Latest / Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast / Episode 018 | Forging a Legacy in Minnesota
Transcript
- Mike Moline: This week on set six, we are coming to you from the Minnesota Forge brand reveal. We've got interviews with athletes. We're talking to Team President Michelle Haynes and Set Six correspondent Jenna Rosenthal is here to break down all the news from around the world of MLV and the greater landscape of volleyball. Lock in, this is the Set Six Podcast. What's going on, everybody? How are we doing today? Welcome back to the Set Six Podcast. It is the official podcast of Major League Volleyball. I'm Severin Lavenstein, and with me for a second week in a row is Jenna Rosenthal, our wonderful set six correspondent. Jenna, how we doing? Hello there. I'm doing peachy key. I actually I didn't realize I'm matching your set. This is the ⁓ official all-star t-shirt, but Severin's got the ⁓ uniform, so I think that's a little bit cooler. But we're doing our throwback to Orlando and our time there midseason last year. Please like, comment, subscribe, Apple, Spotify, YouTube. That's where you can find us. Episode 17 was all things Vegas Thrill. We had interviews with Kendall White, Berkeley Oblad, Lindsay Vanderweed, and head coach Rachel Morris. Today, our interview segment, you will hear some discussion on site from the Minnesota brand reveal. That includes with Stephanie Samity, Kayla Hainlein, Hattie Bray, and Team President Michelle Haynes. But before that, Jenna and I are going to chat a little bit about the news, and then we're going to get into the interviews, and then we're going to have a little discussion afterwards. So without any further ado, Jenna, let's launch into the news. And one of the things I wanted to chat with you about was these college exhibitions, some of which we're going to be going to are increasing their television ⁓ reach and ratings. ⁓ specifically, though, with some of the the slate announcements, ⁓ I believe we specifically saw spikes ⁓ got picked up by Turner. That's Spikes Under the Lights. And then ⁓ if you give me a second to pull it up as well, Fox Sports I think put out a graphic showing how many college volleyball games that they're gonna have this year the most, ⁓ I believe of any other broadcast partner, which I just wanted to talk about because I think it's such a big deal that not only these bigger broadcast entities want to advertise that they are ⁓ broadcasting all of these college matches, but also that all of these college matches are going to be in places where people can see them. Yeah, dude, that's a complete ⁓ I think that's a total one hundred eighty from when I was playing in college. It was, you know, maybe starting to cover ⁓ you know, the final four and everything, that was always covered, but regular season ⁓ broadcast coverage on major national partners, that's totally something new. And I think that's just a fantastic sign for everyone in our sport. We need more visibility. We need more people to see how cool volleyball is outside the Olympics, what you think? I mean I I feel like a lot there's a lot of talk about growth, but when you put your your money where your mouth is, so to speak, particularly for these these ⁓ broadcasters, and I think that they only do so really when they know they can make money. That's just the the unfortunate reality of the situation. That is a fact of life, yes. But you know, you you look at some of these matches too, and I think before y you know, the ones that we always know or you know, look at Nebraska and be like, all right, well yeah, if they're playing outdoors, then for sure they're gonna get their their broadcast schedule. But then you look at too, you first serve, Louisville, Wisconsin. You've got ⁓ Purdue and Creighton in the state farm showcase, also with Minnesota, Arizona State, ⁓ Texas, Nebraska, and then ⁓ Kentucky, Penn State, Missouri, or s Missoo, and ⁓ Nebraska, and then Wisconsin, Nebraska. This is all before the Big Twelve or sorry, Big Ten Championship ⁓ on November twenty sixth. Did that get that's all so Fox Sports. ⁓ that's all Fox hol yeah, you're right. Jeez. Yeah. So I think that's that's just a a really a really cool thing and I think that's to me the the broadcast entities are are always ⁓ a good I guess comparison for for how well the sport is doing in college volleyball, of course, we hope that that ⁓ leads into more viewership for ⁓ the professional game. So I just thought that was a an interesting thing to to to note. Severin, do you think they're going to update the robot? I love the Fox Sports robot, the Transformer. That's probably that that entertains me while I watch football. as I outed myself as the biggest football fan last week. We we won't have to Is there gonna a volleyball is there gonna be a volleyball transformer? I think that's that that's an investment. It would be kind of cool. I wonder if the transformer like is still in the football gear but like ditches the football and then goes with a little, you know, like either setting motion or or or goes for the kill, something like that when the animation could be funny. Is it going to be a lady robot? Can you feminize the Fox Sports robot? I think they would need to. I think they would need to. Fun fact, in the lobby of the Fox Sports ⁓ area, they have a full size like life size, meaning it looks like a freaking transformer towering above you robot. It's real. And it's real and it's next to a screen with ⁓ the matches or the games that Fox Sports is showing that day. So I mean when I was interning there it was a lot of NASCAR, but f be that as it may, it still will show all of the stuff that's going on. How wait, how tall is I'm really kind of preoccupied that this this robot is a real thing, actually. How tall is it? Ten feet tall? ⁓ gosh. I d I'm I'm bad at guessing, but it's somewhere like that. I mean it's it's big. It's I mean it's a you walk in, it's like a big kind of glass area and that that thing is towering over everybody and it would still be towering over you as well. Okay, I had to check. Don't meet your heroes, kids, especially when you're six and a half feet tall. It's really tough. If the f if the Fox Sports robot is your hero, I have some questions. Well, I gotta keep moving the standards, right? You're watching like I know you love Marvel and you're like, Wow, Chris Hemensworth, he's so dreamy and you're like, ⁓ he's like six two. You're like, Okay. Like Is he really only six two? Do you I I kinda wanna check. I ki it's it is something somewhat disappointing. I'm going to fact check you on it. I'm doing it right now. The internet says he's six three, so he's definitely six two. You always have to have to subtract one, maybe two. Well then it's even worse because I love ⁓ Iron Man. Tony Stark is my hero and he's like five eleven, so that's just that's just tough. Yeah, that's so slightly who would ever be five eleven. Ugh. No. I'm sure the suit would make you taller. You know, I would feel like the Iron Man suit six feet. The the Iron Man suit would have to definitely add a add a few a few inches for sure. Totally. That's fine. Who would be so shallow? You just Natalie Flor Portman just clinging so daintily to Thor's chest, and you're like, Yes, I too would love to be dainty, and then it's just it's not the lifestyle. And that's why I went into volleyball. I always think it's funny when you see the movies where it's like Tom Cruise has to be a certain height compared to his co stars, and then he's wearing like the the stilted shoes and stuff like that. So man, generally I don't see I don't see you no, we could you could cut this or I could beat this to death. I don't see you getting shoe lifts to interview volleyball players because you will never. ⁓ good. That's good. You know what? I might need some arm extensions though to be able to to reach up to some of these taller players because it's still sometimes like how was the match? That's just unfortunate. Maybe maybe ⁓ maybe an apple crate, you know, just to just to stand out eventually. Seven seven's box. Yes, yeah, exactly. Carry it around with me. As long as it's foldable to fit in my it to fit in my suitcase. Perfect. Pretty good. has less all right to move on to the next bit of news which we touched briefly on on the last episode but the conference announcement ⁓ w conference alignment for east and west for MLV for next season was officially announced. ⁓ and and we we touched on this briefly as a hypothetical and so now we have the official slate we ⁓ of teams broken off in east and west. All of the eastern time zone teams are on the eastern or in the eastern conference. All of the Central and Pacific teams are in the Western Conference. ⁓ Jenna had. East Coast is in the East Conference. Everybody else is in the West. I think that's fine. I'd like the record reflect Jenna said that. I still want to say that you all are in Central or Pacific time because Jenna doesn't value Pacific time like I do out here in California. Midwest is best. So it's the Midwestern Conference. I mean there is mid in the title. Jenna, how do you see the How do you see the conferences shaking out this way too early prediction after like a