S4E12: Bracket Challenge, Big West is More Entertaining Than MPSF, Milan Mania

WEBVTT

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<v Arielle Houlihan>No pets for you guys?

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<v Daniel Rasay>No pets for us.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Did you grow up with pets?

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<v Daniel Rasay>We had a dog and a cat.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Did Anne have a dog?

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<v Daniel Rasay>They had dogs.

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<v Daniel Rasay>They had Jerome Kersey was one of the dogs.

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<v Daniel Rasay>He he was a That was the dog's name?

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<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

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<v Daniel Rasay>He played for the Portland Trailblazers and she's from Oregon.

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<v Daniel Rasay>So his name was Jerome No Mercy Kirsty.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>So did you guys just have like a that's a hell of a dog name?

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<v Chad Gordon>What kind of dog?

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<v Daniel Rasay>Uh Schnauzer.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Wow.

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<v Daniel Rasay>He died.

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<v Daniel Rasay>He had diabetes.

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<v Daniel Rasay>This is gonna be our best.

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<v Daniel Rasay>That's gonna be a great cold opening right there.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>That's crazy.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Welcome everyone to episode 12 of the Coach's Group Chat.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It is it's National Championship Week.

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<v Matt Houlihan>We are here.

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<v Matt Houlihan>We had to get the pod back together to celebrate this momentous occasion and give our final predictions.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>We haven't seen each other in weeks.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It's been literally three days since I saw Daniel.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So we had to get back together.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And it's gonna be a good one because we got predictions, galore.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Matt's really excited about this podcast.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I am I got it before we even started.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I was I was fired up.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I just knew that we were there was gonna be good things said today.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And the number one thing that popped into my head was something that Chad had texted.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Hoolie's pulleys.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Not Juli's pulleys.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It's that UC Irvine made it into the tournament.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Oh hell yeah.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, congrats to UC Irvine.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Can you snaps for snaps for the and heaters?

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<v Matt Houlihan>We're happy for him.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Years and years of just being NCAA purgatory.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

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<v Chad Gordon>I thought it was a bad guy.

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<v Chad Gordon>Clearly, something went wrong.

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<v Chad Gordon>Um, but I don't think we're ever gonna see a streamed Irvine match now.

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<v Chad Gordon>He's found he's cracked the code.

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<v Chad Gordon>Yeah, don't let him watch and you get in.

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<v Matt Houlihan>The key is to make national news by calling for violence upon a minority.

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<v Matt Houlihan>That's their fault.

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<v Matt Houlihan>That wasn't Irvine's fault.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Irvine even posted an apology.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I was like, it's not even Irvine's fault.

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<v Matt Houlihan>They're fine.

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<v Matt Houlihan>All right, well, let's get into it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>We got we got the prediction episode.

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<v Matt Houlihan>We we have to throw, or I need to throw in a specific plug before we get into our personal predictions, but we've got the coach's group chat sponsored, not really, just adjacent to the coach's group chat.

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<v Matt Houlihan>What?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Bracket Pick'em challenge that I hacked together with Club.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It's sponsored.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, it's sponsored.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Actually, it's sponsored by Drop Dimes.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I put Drop Dimes on there because So is the podcast.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, so it's the podcast as well.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I might as well throw Coach's Group Chat up there.

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<v Matt Houlihan>You know what?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Let's do it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I'll switch it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So head on over to Vulcan Records.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>We are the sponsor of the Yeah, why not?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Let's do it.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I thought that the bracket was going to sponsor us.

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<v Matt Houlihan>No, other way around.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It's a two-way sponsor.

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<v Matt Houlihan>It's a two-way contract, yeah.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, seven-day, seven-day rookie contract.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Uh yeah, so head on out if you want to fill out your bracket, test yourself.

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<v Matt Houlihan>There's already 3,000 submissions.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I got some good data.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>That's a lot.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I know.

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<v Matt Houlihan>There's I the I put there within an hour and there were 600 submissions.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And to Daniel's credit, he was like, I posted, I did my bracket challenge before you put it behind an email gate.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So I started started scraping all those emails off of people.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Well, well played.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Uh yeah.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So head on over.

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<v Matt Houlihan>If you want to, if you want to, it's free.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Just drop your email in there and uh and and fill out your bracket.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Set your spam filters on your email.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I only email you once a week.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And you and you have to opt in.

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<v Matt Houlihan>You could just put your email in.

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<v Matt Houlihan>If you don't opt in, we won't email you.

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<v Matt Houlihan>God forbid a man just you know do a little bit of self-promotion on his own podcast, all right?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Goodness gracious.

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<v Matt Houlihan>But we're ready to go.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Let's give our let's give our predictions.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Now that we've seen the bracket, we've got the play-in game this upcoming Friday with the quarterfinal matchups on Saturday across four regional sites.

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<v Matt Houlihan>We've got three, no, two in California, one in Hawaii, and one at Ball State in the Midwest.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So uh would anyone like to set the stage for this tournament and we can kind of go uh pocket by pocket?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Give us the first game.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Irvine Penn State.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Thank you, Chad.

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<v Chad Gordon>I'm going Irvine.

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<v Chad Gordon>I'm also going Irvine because NIF is the king now.

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<v Daniel Rasay>Irvine.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>That would be mean it's Pav's last game, guys.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I know.

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<v Matt Houlihan>You gotta think there's a little bit of Pav magic in this game.

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<v Daniel Rasay>Those aren't good guys, are the two coaches, good guys that we had from the one of the first episodes.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Yes, the good guys.

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<v Daniel Rasay>How dare the committee match them up?

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, the committee wants to get rid of the bracket.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Exactly.

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<v Chad Gordon>Not good boys, a little much, but even worse.

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<v Chad Gordon>At least the committee listens to this bond.

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<v Chad Gordon>So there you go, there's traction.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, I just don't like the fact they're trying to get rid of the good guys.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Uh yeah, I think this is the only I mean, all credit to Belmont Abbey, to St.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Francis and the teams that, you know, the Fort Valley State that have gotten in.

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<v Matt Houlihan>But if there's gonna be any upset in this first playing round, you've got to be able to be in the Penn State Penn State.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Penn State Urban State.

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<v Matt Houlihan>There's just there's too much firepower for those other those other teams to see a any substantial blip.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So Penn State would be the one where there could be some action here.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And Irvine has had had some moments this season.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I wouldn't say they have a bad loss.

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<v Matt Houlihan>They lost to Santa Barbara.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Santa Barbara was a pretty good team.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, there was no bad losses for them.

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<v Matt Houlihan>They've been pretty damn consistent the whole year.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So I'm also gonna go Irvine.

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<v Matt Houlihan>But winner of that then leads into UCLA, which begs an interesting question of can an Irvine or Penn State, if we're all taking Irvine, can an Irvine take down the Bruins at UCLA after already seeing this matchup once before in the regular season where Irvine took him to five.

