Latest / Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast / Episode 021 | The MLV Missing Persons Report: Who's Still Waiting to Be Announced?
Transcript
- speaker-0: DC or LA. On this episode, Jenna Rosenthal and I discuss the athletes yet to be announced on MLV rosters and what they'll bring to their 2027 squads. Plus, we're also sharing our unique perspective on what went down at Wrigley Field. So lock in, this is the Set Six Podcast. What's going on? How are we doing, everybody? Welcome back to the Set 6 podcast. This is the official podcast of Major League Volleyball, and this is episode 21. I'm your host, Severin Lavinstein, alongside me, Jenna Rosenthal, our set six correspondent. And please like, comment, subscribe. We are on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Before you listen to this one, go listen to episode 20 with all things from NorCal FanFest. That includes interviews with Carrie Walsh Jennings, Pia Timmer, Ali Czech, Naya Gross, Izzy Strand, and just the overall action from NorCal Fan Fest, which was a blast. The format for this episode is gonna be some fun volleyball yapping about the world of off-season major league volleyball at this point in ⁓ well, let's call the first half of September still. We're still still in that first half. ⁓ but we're gonna talk about the news first. ⁓ that includes ⁓ Jenna's and my experience at Wrigley. And then we'll talk a little bit of a a remaining free agent breakdown. I think we've we've affectionately called this the the MLV missing persons report ⁓ to this current point in the season with two teams still to announce their rosters. Then we got a little debate topic fun, and then we'll get out of here. So let's get into it first, Jenna. How are we doing? speaker-1: doing great and I've just had a terrible realization. What is that? I haven't listened to Green Days wake me up when September ends yet, and it's September 9th. speaker-0: You know, I heard it honestly while we I I think it w not when we were in Chicago, but it was at some point in my recent life, I think it was going to the grocery store, someone had their window down and was playing it. And ⁓ you know, I was like, you know, that's that's pretty fitting, although they're they were a couple of days late. speaker-1: No, that that's exactly the energy I was hoping for. You know, the rental Jeep truck and bombing around Chicago with green day just pouring out of the windows. But we had athletes in tow, so we, you know, had to keep the experience very professional. speaker-0: We're we're transitioning into that fall playlist, which, you know, when September ends should should probably be on most fall playlists, I would think. But still felt like summer in Chicago, especially with some of the heat that we that we experienced there and that everybody was experiencing there, particularly with some of the the core conditions. So do we want to launch into that? I know that's probably gonna be the the top of the news items. And everybody and their cousin has ⁓ taken a bite of this apple, but we haven't yet. ⁓ so why don't we do that? Let's talk a little bit about Wrigley and and first ⁓ I want to open the floor to you. What what were your impressions of of the event? And obviously ⁓ it didn't end the way that everybody wanted, but I think there were still honestly a lot of cool things to take away from it. speaker-1: Definitely. We can save our weather report for the end of this little segment here. But honestly, I think that was a one of the top 10, top five coolest sporting events I've been able to witness. Wrigley is such an iconic venue. I've been there for a handful of Cubs games, despite being a rampant Brewers fan. And just seeing everyone so united and so excited about the Huskers. I know it was the Big Ten SEC challenge, but we can't, we all know who paid for that. metaphorically, culturally cloud speaking. So I thought that was absolutely amazing. And my biggest observation, kind of unrelated to volleyball, I really did not fully appreciate how close Major League pitching mounds are to home plate. Was that you with us? Yes. Holy crap. We were so we were able to escort Merritt, ⁓ Layla and Taylor around on the infield, or, you know, not in the stands. And as we rounded behind home plate on the warning track, I looked up, I made sure I looked up and out at the pitching mound and holy crap, you mean to tell me someone's throwing a hundred twenty mile an hour fastball from just over there. No way, no how. I'm very impressed by that. But I honestly I'm very much more impressed by forty five thousand plus in attendance at Wrigley. What was that, Severin? The second most attended event in Wrigley history? Yeah. speaker-0: For putting me on the spot. I think it's second biggest volleyball match ever outside of Nebraska football. I think it's the second biggest or I think it's the biggest crowd since Wrigley did their bleacher expansion in twenty fourteen, I believe. ⁓ and there were more people there than there were seats available. But of course, you adequately pointed out that that's because they opened up the infield. But still, you know, I I think j that that shows the scale. ⁓ which I I do want to talk about in a in a second 'cause I think that's a really good point by you. I just wanted to first touch on what you were talking about with the experience of being on the field before we kind of get into everything else. And ⁓ I've been lucky enough to be able to do different events in various capacities on on major league fields, including Fenway Park and ⁓ I think it's Chase Field ⁓ in Arizona. Pardon me if that that field is is incorrect that I I have there. point being to say like it was special. to be there and to look around