day after they've been announced? Dude, way too early. ⁓ okay, Indy's got my vote. They are just essentially ⁓ god, reloading the gun. Do I like that analogy? I don't know if I like that analogy. They're basically they're just reloading and we're will be back better than they were last season. So I really see them making some big doing some damage in the Eastern Conference. I still am a big fan of Minneapolis and what Coach Mendez is doing out there ⁓ with his recruiting. I really like his roster of players and frankly it seems like they've got a really great thing going. So I want to see them taking on established Juggernaut Omaha in the Western Conference. I think they're gonna that's gonna be a really cool way to see the new guard versus the old guard and leave it all on the floor where it matters. Yeah, my my way too early hot take was that I think the Western Conference is tougher. I think you look at last season with Omaha and Dallas being in there with the high hopes that we have for ⁓ Minnesota. And then I would say what we know about ⁓ some of the other teams with just you know some of our either A inside info or B, you know, some of who we know is going to be on those rosters and filling it out. Like I to me, Western Conference stands out to me as a little bit tougher. And ⁓ I'm curious or or I'm looking forward to the Eastern Conference proving me wrong, but that's just kind of one of the things that I see. Yeah. I I mean, I c like I said, I keep looking back to the Eastern and I do think there is gonna be a bit of separation there, but that's kind of why I like the conference model. I think some of this separation that occurs on a conference level keeps things a little more balanced than if the separation were to occur across the whole 12 team slate. And hey, I'm still gonna stand the new and approved Columbus Fury. ⁓ yeah, for sure. I think I think we all will. A hundred percent. I well well, I'm starting to think of separation in a polite way. And well, they did separate. That's all we need to mention about that. So No, totally. And I think ⁓ I think too, you know, for there's a lot of questions right now about, you know, why did we why did MLV do this? ⁓ what are the what's the reasoning? How is this all ⁓ discussed? Two ways you can find that. Number one, there should be a free ⁓ FAQ video out ⁓ on our socials roundabout now. And ⁓ also you there's more in the release and the FAQ page on our website as well. So please, if you have any questions about that, check it out or ask in the comments. We're always happy to ⁓ to go back through them. But yeah, I think that ⁓ conferences made sense, like we talked about last week. Please go refer to that as well for a little bit more of an in-depth analysis on ⁓ the conferences. And ⁓ I I'm excited. I think it it makes a lot of sense for filling out twenty six games and I think those final four matches are really going to be ⁓ interesting to see kind of who's matched up with who, what the ⁓ the playoff stakes are gonna be at that point as well. Did we explicitly say what the playoff structure was o associated with the conferences or is that coming? It's T B D, Jenna. It is to be announced. So that would be T B A actually, but still it's it is ⁓ it is coming soon. I love that. We just keep sprinkling the Easter eggs throughout, I guess. I feel like that's a common theme for us. It's just there's always an Easter egg and there's always something to hint at that we can't quite fully fully explain yet, but that is ⁓ continuing that theme. The all hail the marketing gods that float abutt up above us are always leaving the breadcrumbs. And we try to bring you yes dictate everything we do. Or every move. Well we try to bring you the viewers as much information as we can without getting yelled at. Jeno, let's ⁓ talk about one more bit of news before we move on to our interviews for today, and that was ⁓ the USAV Cup scrimmage, ⁓ the US national team and Canada, ⁓ going at it for I believe it was two matches, or if not, it was ⁓ over two days with in ⁓ San Diego, and this was in preparation for ⁓ the Norseca Continental Championship, ⁓ that is coming your way on August twenty first, at least for the first match of the US. That would be against Trinidad and Tobago on on at 1 p.m. on August 21st. ⁓ but first, we don't have a lot of official numbers, but what we did he hear, see, or what was reported was that ⁓ Stephanie Samadi led ⁓ the US scores going 10 for 20, ⁓ with a 50% and ⁓ four thirteen points. Excuse me, if I could read would be helpful. But ⁓ Stephanie was ⁓ reportedly one of the best scores. And ⁓ overall though, there were some some interesting efficiency efficiencies numbers that I would say, if I'm being kind, were a little questionable. ⁓ we did talk before about ⁓ how the US did at VNL, ⁓ but definitely trying to tune some things up, I think, before heading out for Norseca. Severin, you're far too kind. ⁓ it wasn't great, Bob, except now I realize we're broadcasting, so I can say it. Not great, Sev. Not looking good. ⁓ obviously it's it is just a friendly and we're looking to tune things up, but I'm Severin, I'm still gonna have questions because I know you and while we were talking, you know, Norse these some of these Norseika friendlies are a chance to try new things. But this is this is the same thing. ⁓ this was this is kind of our V N L roster here, so ⁓ I know there's a lot of questions ⁓ around, but suppose we'll see it when it counts in the Norseca tournament. They're they're on their way now, aren't they? Yeah, I th I th I would assume so. I mean I'm I've I wanna flesh that out more, like I 'cause I don't know I don't know necessarily if I agree. I think that it's you know, you want to see a little bit better in terms of ⁓ you know from V and L. I think that was all all obvious. I I you know, I'm gonna plant myself firmly on the fence here with like, I think in the past, I think I think it's I think it it's a it's a slow moving target to to to say that the national team underperforms ⁓ in the past. I think this year it was definitely fair to say. And then I think I don't know, Jenna, like the cup to me was like a just a a time to experiment and like I'm I'm assuming that the the setters are gonna look a little bit different. I didn't see a lot of numbers for I don't even know if if Jordan Thompson played. So it was like you know, I don't know if they're trying some new things. ⁓ while at the same time I do also have to acknowledge your point that it is kind of the same roster. I mean, I I will I'm hoping we'll see more Jordan Jordan Poulter once they get down to the Dominican. ⁓ sh she's been struggling with some injuries and things, but I I'm missing the depth a little. That's all I'm gonna say. And you know, it's easy for us to comment out here, right? Not in the gym, not in the gym day to day. The girls are doing absolutely everything, but leaves something to be desired for sure. When you were in the bag, this should be fine. Yeah, go ahead. When you were in scrimmage formats, how did you like w was there ever a very noticeable foot off the gas kind of situation? So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I was the foot off the gas situation, right? I didn't mean it like that. No, no. Like I didn't do VNL or anything. Like, yeah, I was there. I did Pan Am Cup, Pan Am Games. Like really so grateful for my time there. But it was very clear that, you know, that group that I was in, that home training group, was more of that developmental group, like the ⁓ the maybe someday group or that eval eval group. ⁓ you know, obviously I didn't really peter, you know, my my my trajectory did not continue for one reason or another. And I feel like at least in my time. It was our group that got those games against, you know, Canada, the friendlies and things, trying to test ⁓ trust that developmental group out against different competition other than the same teammates you've been playing in the gym every day. So that's why I was a little surprised to see, you know, the full the full boar bringing a gun to a knife fight at this sort of friendly event. But I I like that analogy. I like that analogy. Wha why why why do you think why do you think that that is? Like why do you think it it was the the gun to a knife fight? Because like I think to to your point and it's a good one, I think we mostly you and I talked about it looked like Canada was was going with not their their A listers. Right. I mean, it's a different time in the s in the quad for sure. ⁓ you know, we are looking to narrow down for the Olympics in twenty eight. But so this summer is coming to an end. So they'll have one more summer of preparation before the true Olympic summer. So maybe we're trying to narrow that group down early and lock in to be all in on a home Olympics. I mean, but you there's no way you can say one Olympics is more important than any other, regardless of hosting, would you say? Like they're all the Olympics, regardless if it's in LA or Paris. Yeah. My my problem with the Olympics thought process was always like it's the most important thing that you've ever looked at in your life. And then immediately once it's over, it's on to the next