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<v Matt Houlihan>What's your guys' thoughts?

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<v Matt Houlihan>We gotta do we have a anyone want to take that action here?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Irvine upset?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Obviously.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, you want it?

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<v Matt Houlihan>I would love that.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I would love it too.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, I'd love it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>That'd be great to see for the sport.

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<v Matt Houlihan>But do you if you're betting?

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<v Chad Gordon>Yeah, if I have a hundred dollars, I I need I need good odds.

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<v Chad Gordon>But of of the teams that I think can do it, like Irvine is like they're just a little wild, right?

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<v Chad Gordon>Like they're running like you know, you'll like two-ball in the middle, basically.

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<v Chad Gordon>You've got some firepower on the pins, you got Cam Cossi slinging it.

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<v Chad Gordon>I think you know, it could be a little trappy for UCLA.

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<v Chad Gordon>You know, they're gonna have all week, they're not doing anything, they just get a you know, they skip the plane, obviously.

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<v Chad Gordon>Irvine's gonna play on that floor, they're gonna be ready to go from the night before.

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<v Chad Gordon>Yeah, you know, I'm not saying it's a lock, but I would love to see that, and they got a chance.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>If I have a hundred dollars, I'm putting it on Irvine.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>If I have a thousand dollars, I'm putting it on UCLA.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Gotcha.

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<v Matt Houlihan>All right.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Honestly, a great way to describe that bet.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Got it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Doc, any thoughts there?

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<v Daniel Rasay>I picked UCLA from the get-go, being at home, being comfortable, sleeping in home beds, and another factor that we'll talk about later, probably.

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<v Daniel Rasay>Yes.

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<v Daniel Rasay>Umeshadowy.

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<v Daniel Rasay>Nice job.

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<v Daniel Rasay>I would like an Irvine upset, but I think UCLA's got it.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, I I feel like it was us that were talking about this.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Uh the only people I talk to really is you guys.

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<v Matt Houlihan>That's a good chance.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, the conversation we had even before the bracket came out was I think if there's anyone that could take down UCLA, Irvine is one that makes absolute sense.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Like, I if I'm UCLA, I wouldn't want to see Irvine on my side of the bracket.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Nobody wanted to see that.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Dark Horse.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Correct.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Went to college with a bunch of swimmers and they called it outside smoke.

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<v Matt Houlihan>You always got to be aware of the outside smoke.

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<v Matt Houlihan>The guy in the outside lane, you can't see him coming, right?

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<v Matt Houlihan>They usually put the fastest racers in the middle of the pool so you can see the guys next to you, but you don't see that outside smoke.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Irvine is definitely kind of an outside smoke team.

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<v Matt Houlihan>If they if they serve, which seeing them firsthand going against that team, they can absolutely crack it from the service line.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

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<v Matt Houlihan>They can wreak some havoc.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And if that is on, I I think it's hard for them to maintain that over the course of four matches, two weeks.

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<v Matt Houlihan>But man on man, if they can get it going for one weekend, UCLA, UCLA can have some fits.

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<v Matt Houlihan>And they've already had they had fits against Irvine the first time of the year.

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<v Matt Houlihan>When we were scouting UCLA, the most knowledge I got gleaned was in that matchup.

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<v Matt Houlihan>There you Urvine did a really good job of kind of exposing some things, or at least making UCLA really uncomfortable.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So that is certainly one that UCLA is not going to overlook, but is one that's got to be circled for all of us watching.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Okay, let's talk about some other teams.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, take us to the next side.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Pepperdine.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Pepperdine, Fort Valley State.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, we got Pepperdine, Fort Valley State, then what?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Then into ball state at ball state.

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<v Matt Houlihan>So this is a this is a very interesting one on the bracket pick'em of the 3,000 brackets.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I believe almost, I want to say almost 80% of teams.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I wouldn't consider it an upset.

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<v Matt Houlihan>From a seating perspective, it it will be, right?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Traveling to balls.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>Yes.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>It's not an upset.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, Pepperdine is very, very good.

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<v Matt Houlihan>This is definitely the this is definitely the the snake of the club volleyball world, right?

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<v Matt Houlihan>Where the the four meets the five.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Uh, this is gonna be a big one.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Obviously, at home is always a nice advantage.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Patrick Rowland.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I love that it's at ball state.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I do too.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>I would prefer for it to be at ball state just to give it a give them a little bit of a lean on that.

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<v Arielle Houlihan>But I do think that overall Pepperdine is the better all-around team, slightly.

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<v Matt Houlihan>Pepperdine's got weapons everywhere.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I think uh I like Ryan Barnett a lot.

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<v Matt Houlihan>I think he's a really good left side.

00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:32.879
<v Matt Houlihan>I would still put Patrick Rogers as the better left side, but Pepperdine has a right side.

00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:34.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Pepperdine's right side, really.

00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Probably the national team right side in uh in a in a quad or so here.

00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.840
<v Matt Houlihan>So they definitely have the firepower across the board to support.

00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.879
<v Arielle Houlihan>So and I also think they have the best libero in the country.

00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:46.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, Jacob Riley, real good.

00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:52.320
<v Matt Houlihan>I think he's one he's probably the top, I would I would agree there from a server seed perspective.

00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.000
<v Matt Houlihan>Defense, pretty good as well.

00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:57.919
<v Matt Houlihan>So, yeah, it's it's it's gonna be a good matchup at home at Ball State.

00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:01.039
<v Matt Houlihan>We'll make it definitely an intriguing factor to watch.

00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:02.159
<v Matt Houlihan>What's our next one, Chad?

00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:02.799
<v Matt Houlihan>What do we got?

00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:06.240
<v Matt Houlihan>Uh SC Belmont Abbey in the uh Hawaii region.

00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.919
<v Matt Houlihan>Let's go to Daniel here for the uh for the the locals, the locals narrative.

00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.120
<v Matt Houlihan>What do we got here?

00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:12.960
<v Daniel Rasay>Locals narrative.

00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:15.200
<v Daniel Rasay>Crazy way to put that.

00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.159
<v Daniel Rasay>So the we'll go to the Hawaii, our Hawaiian correspondent.

00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:21.759
<v Daniel Rasay>I'm coming to you from Waikiki Beach.

00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:23.120
<v Daniel Rasay>I don't know.

00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:29.840
<v Daniel Rasay>I kind of like, I mean, I got SC making that first round, past that first round.

00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.679
<v Daniel Rasay>I think it's interesting.

00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:42.879
<v Daniel Rasay>It's an interesting matchup with Hawaii at Hawaii, and you know, I thought they weren't their best in the finals of the Big West.

00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:52.159
<v Daniel Rasay>And um Todd went down with an ankle injury as well, so probably not gonna be at full strength, even though um they were still pretty good.

00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:53.759
<v Daniel Rasay>It's intriguing.

