Latest / Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast / Episode 028 | Boo Crew vs. Fright Club

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Episode 028 | Boo Crew vs. Fright Club · Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast

• Mike Moline: It's the Halloween episode of the Set Six Podcast. And we're in costume, but hey, don't let that fool you. We have a lot of important stuff to get to today, including Jenna and I are talking about the World Cup, the John Cook invitational, the WSF red carpet, and much, much more. Plus, we've got a Halloween all-star draft for you at the end of the show. So you know what that means. Lock in. This is the Set Six Podcast. What's going on? Hi, hello, and welcome to the Set Six Podcast. This is a special Halloween edition, also known as episode twenty-eight of the official podcast of Major League Volleyball. Thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Severin Lavenstein alongside Jenna Rosenthal. We're happy to be with you on a little bit of a festive episode. You know, we figured we'd have some fun with it, because that's what we like to do here on this episode. But still, lots of really good stuff to talk about. This is gonna be a I feel like Jenna, an action-packed episode of just a lot of news, and then we're gonna have some fun. So that is the format. We're gonna do news, we're gonna chat, we're gonna do some Halloween fun stuff that does still relate to volleyball in some way, and then we're gonna get out of here. But before you listen to this episode, please go listen to episode 27 with Emily Londot, where Jenna and I like to say we we predicted the future a little bit too, but really fun conversation with her right before she got traded to the DC flight. and I think a fun one that you want to go check out, Jenna. It was fun with us being in different locations than or at least I was, than we normally were there, but that was a great episode. And we're ready to roll for this one. So with that, I welcome in Jenna the Sorceress, it looks like, to this episode. Jenna, how are we doing? I'm doing wonderful, Severin. Where I I was hoping for a little bit of a spooky announcer voice. How's your improv? I don't know if I can do it. Welcome to the Set Six Podcast. Ooh, there's that's the best I got. That's great. Beautiful. Thank you. Mike will put that in the beginning. Yes. I feel like the mood has been appropriately set now. Yeah. It's too bright in your apartment for this too. I I at have like the kind of darker, darker vibe going on over here. You know, I really try to sell the whole creature of the night, you know, aesthetic in general, and it's just I don't think it's me. It's fine. It's fine. We can fix that in post. And, you know, I've got a very dramatic hood, which means nefarious purposes, surely. Well, i i it it's also gonna serve the purposes of of breaking down some a lot of news for us today. And so the the majority of our episode is gonna start with that. I think we're gonna have really for the next maybe twenty, thirty minutes talking about news. So let's not wait around and launch into it, Jenna. The first thing that we wanna talk about today is the World Cup pools were revealed. I know we've been talking about the World Cup for quite a bit, honestly, ever since the venues. Some of the venues were announced specifically. We know that Omaha and the CHI Health Center is going to be a venue for the World Cup. Of course, where the Omaha Supernovas play. But just to refresh some of the new news that we have, pool play is going to be August 20th through 25th, 2027. That I believe we knew. Also now the pools and where the teams are going to be specifically playing has been announced this week. So Team USA will be in Orlando. Of course that City, the home of the Valkyries. USA is number four, Jenna. Even after the early exit this summer from VNL, I was, I don't want to say surprised, but I think I was, I was caught off guard a little bit that they were still going to be number four. But I think that's really good for obviously we hope to see players like Stephanie Samdi, Morgan Pence on that team, possibly Elena Scott, Cammy Minor, who were on the USA roster earlier this summer. But that's where USA Drew, at least, and staying at number four, being able to play in Orlando too, I think would be great for some Valkyrie's fans to be able to go over and see them. Definitely. And I I hear you on the the V NL thing. I think a lot of people were a bit surprised about the performance there. But hey, if that means that the powers that be, spooky, spooky witch costume aside, if the powers that be still decide that Team USA is sitting at number four in the world rankings, I'm not going to be one to argue with it. again, despite the V and L performance and how great that they'll be in Orlando. Very go Valkyries. I'm actually a little bit jealous of that Omaha pool. like that's gonna be a real treat for volleyball fans. I mean, anytime you get a chance to see Italy is a really big deal, you know, just what an incredibly lauded country with tons of volleyball history. Belgium's been on the rise for quite some time as well. They're always knocking on the door and Colombia, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico especially I is a team that I feel really plays with a lot of heart all the time. And they're always a very entertaining squad to watch. And I think they could, you know, cha create some challenges even if they're sitting at that fourth seat in the pool there. So lots of very exciting volleyball in Omaha, Nebraska. It seems like they get all the good stuff. Yeah. Omaha got pool A, which is the filled with the teams that you just mentioned. also Columbia, I believe, in there as well. And then pool F, Japan, Russia, Argentina, and Bulgaria also a pretty decent pool. So like you said, even though you're not getting USA in Omaha, you're getting a lot of really good volleyball there to look forward to in twenty twenty seven. Well yeah, you totally cut me off. 'Cause I made the note that Omaha is the place to be, but I'm skimming my notes here. Japan is a cat like historically such a phenomenally exciting defensive squad and their offensive speed is always such a treat to watch and sometimes a little bit distinctly different than say a Russia with their high ball offense, just relying on being able to outpower and outphysical you and Argentina. I've always had the soft I have a soft spot for Argentina personally. did you ever get a chance to watch Juliet Lascano play? She was a middle blocker. No, if I did no. I have a story about Japan, but no please tell me with with Argentina. Well I just thought she was a phenomenally talented middle blocker. Obviously my player favorites are a little bit biased, but she hit a phenomenal, phenomenal slide. And actually I Speaking of middle blockers with a phenomenal slide, we'll see if Mira Todorova makes an appearance for Bulgaria in 2027. I got to share the court with her a little bit in Stuttgart and she plays for Team Bulgaria. So with with the middle from Argentina, what aside from the slide, was there anything that you noticed or just that makes her such an elite middle? I'm gonna be perfectly level with you, Seb. She hit a really good slide and she was really pretty. And so Jenna in college said, Yup, would love to be like her. I'm gonna really Really hard cutting sports analysis there, but that is that's the truth. fair enough. With Japan, all I was gonna say is that I remember more than once while I was working for the US national team, they would bring in Japan before either going to VNL Worlds or I think even I can't remember if it was Japan or I think it was the Netherlands before they went to the Olympics, but they would bring in both of those teams specifically for how well they played defense. and th their ability to to get the ball up, to r you know, make it really difficult to put the ball away on the offense. And that's something that I'm really excited to see in that pool as well, because I think that's something where Japan is always incredibly talented at that and then also, you know, great hitters in their own right. But I feel like it's something that in in the international game you just see year after year is the it's very difficult to score on that that Japan team. I think obviously in recent years it's it's fluctuated a little bit with just how they do in in V N L and and worlds, but always a a pretty defensively sound team from what I remember from working for the US national team. Definitely. sidetrack spin off. You you've watched have you watched Haiku in your volleyball travel? I've seen clips. I have not seen the full thing and I need to watch the full thing, but I I know it's got a very big cult following. Why I I haven't watched it in ages. Maybe we do like we watch an episode and do a live reaction and that would be so fun. A commentary on it could be really fun. A set six commentary on Haiku could be great. It'd be some amazing. And before people in the comments, I'm sorry, I I do need the English dub. I'm I'm not as cool as that. So I I know for the dub crew. I liked subtitles now, especially too. Like I'm