one. And it's sort of you're saying the same messaging. This is just my experience. And it's not a bad thing at all. Like you should treat each one like it's the most important one. But it's sort of like the same things that you were saying and the same goals that you had for the previous one become the goals for the next one and the next one and the next one. And I think there's a certain I'm sure it's hard as players and coaches, but like there's a certain if you achieve those goals, you know, you should be able to have some time to celebrate them. ⁓ but but I think also I'm I'm raging against what is the literal system of the Olympics that repeats every four years. So pretty pretty feudal point. Or is it just the curse of adult existence? It's like work, right? Like we're activating on these projects, but we have to be actively planning for the neck pro next projects. The work is is truly never done as I sit and grapple with this. You know, this the endless eternity of adult life stretching before me. I hope you can see me staring into the middle distance. Into the void. Exactly like like edit to like all black and white and just slowly fade away. But there's something to it, but I I do think we need some more development in our teams. Plus it's so early in the quad. Like we're we had this summer. I feel like we could have been looking at some other up and coming talents. We had a whole summer next summer before we then lock in. Like of course, if it's late 2027 or the beginning of twenty twenty eight, sure, we are all in on who we think our Olympians are. But I think there was some room for a little bit of gray here. Speaking of Gray, what happened to Jenna Gray? I miss Jenna Gray. I don't know. I think she's been down in she's been kicking butt in Brazil for years. But we haven't been seeing her on our national team rosters for quite a while now, right? Yeah. Well, regardless of who is on the roster for twenty eight, and obviously we have some time until then, we're hoping for as much MLV representation as possible, be that for the US national team or any of the others. ⁓ and I'm curious to see how they'll do the rest of this year. ⁓ and beyond. But certainly ⁓ what's what's nice is that we have plenty of teams to check in on ⁓ once we get towards ⁓ those Olympic roster announcements, which ⁓ you know, like we keep talking about the passage of time will come faster than we probably even realize it. And this is set six with your serving existential dread. In the meantime, ghost of salmony. Yes, queen. And speaking speaking of and going exactly the opposite of existential dread to complete happiness in what was an absolutely awesome day. was the announcement of the Minnesota Forge, their brand reveal. ⁓ it was it was just so awesome. The the the little quick context ⁓ was it was in St. Paul. It w first started over at ⁓ Herbys on the Square and then ⁓ moved out into ⁓ the the park in St. Paul, which is right near the arena that they'll be playing. And then from there ⁓ an after party at a bar of their own, which was ⁓ a women's sports bar. ⁓ which is just it was an awesome day. And I think ⁓ Minnesota absolutely ⁓ no pun intended knocked it out of the park with this entire ⁓ showcase, with revealing the brand, ⁓ with you know, just I I think all of the excitement that was there was really palpable among the fans. So ⁓ we'll talk a little bit more about it on the other side. The interviews you will hear in their ⁓ entirety. Hopefully I'll have this order right for when you listen to it. But it was ⁓ Michelle Haynes who's the team president. Then we have Stephanie Samity, we Kayla Hainline and Hattie Bray. And so those are the voices that you will hear ⁓ coming up in these interviews. But please enjoy from the Minnesota Forge brand reveal. Michelle, it's just gotta feel so great, right? Being here today. We've we've made it. This is real, right? Does it feel real for you that we finally we're finally here, we finally made it to today? It's it's still hitting honestly. ⁓ it's been such a whirlwind getting ready for this moment and just so proud of how our team showed up today and just the fans are embracing it and so much excitement about our new brand. I am excited about the new brand and you are the best person to ask about it. So please walk us through if you could. I you're wearing the shirt, you've you've got the new branding. Please, the shirt, the name, the color scheme. If you could kind of walk us through it, please. Yeah, you know, it was a really intentional process. We wanted to make sure we got it right and it had to feel I think some of the things we focused on was making sure it was authentic to Minnesota. Felt like it was distinct within the, you know, sports landscape. ⁓ just generally, but specifically, you know, women's sports. I think there's just such a exciting way that you can approach these moments ⁓ and really stand out from how we built our brand with like such intention. It looks simple but there's a lot of messages there. And a color palette that I think appeals to just a wider, you know, casual fan, but also if you're from here, you feel like it really represents Minnesota. I was geeking out at some of the different things that I didn't notice on first pass, like little subtle ⁓ at the bottom of the of the logo and then the the colors kind of referencing different parts of Minnesota. I thought was such great attention to detail. So it was so great to see that you all were kind of thinking that detailed about everything as well. Yeah, it's really something I think ⁓ you know, some of the best logos probably start with a lot of detail and and there is a lot of there. And and it was really a charge to like The core ideas there it was the North Star, like and and Forge was just such a strong name that we wanted something that didn't try and overplay it or explain it, that you could really just see it kinda like an onion just in layers. And as we like expand with our secondaries and tertiaries, like there's just so much for us to play with in this mark, even though it looks like just a simple stamp. And our team's excited about it. The players were a part of that process and that was so important. So when They were excited and fully embraced what we were putting out there. We knew we had something. You just hit on a keyword process and I would imagine it's been a process to reach a day like today. It doesn't just happen overnight. And and you've been at the forefront of making that happen. Can you give us some details on just some of the things that it took to get this to actually happen? Yeah, you know, honestly it comes down to an incredible team. I can't do this alone. I can certainly have the vision of how we want to show up in this moment and how we build from there, but it really takes the commitment our of our full team and I think you can see with how we're rolling things out today. ⁓ it it's there. There's such passion, there's such excitement and it just for me the suc success of a moment like this is when every single person in our organization can feel their fingerprints on it. This is not a moment I own. It's really them and now we're giving it to the world and ultimately the fans will own it. It's theirs now. I love that expression. Everybody getting to feel their fingerprints on it. That's such a great way to look at it. And You mentioned the fans. We're we're getting ready to go meet the fans and kind of see the fans for the first time. For people who aren't so familiar with the Minnesota sports fan community, specifically a very strong women's sports fan community. Can you describe that and what they're like? Yeah. ⁓ they're they're incredibly committed. I think when people think about Minnesota sports, especially women's sports, it's the capital here. ⁓ you certainly see that with like the legacy of what the links built and the frost, but also our friends at the Gemini and the Vixen. There's just ⁓ such love here and so many of them will be here to support us. ⁓ but just in general across the full ⁓ sports community here we've felt the love and I think that's there's just such pride for any team here. And then you add to that the expansive volleyball community here. It's really deep in this culture and I know they're excited to have a top tier elite team playing at a top tier venue ⁓ and having the type of experience you would with any other sport you love. Michelle, we're we're here at the beginning, right? But if I can help kind of fast forward things all the way to maybe mid season or end of season, what are some of the things that you hope we're thinking about, we're saying about the forge or really kind of if you can look ahead to maybe mid season or end of the season, w where we'll be with the forge and kind of what what are some of the things you want to see? I mean, I feel like we're a really ambitious team and we're bold with our our goals. So I I know coming out of the gate with the first game, we want it to be a sellout and we want to create an experience that no one has seen with a pro volleyball game before. And we're playing at Grand Casino Arena. It's such an incredible just elite venue and all the bells and whistles that come with