Episode 003 | Live from MLV Championship Content Day

Mike Moline: What's going on everybody? Welcome to the Set Six podcast. This is episode three and as you can tell, it's a little bit of a different situation that we've got going on here. We are live-ish on location as we like to call it here from MLV Championship Content Day here at the Sheridan Stonebriar Hotel. Once again, we wanna thank the Sheridan Stonebriar for just setting things up for us, doing a whole bunch of amazing things to help us get this amazing content that we're just so happy to share with you. A lot of it is gonna be on your Instagram feed, some great pictures, video content. There's lighting, there's a whole bunch of crazy stuff going on to my left. And so if you hear sounds that sound like it might be the music from your middle school days and those middle school dances, at least it was for me, that is not what's happening. It is ⁓ the music that is getting these athletes into the right mode for this amazing content. I am looking to my left and I am seeing just a lot of dancing going on. So maybe that middle school dance stuff is more accurate than I like to give it credit for. That is beside the point. We are here to chat with the athletes that are going to be competing in this MLB Championship. They are going to be chatting with us here in front of this little setup that we've got. It's representatives from each team and you will hear ⁓ in order from the Indy Ignite opposite Ajani Thieler and outside hitter Anna De Beer, from the Dallas Pulse, Libero, Kylie Murr and middle lane Van Buskirk, and from San Diego outside hitter Maya Tabron and outside hitter Grace Loberg. and from the Omaha Supernovas, outside hitter, Reagan Cooper and outside hitter, Brooke Nunneviller. We are just so excited for the MLB Championship, we are also super excited to talk to these athletes and get really what I think is a microcosm of their identity to this point. You'll hear that a lot in these conversations of the identity that's really been boiled down over the course of this entire regular season to get these athletes and these teams to where they are right now. So with. Without any more preamble, let's get you right into the rest of this episode. We'll start with the interviews from Indy and we'll go from there. But once again, thank you for tuning in to Set Six and let's get you to our chats with these athletes. Ajani, we're here. We're at Championship Week. How does it feel? It's been a long season. It's glad to finally be here and be able to compete for it. It's felt like the end of the back season has been a lot and long. And so finally play some meaningful volleyball. It's exciting. Long season, but a successful season. mean, you all are... top of your game and top of the standings by many accounts the best team in the league. Do you feel like that's an extra target going into a week like this? For sure. But luckily we felt that for a while. I think we've kind of had that name for probably half of the season now. And so we felt that pressure and are excited to finally get to show people what we're about. How do you approach a week like this? A lot of pressure, obviously, but going into this kind of environment where obviously you're no stranger to pressure environments. Do you have tips and tricks that you've picked up on over your career that really help you deal with a week like this? Yeah, I think our whole team is just kind of taking on the motto of leaving no stone unturned. We're trying to go in with all the information and watching all the film. we also know we've stacked a bunch of win and experience this whole season. So we know what we're capable of and our best is good enough. So we're going to be good. I know your fans know this, but also just even neutral observers. You are so much fun to watch, both you personally, but also the team in general and just. If I can look at some of the stats, mean, best kills per set and best kill per set this year for you guys as a team, what goes into that? I know that's a broad question, but I'm assuming that's something you work on and practice from the start of the season all the way through the end, constantly refining it. Can you give me little insight into what goes into being such an effective offense like that? Yeah, I mean, obviously it starts with a defender and a passer like Elena and Kayla and Lackin and Anna. They all do such a great job passing and Mia's phenomenal and you guys have seen that. And then attackers, like we're always ready and we have to be because Mia's that good, but. Along with that, our coaching staff is incredible. They seriously don't leave any stone unturned. And so we're always prepared and ready to go whoever we're playing. We talked about this before earlier in the season, but you have stepped up with some injuries on this team with, you're always so reliable, but just needing to maybe be a little bit extra reliable when you get down to these crucial matches. What was that like for you mentally, both, you know, performing on the court as you always do, but just the whole process for you? Yeah, I take wearing this jersey really seriously as all my teammates do, but whatever I can do to help us win is what I want to do. And it's a lot of fun to be able to do this, to play volleyball for a living. And so it's a lot of fun. It's not that much pressure. I love that it's not much pressure from the outside. looks like, especially going down the stress that there's a lot of pressure, but you all just take care of business all the time, which is amazing. ⁓ What are the differences in postseason play? Again, the crazy question to ask, right? Because there are a lot of differences, but maybe for someone who's watching and just doesn't really isn't familiar with postseason volleyball. What changes at this point? I think it's just obviously everything's lying on one game and every team here is so good that anyone the margin of error is so small. And so we really have to be really disciplined and locked in what we're trying to do. Because if we don't win, we're going home and no one wants to do that. And so just really being locked in what we want to do here. And yeah, we just got to do what we came to do. Johnny scout these teams for me. You we have four, three left outside of you all and I'm assuming each one presents a different challenge, right? Maybe a little bit better at blocking for one, maybe a little bit better passing another. Don't let me ask what they are. Tell me, tell me what the differences are. Yeah, I'll start with San Diego. We just played them, one of the best defensive teams in the league, a great defending center in Marley-Montserrat, and they block a lot of balls. And so really hard offensively to play against San Diego. You have Dallas with two of the best outsides in the league where they're very terminal. so getting that out of system doesn't work too much because their outsides are so good. And so you have to serve really tough with them. And then Omaha, we'll see in a couple of days, ⁓ also a really good serving team, makes it really hard offensively on us because we're out of system a good amount. And so ⁓ really have to be good in medium system and out of system attacking, which is really tough, but ⁓ we've faced that challenge before, so we should hopefully be okay. Do you practice specifically to be better at out of system? what does that look like? Is that more communication? Yeah, I think communication and just like being really smart attacking wise, knowing layout's a really big blocker. Parsons is a really good blocker. We have to swing really high and find edges of the court. And so just tactically thinking a little bit differently. Tell me what the pregame routine superstitions, if any would be. I've talked to some athletes. They're like, I got to put everything on left and then right. Like a knee pad, shoe. Is it going to be like that for you? I'm not that way. I do have like this five minute breathing exercise that I do. And I have to wear a headband for every game. So if I get those two things done, I feel pretty good. What's the color of the headband? We going red? We going blue? I see blue a lot for you. There's a lot of blue. I can't go red because the Louisville Cardinals make fun of me for that. So I won't do that. Maybe orange, we'll see. Oh, orange to match the list of the sleeves and everything? Tell me about Lauren. We saw her go through a little pre-game celebration, the last home match, but I love seeing, but she seems so in control all of the time. What is it like to have her as a coach? She's incredible, and I will tell anyone to ask how good she is, experienced, she knows what she's doing, she's confident, and a really great role model for a bunch of women. lets us beat ourselves constantly and she wants to win so badly and so we want to do the same. It's really fun to play