00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:56.559
<v Daniel Rasay>There's some potential there, I think.

00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:57.039
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:05.519
<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, USC beat Hawaii at Hawaii last year in the Outrigger, I believe, and it was actually a really impressive performance from USC.

00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:08.159
<v Matt Houlihan>So matchup-wise, we've seen this before.

00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:14.080
<v Matt Houlihan>Chad, we got the you you talked about it last week on the USC kind of still figuring out setters, rotating.

00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:19.679
<v Matt Houlihan>Chapin's been kind of I think the the arrow is pointing more in his direction now.

00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:24.000
<v Matt Houlihan>I gotta think that he's probably getting the nod in this next match, but who knows?

00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:32.799
<v Matt Houlihan>Um, so there's definitely some question marks for USC as well, but certainly an interesting one if you compare and contrast last year what this team did to what they're doing currently.

00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:39.759
<v Chad Gordon>Yeah, I mean I like I like SC in the middle on this one, uh, especially with Todd, you know, not not probably not being available.

00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:45.600
<v Chad Gordon>Um but what I think is really interesting is USC's lefts against Hawaii's right side blocking.

00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:49.039
<v Chad Gordon>Because those are some big dudes, both in in tread and and KT.

00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.320
<v Chad Gordon>And that's that's where what?

00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:57.679
<v Chad Gordon>I mean, how much of SC's offense is gonna flow through the left side, especially, you know, UH is gonna rip heavy, heavy serves, probably you know, getting them off the net.

00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:02.320
<v Chad Gordon>Like, I think that's whoever wins that battle is is probably gonna come out ahead on this one.

00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.720
<v Matt Houlihan>Does anyone think we might see a Kainoa Wade in the middle this week?

00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:08.320
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, maybe for sure.

00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:13.919
<v Matt Houlihan>That's when I first saw that, I was like, I I know they have another middle who uh I'm OFEC.

00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:15.039
<v Matt Houlihan>I'm blanking on his name.

00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:17.279
<v Chad Gordon>I believe it's yeah, the guy the guy who came in.

00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:17.440
<v Chad Gordon>Yeah.

00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:18.080
<v Matt Houlihan>You came in.

00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:31.600
<v Matt Houlihan>Like he's obviously very capable as well, but when I'm looking at who I need to beat, I want another get me another really good server, and I've got a near seven foot guy on the bench and who's also my son.

00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.600
<v Matt Houlihan>I might think about finding a way for him to play.

00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:37.440
<v Chad Gordon>I mean, to be clear, Justin Todd wasn't a middle book for this, right?

00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:39.200
<v Chad Gordon>Like this isn't this is not unprecedented.

00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.080
<v Matt Houlihan>We've talked about it ad nauseum on this podcast before, right?

00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.000
<v Matt Houlihan>Put your best volleyball players out there.

00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:58.960
<v Matt Houlihan>I absolutely think you might see right away against SC Kinoa in the middle, yeah, and just let him go, let him go back there, start him on the service line, get him minimize his minimizes front row rotations, run a one and a half, type a deal with them and see how see how it looks.

00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:04.080
<v Matt Houlihan>Closing thoughts for us on the Hawaii USC most likely matchup there, Ariel.

00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:12.799
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh, I think that both the Hawaii SC matchup and the Ball State uh pep matchup are both like flip a coin.

00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:24.159
<v Arielle Houlihan>It will depend on on who shows up that night and is like electric and good and is able to handle both like home crowds and going into a gym.

00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:32.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>Can can a team go into a gym and play well, not in their own space, or is the home crowd going to be a huge deal here?

00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:37.600
<v Arielle Houlihan>I think that majority of people are fairly healthy at this point in the season.

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:43.840
<v Arielle Houlihan>So it's nice to see like the majority of these teams have like I think we said this about SC at the beginning of the year.

00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:50.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like, if they're healthy by the end of the year, that's a pretty legitimate team to be able to go and make a run.

00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:53.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>So um I don't know.

00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:58.879
<v Matt Houlihan>I'll pose this question this way: you only get to watch one of those matches ball state pepperdine or Hawaii.

00:13:59.360 --> 00:13:59.919
<v Matt Houlihan>Hawaii SC.

00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:01.120
<v Matt Houlihan>SC, where are you going?

00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:02.240
<v Arielle Houlihan>I'm watching Hawaii SC.

00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:09.200
<v Arielle Houlihan>I will forever watch the game that is most likely to get a little controversial.

00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:10.320
<v Matt Houlihan>A little chirpy.

00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:10.879
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, I agree.

00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:12.799
<v Matt Houlihan>I'm watching Hawaii SC too.

00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:13.039
<v Matt Houlihan>I think it's a good thing.

00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:18.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>As much as that can be controversial, it's not as controversial as Hawaii SE.

00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:20.720
<v Chad Gordon>Alright, our last one, Chad, what do we got?

00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:22.639
<v Chad Gordon>Uh this is Loyola St.

00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:25.200
<v Chad Gordon>Francis in the Long Beach neck of the woods.

00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:28.799
<v Arielle Houlihan>The majority of these games are gonna be at 21 all.

00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:33.200
<v Arielle Houlihan>And it's gonna come down to the end of these games and see what happens.

00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:39.279
<v Arielle Houlihan>It's not like there's this huge spread between the one and the eight or whatever it is here.

00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:47.279
<v Matt Houlihan>So to the credit of men's volleyball coaches and programs around the around the country, pretty razor-thin margins from top to bottom here.

00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.399
<v Matt Houlihan>Like last year, Long Beach was pretty clearly uh a level above most.

00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:58.960
<v Matt Houlihan>This year it's been it's been like UCLA is for sure probably uh still a level above.

00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>But it doesn't mean that they're like this shoe.

00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:03.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>We've seen them play bad before, too.

00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:11.039
<v Matt Houlihan>So like you can absolutely see any team, any teams making the national championship in that top eight.

00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:11.440
<v SPEAKER_04>Yep.

00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:11.840
<v Matt Houlihan>Right?

00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.519
<v Matt Houlihan>Those those four playing games, meh, Penn State, meh.

00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.080
<v Matt Houlihan>But everyone else, you could see them making the national championship.

00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>Okay, respect for Pab for Plenty of respect for Pab.

00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:25.039
<v Matt Houlihan>That man's walking out with national championship rings, he's doing just fine.

00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:32.320
<v Matt Houlihan>Speaking the dynamics of these different programs, Ariel put a little text into our group chat.

00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:32.879
<v Arielle Houlihan>I did.

00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:38.399
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, you did, talking about how the big west is just far more entertaining than every other conference.

00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:39.679
<v Arielle Houlihan>I didn't just put a little text.

00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:44.879
<v Arielle Houlihan>I went on like a rant while watching a game to you guys and was like, I just need to put my notes in here so that I remember.

00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:46.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Share your notes to the people.