it. ⁓ we're gonna create something that I don't think has ever been before in volleyball. And then by the time we get to midseason, I think we'll really see with the the team that Pedro has built and just the quality of athlete we have. I think we're gonna be competitive. I think we're going to start to develop a world that our fans just feel like they can help fuel. And ⁓ you know, we today we've gone out with forging a legacy. and I really think it starts today and it will continue. We'll have so many more moments between now and that first game. And then it's just everything, you know, we'll leave everything on the court. Absolutely. And then we're we'll see some more of today obviously on your socials, on the MLV socials, but can you describe today and kind of what today is gonna look like for maybe the fans who aren't gonna be able to be in attendance today? ⁓ yeah. Well I'm sorry for those who can't join us this time, but it's really just a celebration. It's like we're finally out there. We're gonna have ⁓ food trucks, DJ, player meet and greets We have our inaugural merch drops, season ticket deposits, so ⁓ activations with some partners, activities for all our fans. So really just creating a fun atmosphere and we'll we'll take a little bit of time to, you know, formally introduce the team and some of the key people from the commissioner to our owner. ⁓ but really today is just a celebration and just getting people exciting for excited for what we have to come. And last one for you, Michelle. You kinda hit hit it all in the different answers in throughout this entire interview, but just one final one. Any any message to the fans as we kick things off here? ⁓ again, this is for you. We're forging a legacy and ⁓ we want to make you proud. Michelle, thank you so much. Thank you. Stephanie, first off, it's awesome that we are here. The the Forge name has been revealed, the logo has been revealed. You have this awesome t shirt where we're gonna see the the whole celebration out there ⁓ coming up first. Just what was your reaction to the name reveal, the logo reveal and that awesome video they put out? It super exciting to see everything come together, ⁓ the name, the colors and everything. Yeah, and it it's just making me pumped for season to start. So yeah. I know, I'm like, when does the off season end? I needed to get here. Does it feel more real now, you know, kind of seeing the setup going on outside and being here and like having this whole fan fest to really announce the whole team being here in Minnesota where more maybe it was kind of like, Yep, this will happen and now it's like it's really here. Yeah, for sure. I think like a couple of weeks ago it was like, Okay, yeah, we're talking about it and now it's seeing everything come together, seeing the logo, seeing the name. ⁓ It's surreal and it's so exciting. I know you've been all over the place and I got to ask you about this a little bit when you we were at Red Blue, but just I gotta ask it again, like, has it sunken yet that you're gonna be playing back in Minnesota, but this time on a pro team in MLV and back where obviously everybody remembers you from your time with the gophers, but just your reaction to that. Yeah, again, so excited. Like in my mind I'm like, Yes, like I'm playing here, but I know it's going to hit so hard when I get back here and get to compete in front of, you know, Minnesota fans, so I'm excited to be here. Tell us about those Minnesota fans. Tell me about it because this is my first trip to the the state. I love being in Minnesota so far. But I just I know we're gonna go to that ⁓ fan celebration later on tonight as well, but the Minnesota fan, the Minnesota sports fan specifically seems very into women's sports, and I think it's awesome and that the forge are gonna be a new part of that. But can you describe the Minnesota fan and the specifically the women's sports fan to someone like me who's not so familiar with Minnesota itself? Yeah, I mean the fans here have been amazing. ⁓ playing here and just how engaged the fans were, how supportive. you know, flying out to different matches, being there in the path, like packing it out. So I am so excited that we have another form of volleyball here for them to like come and, you know join us and you know, be a part of the community and stuff like that. So I'm so excited to yeah, have that fan base here. You've played an MLV before, obviously with Omaha, a very successful franchise. What and it's a broad question, but what are some of the key points and and kind of themes that you've noticed of like a team like Omaha, a team like Indy who really connects with their community well that, you know, needs to happen here in Minnesota to kind of create a similar mold to that kind of team. Yeah, I think for sure having experience the fans in Omaha and seeing how they turn out and just always at the matches, always supporting, I think that was amazing. And I think in Minnesota we could have something similar if not, you know, better. I know the fans here really love volleyball, so I think yeah, us engaging with the compu community as much as possible and you know Making sure they know we want them there, we love them, and yeah, excited to compete with and for them. So tell me about some of the conversations that you had either with like Michelle or with Pedro, ⁓ or with Craig. Kind of when you were figuring out what your next step was going to be and then when Minnesota appeared as an option, just g reveal a little bit to us what those inside conversations were like. Yeah. The conversations were just very passionate about what they saw for the future of this ⁓ team and like what this program can be. so their drive, their passion made it ten times easier for me to be like, yeah, like a hundred percent, this is where I want to be. That's so cool. And then I mean the one I've been just so excited to ask you about is the roster construction. Before when I talked to you, I had no idea who else was going to be your teammate. Now I've seen the roster and it's stacked. What were your thoughts when you saw more of your teammates coming through? Have you gotten to talk to anybody yet? You know, just your thoughts on the roster construction. Yeah, I our roster is amazing. The depth that we have, the experience that we have Just players that have played at a high level. I'm so excited to compete with them and I know we're going to do some great things this season. Steph, another broad question for you, but just aside from obviously trying to win every match, what are some like first season, early season goals ⁓ for Minnesota? That can be as granular as, you know, on the court goals or like, you know, kind of bigger goals. Just w whatever comes to your mind there. Yeah, I think just set the tone for what this could be. you know, for sure There's gonna be first year ups and flows and I think just again, just making sure we're setting the foundation. We're looking forward to getting to see it, but what kind of style are you all gonna play? What kind of style it kind of defines Pedro's system and and what can we sort of expect to see on the court? Give us a little bit of a preview. Yeah, he wants us to compete at a high level, so I know he's going to push us in that direction, ⁓ making sure we're competing as hard as we can. I don't know. Like we've already had conversations about like, hey, this is where we're gonna improve. This is what we wanna work on in the season and stuff like that. So I know that like in his frame of mind that we're getting after it. So yeah, I'm excited to be part of that. And Stephanie, last one for you, but just again, back to this amazing day announcing the forge, just any initial message to the fans that you would like to say. Yeah, ⁓ we're so excited that this is happening. We're so excited that we get to share it with the community and the volleyball fans and we're so looking forward to seeing everyone ⁓ in the arena and yeah for a great season. Stephanie, thank you so much. Thank you very much. Kayla, first off, this is real. This is happening. I mean does it feel that way for you? You know, now we're we got the whole event going on and just this is no longer a dream. The forge are a real thing and it's happening. Honestly, I can't believe that it's already happening because it seems like not too long ago we were talking about the new team and getting recruit like recruited to come by Pedro and all of that and now that we're here at this point where we have all these amazing people that came and showed up already and then we still have the event in the park yet, like it's incredible, it's an incredible feeling and I mean you can already feel the energy like surrounding the naming and the branding has been so positive already and I think they did a fantastic job with that. I think so too. Let's talk about it. I saw the video. I saw all the little fine details of everything. I think it's awesome. What were what was your reaction when you saw the name reveal and the logo reveal? Yes, I was so happy with it. I had a little bit of insider information being part of the group that helped kind of like ⁓ got asked to be one of the players that kind of helped