for her. Absolutely. And Johnny, last one for you is just you mentioned it up top, so I want to circle all the way back and where we started, but to get here is not easy. It's a grueling season. It's got a lot of challenges. What were some of those challenges and tell me for either the team or for yourself this season and how did you overcome them to reach this point? Yeah, I think obviously it's a long season and injuries and we've seen a few of our teammates go down with injuries and we have to bring new players in and finding chemistry. From top to bottom, this league is very competitive, very physical, and so it's not easy to win 23 games. But we have a great staff, we have a great leadership, and our owners, and our presidents, and our front office, and it makes it really easy on us to just go out there and play. Our fan base is incredible. We're really lucky. Our job is the easiest part of all of this, so it's really fun. And Johnny, last one is just for any fans watching the Set Six podcast, any indie fans, any messages to them as you head into the semis, and then hopefully the championship for you all. Yeah, thank you so much. You've been here the whole way. Can't wait to hopefully come back and celebrate with you guys. Anna, great to see you. Thank you for stopping by to the Set Six podcast. We are here at Championship Week. What are you thinking about right now? I know you all probably just got off a plane not too long ago, but this is the culmination of a long season and a successful season because you're here at Championship Week. Just your overall thoughts about it. Yeah, honestly, just super excited. It's just so cool to be able to be here and just everything we've done to this point is super exciting and it's been a lot of hard work. But now it's like, obviously there's the added pressure. It's these games that really matter at the end. So I just like... Really trying to enjoy it and take it day by day, getting ready for Thursday. I want to pick up on that because that's such, feel like an important part for you all as elite athletes is enjoying the moment as well. It's a lot of competition, but it's joy, right? How do you do that? How do you not get so caught up in the pressure of the moment? Yeah, I think just with like experience, it helps. But obviously, like you're going to have the nerves. And I honestly think it's a good thing to have the nerves. So I kind of like use that in a good positive way. But ⁓ Honestly, we play better when we're having fun. So if we just focus on each other, like going out there, like just cheering for each other. And I think that just kind of like lets us kind of relieve some of that pressure a little bit, which is helpful. And I want to talk you up for a little bit because I want to expand on a question I got to ask you earlier in the season. But I've been so impressed with just how great of a role you've taken this year. And, you know, obviously for you, it's like, ⁓ no big deal. I'm just doing my thing. your team has gone through some adversity with injuries or, you know, needing to change maybe some little minor parts of the play style at certain points. How difficult was it for you to kind of really find your role, maybe a little bit of an elevated role than what it was at the beginning and just come into your own this season? Tell me what that was like for you this year. Yeah, I mean, I think it's just a growth ⁓ moment, like just year two. I feel like I didn't really have a lot of room to grow last year dealing with my ankle injury. And now that I feel like I finally have that under a good, consistent part where I'm dealing with it much better, it's allowed me to like really focus on improving my game and just having the coaching staff like having Lauren. and Haley and every single person on this team who's like really, really like honestly just like helping the development. Like they're really bought into making us all better athletes. And I think it's cool to have different coaches who have done that. Like I've had my coaches in my college career who really pushed me to be better. And I think it's cool having that new perspective this season. So I've learned so much from them. And I think that's allowed me to like really push my game to different levels and like push me out of my comfort zone, which is kind of cool. Cause I feel like it's. Obviously, when you're comfortable with coaches, like in college, it's been the same kind of thing. And I really feel like I've been pushed to new things this year, which is really kind cool to bring that out of me. Yeah. That ability to be able to shift to new coaching and new kind of voices as well is great. What is some of the messaging from Lauren, especially, as you get into this kind of week where all the stakes are on the line? Yeah, I think she's really talked to us about having that mental. preparation and having that resiliency like all season and like every single game we've tried to treat it as is important and as it is playoffs as much as it's hard to sometimes but knowing that the stakes are high and like these are the games that matter like I think we've done a good job of kind of making that the elephant in the room and like knowing this is what it's going to take it's going to be hard like everyone is good it's going to be really challenging but I think we're kind of making it known and talking about it and not being afraid to talk about it, which has helped us kind of get through it and hopefully will help us when it comes down to it. I love that, not being afraid to talk about it. That's such a great mentality I have. love that. And I scout the teams for me, you three others besides yourselves and I know they all present different challenges and you can just quickly run through, you know, what are some of the challenges? I know you just played San Diego, for example, and just little things that you noticed from each teams. Yeah, I mean, obviously we are playing Omaha for sure now, so. We've kind of been having all eyes on that and not looking too far ahead of ourselves, which is nice. But obviously we just played San Diego and that's a great way to end the regular season, like playing a team that we could potentially see. And they're really, they have a really deep roster. Like they are really aggressive in all aspects of their game. So I think that's awesome. And then Dallas, obviously, you know, they have like two of the best outside hitters. Like they're going to be a really tough offensive team. And I think ⁓ all three teams are going to be bringing their own challenges. Like we kind of talked about. we really aren't looking at those ones yet. really just focusing on Omaha and what we can do to figure out there and just manage them. Like they're obviously really good and they've dealt with a lot this season. And I think they are really figuring it out and they're doing really well and playing great volleyball right now. So ⁓ it's to be really exciting on Thursday for sure. Do you notice any differences in Omaha on the court from the beginning of the season, maybe towards the end of the season? ⁓ It looks like they're having like a lot more fun and they really kind of found their groove a little bit, at least from the outside. Obviously I'm just an outsider, so it's hard to see. But I mean, I think They are really, they have great players. And like, I think it just comes down to like, who wants it more on that day. And I think it's gonna be, I mean, I think it's gonna be really good. And there's nothing else to put it, like, it's just gonna be a battle. Like everyone is good. And I think it's gonna be really fun. That's the great part. It's one match to determine it all. match. Anna, just for you, what pregame superstitions do you have? You anything that jumps out, anything that you have to do? Well, I don't, I'm not really a superstitious person, but if my, if I had to do one thing, I always have a strawberry refresher from Starbucks and it's like, not like if I don't have one I'm gonna play terrible so I'm not trying to be superstitious about it but I do have it every game day. See now I need to figure out what are the stats for Anna when she has her strawberry refresher when she doesn't. This season I think I've had one every game day but I'm not, but if I can't find a Starbucks it's not the end of the world because I can't worry about it. I'm like, I'm not gonna play bad because I don't have my refresher so that's why I'm not superstitious about it. Starbucks, sponsorships are available. I've tried, you know, it's. It's not happening. We'll work on it for well. Anna, thank you for stopping by. We appreciate it. We're wishing you best of luck going forward for the championship. Thank you so much. Can't wait. Kylie, welcome to the Set Six podcast. Thanks for stopping by. It's amazing. We're here. We're at Championship Week. For you all, it's a