00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:53.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>Okay, so my my thoughts are that as a whole, the big west is more entertaining than the MPSF.

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.600
<v Arielle Houlihan>They're more entertaining teams to watch, they're more entertaining players.

00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.799
<v Arielle Houlihan>I was having this thought while watching Irvine play.

00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:14.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>I think it was Irvine Long Beach that they were playing, and reaction just from the moment that the point stops till the moment that the serve happens every single time, it's pretty electric to watch.

00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.159
<v Arielle Houlihan>And I don't see the same thing happening in MPSF games.

00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:46.399
<v Arielle Houlihan>Pepperdine versus Stanford or whoever whoever it is that I was watching in the MPSF, it just isn't like as uh performative, isn't the I wouldn't say that's the right word because that's not a good thing, but I do think that when you have Long Beach that is playing to their crowd at the pyramid, when you've got uh Irvine playing to their there, all of those kids are performing and are showmen when they're playing volleyball.

00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:53.279
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh when you've got Northridge doing what Northridge is doing, when you've got like all these different Jordan Lucas in his own his own category.

00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:59.840
<v Arielle Houlihan>That's a completely separate category that has launched men's volleyball into oblivion this year, which hasn't been done before.

00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:05.599
<v Arielle Houlihan>Um so many of these Big West programs, I don't exactly know what it is.

00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:11.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>I put some pretty like controversial things in our group chat that I probably won't mention here, but like keep those blurred.

00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:23.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>But like I do think that there is support at these big West programs of these kids going and like performing, and I don't know if the same thing is happening in the MPSF.

00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:31.039
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, let's drill down on that because you brought that up and and you put that text into the chat, and I we're live in the same house.

00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.640
<v Matt Houlihan>So I immediately started talking to you about it.

00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:43.839
<v Matt Houlihan>I was like, I feel like one of the reasons is because the big west has more of a stage, specifically because Long Beach has a culture of showing up at the pyramid.

00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:45.039
<v Matt Houlihan>They sell that thing out constantly.

00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>Sure, you're just saying the fans.

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.640
<v Matt Houlihan>Hawaii has a has a culture of fans.

00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:52.240
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, so you're you're the culture, not the you know what I'm saying?

00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:53.759
<v Arielle Houlihan>You didn't say that beforehand.

00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.640
<v Matt Houlihan>Maybe let me finish the thought and then you can you can go after it.

00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:59.920
<v Matt Houlihan>It's you've got the fans at Hawaii and Long Beach.

00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:07.839
<v Matt Houlihan>Irvine has probably the number four attendance behind BYU of the MPCF, the only one that has any crowd there.

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:09.839
<v Matt Houlihan>But Irvine does it a little bit differently.

00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:13.839
<v Matt Houlihan>Like NIF is doing as many things as possible to build up that Irvine culture.

00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:18.720
<v Matt Houlihan>I think part of that comes from being in the Big West, seeing Long Beach do it, seeing Hawaii do it.

00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:19.839
<v Matt Houlihan>He's like, Why can't we do it?

00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:28.400
<v Matt Houlihan>So he's got his guys out literally panhandling the campus, being like men's volleyball game tonight, doing everything he can.

00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:33.599
<v Matt Houlihan>There, they take a 10-minute intermission between sets two and three, and they go, I don't even know why I didn't mention Hawaii.

00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:35.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>Hawaii is also in the big west.

00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:36.720
<v Arielle Houlihan>There's I mentioned that for you.

00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.119
<v Arielle Houlihan>Don't worry.

00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:37.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>Sorry.

00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:47.599
<v Matt Houlihan>Um, yeah, and so you've got you've got these programs that are used to playing in front of these large crowds that entertain in these actual arenas of battle.

00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:54.160
<v Matt Houlihan>Whereas like, don't get me wrong, like we're trying to do the same thing for Stanford up here with volleyball day in the bay and things along those lines.

00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:05.279
<v Matt Houlihan>But when you're playing in uh 700 capacit, 700 people crowd in Maple's Pavilion, and it feels like no one's there, it's real hard to be like, yeah, guys, like go entertain.

00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:06.640
<v Matt Houlihan>Like entertain who?

00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:07.359
<v Matt Houlihan>The red mobile.

00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:10.319
<v Matt Houlihan>Like, no, I don't need to.

00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:16.240
<v Matt Houlihan>So it's just a it's a different, you're playing in a different theater than the other conferences.

00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:20.160
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh yes, I do think that that is a part of it.

00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:26.160
<v Arielle Houlihan>I think there's a lot of things that are that go into this, but I for sure, and I take the crowds out.

00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:34.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>You're right, but I also think that take the crowds out of it and the big west, the characters are more entertaining than the MPSF.

00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:36.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Would completely agree with you there, too.

00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.119
<v Matt Houlihan>No doubt.

00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:39.839
<v Matt Houlihan>There's also good rivalries going on in the Big West.

00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:51.440
<v Matt Houlihan>Like Long Beach Hawaii, after specifically after that final, like, and Daniel can talk to the history of it for sure, but after that final, my goodness, please give me a Long Beach Hawaii semifinal.

00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:52.799
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, that would be incredible.

00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:59.599
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, that would be incredible television, that'd be an incredible product on the floor because those two teams want to kill each other.

00:19:59.680 --> 00:19:59.920
<v SPEAKER_04>Yeah.

00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:04.319
<v Matt Houlihan>All right, and that's that's not a new thing, that's been a renewed rivalry for a while here.

00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:08.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Like Daniel, talk about when you were a player for the Hawaii versus Long Beach Rivalry.

00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:19.359
<v Daniel Rasay>Long Beach used to talk a lot of shit, and then they went through a period where they didn't have those characters that were that, you know, outgoing with the way they talked to their opponents.

00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:33.039
<v Daniel Rasay>But I just remember during the season we played Long Beach, and David Lee looking at the camera during introductions just gave the throat slash, and we showed it in film the next day and got us fired up.

00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:41.920
<v Daniel Rasay>And of course, the people of Hawaii were gonna get fired up, and then we ended up beating them, and our middle gave them the basically the sucket after the match.

00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:44.000
<v Daniel Rasay>And things got a little heated.

00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:51.920
<v Daniel Rasay>But it's nice that we have the partition in in between us and nobody got hurt, and there was just some yelling, and that was that.

00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:57.200
<v Arielle Houlihan>And because it's Ben's valuable, and that's what's gonna happen is people yell at each other, and then that's it.

00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:57.519
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:04.240
<v Daniel Rasay>But there's there's a good guy and a bad guy on both sides, right?

00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:08.079
<v Daniel Rasay>And the home team, you're the good guy, obviously.

00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:19.039
<v Daniel Rasay>And but uh on the other side of it is people that aren't on the good guy or bad guy side are gonna start wanting eyes on it because it's entertaining.

00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:19.680
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah, right.