on I'm on a big kick with with Netflix of watching foreign films, but just with with the English subtitles. I I'm I'm okay with it, honestly. But it's i if you give it a try, sometimes it it sort of works with you feel like you'll be reading too much, but you end up kind of being able to flip up and down, honestly with your eyes and and be okay with it, but you know. May maybe maybe practice on the on the Netflix foreign films before you before we watch it. Okay, that's a fair point, because the Squid Game dub was really weird. I have not seen Squid Games, so I I gotta work on that. you know, I think you're fine. It I I found myself watching it. I'm like, this just isn't enriching in how I wanna spend my leisure time is just watching people get brutally murdered. Only s I mean fitting for the Halloween episode, but yeah, o only so much time in the day. We cannot forget though, Jenna, before we finish talking about this Switzerland and Lauren Bertelachi in pool H. They're gonna be in Quebec City. they have China, Netherlands, and Sweden, I believe, also in their pool. gonna be really excited to see how Lauren does. I feel like that's gonna be, honestly, my my team B, team A I'll be watching is is USA. Team B, you know, as soon as it as they come on. I I'm fascinated to see how Switzerland does. So looking forward to that. reminder the tournament will serve as an official qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. With now, pay attention. The three highest finishing teams not already qualified earning Olympic births. So for example, USA already in because they're the host country. So there you go. But yeah, really excited for this, Jenna, when it finally rolls around, basically a little less than a year from now. Nice. All right, with that, so the World Cup pools have been revealed and obviously that schedule will be coming later. Our schedule, which is maybe the highlight of our news for this week. At least all we can do is tease it right now because as you know, Jen and I record on earlier in the week. We release on Thursdays. But we have some news for you on the MLV schedule for twenty twenty seven. Here's the big ticket item. It will be out on Friday. So for those of you listening to us on the weekend, the schedule's already out. So there you go. Congratulations. You know it. You know who's who's visiting who, who's playing who, and Jen and I are excited to see it. They keep these things secret from even us, so we're not gonna even know until then either. We tried so hard to swipe the hypothetical schedule off of our coworker's hypothetical desk, because of course we're all remote, and they keep that thing t like locked up tighter than a drum. We had to beg for even crumbs to bring you guys. But scheduler Friday. I can't believe it's finally here. I think we've been fielding questions about schedule, schedule, schedule for months. But Jenna, dare I say dare I say we don't have crumbs. We have nuggets. We have little nuggets to give about the schedule, so I think we should give them. Yeah, we have a we have a nugget, but not a dino nugget. That's it. Yeah. That's fine. You're like, and that one's gone. That's fine. That's fine. Let me just fix my hood. Cool. When we have some really good nuggets that's not like a gem. That's that's when they get upgraded to dino nuggets. Yeah, it goes crumbs. Nuggets. I did not have on my bingo card talking about Dino Nuggets today, but here here we are. I had candy coming up later, but Dino Nuggets was not in my bingo card. You're you're wearing a Spider-Man hoodie. Don't pretend you're better than the rest of us because you watch foreign films on subtitle. I'm not I don't need to be better than everybody, just better than you, the sorceress. before we get too off track. I know. I it honestly your costume I think is is fantastic over there. It's better than than this hoodie. I mean I'm I'm kinda Half-assinate over here. before we get too sidetracked, so let's give you some more information on the schedule. The season begins Thursday, January 7th. So that's about 10 weeks away for those of you keeping track. Four opening day matches on that Thursday. So again, the some of you might already know this. If you're listening right when we release, you're getting a little bit of inside information right before this comes out. But again, four opening day matches on that Thursday. So with that, I am So excited to see the schedule in the future. Well, don't forget the crumbs. So we've already got a very, very dense opening day. Four matches simultaneously is frankly an insane amount of volleyball. And part of me is a little bit concerned for the staff, but don't you worry, Major League Volleyball will deliver a phenomenal product in all four markets. But it's not just that opening day that's incredibly packed. and I quote, a robust schedule will take place on opening weekend with. Ten matches taking place over the opening weekend from Thursday to Sunday. That's right. So if we have four on Thursday, that'll leave six to be distributed Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So four to open and then two, two, two, maybe. You guys tell us because you'll see it before the this episode comes full circle, right? Absolutely. And that's a very important bit of information as well to remember about the schedule announcement too. So more coming soon. And again, another thing just for clarity that you might be wondering if you're listening to this retroactively and being like, why isn't there more information on times and broadcast schedules? Don't worry. It will all be revealed and will all be clarified. I think that's the other thing too is, we'll be here as well on the Set Six podcast to further explain some things, to further identify some things, but more information as well, that is I don't I I don't want to call it ancillary, but like additional, complimentary will be we'll will follow forthwith to use the big the big term. So there you go. You stole my line. All will be revealed. See, that was that was perfect for yours. Yep. Sorry about that. We'll get on the same page with you, I promise. Okay. I I'll I let it go. Spider Man is a ground based hero, you know? He's not into all the magical stuff. You know, he's more street level and then he leaves everything else to Doctor Strange. Okay. So, you know, I should have changed costumes, frankly, to to be more on your level. So I'll do better next time. I have been in love with Benedict Cumberbatch since I was in high school. I'm waiting for the next movie. I need it. I also I think he's gonna be on Doom's team in Avengers Doomsday. I'm I'm calling it now. Send over that homework sheet soon. I will. Jenna, the next two bits of news that we have to talk about kind of relate to each other, and frankly, they also relate to what we just talked about with the schedule. Let's start with the one that just got announced most recently for us, literally this morning, a couple hours ago. And that is the home venue z announcement for the LA Thunder. That's right. There are two, and so they are Crypto Arena, that's in LA, where the Lakers, Sparks, and Kings play, and Honda Center, where the Anaheim Ducks play, which is also an Olympic venue. And fun fact, I was there last night. so I think this is really cool, Jenna. I both of them are capable of first-class entertainment features, which I want to talk about in a in a quick second here. but just run through the rest of of just you know quick observations. Both established pro venues, very accustomed to showcasing all manner of professional. Entertainment, never mind professional sports, I think there's a huge benefit, at least out here in Southern California, to reaching the Orange County population and the Los Angeles population. I think, frankly, and this is my opinion. So all of you who listen to us here from Southern California, please chime in with your opinions to me. I think these are two sometimes separate volleyball communities. that frankly are are super into from what I've noticed and from my experience, beach volleyball, but do show a lot of interest in indoor volleyball when it becomes a apparent and available to them. I remember a couple of years ago the VNL came to Anaheim and there were so many people trying to get into the Anaheim Convention Center that they didn't open enough doors for people to get in. So there's a a perfect example there of that. and just I think there is and then Los Angeles just any any entertainment that is marketed well and and packaged well is always going to do well there. And in a first class venue like crypto, I'm super, super excited about that. Final note, season tickets are available now. But Jenna, the first thing I wanted to talk about, and I know I'm taking up all the air over here, but especially with, you know, so last night I went to the Ducks game. The entertainment features, there are super incredible laser features that that are used at at least for hockey to outline the the the rink and to do a whole bunch of different display on the ground floor. Never mind there's there's a whole entrance feature that happens for them to come on on the ice. Volleyball is not gonna be like hockey. Got