little bit weird because it's like home, but not home, but kind of home. How does it feel for you to be here? Amazing. I got the privilege to be here last year and I just knew it was a big goal of mine to make sure this team got to experience that. I think it's a super special group. I think we've worked really hard and we're a really good team and I just wanted them to be able to experience this MLB Championships because it's one of a kind. You being one of the leaders of this team and having that experience, what did you learn from last year that you're kind of bringing to the team, like, hey, look out for this, this is how the championship week goes? Yeah, just that we got to start preparing months ago. Like, we can't come to finals week. You only get two games. It's one and done. it's not like there's a series where you get to, have some buffer. Like, no, it's one and done. So we got to take every game, every practice. Like, we have to... practice with and compete with that chain reach it mindset from the jump so that when we get here this week, we're not caught off guard or we're not pushing harder than we need to. We got to stay here and consistent. I was interesting talking to a couple of weeks ago, I got to chat with Mimi and Natalia and they were talking about the end of the season, you you were already qualified, but it was we still have things to work on. Absolutely. It's crazy watching you all and how great you all have been. That mindset seems like it really has taken hold. What are some of those things you're fine tuning right now? Yeah, and like everyone's still getting better. Everyone gets so good. It's so awesome. And that's the beauty of volleyball is that the game is constantly growing. But I think us just like being a defensive weapon, like the teams that we're about to face, like, they dig a lot of balls. And we got to also have that same mentality. And we also have to stay really patient and not get frustrated in those moments when it's really hard to score. And just really focusing on our serve and pass game like that's going to win a championship. That's what If we can nail the serve and pass game, it's gonna look good for us at the end of this. Defensive weapon would be what I would title like your appearance on any podcast. Absolutely. But you also kind of helm a team that is such a prolific scoring offense. ⁓ my goodness, yes. Really good in transition, really good anywhere, frankly, but. That that seems like it's been an identity obviously having Sophia and Mimi and Kaylee. Mm-hmm What has the identity been from on the inside? You know, that's what we see from the outside But for you if you could describe the identity of the Dallas Pulse, what would it Yeah, just no easy balls ever just being weapons being forces at all times and like these girls have arm swings I've literally never seen them my life. So he was pulling out of her pocket just doing crazy things and I just think Just never backing down never stop being the aggressive force always being the ones to start attacking, don't let someone attack us. So just attack mode all the time, I think has just been our motto. Attack mode all the time, I love it. I want to kind of dive more into just this being the first year of the Pulse and the culture that really, mean, North Texas volleyball is so, know, volleyball is ingrained in this culture. And then it seems like you all have really embraced the fans, the fans have embraced you. What has it been like to kind of interact with your home crowds? this whole season. Yeah, it's super special to be a part of something bigger than yourself. You come here and it's like everyone's working to build this thing from the ground up. So it's just been fun in North Texas that has been shown out for us. Like they are so loud every time we come to the gym. I swear they get louder, they get bigger. Yeah, it's just really fun. There's a lot of little girls in this area and I just think it's super special to be a role model that they can come out and look to and they can come watch our games. And I think it's Dallas is going to be really good in the future. Kylie, can we chat a little X's and O's? mean, looking at the schedule, it's so fascinating to me where you're at your team like San Diego, you had a lot of success against them this year. Look at team like Indy, not so much. What goes into that? you kind of think about the regular season when you go into matches like this, or is it like clean slate, ready to go? You do a little bit just to try to make some tweaks. You don't want to like do the same mistakes over and over again, but you kind of have to clean slate it. If I went in thinking Indy's beat us four times, you know, like. I kind of like that. I kind of like that little edge and like it's really hard to beat a team five times. So it's like, I think it's, you got to keep it in the back of your mind, but if you have it on the two front, in the front of your mind, then it can hurt you a little bit. Little extra motivation. Absolutely. You can use it, but you kind of have to, you know, start fresh and every, like just like San Diego, they're looking at us like, oh, they beat us like, you know, clean slate, same with any clean slate. They have nothing on us. What, you know, let's focus on San Diego. What did they do? Well, obviously we know their defense is really great, but just When you scout them specifically, what do you see as like, okay, we need to be really good in this area. Yeah, like I said, our servant pass game has to be really good. They have really good middles and if we and they have really good passers. So if we go easy on the baseline, they're going to run it down our throats and it's going to be really hard to defend. But if we can serve them out of system, get them out of system, start playing our game a little bit. And also if we can pass really well, it's going to be really hard to stop us because we have our back row weapons, we have our outside weapons and we have our middles and we have our we just have a lot of options and if we can have all those options available, it's gonna be really hard to stop at Dallas Bulls. Kylie, the team chemistry just for you all seems amazing. It seems so good. I know that's not something that happens overnight, but how did you build such great team camaraderie, team chemistry to get to where you are now? Yeah, I think going through hard things with people brings you a lot closer. So I would lie, I would be lying if I said this whole season has been easy. It's a new franchise. There's a lot of learning curves and there's a lot of things that you just have to learn. And I think in the end that really brings us all closer. And I think I owe a lot. We owe a lot to Natalia. She is such a phenomenal leader and just such a great person. And when you have a lot of good people in one room, great things happen. And I think a key to this is we just have a lot of great people in the same room and it's just really worked out for us. And Nati just brings her age and her experience and just like we've all. been able to learn from that and she's super inspiring to play with and just be around and it's been really cool. Was there a specific point in the season that was more challenging maybe than others? No, not like I can't put my finger on it, but we've had different lineups. We've had different new coaching staff that we had to get to know. She's new here. They're new. This is new coaches that she's coached like she's never coached with these people before. So it just there was a lot of we just had to get to know each other, which takes time. And so it's nice that, you know, we're sitting on month five and six now. We feel a little bit more comfortable, but. I wouldn't say we were always that comfortable. I don't want to take you away from the fun for too long, but one more question for you is just, you know, going into a match like this, everybody has their superstitions, everybody has the different, you know, maybe pregame meals. know, talking and talking before, it's like with a couple other players that they have a specific Starbucks order, you know, maybe they're deer on one leg at a time. Any pregame superstitions for you? I used to be like super duper duper superstition. So I like have tried to like calm down a little bit because I'm like, you're crazy. Like, that's literally crazy. But this year I really always have to take a nap. I have to close my eyes for 20 minutes, just reset. I drink a pink slush, Elani, every game. I must have it. I don't know, just, this might be silly, but I've really just tried to take every game the same because I try not to get too high, I try not to get too low. Like as a leader on this team, we have a young group. So just trying to be that consistent force for them, especially in these big moments. So I'm gonna try to stay as calm as possible. How do you perfect