Carli Lloyd and Courtney Thompson: LOVB in Paris

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Tiffany Oshinsky, and this is serving pancakes with League One Volleyball. Over the next few episodes, we're going to follow Team USA's quest for gold at the Paris Olympics while also talking with talented people in and around volleyball and women's sports. Today's episode features not just one, but two former Olympic setters who won the bronze medal at the twenty sixteen Rio Games, Carly Lloyd and Courtney Thompson. Carly hales from California, where she earned AVCA Player of the Year honors while at cal She's an amazing role model for her adorable daughter, and we're excited to see her back on the court as one of the founding athletes of Love Austin. And Courtney's accolades include a national championship at the University of Washington in two thousand and five and a silver medal at the twenty twelve London Olympics as well, and she is now League once head of Pro Integration and co director of Youth Coach Development. Thank you so much for being here, ladies.

00:01:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm really excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

00:01:04
Speaker 3: Yeah. Likewise, what a treat. I have loved to listening to your podcast so far, and Carly and I are really great friends, so this is pretty fun for us.

00:01:13
Speaker 1: I'm so excited that both of you guys are here because, yeah, you guys got to play together. You have known each other for a while, and here we are all together to talk about Team USA and unfortunately they're heartbreaking loss against China. But before we actually get into the game, I want to ask you guys, because you have both been to the Olympics, you've experienced what it's like to be at the opening ceremony and just being a part of the summer Games. But for this year's opening ceremony, you know, it was a little bit different than previous years because they actually got to ride boats down the sand, which is insane. But for you ladies, what was it like being part of the opening ceremony?

00:01:50
Speaker 3: Yeah? Sure, it just feels so surreal, you know, like, and so much of what we you know, previously playing volleyball in this country, so much of it's overseas and away from friends and family and fans. It's just different. And to get to be in a moment where you feel the swell of a whole country kind of behind you and you get to be a part of something that's you've watched your whole life, and it's so much bigger, Like it's just really cool and very surreal. That's the word that always comes to mind for me.

00:02:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think for me, the energy when you walk into an opening ceremonies and or you're getting ready and you're about to walk in and you look at your teammates and the other athletes' like, holy cow, this is it? Like that feeling is it's hard to come by in a lifetime. So it was incredible. And yeah, I got to my one and only Olympic ceremony was with court next to me, So that's pretty rad.

00:02:46
Speaker 1: What's it like walking together with your teammates, Like, are you guys talking to each other? Are you guys kind of just an all looking around at all the people, all the flashing lights and pictures being taken. I mean, what are you guys doing as you're walking?

00:02:58
Speaker 3: Dude? My cheeks were just thinking about, Like, you know, it's interesting because it's actually a pretty long day. Like you're you leave the village and then you're kind of in like a hole that you take buses somewhere, and then you're in this holding place because the United States usually goes pretty late, and so you're chatting with other countries, you're with, you're you know, you're talking with all the other sports, which is super fun. And then at one point, at least in my experience, right before you kind of enter the stadium, everyone starts chanting, like you say, you so like you're just absorbed in that like incredible moment. And but most most of the time you are chatting it up and you're pointing, you know, like, oh my god, that's so cool. Look at this, and you're taking pictures and it's the range of it all. I don't know, it's pretty cool.

00:03:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I'm I'm not the best with my phone, Like I don't have it. I'm so in the moment with things that I forget to document a lot of things. So I do it with my daughter now too. I'm like in the moment, forget. So I think I was so in it. I have like vivid moments that I member of my whole experience at the Olympics and not a ton of documentation of it. But yeah, being with your teammates, and then I remember like certain other teams that were around our team, Like we had the men's team with us and our team, and I remember being with some track and field athletes and yeah, it's a mixture of both. I think some athletes are really good with the camera and like can get it all and that's so cool because and you get to look back and actually relive it with family that maybe wasn't there or.

00:04:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I get being in the moment. I mean I forget to take pictures all the time. Just remember the memories.

00:04:34
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:04:35
Speaker 1: So before Team USA got on the court on Monday, they had a few days off since arriving in Paris. So for you guys, I'm not sure how much time you had off before your first match when you played in the Olympics, But what do you do during the time between when you arrive in the host city. Is it a lot of practice or is there sight seeing? Are you hanging out with other athletes? What do you guys do in between our arrival in that first match?

00:05:00
Speaker 2: For me, I remember being in the gym practicing. I don't really remember much sight seeing. I think towards the end of the games, I think I got at once with the teammate and like walked around a little bit. So, yeah, we've spent a couple of days in the village before we moved to a hotel. In our experience, so we did a little bit of exploring in the village and then we spent a lot of time practicing getting ready for it. But the time change adjustment and all of that, it was really about like getting situated and feeling good for that first serve.