it understood. The capabilities are there and and to even you know use it in in a different way. Like I've seen I've seen A VP played in Honda Center. And just again, the the these are pro venues at both Honda and Crypto that have the capabilities to create first class entertainment. And I think that's fantastic for Major League Volleyball. Totally. I think what what this league continues to do and will have to continue to do in the future is finding new ways to again provide that high high level entertainment, that shock and awe. using existing professional sports venues in a new way to continue to highlight the sport in a way that it hasn't been seen before. We wanna be able to put volleyball on a stage that's never been on. And so we need to use the tools, like at Honda Center to be able to do that. And I think you're absolutely right. I'm gonna let you continue the di the dialogue on Southern Southern California and transportation needs between Orange County and Los Angeles. The Midwestern mind simply cannot comprehend. Not not not my wheelhouse there, but I think it's absolutely phenomenal. Again, continuing the theme of major league sports arenas for major league volleyball and splitting the two seems like a no brainer in such a unique market as Southern California. Yeah, it's just a it's a greater reach, which I think is so cool. You've you've highlighted the the problem, which is you gotta leave at the right times. Fun fact I've found in the morning, if you need to get somewhere, leave at ten AM because you you're after the morning traffic. And leave before 3 p.m. if you need to get between LA and Orange County. That's your window. 10 to 3. and then yeah, good luck on Friday nights. But the the point being, I think to you know, another thing that I think is great around here is so fr and I can speak closely to Anaheim because I'm literally living right up the street from Honda Center, but the the they're building a huge entertainment complex around Honda Center called OC Vibe. And to me for the our fans on the other side of the country, think the entertainment area that unfortunately is escaping me right now, I believe it's the wharf, which I could have wrong. But in DC, yes, thank you. And how much else there is to do around there. And so that can be anything from passers by who might see that there is going to be a match coming, will all of a sudden want to go there. Or it can be more entertainment to keep people around after the match, which I think is is critical. I I think there are and I'm not gonna name the specific venues. Now I'm not speaking about our league. I'm speaking about other professional sports that I happen to go to just because I enjoy going to sports. And so I will leave them nameless. But I I think one thing that always bugs me is when there's no entertainment or other things to do around the stadium. Because when you don't want to just rush people out and and kick them out and or or save them a or arena. but y you want people to stick around. You want people to I'm gonna use another big word, but to revel in the experience, to be able to have fun after a win, to go celebrate, to go do something else. And that doesn't necessarily have to be bars. heck, it can be bowling or mini-golf. There's been a couple places where we've gone where that's been an option afterwards. Whatever your thing is. I even think it was really neat. Again, I'm gonna bring up DC as an example. We were staying in Alexandria, Virginia, which was a quick hop over the river. And that old town area is so neat. So even if the wharf isn't your Isn't your thing. You can you can go right over there. And I just I think that as it relates to these venue announcements of having things to do outside of it or in complement to it, I think are are really great. And and this is a lot of talk about Honda Center, more than I probably should be giving it. But LA, I don't even need to because you're in downtown Los Angeles. you're you're at crypto. you roll out and you can do you can do whatever. So I just yeah, long story short, I think these are really great. venue announcements, which I, specifically living in Southern California, am very jazzed about and I think is awesome for the Thunder. I can't wait to see them play at both venues. Totally. Two tangents, one deep or one one deep and one stupid. I'll start with a stupid one. You've set me up to talk smack about the Tampa Bay Rays yet again and Tropicanafield. As you should. Go for it. Although by the time this podcast is revealed, we'll know the fate of the Brewers. No. No. They could come back to Milwaukee this weekend, though they won't. But you don't want that. No, of course not. No. We're at the time of recording, we are going into game five. So, anyway, whatever. Dunking on Tropic Anfield. Not a problem. Roof's the same color as the baseball. Kinda dumb. But moving on. I I think it is common. That's a great point. Yeah. No, one of the Brewers players did an interview and he's like, It's really dumb that the he doesn't talk like that, he's not stupid, but why is the roof the same color as a baseball, bro? And I'm like, that actually makes so much sense. Like, that's really terrible. Anyway, but I I like what you said about continuing to develop third spaces and activities and places for people to be outside of these sports arenas. in another life I studies I studied civil engineering at Marquette University and we had a very fascinating urban planning class and it talks about a lot of these things about how certain cultural elements come together to build a sense of place and a sense of welcoming that people want to be. You talked about Old Town Alexandria. Some of these older districts have that. I think Milwaukee has that with a really great walking culture and just the idea of something new around every corner despite it being a small city. So the questions of how do you manufacture that a little bit after the fact sometimes gets a little hokey and sometimes can go wrong. But I think sports have to be the centerpiece of a lot of these placemaking opportunities is the appropriate term, if I recall correctly. Well and Jenna, too, to to your point exactly. Milwaukee's great too, where remember when after we were done with first serve, you can immediately roll out into that downtown strip. You don't have to get a an Uber. You don't have to do anything. You can just walk right over there. It's like n less than five minutes and you're right there. two two minutes. Same thing with with Wrigley, the Wrigleyville, right outside, and especially with how that that match ends, unfortunate timing, and then everybody and their cousin is walking to their cars. You can sit around, hang out, you can go to, you know, any one of those fun fun places along the side. Shout out the cubby bear. Very quickly. Yeah. the but and it goes for anything. that we just named a multi-purpose arena and and one of the greatest baseball fields of all time. So any there you go. Exactly. Exactly to your point. Bada boom, bada bing. Jenna, I think that's probably enough talk on the LA venues. But once again, season tickets available now for my Southern California friends who are looking to be among the first to be season ticket holders for the Thunder. and we have I'm not gonna say buried the league the lead. I'm gonna say save maybe the best for last on our news front here, which is the John Cook Invitational, which Jenna, I'd love if you take lead on this because I thought this was a fantastic event that we announced. And I know that you were probably more involved with the the planning and announcement than I was, so I think you're your best to take the lead here. Honestly, I think this was such a phenomenally exciting opportunity to continue to highlight it it's the elephant in the room. Right. We all we all can't ignore the phenomenal and transformational success that the Nebraska Corn Huskers have had on this sport in the last couple of years. That is absolutely without a doubt true. And yes, it it's a pro league, but we have to give flowers where flowers are due. And John Cook was an an enormous part of that. And he's such a cultural figure and cultural legend in the sport of volleyball that I mean, they named the they named the whole darn court after him. It's it's still called the Bob. W John Cook court. at the bob. I think that's such an impressive connection to major league volleyball and being able to to bring our to bring our product to this mecca of volleyball I think is incredibly important. And fun distinction. It is technically an LA Thunder home game. They were pretty instrumental along with the supernovas in putting this this project together. And I think the neutral site game thing concept is really fun, a really great way to reach new audiences that we might not have already contacted in the space. And I'm really excited to see how this match turns out. Reception was incredibly positive. you folks seem very excited about it. we're I know we were very excited about it. And we actually do have a date for that. So the schedule release was teased, but we can firmly lock down at least one game. We know LA will play Omaha on February 28th. In