00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.279
<v Daniel Rasay>And that's what we need for men's volleyball.

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:28.240
<v Daniel Rasay>We we need people outside of us to start watching the game and be like, wow, this is cool.

00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:31.359
<v Daniel Rasay>There's athletes here, and they get after each other.

00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:32.480
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah, yeah.

00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:40.240
<v Matt Houlihan>I mean, that's that's you can take the example of last year was probably the most viral in the volleyball community with Moni, right?

00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:43.359
<v Matt Houlihan>Moni encapsulated the volleyball community.

00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:45.599
<v Matt Houlihan>Everyone wanted to see it and everyone wanted to watch.

00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:46.160
<v Matt Houlihan>Sure.

00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:51.759
<v Matt Houlihan>This year you got Jordan Lucas that just got posted by the human rights campaign.

00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:58.400
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, it's every insane, every single news you know, cable station possible.

00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:04.079
<v Matt Houlihan>They had our who was it our Armani, Armani White that came to the game and posted a video about it as well.

00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:11.119
<v Matt Houlihan>Like just it's it's a different level of connection with the general zeitgeist of just the current moment.

00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:16.799
<v Matt Houlihan>Not just the volleyball zeitgeist, but the zeitgeist in general of the world right now.

00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:18.720
<v Matt Houlihan>Or not the world, maybe the United States.

00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:30.160
<v Arielle Houlihan>I mean, imagine imagine if Jordan Lucas is on Hawaii and is starting and is playing, and they're playing Long Beach, and that's happening in the semifinals.

00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:36.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>You think that it's big right now when you have a combination of all of these things that hit throw gasoline on it.

00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:38.240
<v Arielle Houlihan>It's literally throwing gasoline on it.

00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:51.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>It's that's exactly what it is, is when you have a combination of all these different things that happen, that's when it actually hits the real zeitgeist here of making virality happen in a way that is sustainable.

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:52.319
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yep.

00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.160
<v Arielle Houlihan>That is that that's what everybody in women's volleyball is looking for.

00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:05.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>It's what everybody in men's volleyball, it's what everybody in all these small Olympic sports are looking for, is something that is going to make them get over the like just the volleyball people watching.

00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:06.079
<v Matt Houlihan>Yep.

00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:09.519
<v Matt Houlihan>Do you um do you think as a coach, right?

00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:17.200
<v Matt Houlihan>You you look at Gyek's celebration in the fifth set where he hits the shakas and then shakas down to the Hawaii fans and the crowd.

00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.240
<v Matt Houlihan>Like, do you as a coach do you try and coach that?

00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:21.119
<v Matt Houlihan>Do you try and teach that?

00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:26.240
<v Matt Houlihan>Do you encourage, like, hey, go like go out and do I I do.

00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:41.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>I've I have given direction to my kids before of when you see when we have a crowd or when we have things happening, you have full reign to go and do whatever you would like to do.

00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:46.240
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yes, there is a point at which like you have to rein in.

00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:56.319
<v Arielle Houlihan>I would rather I'd prefer to rein kids in than I would have to try and make them do something that they are like, I don't want to I've I've been in your house before and you will say in those moments, go entertain.

00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:56.720
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:57.920
<v Matt Houlihan>Go entertain.

00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:00.319
<v Matt Houlihan>Maybe not go do go do anything you want to do.

00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:06.319
<v Arielle Houlihan>No, but it's not even well, that it gets to the point where I'm saying that when they know what I mean by that.

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:18.319
<v Arielle Houlihan>But I also think that it's like I've taught with little kids being there that when they're going back to serve, you are allowed to say something to the little kid that's right there.

00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:34.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>You're allowed to go give a high five after you go get a kill and go do so like you're allowed to interact with the people that are watching and the people around in a healthy and positive way too, let alone fighting fighting the other team.

00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:35.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>That's no problem.

00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:42.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like I'm I'm I'm good with teaching how to entertain because it is of major value in our sport.

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:43.519
<v Matt Houlihan>Agreed.

00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:44.000
<v Matt Houlihan>I agree.

00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:50.240
<v Matt Houlihan>It's gonna and it's gonna continue as long as the authorities that be don't try and don't try and dampen that.

00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.680
<v Arielle Houlihan>Which most of the time they do.

00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:52.160
<v Matt Houlihan>Exactly.

00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.440
<v Matt Houlihan>Which is like you gotta allow someone.

00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:54.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Honestly, coaches do too.

00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:56.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh there's plenty of coaches that don't that don't want that to happen.

00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:58.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>I could name a hundred.

00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:03.119
<v Matt Houlihan>There are plenty of coaches that so let's take let's take Jordan Lucas as an example.

00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:05.440
<v Matt Houlihan>He has another year of eligibility.

00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:14.559
<v Matt Houlihan>He just posted a TikTok about, you know, kind of not fully saying that he's coming back, but kind of hinting at it, which honestly 1000% he should.

00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:22.160
<v Matt Houlihan>In any smart school that has a spot where they like you see the type of player is he's starting for C Sun right now.

00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:23.680
<v Matt Houlihan>You know he's good enough to compete.

00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:34.480
<v Matt Houlihan>Maybe not competing for a starting spot at a Hawaii or UCLA or a place like those top programs, but any other program where he could play, you gotta be going, like, can I get this kid?

00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:39.039
<v Matt Houlihan>Because that kid brings a whole nother degree of focus to my program.

00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:42.000
<v Matt Houlihan>But there's plenty of coaches that are probably coaches that don't want that too.

00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:43.359
<v Matt Houlihan>I don't want to deal with it.

00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:43.839
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yes.

00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:51.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>I I if I was a coach currently, I would be making moves for sure.

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:54.240
<v Matt Houlihan>For Jordan Lucas, hundred percent.

00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:54.559
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah.

00:25:55.039 --> 00:26:03.680
<v Matt Houlihan>Devin Young, University of the Pacific, Jordan Lucas, match made in heaven slash Stockton.

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:05.519
<v Daniel Rasay>If I I mean, yeah.

00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:08.720
<v Daniel Rasay>Is there tampering in uh college men's volleyball?

00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:09.680
<v Daniel Rasay>Tampering?

00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:14.559
<v Matt Houlihan>I think I did what I just did was probably the closest thing to tampering, but I don't work at Stanford anymore, so it's fine.

00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:16.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Also, I'm not even trying to recruit for Stanford.

00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:24.000
<v Matt Houlihan>Uh no, but it's it's it is just to wrap that part.

00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:38.319
<v Matt Houlihan>I I think finding the ways to be able to bridge the gap between the volleyball nerds like us and the rest of the sport watching community, you need something that everyone can understand.

00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:40.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Everyone can understand friction and drama.

00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:48.000
<v Matt Houlihan>Not everyone understands the bic, a D-ball, back row attack, a dump, service air.