00:05:29
Speaker 3: So yeah, Carly, do you remember the amphitheater we found on the walk. Yeah, there was like four of us and we were playing these stupid games and were like, I think, like there is so much training and there's so much like coordination because you have family there. Does everyone have tickets? You know? Most not everyone has traveled internationally, which is like a whole other beast. So it's just like a lot of a lot in the Olympics, Like you're hyped, your family's hyped. There's more attention. So in my experience, it was super important to find like quiet moments with teammates and also by yourself. And it's hard because usually, like in the village, you're with a roommate and you have a suite of like six people you know, and we had a hotel in Rio, which is a little different, but even that, like it's just you know, every meal is with your teammates, and so I think it is important to find little moments where you can just fully recharge your battery because it's such a heightened experience.

00:06:25
Speaker 1: Speaking of family, Carly, I read that your mom had a really interesting arrival when she got to Rio. Can you share the story.

00:06:35
Speaker 3: Oh, I forgot about that.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: That's oh my gosh, My mom arrived. They were my whole family was staying on one of the cruise ships and they had dropped their bags and they literally had just made it in time to come to our first match. It was actually on my birthday in August sixth. We're going to play Puerto Rico, and I couldn't find my family in the stands. Come to find out, they had run in right before the match started and their planes had got delayed. They showed up late. My mom like dropped her bag at the cruise ship, and when they scanned it, they saw that They said that they saw what looked like a bomb in her suitcase. And so their solution to that, which it's funny with here when you're after what it was, but I'll tell you that in a second. Anyway, they put it on the end of a little boardwalk and they actually like put a little thing to blow it up to. And so my mom gets her suitcase back with half of her clothes like burned with holes in it. I didn't know, I know, but they when they said to do the scanner, it was a phone and connected to a charger that she had. I think it was a backup phone that she had brought with her just seen case. And anyways, it was she ended up being on the news. It ended up being on the news, and my teammates I was, I don't know if it was with you, Courtney or someone else in the training room, and they were like, oh my god, Carly, and I was like, oh my god, I'm get on the phone. They're like, we were trying to protect you. We didn't want to tell you what's happening. But and I was like, Okay, this is like crazy you guys, Okay, is everything all right? So yeah, that was the start to my mom's Olympic experience.

00:08:05
Speaker 3: I forgot about this.

00:08:08
Speaker 2: She loves telling that storry.

00:08:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, Bed, And it's gotta be a good thing that you didn't know this before your first game, because I'm sure that probably would have changed your mindset a little bit. So you know, going, oh yeah, going into the first game. You guys play internationally all the time. You know, you used to play internationally when you were on the national team and everything. So do you guys have jitters when you go to that very first game at the Olympics or you know, what is the mindset?

00:08:35
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. I when I think back to that first moment walking in, I remember having like full body chills, like from my feet all the way to my head back down to my feet, just like you're vibrating with this. Courtney, is the word surreal? It's true. It's like a weird feeling that you've never felt before and all the thoughts coming in. So, yes, there are dinners. It's a lot of excitement and emotion. There's some nerves in there, and just the feeling of being in that arena for the first time. That was It's one of my core memories of that whole experience is the first time we walked out as a team.

00:09:16
Speaker 3: Dude, I get chills just hearing you talk about it. Yeah, and then like you see the rings and you're just like, oh my god, like we're here and it's pretty cool. I remember we had a scale from one to ten that we would articulate our level of activation, so like, if you're really nervous excited, like super high energy, you're at a ten, and if you like wake up in the morning, you're at a one. And so we were always as a team trying to find like a five. And before our first match in Rio, I remember leaning over to kayleb Banworth, best labera in the world at the time, and I was like, hey, man, what number are you at, like between one and ten? And she looked at me and just goes, dude, I'm at like a fifty five.

00:09:58
Speaker 1: We're in this thing.

00:10:00
Speaker 3: I laugh because I was like, yeah, me too, Like it's it's it's not necessarily a negative thing, like it's a really it's one of the coolest experiences you can have as an athlete. And so we were grateful to be there, and then it's just like, all right, how quickly can we relate to this in a way that's helpful.

00:10:14
Speaker 2: But Cord, do you remember what you were at?

00:10:18
Speaker 3: I was probably like a fifty four. It was a little different in London. I think I was at fifty the entire two weeks, whereas in Rio. You know, I think I felt quite a bit different. But uh yeah, either way, it's it's intense.

00:10:34
Speaker 2: What number were you at, Carly, don't I don't know that walking out, I was for sure. I wouldn't say I don't know. Maybe over that, but I remember like when we stood on the back line and they like introduced us, and I remember finding my family and just starting to cry, and I was like, oh, this is an interesting emotion to have right before we're about to play our first match. I'm like, tears are coming. It's like, holy crowd, this moment is incredible. There's so many emotions that happened throughout your time there.

00:11:02
Speaker 1: God, it's so cool. And to think, you know, you ladies were one of twelve in the years that you played, I mean, that's like mind blown, the coolest thing to be part of. I wish I could experience that, what you got, what you ladies experienced, But you know, I'm gonna live vicariously through you guys. So let's talk about the US game versus China, which, as I said earlier, ended in a heartbreaking loss in five sets thet they went twenty twenty five nineteen twenty five, then won the next two sets twenty five seventeen twenty five to twenty and then unfortunately lost that fifth set thirteen fifteen. But the women who were on the court to start were pretty much all on the previous Olympics in Tokyo on that team, So you know, going into that their veterans on this court, what do you think was going through their mind as you saw them out there? And how did they perform in that first set?

