew something was up. You got out
there, kind of like left everybody high and dry
while you like made sure you were OK. Then you
go to Kansas and then last one season and immediately
go take another job. I just I just don't love
it. And I just never expected him to be the head
coach. But who knows? Maybe he'll do. Something
special. We'll see. Question five. How do some
teams crack into the final four and then seem
to become a power program? For example, Kentucky,
Louisville, Pitt, et cetera, but others fizzle
out and can't seem to regain that again, such
as a BYU, San Diego, Kansas, Baylor. What did
Louisville, Pitt, and others do to stay on top?
Can you analyze these teams that made an appearance
but can't go back? And look at the ones that
keep coming back. I love this question. I know
what my answer is. I'm curious what your answer
is. You go first. Okay. My perspective on this
is that the ones who crack through and stay for
good are the ones who have committed to long
-term growth of a program. They have... mapped
out a long -term vision of what a rebuild or
a building a program looks like and they are
okay slowly getting there and their recruiting
is very intentional they start with the athletes
who might not be pursued by the top top programs
but have the grit the personality the team mindset
to kind of like ride it through and understand
what they're getting into. And they build it
piece by piece by piece and eventually build
it. The ones who are like a flash in a pan, they're
either recruiting from the transfer portal and
they gather a whole bunch of athletes that have
like one or two, maybe two years of eligibility
left, or they happened to like hit the jackpot
by recruiting one stud player. Who rides it out
for four years and then they just can't keep
drawing. So I think it is a very intentional
piece on the coaching staff's part of like what
they're committing to and their vision. And they
do not waver from that vision. The other ones
just either get lucky with a really good recruit.
And I'm thinking of BYU with Alexa Gray during
that period. But didn't San Diego have it? San
Diego brought in Gabby Blossom for a year and
a couple other ones and made the final four.
And then you don't hear Baylor had Presley for
a year or for her time. And then like that was
it. Yeah. For me, that's the difference. My answer
is along the same lines. The programs who make
it there and stay have done the little things
right along the way to getting there. They've
developed. a culture where it's team first and
you're building skill and you're teaching your
players, you know, what is it expected to be
a Kentucky athlete or a Pitt athlete or Louisville?
You create a culture and you bring athletes in
and then you teach them how to compete. So it
doesn't matter when you lose one or two players,
even if they're studs. Like when Pitt loses Babcock,
they're not going to be the same team, but they're
still going to make. The quarterfinals. They're
still going to have players in the pipeline that
are really good that want to go there. And you
look at the coaches like Craig Skinner. I mean,
we both know him. He went there in 2005, you
guys. Like, think about this. Yes. He coached
me at Nebraska my freshman year. Went to Kentucky
in 2005. Was building that program until they
won in 2020 and then like has been going ever.
That is a long time. It's a long time. It's those
programs. You don't have sustained success overnight.
It is. You have to grind and you have to work
through it. The schools that you see come and
go. It's like you said, they get one or two athletes
and then they build the program around that athlete.
They recognize we're going to be good for. Two
years when this player, like, and everything
is about doing that. And then that player leaves
and you have to start over. Because they haven't
put in the work. Exactly. And this is, we kind
of rag on SMU, but that is kind of, it feels
like that's their philosophy. They are trying
to recruit from the portal and hit that flash
to get, like, the right mix. You don't see. But
it's not sustainable long term. Yes. And maybe
there's a strategy there. We don't have to talk
about it. But that strategy, when I think of
it, is kind of the SMU, what I think they're
trying to do. That's a great question, though.
Real good. Question six. Do you think it's bad
for volleyball that the capital of volleyball
has two bad teams in their respective leagues?
Omaha. That was the question. No. I equate this
to being a Leafs fan. The Leafs. They've been
good for a while, but even when they stink, they
sell out. They're the highest grossing team in
the NHL. Same with Omaha. People from Nebraska
love volleyball, and it's great, and they're
going to go support the teams no matter what.
Whereas when you have a new team, they need to
be good for people to go and watch. So do you
want Omaha to be bad? No. You don't want anyone
to be bad, but it's not going to kill the sport.
Because people are still going to go support
them and they're going to put the money and they're
going to try and figure it out. So if anyone
is going to be bad, especially when you're starting.
It's actually really better than the bad team.
Question seven. As a Korean, we're very proud
that Kim Young Kyung was considered as one of
the all -time best players in the world. I heard
you mention her last episode that got me thinking
to ask you if you've ever played against her
or with her during your career. And what is your
impression of her volleyball career during her
prime? Yes, I did play against her. In her prime.
I played against her in world championships when
I played indoor world championships for Canada.