lead that forward and have some advice for that and our marketing group involving us was huge and we really really appreciate that too because not every league lets or not every team lets their players actually have an input so it makes us feel like really a And really that we belong, and they want us to be a full team, and I love the full team aspect. And when that video first video dropped, I was watching it this morning and I was like, this is one of the best things I have ever seen with branding. And it was just so powerful and so strong, and I feel like it connects really, really well with the fans here in Minnesota and what they've already done with other sports here, and but making it our own in our own way, and I cannot wait to see the power and the I don't know, just the draw that that brings for everybody too. Tell me more about those fans here in Minnesota. They love women's sports here, and we're gonna go see that tonight, obviously, when we go cheer on the links, I believe, later on today at the after party. But it seems like that's such a great part of the cult the fan culture here. Can you describe more of what you know about the fans here like that? I mean, I grew up in Nebraska, so part of that Midwest feel I already kind of have a little bit of. I mean, obviously, everyone knows a little bit about Nebraska fans, but we won't talk too much about them being in Minnesota. ⁓ but I think that like that same vibe and that same feeling, that same energy for just being really supportive for every athlete We're just trying to give our best and I think you can really, really feel that in the fans that back us is they try to give us their best as well and like let us know that they have our backs no matter what's happening, no matter the ups, the downs. Of course we always want to win at the end of the day. But when you have that energy from the fans to bring onto the court and help us find like sometimes that motivation when something's not going well, it can make all the difference. And I think with every event that I've seen come out of Minnesota, ⁓ I think that you can see that in every game. have that home court advantage and I cannot wait to experience that here. Being on the court this time as opposed to an opponent. And so I think that that's going to be incredible and I think the fans are amazing from that aspect. Tell me more about the conversations that you said you had with Pedro and with the front office and what was it like behind the scenes when this was still getting set up where you realized this is going to be something that I can go be a part of. Honestly the biggest difference for me is I played abroad a l a lot of years now. ⁓ and to be able to come back and actually have that like real like Team family feeling makes a big difference because I had that at college and I think that I've missed that a little bit through the professional years. I think that just it's just a different vibe a little bit. And but every time I talked to Pedro and we did have a lot of conversations too, and ⁓ it's just I got that feeling from him. I got that feeling that he cared, really, really cared about the athletes, really, really cared about what the team was trying to develop and not just from ⁓ like the ⁓ we want to be the next pro team. They're like, no, we want to be the leading Next Pro Team. We want to make sure that everyone here is involved and feels like they're important and feels like they're a part of something that we're really trying to develop and grow into being this hopefully powerhouse in the future and hopefully this year. ⁓ And you can really every time I had conversations with Pedro or the management or anybody that I met since then you can feel that like genuine care about you as a person and not just you as part of like a team or part of a business grouping and it makes all I would imagine feeling that has got to be tremendous, absolutely. From the micro level of the team to the macro level, I'm curious, what what were your thoughts about MLV and being an option to join from playing internationally, playing in some very high level leagues, to then clearly there was something about MLV that caught your eye and your perspective from the outside now being on the inside? Yeah, I am just so excited to ⁓ take that experience I've had abroad because I think that it the leagues over there are just very different. And then now trying to see the US grow and develop professional volleyball here in the States at any level and be able to bring that back to America. I think it just I want to be a part of that. I want to be able to help grow the sport here and also give like younger kids something to look up to. ⁓ because college has been like our top tier for a long time and knowing that even from college you can continue to grow and get Better and have a dream to strive for beyond that, I think is super powerful. And so for me, I really want to help grow that too. And I've played a lot of years abroad. I'm also to the point where I really want to play in front of friends and family again and really make that difference and be able to be there for like my family more as well and have them be able to come to more games, and that's something super special because my family's really close, and I think that a lot of players feel that way. And so when I start to see that through the years of all of the Players that have been now playing in the US for a few years, and and I'm just like, wow, I want to have that again, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. Well, Kayla, I don't want to keep you from the party too much because the atmosphere is kicking up. But the last question I've got to ask you we've been seeing that this team is stacked on paper. You are one of those people that made us think that. But have you had any interactions yet with your teammates, talking to some of the new players that are going to be on this squad? And just tell me what some of that has been like. Yeah, it's been great so far. I met a few of them today too, and ⁓ obviously I know a few of them from pre playing against them previously. Obviously, we're playing with them and so I think it's gonna be a great group. We have a lot of really high-level players and the interactions have just been really friendly. Like that's all I can say is they've been funny, they've been really easy to get to know already, and it's been I think good chemistry already from the start and I think it's gonna be a great season. We have a lot, like I said, a lot of really strong players and I'm really ready to compete for that. Those wins through the season. I won't speak for team goals yet, but wins for the season. I think you can. I think you're allowed to. Kayla, thank you for stopping by. We appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. What are your overall thoughts on today and being here with this whole event? I'm just really excited. I've been waiting for this for a long time. ⁓ I got to talk to Pedro and Cece, who have been great this whole process. ⁓ and now finally getting to meet some of the girls and the people who've been doing all the work behind the scenes. So we get to announce the name to everybody, have the community come out. So it's a really exciting day. Would you think with the name and the branding reveal with the forge finally being revealed to everybody. I love it. I'm obsessed with the colors. The have heard great things about the name that people have really kind of like that it sticks true to like what it is to be living in Minnesota. ⁓ I'm from Wisconsin so it's like I get the Midwest vibe and like people love like the agriculture and it's like a mining background so people love that. But I've heard really good feedback on like the green and the pink of the colors so I'm very excited about that. We love the green and the pink. We were like ⁓ my gosh it's not really It's something crazy. It's awesome. And and the little subtle references to the like the subtle ⁓ at the bottom of the logo, I thought was so neat. Did you pick out all those little details in the whole in the whole logo? Yes, yeah. They were very ⁓ specific with everything they did. The colors, the logo, ⁓ whatever they could make represent Minnesota, they tried to tie it in and they did a very good job with it. Hattie, tell me about the conversations that were going on behind the scenes when the forge were first becoming a thing and you were kind of figuring out where your next stop would be and what that was like where you ultimately landed on Minnesota. Yeah. I mean the conversations like I am very much like a Midwest person. I went to Marquette University. I love Wisconsin, I love the Midwest. And staying as close to that area and my people as I can is very important to me. So when Pedro had reached out and I started having conversations about the new Minnesota team, I was like, this is kind of like ideal. This is perfect for me. I'm very close to my hometown. I'm with like the type of people I love. The Midwest people are amazing. I don't know if you've gotten to deal with that a lot being here, but it's been really cool. And it's the perfect kind of storm for me to be here and with all these amazing