the 20 minute power now? It's not always 20 minutes, but it's like a minimum of like, just need to reset my brain. And we play games so late, especially the semi game. Like we may not be out there till 9.30. So just making sure I'm ready to go. And I got my order ring now. So I don't know if you got one of these, it tells you like your readiness and like things like that, which has been interesting for me to dive into. I see a difference when I am well rested. had one and then I was like, you know, I'm not enough of an athlete for this. I got to bring it back out. Maybe for a later game, we'll need two Elanis. Yes, I know. I might. Yeah. And we'll work on that sponsorship for you as well. please. Kylie, thank you so much for stopping by. Yes, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Lane, thanks so much for joining me here on the Set Six podcast. First off, to ask how you're doing. I love the way that you've managed to fit a phone pocket into this nice brace over here. Yeah, making good use of it. It's been a rough month. The first two weeks were really, really, really, really rough, but my team has just been so supportive and this organization has been great and I'm healing slowly but surely. Yeah. I think the support from the team, you know, it's going to be such a nice thing to have. I see the camaraderie from everybody and we obviously know that, you know, injuries happen, but are always tough. But that it feels like the volleyball community really comes together around, you know, whenever something like this happens. For sure. I received like so many flowers from like all different people, from all different teams, the league in general and like sponsors, owners, like I just so much love this past month. Lane, one of the things I think is so cool is every time I go to check the stats, you're still at the top of pretty much everything, which just shows how dominant you were. Every category that you were at before you left, like boom, still there. That speaks to just how amazing the season you were having before the injury. How did you feel and how was the season for you kind of progressing? Because I felt like you're on top of your game. Right, yeah, I was feeling really good. I mean, our passing is great and we have an amazing setter, so. I mean, I can't get the kills without my center and she's has a lot of faith in me and would feed me the balls in tough situations. So without her and good passing, like I wouldn't have been the toughest stats there. Dallas team just feels special. Obviously, I've had such a great season and they've gotten here to the championship. What describes this team for someone who's maybe not as familiar with the intricacies of it as you are? Yeah, I think we're pretty gritty. I think we're really dedicated to getting 1 % better every day. just like improving on our last performance. And I think we've done a really good job of that. And we're way better than we were at the beginning of season. So that's really exciting. what changed from maybe the beginning of the season as you got kind of forward more towards the middle and then obviously down the stretch did more kind of what specifically came together, I guess. Yeah, just finding our offense more, trusting each other on the court, like knowing who's going to take what ball, just that team cohesion, really just time together. Can I ask you a more specific question about the offense? I the best back row attacking numbers in the league this year, I believe, how does something like that develop? Is that worked on in practice? Is that something that the team figures out during the match? No, we for sure work on that in practice. I mean, they're great from the front row, so why can't we send them in the back row too? And having attackers from all different positions of the court just makes it so much harder to block. So adding that area just opens up the court even more. I asked your teammate, Kylie, a question like this, but... Interesting looking at some of the schedule or like against some teams like San Diego, a lot of success against some other teams like Indy. Not so much and maybe a little bit of rivalry kind of building there. But just from your perspective with just how sometimes it can go so many different ways in one match, but then against one opponent, maybe it's having a little bit of more trouble. What goes into that? Yeah, I really don't know the answer to that. ⁓ Momentum is a crazy thing and we just got to break it. Can you can you kind of stout? You've got an ability to see all these teams here at the championship. The other three teams, what do they do well? What challenges? There's just so many big arms in this league, so like just huge players. We just got to shut down the big dogs and we'll be fine. Lane, what kind of conversations are you having with everybody at this point? You know, being there to support the team and you know what kind of things are you saying to everybody as you go into a very? I would imagine stressful week, also a lot of nerves and excited nerves as well. Right, we're just trying to stay really grateful. We're very happy to be in this position, our first year as a team. And yeah, we're just being grateful for this opportunity. And I think when we play with joy, we play a lot better. Is there any advantage to kind of being at home? mean, you are at home, but it's not really a home game, right? It's staying in your own beds, would imagine, but also it's a different practice schedule and things like that. Yeah, I mean our fans have been amazing, so having them for sure here will be super helpful and hopefully just the Dallas community shows out and we'll have that home court advantage. What is that connection been like with the Dallas community this year? It feels like it's a very tight knit group. Yes, it's it's growing slowly and like we're seeing a lot of kids coming out. The volleyball community in North Texas is absolutely fabulous and huge, so they're coming out and yeah, it's awesome. That's just so cool to see. And then you know going into into matches like this. I'm imagining that. Everybody's got little superstitions and different pre-match routines for you. What are some of your pre-match routines? Mine's pretty silly. I literally sit in the locker room and I play Candy Crush. Candy Crush? Yes. What's the highest level that you've gotten to? I'm at like 12,000 and something. It's pretty embarrassing. I don't think that's embarrassing. I think that's impressive. How long did it take you? Does one get good at Candy Crush? I think I'm pretty damn good. We got to figure out where in the rankings that you'd I I I love that. I mean, there's been moms who have been playing forever. Can we ask you just to shift to, mean, the question that everybody wants to know that I've probably buried the lead on is just, you where are you at in your recovery and will we hopefully see you out there again? Obviously not this week, but you know, pretty soon and on track for seeing you next season. Yeah, I mean, it's a nine to 12 month recovery. So I got surgery on April 2nd. Hoping for the, I don't know, January, February is like my goal. So I'll be back next season. That's awesome. Well, we're looking forward to it. then just, know, Elaine, just your final thoughts on, you know, It's obviously an interesting situation where you get to see everything from the insider perspective that nobody else knows. just if you could almost give us like your, I don't want to say predictions. I feel like that's too, you know, base level, but just your view going into this semi-final match of just what you expect to see happen. If you couldn't predict the match, what do you think will happen? Like who I think is going to win? Just like kind of the X's and O's and like if this happens, if good serving happens, if good defense happens, anything like that. Oh, if good serving happens, we're winning it. Like as long as we quit pressure from the service line, get the other team out of system, I trust our Block D so much and that we can transition out of it. The perfect analysis. Lane, thank you so much for stopping by. We really appreciate it. for having me. Well, Maya, welcome to the Set Six podcast. We were just chatting. I had a great chance to come down to San Diego last week. I mean, you all have been on a great end of the season. have. It was so great to check in with the team, but just how has the transition from the end of the regular season to the postseason been for you all? Yeah, I mean, was obviously pretty quick. We played like two days ago. So it hasn't been that tough, but it's mostly, I think it's just little bit of a mindset change of like, it's such a blessing to have this opportunity. And we really have worked hard. You know, with everything that's happening in San Diego, we just want to finish it on a good note. So we're just all really happy to