Lincoln, Nebraska. That's right. The inaugural MLV John Cook Invitational, which sidetrack, you that it's it's big when it's already got the acronym with Amongst Our Inner Circle, so the JCI for us. But the inaugural John Cook Invitational, presented by Junkless, featuring the Omaha supernovas and the Los Angeles Thunder, as Jenna just said, will be on Sunday, February 28th, 2027. Just got a couple quotes here for you from our fearless commissioner Jamie Weston. Quote, the John Cook invitational reflects what MLB is building, which is a league that elevates the professional game, showcases the incredible talent of its athletes, and brings volleyball to the national stage it deserves. Bringing that vision to a community with such a deep passion for the sport makes this event especially meaningful, end quote. And one more from Ben Priest, of course, with the LA Thunder. Quote, I have a long history with the Omaha supernovas and their ownership, including Coach Cook, having previously served as an owner and governor of the team. We have tremendous respect for what they have built and the care and execution they will bring to this phenomenal event. We're thrilled to be part of this inaugural invitational and return to Nebraska to experience the incredible team and volleyball community that bring this sport to life, this time from the other sideline. Jenna, we have a little bit more to talk about with this too, and that Is is the next sort of subtopic of the John Cook Invitational, which is what will these teams look like? And I think that's something that deserves a little bit more discussion here that I want to have with you because we've seen already Omaha is making moves ahead of the MLV draft. So they'll definitely have one or two pieces that we don't currently know from the draft. And that's also not to forget about LA, who's picking number two overall and number one in round. And round two, there we go. All my numbers are getting confused. You can tell, math, not my thing. But that's right. So second overall pick for LA, and then the first pick in the second round. So needless to say, I think both of these teams, even if they trade those picks or do more trades or do more wheeling and dealing, will look incredibly different or have some some big pieces that we are going to be excited to see and we would already be circling for February twenty-eighth, regardless of this now being a little bit more of a special event. Totally. I I think you and I have talked at length about how we're really excited for Los Angeles' roster, even before they came forward and announced and provided us with those names or provided the public with those names. And you just know the supernovas have been such a regular powerhouse in our league. There not a season has gone by that the supernovas haven't made their mark when w one way or another. Even when they started off not so hot this season with the incredible championship run, that we all cheered along. ultimate turnaround story. So they're going to bring something fantastic. So no matter what, this match was going to be very exciting. But honestly, I st like you said, I think Omaha's still missing a piece. I still think they're looking for that other outside hitter. I really, really do. And I I w at this stage, you have to wonder if that's someone who's coming out of the draft. Well, let's talk about it, Jenna. I think one of the things that we we want to give the people a little bit of draft talk, which we're gonna do when we get a little bit closer. But you and I went through and and identified some names that, you know, my I I'll be the the the cold water, the disclaimer of like Jen and I are just spitballing here, okay? So we don't know that these players are are coming out of college. We don't know that they're gonna be drafted. We don't know what is gonna happen, but we we we did a little research. We looked around and based on what Jenna just said, rightfully so, that you're you're just scouring the the rosters that we know in MLV and being like, okay, well who could be taken here? What could what could go on here? And so with that, we compiled what is it, top four of of of players, w what what should we call these? J Jenna's Jenna's draft players to watch, something like that. I don't know. I I I can't come up with a name off the top of my head here. Jenna's potentially conservative draft predictions because, like you said, with that five for five rule, is Harper Murray coming out of college? No one knows. No one knows. And frankly, I'm sure other podcasts have talked ad nauseum, dissecting her TikTok, her new YouTube channel. And I'm sorry, dear listeners, that one's not gonna be us. We don't know if Harper Murray we don't know if Harper Murray's coming out of college. And the only thing I'll say about that is I think we might know what Harper Murray's gonna do depending on how the NCAA championship dust shakes out in December. So Good point. Good point. So let's talk about other players. Yeah, other players. Anyway, okay. So we yeah, again, we got the Nebraska elephant out of the room there. love the elephant, great elephant. You know, it's time to smack it on the button, move it on its way. But what I do wanna talk about, you know what? Natalie Ring, former Marquette player, currently tearing it up at Texas AM, she is out of el she will be out of eligibility this December. I think she is an absolute beast. She packs an enormous punch. Obviously the transition from college to pro is different and you can't sheer muscle your way through pro, but I think competing on a professional roster with a bunch of high level pieces around her in that system, I think that firepower could be a huge strength, especially if we come from last season where the supernovas maybe took more of a ball control finesse approach with their outside hitters. Maybe Coach McGowan is looking for a bit of a change of change in tactic for a h more high powered itter with a really heavy arm. I like Natalie Ring. I think we also we also had our eye on Whitney Lowenstein, who's been doing great for Penn State this year. and Wooker out of Minnesota. She's also doing a lot of really great things. I think that could be a really fun sleeper pick. but speaking of sleeper picks, have you been seeing Anaya Clinton a little bit? She's been sitting the bench this year, but I think she's got more she's got more in her and I think sitting the bench after an injury gives you a little bit of a chip on your shoulder. gives you a little bit of something extra you want to prove that I think could be very, very interesting with where she chooses. It'll be very interesting when she takes her next step. And hopefully it's with us because I want to see how that storyline plays out. I loved when we were doing some research there and you pointed her out because I thought that was a a nice addition to throw on there that was even I feel like this is already digging deep. And then that was that was another one that was like, that makes a lot of sense. That would be great. And I think a lot of these players too, you and I have have seen either in on TV or or in person, luck luckily enough, over the summer. but that's I I I think all of these are are really strong possibilities that make sense. As you talked about with like the the variation in play style and and then also for the experience that these athletes have from college, I think they'd be more than able to step into an Omaha situation where they need someone to contribute right away, even if it's not as front of the rotation starter, but more of a a a bench athlete, then I think that still would be okay and to eventually, as we've seen with Omaha, have no trouble slot them in towards the end of the at the end of the year. So I loved all these picks and I I just wanted to sit back and let you talk about them because I had a lot of fun hearing your your kind of analysis on them as we were going through it and looking at them. Yeah, and I think even when we were doing some of this deep dive, checking in on some of these players, I was really excited to see how well Arizona State was doing this season. You and I were sitting and watching some of the games after AVCA or for AVCA first served in Milwaukee after our regular work was done, and Arizona State caught both of our eyes of wait a minute, that's different. That's exciting. Arizona State's always been a very, very quality program. I would say a top thirty program. Let me marquette in that category, but this version of Arizona State looked different. They look like they're really ready to make some make some noise in the NCAA and they've been doing absolutely phenomenally. And again, just because Anaya Clinton's on the bench for the Sun Devils does not mean we can count her out. And I don't think her volleyball story's done. So flowers to the Sun Devils and I keep I wanna I I can't wait to see how the end of NCAA season shapes up and see how it How teams have grown from our initial impressions at first serve in Milwaukee this summer. And yeah, Jenna, just to back you up before we move on, 16-4 overall record at this point for Arizona State. What we remembered was their win to