00:12:00
Speaker 3: Man, I'm so curious what Carly's gonna say. But you know, even talking about our last answer, like you're in this emotional thing, You're there's so much going on, and then it's also like, hey, we're just here to play volleyball tournament and you kind of lock in. So in my opinion, I think this team hasn't had the same lineup for the last few months, like ever and not consistently. So in my opinion, on my couch here and you talk, it seemed like they were just kind of trying to find their rhythm and like they would do a few good things and trying to play like lights out from the beginning, and I mean, that's easily a matchup you could see in the finals, and so to come out of the gates at that level is it's tough. So in the first few sets, I feel like we just weren't quite executing at the level we needed to.

00:12:47
Speaker 2: Yeah. I second that, I felt like there was such momentum shifts throughout the match, and like to start, I seeing the starters come out like they looked they looked composed, and there was some good volleyball first two sets from our side of the net. I just think that China kind of found a rhythm early, and they have one player that was just really hard to stop, so there was like I thought that there was some really incredible plays. Having that lefty out there on the outside was like, oh my gosh, that's tough to stop her, you know. So, But I just I think that they came out doing good things. It's just it's an Olympic level match, like everyone's bringing everything they've got, and I think that the start of the match was just on one side, but it was such a momentum shifts throughout the whole thing. So I saw great signs from both sides in that the whole time.

00:13:52
Speaker 1: Now you two are both setters, and in the first two sets they were playing with two setters on the court right well, with Lauren Carlyi being stubbed in and Or and Poulter being something. You know, they're going back and forth. What's the strategy behind bringing in two setters in the game.

00:14:05
Speaker 3: So internationally it's called the double sub. So if your setter's in the front row, you sub in an opposite for her, and then when the opposite it's going then to the back row you put another setter in there. So what it does is for nine rotations in a row, you have three hitters, which typically is better for you offensively. And you know, Carly was the double sub in Rio. I played the double sub in London, And to me, it's a little bit like a closing pitcher, you know, and like if it's tight or you know, in this case, I think they want it. They're wanting to save Jordan's knee a little bit. Like it's a nice way to kind of get a break. It can be a momentum shifter, it can help you like push you over the edge, and sometimes it just doesn't like there's a good rhythm going on and it's disruptive. So to me, I think it's match to match. I think it's personnel. Like there's so much that goes into it, and it's so nuanced, and it sucks when you go in and then you don't score points and you come out and you're like, well, sorry, guys, that was shitty, you know, and then when you it's just like damn, you get three chances, and then you know when you go in and make a difference, and it just is additive. And so I'm sure the US will find the place for that. And sorry I'm talking to look, but I also want to say, you know, with Jordan and Kelsey coming out and then you know, Lauren and Jordan Thompson were in and then they didn't go in. In these kind of matches against the best in the world, you need everyone, and on certain days it's certain people, and tomorrow it could be different. And it's a beautiful thing about Team USA is that they're all in for, you know, whatever it takes.

00:15:41
Speaker 1: Actually, I want to go back real quick to pre Olympics because I find this interesting dynamic between the women on the team and any team in general that plays in sports, especially going to this Olympic level. I mean, the roster pre Olympics is large. There's what like thirty some girls on the team, but you're competing for twelve spots. So what is that like when you're competing against your teammates but your teammates right, and I feel like you're trying to get one of those twelve but you want to be together.

00:16:11
Speaker 2: That's one of the hardest pieces I think of this whole experience as athletes. I've talked about this a lot. It's cool having Courtney here because Courtney was my idol, Like coming out of college, she was a little older than I was. I was like I looked to her for how do I be a better leader teammate? And then I got to play with her, and I was playing with her for quite a few years before that roster is going to be announced. And over those years, our relationship our friends who just got closer and closer and closer. So we're competing for the same spot, but I care for her so much, and so we had to really work on having a supportive dynamic for one another, like, Hey, I want to bring my best so that I'm making you be your best and that makes Team USA the best and there's like but it's hard because one of us is making rosters, one of us isn't. And how do you stay in it knowing like your dream could be affected by your you're one of your best friends making it over you and so, and that's just our story. There's stories like that across the board, and you really have to find a way to learn how to give everything you can for the betterment of the team. If you don't do that, it's hard to stay in that gym because everyone is so good across the board, and like you said, there's around forty girls to start, and then it's just cut down, cut down, cut down. And I had been a part of a quad previously where I was, you know, one of those cut and I was an alternate and then come back and I was cut many times, and I'm having to stay in it and she's checking in on me. How you do it? It's just it's a grind for four years. And so when you do see those girls out there competing for one another and with one another, I mean, there's so much that goes on before those moments, and it's hard. It's a really hard thing to be in a situation like that. Yeah, I don't know of court. If you have anything else to add.