at a packed crowd for volleyball. And I think that yes, that's a topic that is talked about a lot. If like, ⁓ yeah, you Nebraska can pack stadium. What else do you w you know, duh? We get we speaker-1: We've heard that. We've heard that plenty of times. speaker-0: But this is a state this is arguably one of the most fav famous stadiums in all of the US. It's it's not built for volleyball and and and it's not in Nebraska, but it's still in a major city and and it's one of the most iconic venues of all time. And that was an unbelievable show out turnout. And I think that can't be ignored. And it's the number one thing that I I think just from even when we were on the field and when we were leading the players through. me a little bit more frantically th than you at at certain points trying to lead us all to the right gates. But ⁓ it was it was insane. And then ⁓ myself and producer Mike were running up and down the you know the stairs trying to get to various angles and you couldn't even move back there near near the ⁓ the concession stands and getting up and down the the different ladders and and staircases that we had to go to and ramps to to get to where we needed to be. And to your point, it's like this iconic stadium that seats so many people simultaneously feels huge and small at the same time. And that is to me a credit of the environment. And you have the bars outside packed. You have the the fan center packed. You have it it it was, you know, and it was funny. I was passing by a Cubs staffer and they go, you know, you should see it on Cubs game days. And I just was like, yeah no, it's nothing like this. And I've been to Cubs games. It it's it's not even remotely close to this. And and I just I I was floored by the attendance and I think that even when we'd heard what the attendance numbers were gonna be, you know, that's always a little inflated and I'd seen it was gonna be hit hearing knitting nearing that like upper forties number. And and to be able to experience it regardless of the outcome of just how many people wanted to be there for that, I just don't think it can be talked about enough. speaker-1: Honestly, experiencing all of that with, honestly, and then adding on Merritt Beeson, Leo Blackwell, and Taylor Lanfair, that added a whole nother layer of insanity to experiencing that. It felt like we were a shark. You couldn't stop swimming. You had to keep moving. ⁓ just otherwise, you know, so many excited fans wanted to see the girls, see they wanted to see the athletes. They wanted to talk to the athletes. They have that really strong alumni connection and Our athletes are so good with their fans, but you know, it's it's a problem of scale. You stop for one, two, three, and now it's all of a sudden it's 30. And when do you cut that off? And honestly, I I even had a little bit of that secondhand excitement for our athletes to be a part of this program. To be everywhere you go, you have people ch shouting your name and waving and wanting to say hi and being so happy to see you that, you know, just proves that Husker Nation Husker Nation is something so special to be a part of and to be enveloped in. And I felt like that's what it was like at Wrigley. We're enveloped in the Husker love. speaker-0: Tell our tell our listeners more about kind of what what you were doing and and the athletes that we brought and why we brought them there. speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ I mean, we really obviously the game the Nebraska game being played at Wrigley, that's gonna be a incredible cultural touchstone moment for the sport for the next for the for the year certainly, if not longer. And we really wanted to make sure we were part of that and paying doing right by our connection to that. ⁓ Merritt Beeson was our number one overall draft pick for season two. ⁓ Layla Blackwell contributed for the supernovas this season and Taylor Lanfair. I can't wait to see the things she does this season in NorCal. And we wanted to show how much we're so grateful to the programs that have produced these fine athletes and we're so honored to continue to platform them, platform them and give them a place to play. And it was really, really special that we were able to bring them back to not necessarily a home game, but bring them back to what became their home. ⁓ so yeah, so anyway, we were able to bring in the athletes and we got some really fantastic courtside tickets to put them right. Honestly, they they felt like they were just right behind the Nebraska bench. You know, the family, the connection on a ball on a especially on a college volleyball team, it's c continuing like it's see, right? The the Nebraska team that you see today stands on the shoulders of what Merritt, Layla, and Taylor did. And the current Nebraska players know that. Our athletes know that and just being able to bring them in, bring them close and to kind of reunite them in a limited capacity was really, really, really special. And just even sitting sitting next to our athletes and hearing them, you know, laugh and talk with their teammates, you know, during some of the delays. I think Layla went and snatched some gum from coach as he was walking by and that was so funny because I I know exactly that feeling of like, Hey man, perfect got you. I I can't tell you, she probably stole gum from his clipboard. a hundred times during her career. And the fact that that still continues is just so funny and really is a testament to these programs being like families and being like legacies and how we're so excited to be a continuation of that legacy. speaker-0: I t I love the interaction with fans, players, and coaching staff alike of how it's not just you move on and and that's it. And that's