start the season at first serve over number two Texas, three to one, then immediately went on to beat number fourteen Minnesota. And I believe if I can scroll all the way down here, they just unfortunately lost to number eleven BYU, but have, you know, beat number seventeen Kansas, beat number eight TCU. They've been Beat number ATCU 3 nothing. So they've been on a tear. And so I I agree. I think that was one where we were watching Arizona State and we were like, wow, that's obviously we were we were surprised with that result, but too, I I just like I said, backing you up with that, I I love the analysis there. That's a team that's on the rise, man. And well, they've actually not on the rise. They've they're here. They're doing the thing and taking names if you catch my draft. Absolutely. One more bit of news. to bring, which is not really news, but just me r regaling you with my travels. But last week was at the Women's Sports Foundation annual salute to women's women in sports, which was so much fun to go to. Selfishly, I've always wanted to cover a red carpet, but unselfishly, I can't tell you the kind of genuine joy that I get from seeing our athletes in an environment that celebrates the broader landscape of women's sports as a whole. And to have representatives, I think, from almost every team there, which you can see on our social media, was so cool. And especially, you know, when you have Billie Jean King and Julie Fouty and countless others and, you know, Carrie Walsh Jennings, our Carrie Walsh Jennings being celebrated. And then to just, you know, we say all the time, Jenna, I think it was one of our slogans, if not officially unofficially, you know, just like women's sports women's volleyball is having a moment and and Major League volleyball is part of that moment and and This was that. And I y sure, it's easy to downplay it and look at it from the outside. it's a red carpet in New York. there's a thousand of those. Yeah, sure, great. Whatever. This is more than that to me. I think it was a a seminal moment of of celebrating the accomplishments of some incredible women in all facets of women's sports. And to be able to further connect to it was fantastic. We're gonna run some sound from that in just a second, but Jenna just wanted to give you a chance too to I you you got to see some of that and you know what it's like to be w one of the athletes in our league and then, just to see I don't want to say that position, but but to see your your peers to be in that in position as well. I'm sure that that you had thoughts from from being able to from us being able to have presence there. Of course. we keep talking about how volleyball needs to be elevated in these national conversations and on these wonderful stages and red carpets in New York are well, like you were teasing, the could seem a little superfluous on the outside, but being present and being part of these national conversations, being sat alongside Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, heroes like that, is only going to help continue to establish volleyball in that cultural zeitgeist. And I personally I I saw some find findings from the Women Sports Foundation earlier in my career prior to our involvement with this event, but I think it's really fascinating and it underscores the importance of women's sports, not just at a professional level. research from the WSF found that, and I quote this properly, women who played sports are significantly more likely to hold hold formal leadership roles and attain workplace and business success. Sixty-nine percent among women who played sports, sixty-nine percent hold at least one formal leadership role outside of the family. And 71% of women with formal leadership roles who played youth sports hold titles such as manager, director, president, C suite, executive. If you put the there's plenty more findings here, but it continues to underscore the importance of sport in the development of young girls in confidence in conflict resolution, resiliency. And I'm really happy that we were able to support WSF and stand with them in continuing to advocate for Women and girls participation in sport. It's so incredibly important and so necessary for development. Even if you don't end up becoming a professional athlete, it women's women in sports, girls in sports has impacts in all of our communities. Well said, Jenna. We're gonna play you all now some sound from Wall Street from the red carpet event from WSF. And so let's get to a hear sound from our athletes first. This whole weekend has been just for me reflecting and just being grateful for that I'm able to have these opportunities playing volleyball and just being amongst other women that are achieving so many incredible things in their sport but outside of that and just really embracing embracing all that comes with being a a female athlete. I mean last night we had dinner and we got to talk to some girls who have gold medals and just women who are doing outrageous things for women's sports and it's so cool to be in this environment. Very empowering moment for sure. gosh, this has been so cool. I think just being around one other players in our league and just getting to know them and just building kind of some league camaraderie has been really fun. But then to be around like such incredible icons in women's sports and people that just really champion us as e as athletes and it's just pretty incredible to see. It's like one of those moments where you're like, wow, this like part of why I do this, you know. And I get to be a part of hopefully showing that to the next generation, helping build that up and so I'm just really grateful and I feel like we're just learning it go there's more that goes into it than just showing up and playing, you know, like we have to invest in each other, we have to invest in our sport and yeah, it's just been really awesome. I mean I'm so blessed to have stayed with the sport to see these kinds of things come to fruition. I think being in this sport it's such an amazing opportunity for women in general and just To show that we are paving the way and that we wanna keep pushing the limits and pushing the envelope and we just until this sport it catches up and we just wanna keep growing it, continuing to grow it, and I'm so blessed to be a part of it, genuinely. Really great to you know, I I get to talk to them all all the time, Jenna, but to be to to talk to them in that in that environment, just again, real really, really cool. And before we move on to just one more thing. I I loved this, you know, again, getting to kind of do some crossover events, I I call it, and you not to Not to do some more Marvel I'm gonna s stop myself from any more Marvel comparisons, you of of the crossovers. But you know, nerd references aside, I thought this sound from Lachyna Robinson, who is an analyst and commentator in the WMBA for a bunch of different platforms, professional broadcasting. getting to chat with her about major league volleyball was great too, and I'm gonna leave it at that. And here's some sound of us talking to Lachina Robinson. I had a chance to take in an Atlanta vibe game and it was amazing. I live in Atlanta and it was a big game. They were playing at a venue that belongs to Georgia State. That's about five minutes from my house and it was just electric. People were excited. I bought my niece and my cousin and some of her friends and their young volleyball players so they had a ball in It was their first time really taking in a professional game, so you can imagine how special that was for them. But yeah, a high level of play and just really exciting. Expansion is my favorite word when it comes to women's sports because the more people can go and actually see and touch women's sports, touch women's volleyball, the bigger fans they become. Then they want to come back, then they tell their friends. It really enriches an entire community. And let's not forget about the little girls that get to then dream about playing volleyball. So the more teams the better and I'm always happy to hear the word expansion. Really cool stuff. So yeah, again, just to recap, the WSF was awesome and I'm looking forward to going back to it next year and to be able to have more of those moments, honestly, with connecting like we did with La China about you know, getting getting to show more people major league volleyball. It's always what we're trying to do and and to get them as well, similar to her reaction to realize just how awesome it is. I love it. I like I said, I always get excited when other people outside of the industry or Still in the sports industry, but outside of our bubble. Because obviously you and I are very excited about Major League Volleyball. And I've already talked my friend's ears off about Major League volleyball. But when someone else keeps it it just keeps repeating the cycle of excitement and hype and I don't know, conviction. Workplace morale, if you will. Workplace morale. Yeah, exactly. man. Well, I mean, we we had a lot of news to run through, which we just did, which I think now means w we've earned the ability to have some fun. But that fun is still gonna be