00:17:54
Speaker 3: Well said, no, Well said, I was thinking, you know, when they asked us to be on together, it is like, it's so cool because our story is so unique, and Carly really won the double subspot in our Olympics and I then became a serving sub. And yet as she said, we're best friends, you know, and it was this like, Okay, my role is shifting. But when I was watching opening ceremonies here a few days ago, I was super emotional, you know, and there's this gratitude like, oh my god, I can't believe we got to go to you know, we got to do that. And then I you know, hearing people's stories, there's so many human stories that like no one will know, like this little nuance and the fact that I got to go to London and Alicia didn't, and then she was the starter in Rio, and like what that does to the fabric of a team can be really beautiful, and it can like accelerate so much of this effort, and it can also erode it if you don't handle it right. And so I had, Yeah, there's just so much nuance in it all that it's really Achy and it's really beautiful, and I think it plays into when you're there, like wanting to represent everyone that didn't get to end the story that way. And there's so many incredible women and incredible players that like are the thirteenth one?

00:19:12
Speaker 2: You know, And it's like, at court I don't know if you know this story, but I have something. When I got called in for my meeting with Karch in June, they was announcing the team. He sat me down his office and he's like, You're going to the Olympics. And I'm like a mess. I mean, it had been a grind for four years. I'm crying and and I'm like so emotional. I look at him and I my first question was what does this mean for Courtney? And he looked at me, he was like wow, okay, and he told me that we were going to both be going and I was like, oh my god. It was like the cool the chills right now just sharing that. But yeah, very emotional moment. And it shows you what like you can be competing with someone but they mean so much to you.

00:19:58
Speaker 1: So yeah, that's amazing, Oh really cool, so sweet. I'm not gonna cry over that. I mean, well, you guys. As you said, like Courtney was your hero, right, I mean, you have Jordan Larson on the team who's in her fourth Olympics, and even the announcers were saying she's such a leader when I got to interview her for this podcast. You know, a few weeks ago, same thing. We talked about leadership. But I feel like having that leader and someone who has been through this and knows what they're doing and knows how to handle the team, I feel like it's so important for the fabric of the team.

00:20:31
Speaker 3: Yeah, it really is, and you can't fake that. I think that's the one thing also that kind of becomes heightened at the Olympics is the not even just the vets because our team, you know, the young athletes I think did this in Tokyo, but the people that can embody themselves in these charge moments and can you know, not be perfect, but just remain who they are, you know, and become like ac compassed for other people. That allows them to do the same. And I think that changes throughout the two weeks. You know, it's part of It's like playing You're not always on and you don't always feel you know. But Jordan Larsen man, she's earned it, and talk about someone that's been in so many tough moments. Yeah, you know, and I think being a fan so funny now than anymore. This is great, but when you're watching it, you're like, holy crap, how are they going to get out of this? You know, and where most people would kind of lay down, And there's certain humans that just keep going when it doesn't look bright, and I think Jordan Larson has done that in so many moments everywhere she's been, so it's pretty cool to see her impact.

00:21:38
Speaker 2: Yeah. She I mean, she started the match, you know, she was She was in a couple more times towards the end, and she Cartch called her, you know, for that last serving rotation, knowing like, hey, this is this is we're calling experience right now. She's been in these moments before. She knows how to handle them. She can get her activation level to a place where it's actually going to work for the team, and that's shows you how steady and how experienced she is. She's, like Courtney said, she's been in so many of those moments, and I think having someone like that on the court or on the bench doesn't matter. Just on the team. That's someone you can look to for like strength and pull from throughout an Olympic experience, and it's up and down that like their road just started in a little tough, but like it's a long way still, so that experience is key.

00:22:21
Speaker 1: I think, Oh my gosh.

00:22:23
Speaker 3: Good point. Can we talk about the second or last serve that.

00:22:26
Speaker 1: She I was just gonna say. I was watching that, I was like, oh my god, if that was me going in, I would have hit the net or I would have served it out, so stressed.

00:22:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, as a serving sub mad respect for the governor on that one, I was like, dude, she's freaking that was awesome.

00:22:42
Speaker 1: I was thinking the exact same thing. I was just like, oh my gosh, it's match point. They're bringing her in and she's just crushed it over there. I was like, Oh, that's why she's the governor. As you said, that's right. So going back to setting, So Jordan Poulter ended up staying in as the setter the rest of the match after the first two sets, and as we talked about, she came back from a gnarally knee injury where she basically tore everything in there. So what do you have to say about Jordan's performance. I, first.