I think one of the reasons why we really want to bring these athletes back into these college environments to show the fans that yes, we know that you love these players still, even after they leave the program and you can still see them and still cheer for them. And so I I think none well, the reactions that we saw I don't think can be faked. And so that I think that was just something that was the genuine care and compassion for players even that are no longer with the program. Like you said, that that the players and staff know that they stood that they stand on their shoulders of what they've they've built, I think is such a great ⁓ way to describe it. speaker-1: You guys need to go look it up on our Instagram. It is pure feel good happiness fuel. ⁓ just the squeals of joy and hugs between teammates being reunited. ⁓ Harper and Bergen seeing Merritt, Layla and Taylor again, just chatting and spending time together and really reuniting that family. And now you take us back into our very important meteorological discussion. speaker-0: Well, if if that's if that's how we want to phrase it. So you were sitting courtside with our athletes. I was a little bit more removed, kind of roaming around the infield at at I think points in the first game or first match and ⁓ in addition to to running up and down the the back ends of of Wrigley. But for the most part, I was around the outside, you were on the close to the floor. What did you see? What did you notice? Kind of tell me, 'cause I wasn't even really it we were kind of peering over and kind of trying to see what was happening, and we kind of got to it late. ⁓ only really when in the second match when ⁓ the the leaf blower started passing me did I really kinda understand what was going on. speaker-1: Yeah, the Leaf Lowers coming out was kind of crazy. ⁓ so first off, the first match seemed fine. Not great, but fine. It seemed to me a little bit like players are a little bit tentative. They're a little bit, you know, they're being careful as well they should. ⁓ but clearly as the as the night wore on, as the sun set, the temperature dropped, ⁓ we started getting a little chilly, you know, wishing the clubhouse had a blanket. But as that temperature dropped, you start seeing players moving. less and less and being more and more cautious. And by the time the second match started, people are slipping and sliding all over the floor. and it and when you look closely, because the field was raised by about three feet or so on a little stage. And from our really close angle, because I was probably not even 10 feet away from it, you can see the condensation. You can see the footprints left. It was a clear sheen of water across the entire field. And Terraflex is an absolutely fantastic product. Big, big fan, enjoy hugely playing on Terraflex quartz, but any amount of moisture is really can be a concern. And now that's not Terraflex's fault. I'm sure I'm very much I'm very sure they specified temperature ranges and ⁓ humidity ranges where their product performs best. But seeing the actual footprints of the athletes as they walked carefully around, I'm like, ⁓ that can't be good for competition. ⁓ And seeing when they brought the floor wipers out, those that floor wiping crew was a very dedicated group of young men. And you wipe the floor, but you can still see there's still water left behind. It just as soon as you wipe it away, it recondenses and it's right back where you started. There was nothing you could possibly have done. But it was I'm I I'm just so glad nobody got hurt. speaker-0: Yeah, I think, you know, for the full play by play of of how it happened and and what happened, there are a lot of great articles around there ⁓ around what happened. There's a lot been a lot of discussion up until this point. So Jen and I are not gonna take you through the play by play of, you know, soaking the rags in the solution, then going out and then wait walking away for fifteen minutes and coming back and everything that everybody was talking about. There's a lot of people that can ⁓ help you with that in various different articles. What I wanna skip to is sort of the aftermath and And and different discussions around what happened as as we get there. Jen and one of the things I thought was really interesting was some of the comments afterwards, particularly from ⁓ Coach Danny Buth Busboom Kelly, ⁓ where there was obviously a lot of appreciation, respect, and and and admiration for setting up the event, but pretty firm ⁓ declaration that this is an indoor sport and should remain that way. Far be it from me to disagree with Coach. I've only met her once. She's fantastic, she's obviously amazing. ⁓ at at what she does and and has been just an amazing ambassador of the sport with her athletes and with the way that she conducts herself, I think is tremendous in front of media in all capacity. I in all of that said, would disagree by just saying I think there are ways that this can change. And to loop it back to what we said earlier, I think that the special factor of the location and venue cannot be overlooked while fully understanding where she's coming from, that it's an indoor sport and needs to remain remain indoor. J you and I were talking, Jenna, like, you know, obviously there's a there's a lot that goes into the broadcast window and and a side note to my side note, rough week for the Big Ten with with the Mich Michigan controversy. And then right into this, I was saying to producer Mike, I was like, ooh, not not their greatest week ever. But ⁓ you know, I th I think they're yeah, sorry, go ahead. speaker-1: I was just saying big oof, man. Really big oof. speaker-0: But at the same time, I think there are ways, you know, like if