people. I love that with the Minnesota and and Midwest volleyball presence and and being a new team, obviously I know it's gonna be not necessarily just immediate connection, but it seems like already with the fan event that we're gonna have, connecting with the fans is not gonna be that difficult. What is kind of, I mean it's a broad overarching question, but how do you connect to the fans genuinely and tap into that real Midwest Love volleyball, I guess. Yeah, it's a classic Midwest nice. It's like everyone wants to be here for each other. We're super excited for the community. It's like we always talk about it. We've got like three months of summer. Everyone goes out and they want to be with the people. like talking about just the community is like this summer, ⁓ Cece and Pedro and a bunch of us have been going to a bunch of camps all throughout Minnesota. So we're trying to spread the awareness, get the girls excited about pro volleyball in the area, have them to have something to come look up to, come to games. So the community. I think it's gonna be here. Like, I'm so excited to see how many people come out to games and just see us kind of pack the Grand Casino arena. ⁓ and the arena looks amazing as well. And then being here today with your teammates, have you gotten to talk with some of your teammates? Have you gotten what were your reactions when you saw what the roster was gonna look like? ⁓ my god, it's like a star set of roster. I like being kind of one of the younger ones, obviously a lot of these girls have been playing forever, and I it's amazing to have them back in the US. But I grew up watching them. It was like those are the people that I grew up being like, ⁓ maybe I do want to be a college athlete. So it's very cool. For me to be like on the same team. Now, like all of us are building this brand, building volleyball in the US, and it's it was kind of surreal. And they're all so sweet. So you can't just help but love them. And Hattie, last question for you is just, you know, we're here at the beginning, but maybe mid-season or end of season, what do you want us to be saying about the Minnesota Forge? Honestly, that like we're here to compete. Like, I think having an expansion team win the MLB championship last year just is more incentive for us to go out and get that this year. It's like we're new, but we're ready and we're Really excited to compete and be part of the MLD. Thank you so much. This is awesome. Thank you to all the players and to Michelle for getting a chat with me during that day. A lot of hectic stuff going around. So I was very happy to be able to pull them aside. Also, ⁓ another quick tangent that was so funny is so the general manager for the ⁓ the ⁓ Herbies, great guy, but was running around a little stressed, looked like me at most other ⁓ you know si circumstances in my work life, but also looked like me when I ever have to host something. So he like came over to me at one point and he was like worried about the fingerprints on the doors. And I was just kind of dying internally because I was like, I feel your pain. But also that's like a tomorrow you problem, pal. But it was so great. And he was very nice. He was trying to, you know, make sure everything ended exactly on time so they could switch the restaurant over back to their their normal service. ⁓ but it was it he was great. The the venues were great. And I think genuinely it was ⁓ such a such an awesome day. And I I love the The fan turnout, but also the the ex the general excitement around everything. I think that's something you know, it's it's the the non-tangible thing that you hope that you feel in in all of these different venues and ⁓ whether it was from investor stakeholders or the players or or the the fans in the front row, ⁓ I just thought that was so cool, Jenna. That's awesome. I mean, I feel like that honestly that man that overzealous manager example, I hope that's what we can foster in all of our communities. Like, yes, this is a business, but at the same time, I hope everyone thinks of it as our volleyball team. Our volleyball instinctively, I want to say girls, but I know that's that's a little little infantilizing, a little patronizing, but it's our these are our volleyball players. This is our community and we're trying to really do something that's never been done. And it really takes a village, it takes everyone on in the franchise and out of the franchise to welcome a team. And it sounds like and it looks like that Min Minneapolis really has that. And people are really receptive. They are really ready to welcome the Forge home and to continue to support them ⁓ in season, out of season, all the way around. Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. And I think too, it was I especially from these interviews what I took away is the player involvement to me, I thought was great. It came up a lot ⁓ on two two fronts. One with the you know, logo and brand design. I thought that was great. ⁓ specifically I'm just hearing, you know, first we heard from Ren, obviously talking to to Peyton about how they were involved with with the uniforms, as as all teams were. But also with the design and the color scheme and everything really seemed like the players were consulted and you you heard ⁓ Michelle talk about that as well. Once the players were excited about that, she said, you know, they knew they had something and ⁓ I I think ⁓ for sure that was definitely something that is really cool to just I continue to really get a kick out of the athlete involvement at things that maybe don't necessarily need athlete involvement but to have that at the You could see you could see how surprised Peyton was. So Peyton's made her career abroad for five years at least, five five to ten years. I'm not sure how long she's been out, but she's been playing professional volleyball this whole time, abroad, in a place where they don't usually ask these kinds of questions, or frankly any questions. You come in, you do your job and you leave. And I think you could see in that Ren interview, you should probably go watch that. ⁓ you could see how excited she was to be a part of building something and just how collaborative Major League volleyball is with its athletes. And I thi I hope that shines through. Again, this is a whole team effort, players, community, us, ⁓ office people. It it all comes together and it should make something greater than the sum of its parts that I hope. I I don't think you can qualify yourself as an office person yet. I think we still we still put the the former former player, former star ⁓ label on you. I okay. Appreciate you. Severin Severin can pump my tires because I will deflate my own repeatedly. The ⁓ the the the other thing, Jenna, that I really thought was cool in the specifics I'll I'll keep ⁓ you know, sort of to to be more nebulous. But I I do believe that I thought it was neat to just chat with the players ⁓ in conversations off camera and it really seems like the investment from Pedro, ⁓ from Coach Mendez, I think is ⁓ another theme that continues to come up. And I think what was discussed were ways not that not necessarily trying to think of how to phrase this. I think I think the the the ways that I heard in which he was involved in making sure that the players were comfortable with the not only the direction of the franchise, but also with the minutiae of becoming part of the team. I think was really encouraging. And I think it's something that you can tell what kind of what kind of buy-in he wants to get and and how he's going about getting it. And I think that that just sounds like it's it's all firing on the right cylinder and that it's all coming together in a in a really nice authentic vision, not one that is ⁓ forced and not one that is ⁓ kind of disingenuous in a way. It he seems like the way that he's gone about building this team is incredibly genuine, that he cares a lot about the personalities that he's ⁓ putting together, and that he also cares about ⁓ just that his players are in the right spot for them. And I'm I was very encouraged just to hear that, really not brought on by anything, any question, you know, just kind of kind of people talking about how excited they are to play for him. Yeah. I mean, in a simple way, Pedro gets it. And it's both not that hard And also the most important thing you need to be doing when building a team. Authentically connecting with people, making sure their voices are heard, communicating open transparency. It's critical, but you don't need to make it this overly produced thing. It's it's just called being a good person. I suppose that's why that that's what do they say? That's the thing about common sense. It's not common. And I think that's probably also applies to the situation. Being a decent human should be the simplest thing. And I don't know. I think he's crushing it. I'm all of his players love him. He's actually his wife is Lauren Gibemeyer. I admired her through my ⁓ a lot through my career. Former gopher. ⁓ she was actually on Team USA in that A group when I came through the gym in twenty nineteen. And I was like, Wow, she's right there. And then she proceeded to like probably hit five balls past