00:23:12
Speaker 2: Of all, like the injury story and all of that that goes into leading up to Olympics. I really feel that I had a really similar story in a different injury. But I know the grind of having to stay in the rehab, stay in the long process of like what your dream could look like. And I think that shows right there a resiliency that like you want on your team, So there's there's something in there. When I watched Jordan play, one thing that stands out to me is just how composed she is all the time. She's very steady. You don't see a lot of dips, and really she's not that she gets super fires. She's just like very consistent, and I think that's really important to have in a setter. One thing that I was like madly impressed with today was her out of system setting, which a lot of people don't really see or understand, but being able to bump set a difficult transition ball and like locate it to the point where your attacker can actually see the court and get a good swing. That's huge in some of these long rallies with the best teams in the world, and she did it consistently really well over time. So that's something that I was like, Okay, and she needs to be able to do that if she's maybe not as fast as she's used to being, or her knee doesn't feel one hundred percent like, she needs to be able to get to some of those balls and locate, and she did a really good job. I also think some of her decision making was I mean, she can set the ball anywhere from anywhere, which is really cool and it's fun because it keeps you on your toes. I go where she's going to go, where's going to go next? What's you do? And so I was like, oh, what I have done? That's it's fun to watch her play. She's really physical, and so I feel for her in her journey back. I think it's really cool to see her out there. I hope that she can stay healthy throughout the two weeks. It's a long tournament. But yeah, I thought I thought it was a solid performance for today's match.

00:24:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, said I wish Carly. I wish we were sitting next to each other watching. Yeah, I think you're spot on, and I think, uh, she reminds me of you in that way that she's so strong where you both can make these sets that like very few setters in the world can. I Like what you said stood out to me is like, as a setter, even if you make the right choice, you know, China's so good and even or if it's the wrong choice or a tough set and they make a great play, as a setter, it's so easy to kind of get in that narrative and like, oh shit, now we gotta, now, we gotta. And I thought Jordan responded really well when there were plays or sets or choices that she didn't she probably wanted back, but like I think, similar to the whole team, towards the end, it was like, Okay, this is what's possible for these guys, you know, And it kind of reflected in her also as well as Yeah, all six of them kind of finding their rhythm.

00:25:44
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:25:44
Speaker 1: I feel like also even for those offsets, I mean, Annie Drews was unbelievable. I watching her, Like, even if a set was off the net, if it was a back row set, if it was, she just crushed the ball. I couldn't believe. I was like, I knew Annie was good. I've watched her play multiple times, but I thought she brought it to a different level. Am I wrong?

00:26:06
Speaker 2: No, she was.

00:26:07
Speaker 3: Phenomenal, and like there's something too of these, Like you know, every point's the same, it's counted the same. But when you're in like a tough rally in transition, like Carly said, it's out of system and someone flings it up and you take like a rip and score, something happens to the team. And Annie took so many tough swings like that, so many, so I was I was really impressed.

00:26:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's something about that happening, like a tough assist swing where you actually rip it and you get the point. And then also there was a beautiful, energetic like shift in the team going into that third set, like slowly it built built, and I was watching the girl celebrate one another and I was like, oh, that is a feeling you do not find other places, Like watching her rip a ball and she's turning to the team and it like, oh, I love That's like one of the reasons I love to keep playing because it's like you just don't find it anywhere else, and they're fighting for each other and that's so cool.

00:27:09
Speaker 1: Oh my god. I was watching the game with my husband and he was like, she's so happy. She does She's so happy. I was like, well, you gotta have it good after Yeah, she is. And I was like, you know, have that positive attitude the whole time will totally help keep you going and keep ripping it and just crushing it now in the third set and then the fourth set. Actually from the third set on, you know, they brought in Avery Skinner and Catherine Plummer to love Clum alumni, by the way, But what did they bring to the game, Because this is their first Olympics.

00:27:52
Speaker 2: I saw a like a little bit of a hunger. It seemed like it didn't if you were just watching and you didn't know, you wouldn't have thought like, oh, they look like this is their first go like they wanted the ball that Avery took some crazy swings right off the bench. I was like, whoa, this she is ready? Like that is really cool when you have someone that's coming in off the bench and ride Away steps in and says like, hey, give me the ball, I'm going to take a rip. That gave the entire team a boost. You could see it, you could feel it. The shift was pretty intense and fast, and it stayed. They kept that fire for those last three sets. I've seen Catherine play more than Avery, just in overseas stuff. I've never actually been on the court with Avery, but kat Is her ball is so heavy and she passed like her. She's also one of those players that seems very like consistent and almost calm, but then she rips the ball and there there was a really it was really cool to see two young kids come in. But they looked great, and they brought a lot to the team, and they helped shift that energy. And I really enjoyed that. You never know what you what to expect in the map. There's so many things that can happen, and I thought that was really cool that both of them came on the court and just balled out.

00:29:12
Speaker 3: They really did. I'm getting like fired up every.

00:29:15
Speaker 1: Time you talk. Yeah, let's talk to team right now, let's go.

00:29:18
Speaker 3: Let's go ahead and go in. Damn it. I can't believe I'm retired. They played so well. I love the word you said, hungry. They were. They came in and they're just like, let's go, like we're competing, and of all the things of the Olympics, the best part is you're competing with the best people in the world and you want them to play well and then you want to ball out and they came in Like that's so impressive to do that, especially in your first game. And to me, I feel like they're just unlocking like the potential of this team. I think, there we can do it in this two weeks and it'll be really exciting for them for us all to watch them like get closer to that. But for sure those two were going to be a big part of it.