be here. Maya, I mean, we're going to talk about your awesome scoring ability in a second, but I mean, The cliched phrase is defense wins championships and whether you're talking to just the casual fan or we're just going through the stats, the defense for San Diego has been unbelievable this year. What has gone into creating such an amazing unit that it feels like you could never put a ball down on? Yeah, I think we train really hard in practices and we have big hitters, we have smart hitters, so that really ups our game defensively because we're playing against each other every single day. But I think we have a lot of selfless players on this team. We love to make those big digs and then... see somebody else turn around and go get the kill. I love Shado when she slaps the floor. Like that's the best kind of motivation for everybody. And it just hypes everybody up from us, the coaches, the crowd. So yeah, I think we really just build off of each other in that way. I'm amazed whether I'm there in person or cutting the highlights. Like she gets to everything. It's unbelievable. know. It's Offensively, between you and Grace and Marin and I can go on forever and Marlee doing everything. It's such a cohesive unit and I know that's not built overnight. How was it built? Yeah, I think that was honestly built off the court. Kind of starting out in preseason and everything. We just were hanging out all the time and we just really quickly built relationships on this team that you can just tell that we genuinely do all love each other, care about each other. Like we hang out all the time off the court. So that's made it a lot of fun because then when you're on the court, it's just so much more of like a support factor. And like we use a lot of people like off of our bench and every single time that somebody is coming in, it's like a Hey, you go girl, like you got it today, go have fun, like try your hardest. So we really support each other outside of volleyball. And I think that carries over onto the court. You can see it. So that's so neat to see. I mean, what are some of the bonding activities that you do outside? we playing like specific board games, games? I don't know, you tell me. No, we're a big like movie group. We've had a couple of like themed parties, stuff like that. Big, just like, hey, I'm heading to the pool. Who wants to come? Let's do a barbecue. Like we actually had like, we called it a family barbecue a couple of weeks ago. just out of our apartment complex, pulled out the grill and the burgers, and it was just so much fun. I love that. In San Diego, too, you absolutely cannot beat that. Maya, I want to ask you a little left field question, but just from your perspective, it's something that you would only know, none of us would know, who on the team has stepped up in a way that the average fan, the average person might not have seen? Yeah, it's a great question. I feel like I could say multiple people. Go ahead, we have the time, totally. And I'm catching you completely off guard with this one, but I'm I'm curious. No, I like that. I want to say Morgan Lewis. I think she's somebody who's always come into the game and made an impact. And on that, Carly Graham too, like that dub sub really helps us out a lot of times. I feel like in the outside position, we have had a lot of rotation. And like I said, we're very supportive of like, hey, you go do this. Like, what can I do to help you when you're on the court in this moment? And a lot of us have our strengths and we really like. you know, I'm more of a line hitter or something than we have Allison who comes out, who's just banging cross. So yeah, we have a lot of just like little pieces, but I really want to say like majority of our team, everybody who touches the court makes an impact for us. And I would imagine a lot of those little pieces really helped the team come together towards the end. mean, obviously starting, I think it was one in six and then now you're a postseason team and you're here at championship. mean, was there a moment in the season where everything really shifted and it started clicking? I don't want to say like an exact. moment, but I think once we got those first couple wins, I forget who they were against. once we kind of got those first couple, it was like we could really see the high level that we could play at. And then we kind of just tried to hold that standard in practice every single day. So it was coming into the gym and saying, hey, we did what we thought we could do as our best, but let's push that one step further and keep training and keep working hard. Here at Championship, obviously there's a lot of pressure, but how do you manage that? How do you deal with high pressure environments like this? Yeah. I think just like knowing that every point is a new point, like, you know, an error or mistake isn't going to matter at the end of the game in that specific moment. So, and I think we're all supportive of each other in that. And also just knowing that like at the end of the day, we're all here to have fun, enjoy this experience. It's such a cool thing and such a blessing. So just enjoying being here together with everyone. I love that. I want to pick up on, so every point is a new point. How do you... How do you get to that spot mentally? Like I was chatting with Morgan Hans earlier this year and she told me about her saying is do your best and forget the rest. I'm imagining that as an athlete, there must be points in your career where you just, you can't help but be hard on yourself. Like does it take a while and obviously playing at a high level like you do to get to that mentality and kind of walk the walk that you want to talk? No, it absolutely does. It was definitely something that I struggled with and definitely like college is such like a I feel like a pressure on your shoulders. And I feel like when you get to the pro league, it is more of just like a let free feeling. And Alicia too has really helped us build up our confidence in that. And like, we talk about risk all the time and taking a risk is okay in our gym. So that's why when we get into those like struggle moments, when it's tight in the fifth set and everything, we're still taking those big swings. So I think understanding that taking a risk is okay because majority of time it is going to pay off. So tell me about Alicia and what has her messaging been? heading into the semifinals? She loves to say, stay the course. That's like her saying, weather the storm. We have a couple that we always joke with her about. ⁓ But she, like I said, she's big on confidence and the mental side of it. So we talk about that a lot and just like understanding what we as players can do and what we need to do in order to prepare for this moment. And then when we're in that moment, know, game day, she's confident in us and that makes us confident in ourselves. So heading into, I believe it's Dallas first round. Not the easiest regular season against Dallas, but every match in this league is like anything can happen. If you could, if you will scout the match for me and just kind of what challenges that they represent and we know that you all are going to show up and just what ⁓ do we expect from this match? Yeah, I mean, we've had a tight couple of games with them, I think two, five setters. I think we match up with them well. And I think our biggest thing that we need to try to do is stop. their hitters, like they have some big powerful hitters on the outside, in the middle, the right side. So we just need to slow down a few people here and there. I think passing will be really important to get our middles involved. But yeah, we're just ready to fight. I think it's going to be a great match. And like I said, we've ⁓ competed with them before and had those two tough five setters. So I hope we can just push through that and do that again. ⁓ I think that is a perfect place to put a pin in it. But Maya, an absolute pleasure to chat with you. We wish you the best of luck and I thank you so much. Yeah, it's great meeting you. Thank you. Grace, welcome to the Set Six podcast. It's only fitting that we get the reigning player of the week here on Championship Week. You're coming off an amazing performance, but San Diego as a team is just firing all cylinders heading into this week. Where do you feel like you and the team are right now heading into this important semifinal? I feel like we're in a really good spot. think we've continued to get better as the seasons progressed. We started kind of just like figuring out where we were and our coaches always said to us, like, we just have to be what we are right now and like we're going to continue to improve. And she's really continued to say that and it's put things into perspective for us as the season's continued. And so like we've looked at the season and like many series, like we've