me. I was like, wow. This is great. I'm like, ⁓ God, Jenna, you gotta be playing better. Otherwise they're gonna send your ass right back home. Snap out of it. I was gonna say, I was like, wow, I'm getting my butt kicked by my heroes. That's great. I'm like, wait a minute. If you suck, they're gonna send you back home. Like I still distinctly remember one day. I mean, it's it's the national team gym, right? You have to bring it. And that's not a criticiz, that's just the way it is, of course. And I remember, you know, I made it through my first week and I was like, Whoa, wow, that was crazy. ⁓ or 'cause everyone arrives at different times. We get to Friday, competition Friday. And I think I asked in passing, I'm like, ⁓ where's Taylor? Taylor's not with us anymore. And I'm like, ⁓ 'cause she had been sent home and I was like, Holy crap. Like you could genuinely be here one day and gone the next, which is again pinnacle of competition, totally necessary, but Let's just say that knocked the awestruck look off my face real quick. I was gonna say there was no time to stand there and watch at that point. No, you're like, ⁓ budge. So anyway. No memories. The the Minnesota ⁓ care a and and attention to the university was that connected. Lauren Gibbemeyer played at Minnesota also. No, I I was gonna say that that made sense. That that made sense. That jogged my memory too, because we had people asking ⁓ you know, how many ⁓ players had played it at Minnesota and and You know, if they were gonna be ⁓ connected to the university at all too. So ⁓ and that was my first time in Minnesota, so it was very, ⁓ very cool to see the the deep passion and connection, even just i in passing from a couple of ⁓ fans who were just very curious how ⁓ where the connection was. And and there definitely is one, but I think I think it was interesting. Okay. So you live out in Orange County. Do you think that's a Midwest thing? Indy Ignite, really well received. Minnesota Forge, really well received, Columbus Fury, well received, despite the issues we alluded to. That's a really, really good question. Yeah. I was about to go with the lack of pro sports, but then that so doesn't fit with Minnesota. Good point. That's a really good point. I think it's a Midwest thing. I think it is a Midwest thing. And I think that I think there are certain sports that that take on ⁓ or or that that ⁓ a catch on in in regions more than than others. I mean the one I bring up a lot is lacrosse, just back where I grew up. Lacrosse was the biggest sport in my high school. It was a big thing i in the in the East Coast just area where I was at. And then I moved to various different points. I mean, first off, I don't even know if they had lacrosse in Texas. I'm sure they do. I just never never covered it. And then out here, I've I've heard that it's it's on the rise and I still have not seen it. And I think that was just i and then never mind, volleyball, I again I know there are clubs in New England. I know there's a big presence in Boston. I Maybe again it's just me. I played it once in gym class and you never heard of it or saw it again. Now maybe that's just the world's in the the quote unquote sandboxes that I played in, but I still think I mean there's a re this is a great point. This is a whole other podcast topic we could do. There I think there's still the the I think it's it's incumbent on the sport to reach those people who don't who aren't gonna seek it out. And I think if you live in the Midwest and and even if you have nothing to do with volleyball at all, you you're gonna be forced to have to reckon with it at some point, which I think is a great thing. And you know, I it it to that point, and I don't know if you agree with me or not, but I think it really blows my whole thing out of the water of well, you know, there's no other sport, so you have to pay attention to it. No, I I think actually the more I think about it, the more it's like, no, that's just there's a certain passion in that region I think that is kind of unmatched when you're talking about the two coasts at least. And hopefully as we grow, it be it does become matched. I mean, we always used to say in the very beginning of this thing, we need to convert the unconverted. ⁓ just because once you see volleyball in person, I I mean obviously I'm too far in it, so I'm spoiled and you are too, but we'll convert the unconverted. But in the meantime, the Midwest has always been so good to volleyball, hands down. And I like to think we're nice we're nice people. You know. Like, ⁓ what they got going on down round there? ⁓ you know, ⁓ don't you know, we'll take a look and I'm gonna cut off my Midwestern It's definitely a different different energy. You betcha. You betcha. I've heard that a little bit more. ⁓ hey Seth, how's your ma? ⁓ your ma's doing good. That's good. That's good. I didn't hear a lot of Minnesota accents, to be honest with you. I couldn't pick it out when I was there. So that was that was something I was looking for. Didn't hear a lot. And two, I I want to be fully also I know that that came off with my last sentence like a little bit of a a subtle diss. at the West and East Coasts. Trust me, it is not meant that way. But I think you know, I I want people to be upset with that take and say, no, we are just as passionate if not more than the Midwest. ⁓ my my and and I think the entire volleyball world's challenge to everybody is to get there on that same level to where we say, you know, that I don't know if it's if it's more passionate in Indy and Minnesota than it is over, you know, in Northern California or Southern California. And I'm not directly saying that, but I think there's a different energy when you go over to the Midwest and you just see how ingrained it is in the culture. Jenna, let us ⁓ let us move on to the mailbag. We actually got a couple questions this week, ⁓ multiple, and we'll start with a question from MOB that we will lightly touch on because I think it's a great question that deserves its own episode. But that question was. Can you go through what each of the teams should still be looking for player wise as they round out their raw their rosters? We wanna acknowledge that because we will totally touch on this more, but we I don't think you're gonna go super in depth on it now in this ⁓ what we have remaining of this episode. But we did want to just bring up that we will be talking about that. Yeah, that's gonna take a whole episode in and of itself. And I'm gonna be calling on producer Mike and get some hopefully maybe get some graphics and things because hell, it's a lot to wrap my own head around. Twelve teams on We'll do your research. We'll do the research for you guys and give us give you our hot takes, but that's gonna take a little a little more thought than a casual mailbag. But fantastic question. We will definitely be doing that. And the second part of that question from Emma was when might these teams get the rest of their players for preseason training, international undrafted twenty twenty six, MLV players, college athletes, et cetera. Ooh, now that's now that we can answer. So the the short answer is literally any time, which is a little bit chaotic. about professional sports, right? You're hired to do a job, you come in, you do it. ⁓ so obviously the college players will need to finish their season. So they'll be available mm mid December, depending on how far they go, and they'll be joining their rosters after the draft. But free agency is still open. Free agency still continues. ⁓ we could be signing unsigned players from Europe right up until the first match and even beyond. Tons of teams last season picked up players mid season. ⁓ I think I remember ⁓ Kendall Kip actually, she was just in that USA Cup. ⁓ Kendall Kip came through probably about with two months to go and join the Columbus Fury season one. The answer is anytime. So keep paying attention to socials and maybe I think once we go through and discuss some of those roster needs, we might have a better idea of if coaches are still looking, if we can accept expect to see a surprise somewhere here and there. Another mailbag question that we have from Rusty is what color do you think is underutilized with the new teams? I have my takes. I'm ready for yours. So I'm stoked that we have more green. I am too. I would have said honestly before we got Minnesota, I would have said green is criminally underutilized. Well, and it's such a nice green too. I'm doomed to be a Packer fan, so sometimes like that harsh green feels like a little much, but I represent nonetheless. ⁓ we're getting some pinks and purples through there, so that's nice. What do you yeah, what do you have? So I had pink. I still I still like that Minnesota is bringing in a little bit of of pink with the the lady slipper ⁓ nod there in their colorway. I I still think pink as a primary is is slightly or not slightly, it is under underutilized. I'd like to see it a nice tasteful pink, I think could be good. ⁓ I think I mean my favorite color is maroon, so I'd love to see a little bit more maroon in there. Yeah. I you know, again, like like maybe a a main main maroon would be kind of cool. ⁓ and then I want