00:29:58
Speaker 1: M hm. I mean, there's obviously so many girls on this team that I want to talk about. Justine Wangarantes. They kept on saying how she was like a middle linebackerund the court and I was like, oh, as a former levera, I'm like, she's she's my idol. That girl can move and she can read a ball and she can read the game like no other. She's amazing. Haley Washington and Shiaka I mean, like watching those two get up there and just crush the ball too. I mean, what was the moment or multiple moments that really stood out to you over this entire set or this entire match, I should say.

00:30:33
Speaker 2: I think one seeing the energy shift in the third was like I was like, oh, you could feel like you could see it happening. I think those some of those big rips, like when you get a couple of those points where the ball isn't touched by a defender on their side and it goes to the ground, like there is like this boosting confidence for the whole team to start feeling like okay, yeah, like we have we have what it takes. That was one of them. I also was really impressed. I don't remember when it was, but I think Hayley went back to serve a couple of times and went on four five point runs that were crucial. And to do that, you do that consistently, is hard, and I was really impressed to see a middle do that. That's like really awesome. So I was like, that is rad And Avery went back and took some rips too, And service pressure is huge. It can shift the momentum of a game if you get people out of system long enough, and they were able to do that, and I think that helped them stay ahead for those two sets too. Court, I don't know if you have anything different.

00:31:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, those were spot on. The two that stand out to me. I think it was the fourth set and there was a one on one on the outside and just seeing stepped up and dug the shit out of this ball, I mean, and it was off the court and then someone threw it up. I forget who was to I think it was Kat and she took a rip and we scored, and I was like, man, to make a run in this tournament, you have to make plays like that, and it's insane. We call them like YouTube plays, like how did that happen? But that has to happen. And then on the other end of it, I feel like the first point, I hate to say, at the first point of the fifth set, where we have an overpass and we don't take advantage, and you know that's the difference. You know, the margins are so thin at this level, Like you've got to take advantage of those plays. So to me that those are kind of indicative of the whole match. We have everything we need to win this thing and we're not quite there yet, but we can get there.

00:32:29
Speaker 2: On that note, well, I want to just say there was like a the word that comes by is like lucidity and number twelve, the lefty outside from China. She was their go to player, like for most of the match, like in key moments like Okay, it's me going to go there, and her awareness of where to put the ball like deep corner. I was like, it's hard to stop a player like that that like has every shot and you're trying to take something away and you're hoping that defense can get around. And I kept thinking, like that is she In my opinion, she was the game changer, but that everyone has their own opinion of what could happen. But there were moment, key moments where like she's the one making the play and she never wavered. She was so consistent the whole match. I was really impressed. I've seen her play over a long period of time and she just keeps getting better with more experience and more awareness of the court and what's open. And I thought she played really really well. So if I were, yeah, if I were playing them in the future, like how do we get more of her?

00:33:31
Speaker 1: Yeah? She also it was like a combination of knowing where to place the ball but also knowing how to get around the blocker's arms. I was shocked, like somehow she could find the hole either between the two blockers or you know, she could just cut on the outside of someone's arm and I was like how and then also still put it in the right spot on the court.

00:33:49
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:33:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, And as a lefty, it's you don't see a lefty as much. It's just like in baseball, it's like you don't respond to that as much. So these little nuances is in a block, not that I was one, but were you like upgrade and you kind of get this angle. I think those like she's just getting a few more swings a match, which again is like all the difference, but dude, some of her her four to four I was like, good.

00:34:11
Speaker 2: Night, yeah, four to four block, Like, well, like you just got up shot at all?

00:34:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, yep, yep ye.

00:34:23
Speaker 1: Well on Wednesday, so the US is gonna be playing Serbia, who's one of the best teams in the world. What did you see, uh against China that they need to change or adapt for this next game against Serbia. I, you know, along with like just kind of locking in our own rhythm and like finding our identity in this tournament, I think that's probably where we would need to start.

00:34:45
Speaker 3: And then I'll probably point to service pressure. I think I think China served really tough, and we we handled it well. But when we served well, you could just see us We're going on runs and you know, it's disruptive and we can put so much more pressure on them. So I think for Serbia that's going to be important. And they got some huge arms as well.

00:35:05
Speaker 2: I think that's a really great point service pressure keep Serbia out of system so that they can't set their middles as much because they've got they've got firepower everywhere. They're really strong team, and I think a lot of their energy will come from getting their middles involved. That's like one thing I know about. Like when they're fired up, it's like, oh, they're a little scary. So, uh, it's going to be a fun matchup though, I'm excited for that game.

00:35:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. It's going to be a fun, fun tournament, fun few weeks of volleyball playing.

00:35:38
Speaker 3: The way the pools are set up are so different, oh how so, Like it's such a different because in London and Rio you're in two pools of six and the top four teams from each move on, which is pretty much everyone in the world who should move on, you know, if you say that way, in the three three pools of four, it's just a different level of sure from the gate in my how I see it, I agree, very different. So this is quite the start. Yeah, China and Servia.