volleyball related. And so I God, I don't even know if I can explain this in an articulate way. But just Jenna, what we wanna do now, in keeping with the Halloween theme, which is frankly one of my favorite holidays on the calendar, which is why, you know, we're we're in the festive spirit. But we're gonna now draft our Halloween all star teams from MLV. Now, an important note that I realized as we were doing this, we have included only athletes from last season. So I know we have a lot of influx of international athletes, athletes that we have not had the opportunity to see so far. So these are only athletes from twenty twenty six. We're basing off of what we saw last year that we're bringing into this year. You are really, really couching a really, really unscientific draft, or is that just me and my team? No, I think mine's pretty unscientific too, but I just wanted to explain explain the the thought process and the rules and honestly I'm trying to figure out how to nicely get us into the the names of our teams here. But here's how it's gonna work. Jenna and I are gonna alternate with our picks here. We're gonna explain the Halloween themes for why we took these athletes. It's a little bit of a Halloween themed all star team, if you will. And so they're broken up into two teams. Jenna's team, which is named The Boo Crew, and my team, which is named The Fright Club. And so with that, we're gonna begin our our Halloween All-Star Team draft. Jenna, you are on the clock. Okay. So again, the caveat being we've selected these players based on who we think is the scariest. I'm gonna go with an unconventional first pick that comes from personal experience. At Libero, Kendall White. I think I may have said this before, but when you play with Kendall White, you need to firmly flex your buttocks. Because anytime anyone scores a point or if you do something particularly well, Kendall is coming in hot with the butt slap, with the affectionate teammate butt slap. And that hurts. I am afraid of Kendall White's butt slap. Number one pick on the boo crew for overall scary, scary teammates in the best way possible. Also, you know she would be great at a Halloween party, so come on. She would. a very worthy first overall selection. The Fright Club's first pick will be Marley Montserrat, because the the dump that she has is unstoppable and I don't know how you do it. And so for that reason, I think there's nothing scarier than being a defender and realizing that Marley has chosen to call her own number and being helpless, powerless to stop it. I I think her offensive ability strikes fear into the hearts of others. Never mind just her running the offense, which I'm so excited to see in Orlando, but I think for multiple reasons, specifically the her offensive ability, we're going Marley Monterey, number one pick on the Fright Club. Okay, gosh, yes, you actually have real volleyball analysis behind this. I don't. my number two, given the two of us, right? you figured it'd be the the other way around. Surprise, we share the brain cell. It's great. The one set six brain cell that just pings back and forth whenever we need it. Right. So continuing with this really reasoned analysis, my number two overall pick is Tristan Savage. Now, why Tristan Savage? She seems like such a sweetheart, doesn't she? I have a fundamental distrust of anything that's taller than me. And that's usually not many things. It's horses. My boyfriend, we don't need to unpack that. And Tristan Savage. Tristan Savage is like two inches taller than me. I'm so fundamentally not used to that. that yeah, Tristan gets my number two overall pick in the f in the boo crew. I love it. All right, the Fright Club, second overall pick. We're going Natalie Foster, friend of the Set Six podcast from two episodes ago. I mean, need I say more, strikes Terror, fear in the hearts of others from the service line was it fifty-two aces last year. I think it was almost double the amount of the next closest. N Natalie Foster, which also also, on the serious note, please go check out that episode. Her breakdown of how she serves, I still am geeking out about it, and I cannot wait to again go over to I got two back to back Orlando, but to go over to Orlando, I guess looking like one of the scariest places to visit, a and go and and see Natalie. give me a demonstration as well, if we have some time to do that, maybe at their media days. But yeah, need I say more, th the the service line proficiency, I think, is is well scary enough to earn her a spot as my number over number two overall pick on the Fright Club. Heck yeah. I'm gonna go. So similar to Marley, Marley is very scary when she calls her number. However, Mia Tuaniga is just too gosh darn cool and so much cooler than me. So at least you get dumped on by Marley, she's gonna smile, she's gonna be like, tee, sorry about that. Mia is gonna drop the coolest celebration dance you have ever seen. I have no chance of ever being as cool as her, and you're just laying there on the floor in a heap, and she is doing a really cool dance over you, and you're just like, wow, that there goes all all all hope of any cred. So for that, striking fear into the hearts of my opponents and absolutely obliterating their aura, Mia to Anika. That's what it is. It's it's the the the aura destruction. you're getting the scuba, you're getting the thumbs down and yeah, just i if you had the composure ratings on everybody, you know, like if this is the monsters, like it's going down. It's going down. So emotional damage. We're not bringing vocal stems into this podcast. That is unprofessional, John. But I better move us on quick before we do. no. My third pick is sticking with the service the serving theme. I'm going with Vegas' Lecator member Mena 95 kilometers per hour serve. I wish I could convert that into miles per hour, but I stink at math, so all of you at home can do that on your own. But she has the fastest serve in our league, at least from what we've taken taken into measurement. There we go, from last year. So for that reason, she's my third overall pick on the freight club. Azani Taylor is absolutely ripped. And that's awesome. Book crew. Done. Nough said. Also phenomenal outside hitter. Hits the ball incredibly well, but damn she's jacked. At a girl, drop the arm routine. Please help a sister out. I am going to take for my opposite, we're going Iko Jones. I I've gone stats for you really the last three two or three picks. Iko, I'm just going eye test. she hits the crap out of the ball, and I think that strikes fear in the hearts of others. Just if you're going up to block her, good luck. So Iko Jones, my next pick. I feel that's a really great I I always love watching that matchup actually, the Azani Iko match up, and we'll see more of that this year. So that that one's very valid, very rooted in reality. Two good back to back picks, honestly. Honestly. who doesn't get enough enough love? My girl Renelle Jones. She comes out onto the court in actual war paint. Her eye looks are absolutely phenomenal. The Mohawk, incredible. Continuing the aura theme, I'm clearly choosing I'm clearly scientifically based, but I think that's absolutely fantastic. And I think I need someone with war paint and a killer instinct and Playing with her in Columbus, you can tell she just has such a great energy when she plays, a relentless tenacity. she's not gonna stop. It's scary in the best way. Intimidation factor is real. Yeah. No, I think it's a great pick. Really good pick. I'm gonna go with I l I love that pick. I'm gonna go with again the sort of the physical intimidation. And I feel like that's gotta be Kaz Brown. The the big blocks, the slide, the power that she has behind it. But also, again, when when she blocks you, you know it. And I need another middle. I think Kaz Brown's gotta be th my next pick. That's a good that's that's a good call. I'm liking the way this fright club is sh is shaking out, honestly. I need some outside hitters. So I am an incredibly expressive human, so I find Anna De Beer's stoicism to be frightening. I I hear. I I I have no emotion. Come zero. No emotion. Come with me, folks. We're it's it's Anna De it's it's my it's the original Halloween with Michael Myers, except it's Anna De Beer after a kill. Just stone faced, still coming, no reaction, just gonna get kill after kill after kill. I think that's a good comparison, although I gotta say I never thought we'd be comparing Anna DeBeer to Michael Myers, but I I see what you mean. Just i in the in the the play on words of kill after kill. I get it. Anna, can we still be friends? That that was a really good compliment. That was a compliment, I promise. It's it's you gotta take it within the context and the spirit in which it's given. I think that's great. Hell yeah. I need a Libero. And frankly, I can't believe that she's still on the board. But Shara Vanegis, like when she slaps the floor after a good dig, I mean, that's gotta be demoralizing as well. Like you think you've placed it, you think you've gotten your kill, your turn around to celebrate. Nope, it's up. Nice little pancake. You know, she she's got it. She got that ball back. She's