broken it up into quarters, each team we play four times. So it's just like focusing on getting better each time we play each team, each throughout each quarter. And I think we've really done that. We're peeking right now and it's really fun to play with these girls and I think that's what's really helping us. Peeking the fourth quarter when it matters most. I love that. haven't heard that before of breaking it down into quarters. That's amazing. ⁓ You specifically, blocking, scoring, whether it's blocking or you're attacking or you're serving from the service line, you've been amazing as well. ⁓ Where do you feel like your game has really progressed from start of the season to now? ⁓ I think attacking. I've always felt really comfortable with passing and my platform and like that's something we trained a ton in college. But for me this season, I really wanted to find ways to score. I that's like a difference maker of being on the court and our coaches. I mean, I have nothing but great things to say about our staff and they've helped so much with just like training different shots and like really working on the right things in practice. So it's been awesome to really like get to train and practice and get better in those different skills. Alicia called you all gritty and you know, pure joy to coach and you can definitely see that. Grace, I'm curious, know, from one and six to where you all are now, I was just chatting with Maya and she said, you know, such a tight-knit group. And I feel like you can really see that. How does that develop naturally? Is that, you know, meeting outside of the court? Obviously, you've been on a lot of teams. How do you develop that chemistry? Yeah, that's a good question, because I do feel like the tightness of our team is kind of like our superpower. And I feel like people who watch can see how much fun we have playing with each other. And it's like just goes to show how much we really like each other. I... I think it starts with the culture. Alicia has done a great job, like establishing a culture where everybody is super bought in and like wants to be there and wants to get better, but also like supports one another. So no matter if it's me in or somebody else in, like we're still going to be cheering each other on. And like, we want the greatest thing for our team, not for us individually. And like, I mean, we live in San Diego. There's a lot of fun things to do outside of practicing games. So we go to the beach, we've gone to SeaWorld, we do like team cookouts and like we just genuinely. enjoy spending time with each other. There's no better place than Southern California, especially San Diego. feel so lucky to be there. I co-assign on that for sure. Grace, it's a tough first round matchup against Dallas. Obviously some tough goals during the regular season, but every match, as we know in this league, can be anything at any given point. How do you view this upcoming match against this tough team, against this tough opponent, and just what you all need to do to win? Yeah, Dallas is a super physical team. They've got girls who could put the ball away and they're also super scrappy on defense. But I think we're going to focus mainly on our side of the net and like what we're doing and like just saying true to our identity. But it'll be a fun matchup. I'm excited. The last two games with them, I think we went five both times and it was like a close finish. So it'll be cool. It's also kind of fun that in Dallas, I'm sure there'll be a good crowd there. rooting against us probably, but we'll use that as motivation. Hopefully a little bit more of a neutral crowd than they normally get. But Grace, we talked about your offensive prowess and then you mentioned focusing on your side of the net. Your side of the net a lot of times is amazing defense. The cliche is defense wins championships, but I feel like it's something that you all just have in space, whether it's Shara with her amazing digs or whether it's Marin at the middle. I could go on and mention everybody, but. How did that defensive mentality manifest itself? Was that something early on where you knew you were going to be a defensive? I think Shara is the backbone of our defense. She's so inspiring to play next to, just like when she gets a dig and she's banging on the floor, it's like you want to put the ball away for her in that rally, or you want to continue to make that rally better for her. But I also think we work on our system a lot. Before each game, our scouting, we know what we're responsible for, what the blockers are doing. So we're really working together, which I think helps a ton. Are you a film person or are you someone who you need to get into practice and get those reps before you can scout properly? No, I'm a film person. I like to see things out and like see what they're going to be doing, see where they're going to be, where I should be going. But I also need to do the reps. Did you develop into that or was that kind of from college you were always that kind of person? From college. Film was a huge thing in college for us. We'd break it down very specifically. And so that's kind of like helped me. I feel like I just go into games more prepared. Going into a week like this, what are some of the messaging from the leaders on the team, from Alicia? What are the messages you're getting at this week? I think it's just continuing to remember that feeling the pressure is a privilege. Like, it's so cool to play in these arenas and like play in front of fans and get to represent volleyball in the United States. And so just to enjoy it and like stay true to what we've been doing and like how much we... love playing with each other and feeling the pressures of privilege. love that. And give me more on Alicia, you touched on it briefly, but just what sets her apart? What makes her different as a coach? She's incredible. Like I feel so grateful to get to play for her. I got to play with her last year in Vegas, but I touched on just how she's really built this culture, which I think has been hard in the professional league, especially with this season. I mean, with this league being only three years old, like I've got to experience different coaches and she's done such an amazing an amazing job just like really having everybody bought in. But aside from that, she's like so prepared, so organized. Her and Mel and Skylar do such an amazing job with the scout. Like we feel so prepared for every game. Our practices are planned amazingly. Like it's really been an awesome year with them. I love it. And then Grace, my final question for you is just, you know, now being here, taking in this moment of being here at championship. all the amazing sounds we're hearing from the stage. I'm getting distracted. It is, so before I let you go over there and join your teammates, but just, if you can give me a retrospective on this season, obviously, like we said, from the rough start to the amazing camaraderie that you have with this team, and just, have you given yourself a moment to look back now, being at Championship Week, and looking back at the amazing, was it 22 weeks or whatever it's been to get to this point, if you would allow yourself to look at that, what would be the first things that come to your mind? Honestly, I think joy, and that's... something that I haven't really felt playing volleyball in the last couple of years. So I just feel like I'm having so much joy on the court, off the court, traveling. Like we're on the plane for five hours, but it's still joyful, like going to these places with these teammates. And so I just feel really grateful and happy. Well, it's a joy to have you on the podcast. we're ready for the weekend. Sorry. No, and it's a joy to have you all here this weekend. So Grace, thank you so much for taking some time to chat with us. Thank you, son. Reagan, thanks for so much for sitting down with us. We're here. The Omaha Supernovas are at the MLV championship. How does that feel to be here in the small town? It's amazing. And it's even better for me because it's in Dallas, which is my hometown. So the fact that I get to do this in front of my family is unbelievable. I'm so excited. Get to go back, maybe some home cooking at any point. Yeah. favorite restaurants to go back to. Yeah, 100%. That's awesome. You guys hit us with some recommendations afterwards. OK, remind me. I need some good spots, OK, I'll give them to you. being here in kind of your home arena, so to speak, or your home area, so to speak, mean, Does that lessen the pressure of this moment? I'm imagining that there's a lot of pressure going into championship week. And how do you deal with that? I think having the support from my family and friends does kind of like lessen the stress a little bit. But of course, like I want to perform well in front of the people that have literally watched