00:36:08
Speaker 1: Well at least they got a point from this match for going to.

00:36:11
Speaker 3: Five sets, so that's a big deal.

00:36:13
Speaker 1: Big deal, we'll take that.

00:36:16
Speaker 2: Now.

00:36:16
Speaker 1: When you guys were in Rio together, did you have any fun memories besides medaling, anything that really sticks out to you that you know you want to share.

00:36:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, the one I was saying earlier, this is so weird. There's like five of us that took a walk. I think it was before our first game, or maybe in between our first few games, and you know, you're trying to keep things normal, but you're at the Olympics, so it's hard to And we found this like epic amphitheater and we were just playing stupid games, like hey, Carlely, you go up there and you have to talk about green for one minute. Go You're like, well, just like stupid and we're laughing. That was one and then Carly, I remember after we won the bronze medal, the men played at eleven am the next day, and so we went out and partied and did the thing, and everyone went to bed and Carly, Carly and I were like just keep it rolling, and we stayed up the entire night. We went back in like the training room. We were like sitting against a fridge, just like chatting until like ten am We're like, well, I guess we should do the match, And it was like it was awesome, Like I think of that really fun.

00:37:20
Speaker 2: That's one of my highlights, Like that moment with her, just the two of us like reminiscing a lot on like how this has gone, but then also like we're going to keep this rolling, where it was like a mixture of emotions because we were like up and down and the whole experience of it, and also that amfeater thing. I'm pretty sure Courtney is the one that orchestrated all of that. She's usually trying to find ways for used to do crazy things. So yeah, she was definitely having us talk about the most random things, and I remember one of them being like overpasses or something like the city. It was the most bizarre saying that she was making us talk about, and.

00:38:03
Speaker 3: That was Kelsey, wait, we have to tell this story.

00:38:06
Speaker 1: Go ahead.

00:38:06
Speaker 3: We were I was like, so, I'm of course I love stupid games, so I'm like, Carly, talk about this and it's like comically nerve wracking, like no one cares, but it's like hard to do. And we had a timer for like sixty seconds and I go Kelsey talk about overpasses and I meant volleyball overpasses and she starts talking about the city bridge and this, and we are dying and she's like, what, Oh, we last so hard. I forgot about that.

00:38:32
Speaker 2: I could call Carly.

00:38:35
Speaker 1: That's a good topic of conversation. I feel like everyone has.

00:38:37
Speaker 2: That, right.

00:38:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, I just to add on the like that moment, like sitting against the fridge. There's such a rawness to the Olympics and it's such a culmination of like heartbreak and joy and effort. And you know, we lost in the Semis fifteen thirteen, and to like to be gutted and then to come back and fight for a bronze, it's just like you have nothing left. And it's such a cool place to connect from. And of course we were best friends now and we were best friends then and get to do that with people that you care about is like so cool. And to just I don't know, love each other through all of those ups and downs is pretty special. So I feel very grateful.

00:39:18
Speaker 2: Tiffany, you talked about like moments that you remember from the Olympics, like, unfortunately sometimes you remember the low moments more than the high moments throughout your career, and the moment one of the most like deeply rooted moments in me is that coming back from that loss. Because we went in like wanting and really hungry for a gold medal, and we were ranked first in the world at the time, and there was a lot like therefore, so when we lost, it was like, Okay, we don't get to achieve that goal any longer. What does it look like now? And having to turn around and do that was really hard for everyone, and I remember like shedding a lot of tears in that like whatever twenty four hour period post match, and the the thing that I look back on is like, I'm so grateful that I a part of a sport where you can sit in it with your teammates and you're not you know, an individual sport athlete where you're like just in it by yourself, and I just I'm really gratefully playing I was playing a sport where you can lean on your teammates and go through it with them and process it together. And then come out and hungry for a goal, and we did accomplish that next goal, but it took a lot. It took everyone like rallying and coming together to do that. It's a hard thing to do. So I very vividly remember like that low. It was a really low moment, and those moments happened throughout the tournament. So yeah, grateful that I was in it.

00:40:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's got to be tough to like be in that gold medal match and not win it. But did you find it kind of Did you think that there was some more pressure to try to win the bronze medal match because you're you either win or you don't get anything, as opposed to like the gold medal match, where if you were in the gold medal match, if you won, you win gold. If you don't, you still win silver. Is there like a different mindset do you think between those two matches going into it as a player.

00:41:05
Speaker 3: I think there's something cool like, hey, either way, we have a medal, but you're so you so want the gold that it's you're still kind of in that. I would say the difference is the bronze medal match to me just feels like a dog fight, like you're when you're competing in a tournament that you care about and there's a lot of attention. There's just like this buzz, but you don't really let down until you lose. And when you lose, especially in a match like the Semis, you have like a release of like just tears and anger and your team goes through and then you come back so and I don't think the Netherlands had much either, Like your tank is kind of empty and you're just like, I keep swearing, but you like, screw it. Like we got to fight and it was an ugly match, but that's what it felt like, and we it was so to me, that's the biggest difference is you're just completely raw and you gotta fight, and it is what we trained for and it was pretty special, really special to be a part of that. I feel really proud of that Metal.