slapping the floor. She's like, let's go. That's intimidation at its finest. So, you know, I'm getting back to the, you know, you've got a lot of intimidating athletes on your squad that you've you've pointed out their their little intimidation factors. I think mine is elevated with Sharbanegis. That's fair. That's fair. So I feel I feel a little called out here. I feel like you're saying I lack a little substance here on the boo crow on the boo crew. so I'm gonna go here with my final pick and select a player whom I genuinely, genuinely believe is an actual witch herself and I think she'd be proud of that title. Carly Snyder. That is the coolest girl I have ever seen. I guarantee you her cat mystic is her familiar. Just an absolutely fascinating person. You know, I I think she'd get she'd read tarot cards for me, and I would absolutely a hundred thousand percent believe it. You know, did you see her out in the woods, she's clipping herbs, and yeah, no, a hundred percent white wit. I think you might have won. You just got an actual yeah. I I got an actual sorceress on your team. Somebody call Stevie Nicks because it's it's she's reincarnating Carly. That's a really good If Stevie Nicks was a volleyball player, probably Carly. It's a grace hick. So to recap Jen Jenna's squad, Kendall White, Tristan Savage, Mia Tuninga, Zani Teeler, Rennell Jones, Carly Snyder, and Anna DeBeer. Really good squad. Well, I need a heavy hitter for my final pick. And I think there's nobody I can pick besides Leah Edmond. And again, to reference what we've talked about here on the Set Six podcast. When Leah gets ready to to to show that she's angry and re ready to to get going, she'll give you those stare downs. She'll give you the let's goes. She's gonna tell you when it's her time to shine. And I I mean, again, intimidation factor. I I need it on my team. I so Leah ending on the other side of the net. That's that's the intimidation factor. So recapping my squad, I've got Marley Montserrat, Natalie Foster, Lekator Member Mena, Ico Jones, and Kaz Brown, Shara Venegas, and Leah Edmund representing Severins Fright Club. But but Severin, you're not supposed to talk about Fright Club. Yeah. Well you can t you can talk about Fright Club. That's that's the the difference. The difference in the two. But you have to fear it. And I think I think others would fear it. That's valid. Jenna, that was fun. I I enjoyed our our little Halloween all star crew there. I think that was great. Yeah. That's so fun. Shall we wrap it? It is the best. Halloween's awesome. And it was funny because it was like one of the first holidays that really died in air quotes for my childhood of just we don't go out trick-or-treating anymore. And it got brought back a little bit in college, but I think we were honestly, if I could go back time machine, still would have gone trick-or-treating at 13, 14. Because I remember we got to high school and it was like, Halloween's for kids. No, Halloween's the best. So what was your favorite costume then that you've ever done? Let's do it. So favorite costume. So I know I'm wearing Spider-Man right now. This is a half assed Spider-Man, as I've mentioned, this is the best money that Party City can buy from a couple years ago. But when I was God, I think it was seven, eight, i i you know, before ten, my so my mom was big on doing homemade Halloween costumes and she all the way until I was like, No, I want to be like the Grim Reaper or whatever, and then then it was off to Party City or Spirit Halloween. But when when it was still able to do the homemade costumes, I had a Spider Man full outfit and the webbing was glow in the dark because she used like glow in the dark, I don't know what it was, glue off for the webbing and it was sick. And so when you're walking up and down the street, like you had the hood, you had everything, and it was it was glow in the dark. It was great. So that's I I would say probably that one. It was, yeah, I think so. How about you, Jenna? What was your what was your best one? My mom was also on the homemade costume train. So big shout out to moms everywhere because I don't know when on earth I would supposedly find time to create a kid's Halloween costume the way I live my life now. But Mama Rosenthal got after it with the paper mache. I think I was in kindergarten and I was very, very, very obsessed with the Powerpuff Girls. And she made me a gigantic paper mache bubbles head. So I was bubbles from the Powerpuff Girl, but this was a quality bubbles, proportionate and everything. So you can only imagine how big the head was in order to make the proportions correct. And it was absolutely fantastic. But I think I I do still have this memory deep in my head. I don't know if it's my true memory or if someone fed it to me. I couldn't see the candy specifically that I was getting from inside the paper mache bubbles head. So like they had little eye holes cut out in it, right? And so there's a picture of me like trying to hold my candy like up to my eye holes to figure out what kind of candy I got. And it was really precious and adorable. And I genuinely think the paper mache bubble head Bubbles head sits in my mom's basement somewhere waiting to jump scare anyone who goes down to do more laundry. I love that you still have it. That's great. I don't I don't mean to turn this into a sad thing. No, it's great. I don't mean to turn this into a sad thing, but there's there's so much cool stuff to the the the parents that are are are gonna be up all night making the the Halloween costumes from scratch. that's awesome, I I'm a big fan of that. Just quickly too. Any any honorable mentions. So Bubbles takes the top spot. Any any honorable mention costumes from your childhood? Yeah. I think I was a fairy princess one year. I think there was a a little witch some one another year. Mm like I said, mom crushed it with a ton of the homemade costumes, but Bubbles Bubbles stands above the rest. We peaked real early in kindergarten there. I love it. I've got a couple honorable mentions. one of my favorites was I think it was like the last Halloween costume I did while I was still living at home, but I did Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead. I used to be a big walking dead guy. And let me tell you, I had the jacket. I had the police outfit. It was it was absolutely accurate. You know, I I even like borrowed my dad's cowboy boots. Like I had the whole the whole works. And it was so cold. And I remember everybody else didn't have a jacket, but the jacket was part of my outfit. So I was I was really happy. And that was when it was still cold in October. So that was great. Let's do a let's do we we just did a a draft of MLV athletes on our two two All-Star squads for Halloween. Let's do Candy. Let's do a a candy draft. top five. Everybody does this, everybody and their cousin, and we're no exception. We're gonna be like every other podcast. And do a candy draft for Halloween before we get out of here. So with it, you're you let's give you first pick. Well I to pick first again. That's awesome. Yeah, because like it's it's the right one. Breeze's peanut butter pumpkins particularly. My brother had some in his freezer when I was back in Boston. Did did you do the big brother thing and eat his candy? Yeah, absolutely. Good. Good. Just making sure. I Reese's classic dynamics. 100%. Just confirming. Peanut butter pumpkins, number one top spot overall, always. Reese's sponsorships are available. please. Please cut. All right. I I my first pick, unconventional. I don't care. All of you haters are wrong. Whoppers, number one. The best. Dude, you eat dust. Hey, they're not dust, they're really good, and you're just a hater. It's dust. No, it's not. It's it's great. I look, I I admit Reese's is better, but Whoppers, number two. I was always psyched to get them when I went trick-or-treating. So if you don't like them, you're wrong. Next pick. Okay, cool. So I can have the Snickers out of the bag. Yes, you can. Snickers is good. I feel like it's a little basic, but Snickers is solid. Snickers is solid. You can't go wrong with it. But Snickers is like so I'm gonna I feel like I'm gonna equal this pick. So and I'll explain my reasoning. Number two for me, peanut MMs. But I feel like those are two gas station candies. And what I mean by that is you need something, you need a little pick me up. You're either going in to grab a Snickers or Peanut M's. That's me. Some people can be like, that's what you're getting at a gas station when you just, need an an extra treat or something. Yes, they are. So I'm not disappointed getting them in my bag of Halloween candy. But I'm like, you know what? This is a safe, reliable option. That's valid. That's valid. Okay. All right. So what so what is your special Halloween unique candy then? And then that was that was Whoppers. But my my unique Halloween candy for number three, which is more Halloween, and I don't really just go and pick it up to that point, is Kit Katz. Okay. I raise you a crunch bar, which is fundamentally very, very, very similar. But you're right. You don't buy nobody buys a crunch bar at the gas station. Crunch bar is really good. I'm