00:26:48.240 --> 00:27:00.640
<v Matt Houlihan>Not everyone understands that, but everyone can understand, oh, Jordan Lucas is just got a kill and is looking across the net and flipping his non-existent long hair at them, like I gotta watch this guy, right?

00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:02.160
<v Matt Houlihan>Or someone's gonna punch somebody here.

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:04.799
<v Matt Houlihan>Like those are the things that anyone can can see.

00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:12.400
<v Matt Houlihan>And you, of course, you have to be cognizant of you don't want to just turn it into some joke of a game.

00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:14.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>But none of that is a joke.

00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:14.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Exactly.

00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:16.000
<v Matt Houlihan>None of that is a joke.

00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:16.799
<v Matt Houlihan>That's the best part.

00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:31.599
<v Matt Houlihan>You just don't, but you don't there is a slope, right, where you kind of have to understand that it could go too far in some capacities, but I think most of the time referees and coaches don't even get close to the level that they should allow athletes to go out and entertain.

00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:35.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>Well, I think that there's a hard line on the kicking a ball at a referee.

00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:36.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>That's it.

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.440
<v Matt Houlihan>Everything pre.

00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:40.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Everything pre is fine.

00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:45.039
<v Matt Houlihan>Daniel put into the uh the coach's group chat text thread this week.

00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:47.519
<v Matt Houlihan>He wanted to talk a little Milan Mania.

00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:49.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>So what is the branding of this?

00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:50.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>Milan Mania?

00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:54.079
<v Daniel Rasay>Magical, magical magical Milan.

00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:55.039
<v Daniel Rasay>Melania.

00:27:55.359 --> 00:27:55.839
<v Arielle Houlihan>Melania.

00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:00.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>I like my suitcase.

00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:13.359
<v Daniel Rasay>I was watching MPSF tournament, and you know, I've had a lot of interactions with Milan, so I know his magic, and he carries a big reputation as well.

00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:32.400
<v Daniel Rasay>But just seeing him speaking in a huddle in crunch time, and everyone's engaged and looking at him, and he is bringing energy that you can see just flowing through the group, you know, there's a reason why everyone thinks he's great, because he is.

00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>100%.

00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:38.319
<v Daniel Rasay>And I thought let's talk about Milan and his greatness.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.440
<v Daniel Rasay>Let's do it.

00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:41.039
<v Matt Houlihan>I think we can all agree.

00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:51.119
<v Matt Houlihan>There's uh we've we've all been affected by some Milan mania throughout uh throughout the past couple years that we've gotten to kind of interact and see and be around him.

00:28:51.279 --> 00:29:01.680
<v Matt Houlihan>Um I think we steal, we've stolen so many things from Milan through Alex Jones and andor just watching him and Taylor Averill, bringing a lot of his drills and skill sets in.

00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.640
<v Matt Houlihan>And I think you can watch other college men's volleyball programs.

00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:33.839
<v Matt Houlihan>Literally, we would do a first point, we do the first point challenge, and there's a clinic that's run every at the start of the every year for the tournament where all the colleges come in and run stuff, and year one, Hawaii's there with Stanford and us, and everyone's doing the drills, and then Milan comes out and they do their drills, and everyone goes, This is different, completely different, like just balls flying everywhere, step closing, mm always multiple ball.

00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:37.839
<v Matt Houlihan>The next year we come back and we we go to do the drills again.

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:44.720
<v Matt Houlihan>All four of the schools all have some iteration of exactly what that drill was now in play.

00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:44.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah.

00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:45.279
<v Matt Houlihan>Right.

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:46.960
<v Matt Houlihan>It was like, oh, yeah, okay.

00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:47.759
<v Arielle Houlihan>This is for real.

00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:51.359
<v Matt Houlihan>This is yeah, everyone's stealing from this guy.

00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:51.680
<v Matt Houlihan>Great.

00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:53.200
<v Matt Houlihan>Okay, let's let's see more.

00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:55.119
<v Matt Houlihan>What have you guys what have you guys noticed?

00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:57.759
<v Matt Houlihan>I that that's just one one key point of it.

00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:03.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>I it's taken me a lot longer to get uh behind the whole millania.

00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:06.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh for a while.

00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:13.680
<v Arielle Houlihan>I was I was watching like people are taking drills from this guy, but like I don't give a flying, I don't care.

00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:16.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like I don't, I don't, I really don't.

00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:24.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like, yes, there's plenty of people in this country that can come in and say, like, I really like training like this, and then a bunch of people are like, Great, I like training like this too.

00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:25.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>I just think everybody's dumb.

00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:53.119
<v Arielle Houlihan>And so there it's taken me a lot longer to realize, I think, how good he is, and the majority of my experience in watching uh the especially game time of the the way that he interacts with his team, there is something that he is doing that I'm not seeing from anybody else in college men's volleyball.

00:30:53.440 --> 00:31:09.680
<v Arielle Houlihan>I'm seeing grown kids smiling and laughing and enjoying playing volleyball, and it's visible, and uh you can see that happening, but it's not coming from the coach, it's coming from the game.

00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:38.160
<v Arielle Houlihan>And with Milan, it's coming from the coach, like it's coming from somebody else that is changing dynamics and changing the flow of things because of his communication or relationship with these kids and the way that he goes about doing things with them, and you can see it on their face, you can see it with the way that they uh and the more and more that I've seen that, the more and more I've been like, oh no, this guy is actually really, really good at what he does.

00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:39.839
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like these kids trust him.

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:52.960
<v Arielle Houlihan>They they actually are they're not just implementing the things that he is telling them to go do, but they have completely and totally bought into what he is saying, and they they would they're gonna go and fight for what he's what he believes in.

00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:58.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>Um and I haven't seen I haven't seen a UCLA team act like that before.

00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:09.759
<v Arielle Houlihan>I haven't seen uh that kind of leadership uh so present from an outside point of view.

00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:10.559
<v Matt Houlihan>Yep.

00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:14.000
<v Matt Houlihan>Chad, you got any uh any thoughts over there?

00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:27.440
<v Chad Gordon>Uh maybe not as well formed, but I mean the first 30 to 40 minutes of every practice I've written in the last five years, it basically starts with like Milan shit, just in some form or another.

00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:36.240
<v Chad Gordon>Um this is why I enjoy working with Jones, because I can just be like, you know, for the first couple of years it was like, hey Jonesy, like just buy me 20 minutes, I gotta step outside and have a conversation or whatever.

00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:43.599
<v Chad Gordon>And then you come back in and he's like, Oh yeah, I got eight drills that I have 13 players, and two of them are left-handed, and the sun is at 4 p.m.

00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:46.559
<v Chad Gordon>I'm like, and you have two balls but no net.

00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:48.319
<v Chad Gordon>I'm like, how why do you have so many drills?

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.359
<v Chad Gordon>Like he's just like, I don't know, man.