00:42:06
Speaker 1: As you should. All Right, Well, we want to end this episode on a game for you ladies. We want to you know, we thought it would be a little fun to play a game called who Said That, where we're gonna pair some quotes from some of our love athletes who are on the Olympic team, and you know, Olympians. Fine, so we have a few quotes and we can see who can get the quotes correct.

00:42:37
Speaker 3: Okay, I love this game, all right, I'm in all right.

00:42:40
Speaker 1: First quote one of my best friends, Beth. She always told me never to leave anything valuable in my car because smash and grabs and Girley. Who said that?

00:42:50
Speaker 2: Jordan Polter, Yeah, unfairly.

00:42:52
Speaker 1: I knew that one, Bey, Yes, Jordan, from when her medal was stolen from her car, but she got back.

00:43:04
Speaker 3: All right.

00:43:05
Speaker 1: Here's another quote before she became an Olympian. This player said when I started middle school, I said, I don't want to play volleyball anymore. I want to be a cheerleader and I want to be a competitive hip hop dancer.

00:43:18
Speaker 3: Oh, I don't know. I'm gonna say, Haley, No, no, No, you said cheerleader too. Maybe not. That's a tough Oneah No, I'll stick with my original if I think I'm wrong.

00:43:37
Speaker 1: Two exes for both of you. It is Annie Drew's Oh.

00:43:45
Speaker 3: Wow, hip hop that's funny, all right, Annie.

00:43:50
Speaker 1: I'm glad she came to volleyball, though, because otherwise we missed those like sick hits. All right, next one, I'm thinking about starting a all walking business in Madison when I get there, just putting that out there for anyone's dogs who need to be walked or watched or fed or played with.

00:44:06
Speaker 2: Hit me up, Lauren, ye.

00:44:12
Speaker 1: Lauren, good, well done, well done, all right. Next one, I like that was one thing that I had to really overcome, is you know, the height and the disadvantage that I had.

00:44:25
Speaker 2: This one's kind of easy.

00:44:28
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been right m hm.

00:44:32
Speaker 1: As a fellow shorty, I understand the disadvantage some of us in the room. All right. Here's one. Being a mom is crazy and fun, but I wouldn't have it any other ways. This is we're trying to trick you. We're trying to trick you, all right. And then the last one, Oh my goodness, my cat just came in and me out very I don't know if you heard that.

00:45:01
Speaker 2: I did amazing.

00:45:02
Speaker 3: Welcome all right.

00:45:04
Speaker 1: And the last quote, work hard, have fun and spread the love today.

00:45:12
Speaker 3: Oh man, that's.

00:45:16
Speaker 1: Well, it's perfect because it's for your new podcast that's coming out.

00:45:20
Speaker 3: That's right, that's right.

00:45:22
Speaker 2: I know.

00:45:23
Speaker 3: I can't I can't not say it. It feels fun, but it is a little corny, a little.

00:45:28
Speaker 1: I like it. I think it's great. Do you want to give a little plug to your podcast because it is part of the Love podcast Let's Go Beyond the Court.

00:45:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, we started a yeah, Beyond the Court with Love, and we're you know, primarily interviewing coaches and leaders from volleyball and other sports as well, just anyone that's really coached other people. And to me, coaching is like finding the best in people and bringing it out as much as possible. So I've been having a blast getting to interview some amazing humans and just learning alongside everyone else. And I feel really grateful to do it. So come check it out.

00:46:01
Speaker 1: I love it so much. And we also have another exciting thing going on with Love that we just want to you know, give a little shout out to, which is going to be like this Volleyball one oh one with Kayles Stapleton, who played college volleyball at San Diego and professionally overseas for three years, and Devin Newberry who played beach volleyball for UCLA, And they're going to be posting Volleyball one oh one to our social channels at Love to help those who are new to volleyball, you know, with the rules positions and everything in between, so you know, for everyone listening, make sure you follow those as well so you know what's going on in these Olympics and when the season starts for love Well, thank you ladies so much for coming on and talking about USA China. We'll be wishing the ladies a lot of good luck and positive vibes as the tournament continues. And thank you so much.

00:46:50
Speaker 3: Thanks Tiffanie, amazing, thanks for having.

00:46:53
Speaker 1: Us serving Pancakes as an iHeart women's sports production in partnership up with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by League One Volleyball, I'm your host Tiffany Oshinsky. Anya Oliverrez is our senior producer. Our executive producers are Carrie Stett, Tamaradike, and Lindsay Hoffman. Our marketing lead is Jawara Parker. Sound mixing by Cody Nelson. Our theme music is Pancakes by Eric W. Mass Junior. Stay tuned for our next episode where we break down Team USA versus Serbia. Thanks for listening.