actually disappointed. I didn't think of crunch bar. Okay. I see your crunch bar and I raise you with my next pick, Heath Bar. These are all such similar variations, but you're so right. The devil is in the details. You think wait hold on. I think the the worst take today is you think Crunch Bar, Snickers, and Heathbar are all very close in variation? It's chocolate with bits in it. Heathbar's to is heath is Heathbar toffee? Yeah. Yeah. They get stuck in your teeth, man. Hey, not bad. I think still you you're you're going left field with your next pick, I can tell. So why don't you why don't you go for it with your next pick? Yeah, so I actually buy these at a gas station. it's not my proudest moment, but pull and peel twizzlers, the cherry kind, specifically. Those things are like gold and they're very rare in your candy bag distribution. Just the little itty bitty pollen peel twizzler, like that's this big. You eat it and you're like, Man, I wish I had a full size twizzler, so you gotta keep pawing through your brother's candy bag to see if you can assemble enough miniature twizzlers to pretend that it was an entire rope of twizzlers. Yeah. Speaking of twenty. Pull and peel only. yeah. yeah. Makes sense. Would you like to know that the the most popular candy in the state of Wisconsin, according to this article from all recipes, is in fact Twizzlers. Nice. Reese's peanut butter cups reign supreme. This is a direct quote according from them, in seven states, including Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. But in Wisconsin, Twizzlers, number one. Okay, actually good point. Yeah. Weirdos, get yourself a Reese's peanut butter cup. I that's the end. And then go for a Twizzler. Then go for a Twizzler. is it my last pick? It's my last pick here. Yeah. I'm going, you know, I started controversial. I'm ending controversial. I used to hate these as a kid. And now, if I get one, which is honestly not a lot, I'm not disappointed. Almond Joy. They're pretty solid. I was a hater as a kid. I shouldn't have been. I grew up, I learned, I adapted. Here we are. Almond Joy, number five. Old man. Yeah, kinda. That's fine. I'm gonna go completely the opposite direction. Remember Fun Dip? Fun dip was fantastic. Where do you buy f I as a grown adult, I don't think I've ever seen a place to purchase Fun Dip in a store. It just magically appeared at your neighbor's house and ended up in your trick-or-treat bag. It's always somewhere on Valentine's Day, I feel like. Which I have a fun dip story. So this relates back to volleyball. So back again when I worked for the US national team, I was close in proximity to the the goat, Karj Kurai. And so w we my my l my actual desk mate Kristen, she was always super festive, is still super festive. So it was almost like I don't know if you remember when you're kids, like you go in your classroom is decorated and it just kind of gets you into the into the mood. And so Kristen would do that, especially when we had to go through the the slog of paperwork and everything, you know, when you see the little stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving or, you know, everything, it just kinda lightens the mood a little bit. So anyway, we somehow found out Karch had never tried Fun Dip before. And so Kristen went out and got Fun Dip for Valentine's Day, where I think we had happened to be working then. This was a year or two ago. And we brought it to his desk and we watched him try Fun Dip for the first time. And that is an experience that was hilarious. And I just don't understand how someone makes it through the majority of their adult life without having tried Fun Dip. But to be able to watch the goat try Fun Dip for the first time was a a a unique experience which I I will cherish forever. I I really my brain's not computing on this one that you and your coworker got carchet fun dip for Valentine's Day. That's just a sentence that no one I think ever has uttered in the world or will utter again. Huh. Nice. Stunning reactions of Judges going. Nice. I I I'll leave it with that. You're the one who picked Fun Dip, which is an interesting number five pick, honestly, 'cause I don't know if I would ever actually choose Fun Dip to have, but you know, especially 'cause like The rest of your d of the day, your tongue is gonna be whatever color that fun dip was, whether it was green or blue or red, I don't know. You're really concerned about tongue colors, bro. Dude, I swear I'm on camera for a living. So if you're talking about something really important, like an injury, and you can see that their tongue is blue, ha that's not great. Stealthy with fun dip at our next function. Just gotta talk through your teeth like, Hey, this was a tough report today. Like, can't do that. Come on. Must be a short person problem because no one's looking down at my tongue. All right. Moving on. We have one more final thing to talk about before we get out of here on our special Halloween episode. I lied with one more fun thing to talk about because we all love movies and T V and everything else. And so to start with here, I mean Jenna and I grew up on on Scooby Doo. So I feel like we have two really big, kind of important Scooby Doo movies that are share a nice place in our heart. Yours was what, Jenna? You and I have talked before. we both grew up a lot with We both grew up with a lot of Scooby Doo. So to put forward my favorite Halloween movie that really makes it feel like Halloween is Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. That ish is scary. Full stop. Scared me as a child. Still kinda scary now. Tell me how you can flip the entire premise of Scooby-Doo and say, Just kidding, kids, the monsters are real and supernatural and spawned from hell. So good luck. sure, the zombies were the in not the bad guys in the end, but That's a lot to drop on a six year old, okay? Mine is Scooby Doo and the Witches Ghosts, especially with the whole Salem thing and and just that was that was always on on either Boomerang or Cartoon Network at this time every year, and I always watched it. So that one had to be mine. Jenna, let's let's w wha real quick, what are some of the other top horror movies that you're watching around Halloween? honestly, contemporar if we're going contemporary, the conjuring was fantastic. I That was good. That was scary. And scary for gore sake doesn't do it for me, but the whole suspense and mystery thing that that really gets me going. So conjuring for my contemporary movie and I did mention Halloween with Michael Myers before, earlier. And honestly, I think that's just again a phenomenal suspense movie. The scares come from the anticipation and you know, that's the fun part. So those are my two. Mine are it. Scariest movie I've seen. I think it was 2017 that that one came out. The Ritual, really good. One of my favorites. I always recommend that one. Sleepy Hollow get that was on when I was in Boston when we when my brother and I went to one of the arcade bars around there. They had Sleepy Hollow plan. I was like, this is perfect. And not a movie, but honorable mention to me. And I again, similar thing. I I saw this one with a a breakdown of how they get you in the in your field for when you were a kid on Halloween. But season two of stranger things really captures the the Halloween essence to me. So loved that. So yeah, there you go. Th if if nothing else, take away our our Halloween watching recommendations for this weekend for you all, which hope you all I do need to watch the ritual, that's for sure. Ooh, that's fun. Are you Team Haunted House or Hayride? Hayride, more vibes. Yeah, right? Hayride, it's that's good stuff. Love it. Uh-uh. All right. I'm gonna mask up to the end here. There we go. See, we tried to be somewhat formal, you know, for this for this episode, but in the end, this was a little bit one that we had some fun with. So thank you all for joining us here on this special Halloween edition of the Set Six podcast. So see if I can see through this. Please like, comment, share, and subscribe. You already know, but we are on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Please continue to tell your friends about the podcast. It's how we gain new listeners, and we grow even in our more serious episodes, which are probably coming next week because we're gonna have the whole schedule to talk about. So Jen and I will be right back here. We're gonna break down all of the big matchups and really we're just we're so excited to finally have a little bit of clarity going into 2027 and have some matches to talk about. So we cannot wait. You can catch us on the next episode where we will be talking about the schedule every Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern. In between that, you can go check out the MLV training essentials on the MLV shop now. And of course, thank you to Mike, Jenna, and Amy for producing this podcast. Does not happen without them, and it does not happen without you. Happy schedule release. Happy Halloween, everybody. Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween. And until next time, we have been the Set Six Podcast. I'm Severn, that's Jenna, and we'll see you next time.