more orange. You really you don't think i ⁓ indie is bringing enough orange? Well to think like two is great. Well but else can nobody. I should I should state for the record I am slightly transitionally colorblind if that's things. So for example, this ball over my my right shoulder, that's very hard for me to tell if that's blue or purple. So that kind of stuff. And people always make fun of me for saying that the yellow Gatorade is green, but that one I think is a little bit more questionable. But either way, ⁓ so yeah, the the the say asking if Grand Rapids has yellow or or ⁓ or orange is is definitely on brand for me. But the spy producer Mike bullied you for your shorts this last weekend in Gainesville, which is coming next week. Yes. Many things. but I think I I I I agree with if we were going towards ⁓ you you know you were verging more orange and yellow for me, I think now needs needs another team. You don't agree with that? Yellow is yellow is really hard. It's that's that's a tough one. I feel like yellow doesn't suit people all the time. You gotta be really t you gotta really make sure you keep your tan up. Speaking from personal experience. Like the The winter pale gets everybody. It really does. And I feel like yellow's hard. Yellow's tough. We need like one of those influencers who does like the here are your color palettes, you know, for your different seasons to to like give those to each team. I think would be funny. ⁓ my god. Yeah. Yellow is tough. So we've said yellow, orange, maroon, pink. I think one of the other colors I would have said before we got some of the new teams ⁓ was purple. I think purple could be kind of a main a a main kind of a shocking kind of purple. I know that Dallas has it in their in their logo, but ⁓ I think purple can be good too. My friend's VLA team is like a total nineties, like the nineties through up on our jersey, and it's actually super fun. ⁓ it's like hot pink, like highlighter green, like it's all sort like all splattered. They're the Milwaukee mayhem. They're fantastic. I told her she needs to register that name. So when we finally get an MLV team in Milwaukee, someone can pay her ten thousand dollars for the naming rights, but That's the only ⁓ off the record insider trading I do. Milwaukee with mayhem would be awesome. I think that should totally be an expansion team. That's what I'm saying. So, like in the beginning, Morgan Hence and I would just like we were we were kind of consulting for the league and we would try to yap and come up with team names. And it is so surprisingly difficult and it gets really stupid really fast because there are only so many names. That you can come up with that you because you can't copy, you can't repeat, you can't infringe on trademarks. And then lo and behold, my friend goes and has her semicro VLA team, the Milwaukee Mayhem. I'm like, that's it. That's the name. Now I just need to find someone with millions of dollars to buy a team. But what is the mascot for the Milwaukee mayhem? I mean, it's it's VLA, so I don't think they have a mascot per se. In this hypothetical world of if we were gonna create a team and and make a mascot, what do you even choose for the what is what embodies mayhem? I wanna steal Starla from the supernovas, actually. Just Okay, okay, this is not prerogative towards Starla whatsoever. It's just a large mm Muppet S ⁓ Muppet looking thing. But if Starla's already the sort of vague muppet. ⁓ no. ⁓ no, Starla's gonna come kill me in my sleep. She is a space alien. Starla's a space alien, she's fantastic. What is the mayhem? Starla, I just want you to know it wasn't me. That was all Jenna. Go after her. I don't support this take. I think Starla's taller than me, so I think I should I should I'm usually not afraid of things that are shorter than me, but things that are taller than me, horses included, fill me with a little bit of skepticism. I don't even know where to go with that. The end of Jenna's burgeoning podcast career got murdered by Starla, rightfully so. ⁓ Were you afraid of mascots as a child? I was afraid of mascots as a child for a really long time. No, I don't think I was. I there was some that were unsettling. Like have you ever seen those clips now where it's like I mean, I w we're roughly the same era. Like I grew up like I teletubies was on TV a lot, even when my brother was younger. And it's like, have you seen those things where it's like if you look at it now, like it's kind of creepy. Like the baby in the sun and like the the teletubbies. Like if you there's there's people who put like the sha they take the ⁓ the clip and they drop down the the shadow all the way and it's just they look like kind of really creepy demon looking things and I was like, you know, I'm glad I never put that together in my head because that would have been that would have been then I would have been really creep creeped out by them. And that's like a mascot kind of thing, I feel like. But no to answer your question. None ever really stuck out in my head as being like, that's creepy. Apparently my mom would just say, ⁓ Jenna, go take a picture with so and so and I would insist and say no and just like hug her leg, apparently. Or so I've been told. This could be an entirely false memory constructed by my mother. Don't know why Kim would do that. Jen Jenna, can we move on to wrap up the show to ⁓ what are we up to? Where where we we specifically want to know, did you win your playoff game? ⁓ yeah. So last week I did win my playoff game. So tonight we will be going, we got two games to win to go to the women's open Bradford Beach Championship. How many rounds are there to win? You've already haven't you already won two? ⁓ 'cause I play three nights a week. I play in three different divisions, that's why. We got chased off the beach by a tornado last night. That was really dumb. ⁓ Like a real tornado? Like a ⁓ yeah, like a real tornado. Yeah. It was that was Co ed A doubles. Way to casually throw that in and then just brush it off. ⁓ I live in the Midwest, hair flip. No, no, like I wanna so we go and we know it's gonna rain, so we take the car instead the motorcycle and ⁓ parking's a terrible. Anyway. So we're there, we go down, and lo and behold, we finish warm ups and a very, very steady rain begins, firmly raining. Like this is great, I love this. This is why I play indoor for a living. ⁓ and I think we got to three to three in the first set, and as the balls flag, I'm like, dude, that's a tornado siren. Like this is dumb. Like let's go. And yeah, lo and behold, they closed the beach and we left. But like I said, that was Coed A. Tonight I have women's open. So we'll see how that goes. Not seen was you getting off the plane and going straight to your your volleyball matches ⁓ after we got back from Gainesville, ⁓ covering the alumni match there. And ⁓ my only other thing to add with tornadoes is I haven't seen one since it was my job to go towards them. And I ⁓ I'm actively happy that I don't have to live in a place with tornadoes, so I don't know how you do it. Seven, you keep sleeping on how cool you are, chasing murderers, chasing tornadoes. Like there's so much to unpack there. And you're just like, no, Jenna, talk about volleyball. I'm not cool. I got I got out of there. The people who still can do that day in and day out, they're the ones who are cool because I I don't know how how people do it. Now I want to go watch the Glenn Powell movie again. How tall is Glenn Powell? Taking bets right now. He's gone six foot. Glenn Powell, drum roll, please. Searching. Searching. Six foot. Thirty-seven years old. ⁓ Six foot. So definitely also five blood. Jenna, we we are at AVCA first serve this week. ⁓ the gate our trip to the Gainesville with the Gators will most likely be next week's episode. ⁓ just very quickly, last thing before we wrap up the show, ⁓ just looking forward to ABCA being out in your neck of the woods in Milwaukee, ⁓ but also kicking off the college season and getting to be a part of that. We'll have some of our athletes in attendance and ⁓ we're looking to bring some more ⁓ great content for you all. So stay tuned to the socials. But yeah, looking forward to ABCA, Jenna. Rock and roll, see you there. Awesome. All right, everybody. That is gonna do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening to the Set Six podcast. Remember, please continue to like, comment, share, and subscribe. Thank you as well to everybody who keeps ⁓ coming up to either of us and saying hi, saying that they listen to the podcast that happened again in Minnesota. Love it. Thank you so much. ⁓ despite whether or not I look like I'm just totally buried in my phone, ⁓ it's it's fantastic ⁓ when you come up and say hi and say that you're listening to the podcast. We really, really appreciate it. ⁓ please continue to submit your questions for the mailbag. Like we said, love getting the questions this week and we'll continue to answer them. We'll continue to bring on Jenna for them and ⁓ we're just so excited to keep this rolling. So Thank you so much for listening, everybody. I am your host, Severin Lavenstein. That is Jenna Rosenthal, and we will see you next time on the Set Six Podcast.