me grow up in this sport. So it's awesome to see my family. But my number one goal is to play for my teammates first and just know that my family is watching me and supporting me. it's kind of. behind me through all of passionate the Omaha fan to make it two out of th by the end of this week, t The fans always show up f so dedicated and they hav for this sport and this who is or what college I think they deserve a cha going to do the best that home for them. Ray and you'v a lot of changes for Omaha this season, obviously with Thomas, with Brooke stepping in, et cetera, but you all have been on a great run towards the end of the season. Tell me about how when everything shifted, obviously, but also where the team is at now. It seems like you all are playing freely, playing together, and obviously it's gotten you here. Yeah, I think together is a big word that we kind of like harped in on after all that happened. That's tough for any team in any situation having to kind of... get used to the new environment, the new circumstances. And I think leaning on each other was the biggest thing for us. Like we are only motivated by each other. We play for each other. And that's all that matters at the end of the day. And so just kind of blocking out the noise and everything going on around us. That's kind of, you know, outside of our control and just focusing on volleyball and the team. you say leaning on each other, what does that look like? Is that maybe an extra word of encouragement in the huddle? Is that a team activity outside of practice? What does that look like for you? Yeah, all of that. And also just like in your head knowing that you're playing for your teammate. I think that makes you just be a little less selfish on the court. And maybe you're also like not as hard on yourself because as long as you're giving 100 % effort and you know that you're doing this for your teammates, then you know that you kind of gave it your all. And like sometimes you can't really, you know, take yourself away from your brain and your mind. That's like, you know, if during high pressure situations where you can kind of like close it on yourself, but knowing that, hey, I'm going to do this for my teammates no matter where I am mentally right now, like whether we're down by five or by 10, just playing for each other I think is our biggest thing. Do you have specific ways that you kind of take that pressure away from your mind? I've been talking to lot of athletes this week and hearing a lot of different kind of individual sayings. Some people tell themselves to get out of their out of their head a little bit in these high pressure moments. Do you have anything like that? Maybe I'll give you another example. Maybe it's a routine that you do, you know, more often than not. Anything like that. Something that I've been telling myself, at least in the last half of this season, It's more technical. So it's like it's kind of random. But whenever I get really into myself or I'm struggling I'll think too much about too many things at once when in reality I've been playing this for for so long that a lot of it is just like muscle memory and When I get too into myself, I'll just tell myself react react react react especially in back row defense Don't think don't guess what's gonna happen. Don't don't do anything besides just react to what's happening in the moment And that's what helps me. Absolutely Reagan, let's talk little Xs and Os. Going against Indy, some success against them this season. What challenges did they represent and how do you overcome those challenges on the court against them? I mean, was the same thing last season as well. Like it was, I think we were two and two with them last season. I'm not sure if I'm correct on that, but they're just such a tough team and they play with so much grit and they're so scrappy in terms of being able to pick up anything and they always have such high energy. and you can tell they're having so much fun over there. And those are hard teams to compete against when you can just tell they're having a great time the entire time. I think the big thing for us is just obviously Scout doing what we know how to do and kind of just do what we've done and try to keep the energy and the focus on our side. I think that'll be a big contributor because they're, Indy's an amazing team and they always have been. It feels like a key finger of the energy and focus, if you will, is Thomas. He seems like just... a great guy. First off, haven't gotten a good look at him. Is he still sporting that peach fuzz mustache from the playoffs or did he get rid of it? I think. Well, he got a haircut like right after practice, so wasn't able to see like he was on the winning streak. I was like, Coach, we got to keep the mustache. I hope he kept it. I feel like he did. I feel like he kept it. We endeavor to find out. You'll all probably know sooner than I do. Yeah, regardless of what kind of facial hair he is sporting, tell me about how Thomas has been as a coach and how he's been able to, you know, really lead you here specifically. What is coaching style has been like for you all? Yeah, I mean, he's great. can tell that we can tell that we know what he's talking about. We trust him. I was with him last season. know, Brooks been with him for three seasons now. And he's like before, like as our assistant coach and then like as the stats guy, like he just sees the game really well. And so obviously it's kind of a it was an odd transition because like he was like a super close, like not a friend in a sense, but like he was that like stress release. on our coaching staff because he is so friendly with everybody and he's so personable and now he's like the head coach and it's like you just see him in a different light now but it was actually pretty easy to shift into that and he's a very respected like figure in our gym. He's been with the supernovas from the beginning so it was like weird as far as I was like oh Thomas like hey head coach like this is weird but now we're all used to it. Ready a little bit of a left field question for you but Who on the team has stepped up in a way that maybe the average fan, the average person just watching might not have necessarily seen? ⁓ that's a good question. There's like, feel like I can, so many people are running through my head. I honestly feel like I don't even think this is something that maybe people don't see, like, I mean, the first person that comes ahead is sauce for me, Sarah, sorry, Sarah, obviously she has so many other things going on outside of the court and she is spending time away from her son ⁓ who just turned one, who just turned one like a couple months ago. and she's sacrificing so much and spending time away from her family and still has the best attitude every single day. She's the first person that comes to mind. know, it's just, she's an inspiration to all of us and she's like a captain you want to play for. That's right. Regan, I want to finish up this time just by, you know, it feels like every team here at the MLB Championship has an identity and you touched on it there kind of at the beginning of our chat here. But if you could sum up the identity of the Omaha Supernovas heading into this championship week, how would you describe it? I mean, it says it on our shirts that we just got, but 15 Strong, I think that that was a big thing this season was just kind of blocking out outside noise and also just focusing on each other, sing together. And so just focusing on who we have in our gym every single day, who I have playing next to me. And yeah, 15 Strong is just kind of. It's like a broad term for just focusing on each other and sing together. We're looking forward to the competition this week. Regan, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. Thank you. We wish you best of luck. Thank you so much. Welcome to Championship Week. Just first, what is your reaction to being here? You've made it, the Supernovas are here, and just your overall thoughts on that. I think for a team with us, the Supernovas in particular, it's been one of the most probably mentally just challenging up and down seasons that a lot of us have probably had. And I think through that, we've grown so much. at the end of the day, like just making it in the top four is really the only thing that matters at this point in the season. And so I think we're at a great point and we're really excited to compete and we're peaking at the right time right now. Tell me one way that the team has grown from maybe the start of the year to where you are now. We've just like, we've connected so much as a group. We've spent so much time with one another, really just like, kind of just gutting out like our... our biggest weaknesses and really just growing through them in the practice gym, what we need to get better at every day, whether it's mental