00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:51.519
<v Chad Gordon>Like Milan would do it, like he would just make stuff up on the spot.

00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:52.160
<v Chad Gordon>It was amazing.

00:32:52.640 --> 00:33:06.640
<v Chad Gordon>But like what you realize is like it's it's high rep, it forces it forces you to discover the right way to do things, kind of like just inherently built into the structure of the drill.

00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:18.160
<v Chad Gordon>Um and don't don't get me wrong, it's it's magic, but it's not it's not a secret pill or something like that.

00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:41.039
<v Chad Gordon>Like these are constructed in a way that is thoughtful and takes time and takes discipline and takes you know this this commitment, but you get so much better, and so I think that speaks to then the trust that the guys have because they're like, Wow, I've worked with this guy for like a month and like I'm feeling it, and like things are coming together, and you can see the joy that Milan takes when the guys like achieve these things.

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:45.680
<v Chad Gordon>I mean, it's he is he is part of that process with him, and it's it is really cool.

00:33:45.759 --> 00:34:00.240
<v Chad Gordon>And I mean, I think like the first time I saw Milan, like I knew the name before I I knew who he was, but like then you watch UH and like who's this guy hugging everybody as they come out, and you're like, Oh, kind of tells you like pretty much what you need to know about him and his impact.

00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:03.440
<v Chad Gordon>So yeah, I love I love to steal shit from Milan, it's the best.

00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:06.880
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, it's a I think he does a fantastic job.

00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:14.079
<v Matt Houlihan>I call it the the bacon wrapped dog pill, where it's like, yeah, you gotta give your medicine, but you make it tasty.

00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:16.480
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, he does a fantastic job of that.

00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:25.199
<v Matt Houlihan>And part of that is yeah, it's it's challenging, hard, difficult stuff, but you can tell just the joy that he brings to the game and the position that he is in.

00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:26.800
<v Matt Houlihan>Milan is the bacon.

00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:27.920
<v Matt Houlihan>Well, yeah.

00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:40.320
<v Matt Houlihan>He's he's certainly he's certainly the the missing ingredient in the sense that like he you can just tell the passion that he brings and how much he enjoys being around the guys.

00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:45.519
<v Matt Houlihan>And I think he's also just like a funny joking guy in his thick accent.

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:48.079
<v Matt Houlihan>Uh like he he's pretty lovable too.

00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:54.159
<v Matt Houlihan>So the T like the guys love him and respect him because of the energy that he brings, and they know that he's knowledgeable and passionate.

00:34:54.320 --> 00:35:00.719
<v Matt Houlihan>So it's this really cool concoction where you can see he's got knowledge of the game, but he also has knowledge of people.

00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:01.199
<v Chad Gordon>Yeah.

00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:09.920
<v Matt Houlihan>And he may not be a fantastic English communicator, but he is a person-to-person communicator that is undeniably unmatched.

00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:10.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yep.

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:17.440
<v Chad Gordon>It you can't just roll out the balls and run Milan drills and I mean you can, but that's not the bad thing.

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:20.079
<v Arielle Houlihan>That's not the reason why he's as good as he's he is.

00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:20.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah.

00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:30.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>I w I really do wish that people coaches, when they try and steal from people, I wish that it wasn't just the on paper stuff.

00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:41.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>I really, I really think that it is important for and maybe speaking to the older coaches is is a is gone and they are set in the ways that they do things.

00:35:41.519 --> 00:36:07.679
<v Arielle Houlihan>I wish that there would be changes in the way that the older coaches did things, but for all of the younger coaches that are getting into the sport and are trying to develop who they are as a coach, when looking at who is the best in our sport at what they're doing, Milan is up there and stealing from him, which you should, uh the way that he runs his practices, his drills, those things, that's all great.

00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:11.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>And you can play volleyball and get better at volleyball too.

00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:16.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>But the way that he deals with people is something that I think that should be studied.

00:36:18.239 --> 00:36:22.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Daniel, we'll let you have the the the final the final word here on the Milan Mania.

00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:29.840
<v Daniel Rasay>I'm gonna share a story about Milan that will kind of maybe bring this to a head.

00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.800
<v Daniel Rasay>So I was out recruiting Josh Walker, who used to be an assistant at Hawaii.

00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:36.159
<v Arielle Houlihan>Were you in Virginia?

00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:38.239
<v Arielle Houlihan>Really?

00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:38.719
<v Daniel Rasay>Huh?

00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:39.679
<v Arielle Houlihan>You were in Virginia?

00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:47.440
<v Daniel Rasay>Oh he we were recruiting, and he was recruiting for Hawaii, Hawaii, I was recruiting for Stanford.

00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:53.360
<v Daniel Rasay>So we're sitting and we're watching, and all of a sudden he pulls out this plastic bag with things wrapped in tin foil.

00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:55.360
<v Daniel Rasay>I'm like, what is that?

00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:57.360
<v Daniel Rasay>And he goes, sandwiches.

00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:04.719
<v Daniel Rasay>And he's got basically like a white bread bologna craft single sandwich, and I was like, Where did you get that?

00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:06.880
<v Daniel Rasay>And he goes, Milan.

00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:15.119
<v Daniel Rasay>And he said, Every time we got recruiting, Milan goes to the store and he gets a loaf of bread and meat and cheese and he makes all of the coach's sandwiches.

00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:17.440
<v Daniel Rasay>And I was like, that is amazing.

00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:18.559
<v Daniel Rasay>That is amazing.

00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:19.039
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:23.360
<v Daniel Rasay>And he just pulls out a sandwich and starts eating sandwiches for Milan.

00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:24.400
<v Daniel Rasay>I was like, that's great.

00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:26.159
<v Matt Houlihan>Did Milan ever give you a sandwich?

00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:26.480
<v Matt Houlihan>No.

00:37:26.639 --> 00:37:26.800
<v Matt Houlihan>Oh.

00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:28.400
<v Matt Houlihan>I'm gonna ask for a sandwich.

00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:30.320
<v Daniel Rasay>Milan did tell me.

00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:31.760
<v Daniel Rasay>We played them in the fall.

00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:33.599
<v Daniel Rasay>I had a mustache because of November.

00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:42.079
<v Daniel Rasay>We're shaking hands, and he looks at me, says nothing other than man with no mustache is like pan with no handle.

00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:43.599
<v Arielle Houlihan>Oh my goodness.

00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:45.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>And just walks away.

00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:46.880
<v Arielle Houlihan>The funniest thing I've ever heard.

00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:47.679
<v Arielle Houlihan>That's crazy.

00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:48.079
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:48.639
<v Daniel Rasay>Bars.

00:37:49.039 --> 00:37:51.199
<v Daniel Rasay>That was I think that was the first thing he ever said to me, too.

00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:52.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>That is so funny.

00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:52.800
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:54.480
<v Daniel Rasay>So then that's the magic of Milan.