And I played against her Champions League when
she was playing for Fenerbahce. What can you
say? She could do everything. I have so much
respect for her. I never played with her. I wish
I had. But yes, I played against her. The thing
for me is just how... high. Like I contacted
the ball at a very high point. Like that was,
that was how I made my career is like my contact
point and the angles I could hit. She hit so
high and so consistently to sidelines and perimeter.
Like she was so difficult to stop, but not only
that, her serve, that hybrid serve, she was,
that thing was. Incredible. Her ball control,
the way she read the game, her presence on the
court, her decision making. Just, yes, she's
100 % one of the best players of all time. Yeah,
I have only good things to say. I have a question
for you. Do you think this is a fair characterization?
Do you think she is a bigger, more terminal Gabi?
I think she is a better offensive Jordan Larson.
Fair enough. Okay, question eight. What do you
think about moving Van Rijk to the outside and
letting Anna Smrek play opposite? This person
was like, I know Kira Van Rijk is objectively
a better opposite than Anna Smrek, but we're
seeing teams start to move. on opposite to the
left side do you think this could benefit canada
with their current issues this approach is good
in theory if you have two players that you want
on the court but at this point from what i've
seen anna's just not a serviceable six rotation
right side she's i think this person was like
saw her play because she's with azubashi right
now and it's like she played so well I didn't
see this match, so I can't speak to it, but...
Yeah, again, she hasn't been able to compete
internationally for six rotations. Defensively,
she's not particularly good. She only hits in
-system balls well, so her out -of -system hitting
needs to get better for her to be a true right
side. I hope she's gotten better, and if she
does become that player, then yes, it makes sense
to move. van rijk to the left if she can pass
if she can pass like so there's a lot of variables
there for canada and i would imagine that that's
the hope for smack but i haven't seen it yet
question nine i know when a team wins their league
they either get a bonus or an mlv the team gets
a million dollars how is the amount given to
each player on the team decided i can speak to
the bonus structure model basically when most
players have agents that negotiate their contracts
so in the process of negotiating a salary etc
bonuses also are negotiated by the agent and
so it could look different for every player or
a team could just offer the same amount to every
player but nobody really knows But the agents
negotiate those on each player's behalf. For
MLV, when the amount is given to the whole team,
and I believe a lot of international teams work
this way as well when there is prize money for
winning big tournaments. Internationally, a lot
of teams just... split it equally among everybody.
And I believe in MLV, the 1 million is split
equally among the roster. I'm not sure if coaching
staff is included in that. And I know for some
teams internationally, there are some cash prizes
for being like the best opposite or best setter.
And sometimes it depends on the country, but
the country, sometimes the player just keeps
it. And sometimes even the individual prizes
are split among the team. Okay, last question
of the day. Right now, tall offensive setters
like Mone and Janelli are dominating the men's
game. Do you see a similar kind of player ever
being developed on the women's side? I think
it's unlikely in the near future just because
you don't have enough terminal women yet for
it to make sense to move them to the setting
position when they're young. Fair. I think what
we are seeing, the women's version of what we're
seeing right now with the tall offensive setter
is we're seeing very, very tall left sides. Yes.
We are starting to see the emergence of the 6
'6 left side, which typically players that size
were either thrown into the middle or as opposites.
But now we're seeing, you know, Markova we're
seeing Karakurt and Tropova we're seeing that
stature of athletes start to make the transition
to the left side and that will change the women's
game agreed 10 15 years down the road when you
normally have a 6 -6 left side you'll start to
see some athletes become really big and be like
I'm gonna set but you started setting and there
just weren't enough hitters to score to make
it make sense to have you set and I think you're
still seeing that whereas on the men's side people
are just so physical and so athletic that it
makes more sense to have that big of a player
there that is what is starting to differentiate
teams versus in the women's side having a 6 -6
passing left side is now the differentiator the
women's evolution is just a little bit behind
the men's game because we've seen this happen
with the men's. So now the women are just like
that step behind. Does that make sense? Love
the questions this week. Oh, they're great questions.
Honestly, this is always just so much fun. All
right. Looking forward this week, Tuesday and
Wednesday, Champions League men's quarterfinals.
Let's go. The volleyball has been great. Wednesday
and Sunday, Italian A1 semifinals for women.
Thursday at 8 p .m. Eastern, NCAA men's Ball
State versus Lindenwood. Thursday, 8 p .m. Eastern,
Love Madison versus Austin on Victory Plus. Bottom
feeders. Basement game. Friday and Saturday,
9 p .m. Eastern, NCAA men's Pepperdine versus
BYU. And then Saturday at 12 p .m. Eastern, MLV
All -Star game. So we'll be bringing you some
coverage from that next week. That concludes
this week's episode of Volley Talk. There's always
something shaking in the volleyball world, and
we hope you enjoyed this little fix. Be sure
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next week.