or physical. And I think like we've grown in that way so much and we really know each other well and we love competing with each other. Yeah. You as one of the leaders of the team, just a lot of changes obviously this year. How do you manage that as being a leader, both physically on the court with your play, but also with maybe some of the things that you say to the group over the course of the season? Yeah. I think it's really just like a mindset. anything that happens, especially just drastic changes like we've had this season, you can just go into the gym and you can just choose to get better every single day. It's really hard to actually put that into action. But at the same time, like if we're all preaching that, we have incredible leaders on this team in different ways. And I think we're all on the same page, which is really what matters. And it helps us just achieve our goals at the end of season. Just, you know, overall with the possibility of making it two out of three championships for the Supernovas by the end of this week. What would that mean to the franchise, the fans, to you personally, just if that were to happen? I've said this probably to every person that's asked me a question like that. We really have the best fans probably in the world. Pretty incredible. You can walk out into the grocery store and you have Supernovas fans that recognize you and cheer you on. We average 10,000 people per game. We just have such an incredible support system. One, I think we really want to do this for ourselves. Like I said, we've had ups and downs this season, but I think we're peaking at the right time. And I think we want to prove it to ourselves that we can go 2-0 this weekend. But also, we have that support system on our back. And so just giving them that too would mean a lot. Is that weird for you? I've been to Omaha, I've seen you're on billboards. You're a celebrity, as you talked about. And that's not necessarily the case for some athletes who go overseas or... just for even other athletes and other sports. And has that been an adjustment for you to be kind of like a local celebrity? I think I'm just like have a lot of gratitude for it. People just love their volleyball and they support the sport so much. And that's something that we're looking for, especially in the States now that professional volleyball is growing just to get that support. And so I think myself and my teammates really just try to take it in and we're very grateful. But yeah, it is a little interesting. think like you said, like they... Some people do picture you as a celebrity and we're the only really professional sport in the state of Nebraska. So we're treated like it for sure. Brooke Omaha seems to me the supernovas that is like a team that has a really even and interesting mix of veteran leadership and then really good young talent. How has that been like for you again to go back to that leader of the team to not manage, that's the wrong word, but to integrate with the young talent and some of the great rookies that you have and some of the great younger players that you have on the team? The rookies come in and they have an incredible mindset to get better and just grow as a team, which every single one of ours does, whether they're a rookie, second, third year, ⁓ we just have an incredible group. And I think that's what makes a team great is that if you have a good mixture, different levels of experience that everyone can bring to the table and everyone's receptive to that, that's one of our biggest strengths, I think as a team. Let's talk a little bit more X's and O's about this championship. I feel like every team here has an identity, like a really big core identity. And going into some of these matches, especially like we look at your match against Indie, you've played them tough this season. What is it about the way that you all play that maybe is an advantage to you in this match? And then when you look at them on the other side, what did they bring to the table? Yeah, like I said, I think like a lot of our season has depended on like what our side of the net looks like. And I think that's why you see us having two wins against a lot of the top teams in the league. It's really just like, what's dependent on our side of the court. And so I think like the fact that we've taken so much time to grow as a team and really taken time to just focus on like how we can improve on our side and not so much worry about the opponent. Of course, different teams are going to have different advantages, but I think like the better we can control our side, like we have a great chance. as big of a chance as anyone else in my opinion. I think you can look at the talent on our team and you can look at their achievements and you could probably agree. So, I don't know, we're just excited to go. And I think our identity is really just staying 15 strong. That's been our motto and just focusing on our side of the Reagan told me about how great the 15 strong motto is. I saw the shirts, they look amazing. I want to touch back on that, your side of the net part. I'm curious if you notice in the middle of a match, maybe it's a tough second set, tough third set, whatever it may be. that you're not playing the way you want to on your side of the net. How do you change in match to get back to the way you want to play on your side of the net? That was one of our biggest challenges in the middle of season, I would say, beginning and middle of season. And so we, like I said, we've taken that time and it's really how we're practicing every single day. Like if we can notice that we've been calling each other out in practice as a team, like not. it will say like we're not loving the way we're practicing right now. We're not loving the effort. We're not loving certain things. Like we need to make a change. And we've been doing that consistently this past month. And I think you've seen that kind of just transfer over to the match scenario because we're able to do that in practices now. And I think like we can change it a lot quicker than we used to just because we've been working on it a lot. Brooke, last question for you. I want to finish with just you are no stranger to high pressure situations and high pressure matches. What do you do to get ready for a big MLV championship, semi-finals, and then eventually maybe championship for you? ⁓ Do you have a specific routine that you do? Do you have a specific way that you mentally focus to get ready for big matches like this? I think one of my biggest mottos or just something that I really preach is that if you can practice how you want to play every single day, depending on whatever match it is, of course, there's going to probably be more or less nerves depending on it, if it's a semi-final championship, a regular season match. I think if you can practice and put yourself in game-like scenarios every single day, I just really want to stay consistent through that. So there's really nothing special I do. I like to listen to music. I like to get a coffee before my game, but there's nothing like extra pressure that I put on myself or my teammates based on whatever match it is. Awesome. And I'm just thinking one final one, Brooke, just. You mentioned just about how great the Omaha fans are. Any final message to them here before you head off to the semifinal in a couple of days? Thank you guys so much for all your support this year and for the three years that I've been a part of the team. You guys are seriously the best fan base in the entire world. And we want to bring this home for you. 2-0. Can't say it any better than Brooke. Brooke, thank you so much for sitting down with us. Appreciate it. Yeah, thank you. A huge thank you to all of the athletes, to the organizations, to their team representative handlers here for sitting down and chatting with us. Just wonderful insight before we hit the MLV semifinal and eventually the MLV championship. ⁓ It's been an amazing season and it's crazy that we are here at the end of it. We're pretty soon, we'll be crowning a 2026 MLV champion. For some of you, you might already know who that is and you've maybe gotten some extra insight here that gives you more of an idea of, like we said, the identity of these teams and really the defining characteristics of the 2026 champion. ⁓ All of these matches, once again, if you're not going to be here, are on ION. That is Thursday, May 7th and Saturday, May 9th. And if not, we hope to see you in the arena here in Frisco, Texas. And until then, we will see you on the other side. It's been a great journey to this point, and we're excited for the final chapter on that journey in 2026. Probably next week, we will be chatting with a champion. And so we will leave it at that as the ultimate teaser for next week's episode and episode four. But thank you once again. and we'll see you next time.