00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:57.920
<v Arielle Houlihan>When you said you were out recruiting, I thought you meant you were recruiting Josh Walker.

00:37:58.159 --> 00:37:58.719
<v Arielle Houlihan>Oh no, okay.

00:37:58.960 --> 00:38:01.280
<v Arielle Houlihan>And I was like, were you in Virginia for that?

00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:02.960
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like, and also, no.

00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:05.199
<v Arielle Houlihan>Did you recruit Josh Walker?

00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:07.679
<v Daniel Rasay>No, I wasn't recruiting then because he was.

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:12.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>I was about to say that might that sound like not enough time between K.

00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:13.599
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:14.960
<v Daniel Rasay>Now, okay, now that makes sense.

00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:15.679
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:17.280
<v Arielle Houlihan>Why would you be in Virginia?

00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:17.920
<v Daniel Rasay>Yeah.

00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:19.039
<v Arielle Houlihan>Okay, well.

00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:20.000
<v Matt Houlihan>There you go.

00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:22.159
<v Matt Houlihan>We gotta So we like Milan.

00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:23.199
<v Matt Houlihan>Team Milan.

00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:24.079
<v Arielle Houlihan>Team Milania.

00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:25.440
<v Matt Houlihan>Team Milan.

00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:27.199
<v Matt Houlihan>Speaking of tinfoil wraps.

00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:31.360
<v Matt Houlihan>Hey Milan, I hear there's an opening at Stanford Men's Volleyball for an assistant computer.

00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:32.960
<v Arielle Houlihan>No, Stanford Men's Volleyball, my ass.

00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:34.320
<v Arielle Houlihan>Beta Bay Volleyball Club.

00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:34.719
<v Arielle Houlihan>Come on over.

00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:39.280
<v Chad Gordon>We've been talking about this for like the last five years of like director of social media.

00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:40.480
<v Matt Houlihan>I actually did.

00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:44.320
<v Matt Houlihan>We actually did uh at this year when uh we went up.

00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:48.719
<v Matt Houlihan>It was at the end of the UCLA just beating us and Milan and Hawks are talking to us.

00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:50.239
<v Arielle Houlihan>I said I pay more than they do.

00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:53.360
<v Matt Houlihan>Yeah, and we we we pitched we pitched Milan in front of Hawks.

00:38:53.519 --> 00:38:54.960
<v Matt Houlihan>Hawks like you can't do this in front of me.

00:38:55.679 --> 00:38:56.239
<v Matt Houlihan>Yes, we can guess.

00:38:56.480 --> 00:38:57.360
<v Arielle Houlihan>We can do whatever we want.

00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:59.199
<v Chad Gordon>It's no violations, it's club bullet.

00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:02.480
<v Matt Houlihan>I was like, you stole them from Hawaii, we can try and steal them from you too.

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:09.039
<v Matt Houlihan>Well, that's the uh that's the end of our beautiful, big, beautiful docket.

00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:09.840
<v Arielle Houlihan>Is it?

00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:13.840
<v Matt Houlihan>Oh, wait, no, we have one final thing because I tried to set you up.

00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:14.480
<v Matt Houlihan>My bad.

00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:16.000
<v Matt Houlihan>The tin foil rep Sandy's.

00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:20.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>I thought we were gonna talk about conspiracy theories or the new Noah Khan album.

00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:24.400
<v Matt Houlihan>No, we're gonna talk about we do have the national championship first round this week.

00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:28.480
<v Matt Houlihan>Okay, this is a public service announcement week at the national championship.

00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:33.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>I have flights booked, but Okay, this is a public service announcement to Matt.

00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:35.440
<v Arielle Houlihan>You have to clip this for social media.

00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:37.519
<v unknown>Click click click click click click.

00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:42.639
<v Arielle Houlihan>We need tickets to the finals.

00:39:43.440 --> 00:39:44.960
<v Arielle Houlihan>We could buy them.

00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:47.360
<v Arielle Houlihan>Where's the fun in that?

00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:49.360
<v Arielle Houlihan>Uh so we like a challenge.

00:39:49.679 --> 00:39:58.400
<v Arielle Houlihan>We we asked our friends right before this podcast if they wanted to go, to which they said sure.

00:39:58.639 --> 00:40:06.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>And I said, Okay, we need to tell everybody, the whole, all of our listeners, that we need tickets to the finals.

00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:10.000
<v Arielle Houlihan>And I'm not saying like bad tickets, I need like front row tickets.

00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:12.400
<v Matt Houlihan>We're looking for I want end zone view.

00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:14.800
<v Matt Houlihan>So lower bowl, end zone view.

00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:16.800
<v Matt Houlihan>I tried to buy them, they're not available.

00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:23.199
<v Matt Houlihan>Only the side lower bowl is available, and I was like, no, we need Am I a parent?

00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:37.199
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, whoever has the access to those tickets, or like we need to the coach's group chat needs to be there, or we're gonna have to like sneak our way in or get a media pass, or do like, oh, there's too many other things, and like I don't want to do that.

00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:43.199
<v Arielle Houlihan>So somebody at Holly, at Hawks, at anybody at UCLA, anybody at Whirley.

00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:44.079
<v Matt Houlihan>I know you got tickets.

00:40:44.559 --> 00:40:45.760
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, Worley, where are you?

00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:47.760
<v Arielle Houlihan>Like, we we need some help.

00:40:47.920 --> 00:40:49.599
<v Arielle Houlihan>So whoever can get us some good.

00:40:50.239 --> 00:40:51.519
<v Daniel Rasay>Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:54.719
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah, like so all of our friends, all of our listeners.

00:40:55.119 --> 00:40:56.559
<v Arielle Houlihan>Because Kareem listens every week.

00:40:56.719 --> 00:40:57.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>Al skates.

00:40:58.639 --> 00:40:59.440
<v Chad Gordon>The big four there.

00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:01.199
<v Arielle Houlihan>Okay, we're only naming UCLA people.

00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:04.320
<v Arielle Houlihan>We also like other people that have access to tickets.

00:41:04.800 --> 00:41:05.519
<v Arielle Houlihan>I don't know.

00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:08.480
<v Arielle Houlihan>We just need tickets, so hopefully niffin.

00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:09.280
<v Arielle Houlihan>Yeah.

00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:11.119
<v Matt Houlihan>Oh, wait, that would mean UCLA would be out.

00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:14.239
<v Matt Houlihan>So that would mean there's a lot of tickets open, probably.

00:41:15.199 --> 00:41:17.760
<v Arielle Houlihan>Um yeah, so give us a call.

00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:20.079
<v Arielle Houlihan>Me, Matt, Daniel, Chad.

00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:22.559
<v Arielle Houlihan>Nice to meet you.

00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:23.920
<v Daniel Rasay>Call me.

00:41:25.599 --> 00:41:26.559
<v Chad Gordon>Chuck us down.