the game gets moved up earlier, if now that this is in this is fully established, maybe there are and and I can't pretend to be a condensation expert, but you know, you can make perforations in the court or make a specific kind of court now that you know that this is something that happens, ⁓ that that is more resistant to that ⁓ moisture i in the future. Maybe you can pre-treat the court with that kind of solution that they were talking about next time. I think there are ways to look at this like ⁓ an experiment for the future. And I think it's worth looking at that because of the environment created, if that makes sense. speaker-1: I mean, goodness gracious, that's a very expensive experiment, I must say. ⁓ but you're right. I think Coach DBK has a really great point. There's a reason our sport is indoor volleyball is played indoors. There's a lot of factors outside that indoor players don't typically accommodate to. That being said, as we look to push and develop our sport forward, who can say no to playing at Wrigley? Iconic venues, worth going to. ⁓ just a beautiful tableau. I can't get over how beautiful the drone shots were flying over Chicago and then looking in to see the sea of red and a volleyball court ⁓ in Wrigley. I think there's definitely solutions that can be done or solutions that can be found, continuing airflow, ⁓ keep ensuring that the court temperature is above the dew point for one. you need to get an engineer in here just to fully, fully proof out these concepts here. But I don't think this needs to be the end of volleyball being played in major sports arenas. I just think that it really emphasizes that you have to be very, very careful and you have to be very, very sure what you're doing. ⁓ these are big stages and there's big stakes involved. And frankly, when everything kind of fell apart on Sunday night, I was so consistently impressed at how everyone was still having a really good time. Those people have come so far to see the Huskers and everyone was still really happy to one see their team. totally understood the logistics of you physically can't play on an ice rink. And they put the well-being of their players first and foremost. And big shout out to both teams, Nebraska and Mizzou, in understanding that their fans came to see them and still leaning into it and providing a little bit of entertainment and a little bit of value, recognizing that people came to see them. And so if they can't play a volleyball game, they they don't just disappear into the locker room and wait for the bus. speaker-0: The reason why I come at it with that view is just look around to other sports, like these these big exhibitions in areas that are uncommon for the sport. Like, for example, look at look at hockey. You have the winter classic, which I think last year was played in Tampa Bay outside. You had you've it's ha it's been had before in Lake Tahoe where the ice was melting and they had to quickly hurry up and fix that and it didn't totally go to plan. I think that was I was still in college for that, so I think that was like twenty twenty. two, some something around there. ⁓ no, I graduated in 21. 2020. So somewhere around there, I think during COVID. I'm sorry. There's a lot of other things on on the mind. ⁓ need more monster. But ⁓ also, you know, you look at baseball, like they play in the field of dreams game in in Iowa. You look at football, going over s overseas and playing in some of these soccer, you know, arenas. Like your sport, I think it's almost a sign again of that growth of the sport of playing in these areas that are not speaker-1: Too young for dementia, man. speaker-0: Totally conducive to where you would normally play. And that's just, I think that is my ultimate takeaway from this. If I can fast forward to my my period at the end of my overall thesis statement is yes, it didn't quite work, but I do not want this to discourage it from another try. And I think that's where I ultimately land. speaker-1: A hundred percent agree. And I think the Venn diagram of volleyball fans and general sports fans needs to continue to keep overlapping. And things like this are you can say it's a publicity stunt all you want, to which I'll say, yeah. S so? Do you not want the sport to be continuing to gain publicity? Do you not want to continue to build a momentum that this sport already has? So what is a publicity stunt? Everybody had a great time. What about it? speaker-0: I like that a lot. I like that a lot. Jenna, unless you have anything else on ⁓ on Wrigley, we can leave it there and move on. But ⁓ again, I I was just really thrilled to go and ⁓ yeah, I I hope that ⁓ you know, I I always love going to Chicago, but I I also hope that ⁓ you know the just the the The travel to a big event for volleyball is not getting old. And I think in whatever capacity that may be, indoor, outdoor, or anything in between, maybe a domed roof situation where we close it and turn on the AC. ⁓ you know, I I I love these big events for volleyball. And I think the next one for us, at least in the college game, will be San Antonio for Final Four, ⁓ in the in the distant future. So I guess distant future, depending on how you view December at this point in the calendar. But what is not in the distant future is our next topic for the news segment, which we are still in, by the way, which is ⁓ the Pan Am Cup, which will have two of our MLV athletes on the roster for Team USA, that is Toyosion Abandrio and Natalie Foster. ⁓ they are going to be on that roster, which I believe is heading off to ⁓ Lyon, ⁓ Guantan ⁓ I'm not even trying that is gonna be heading off to Mexico for September 9th and ⁓ through nineteenth. ⁓ and the tournament is for FIVB world ranking points in ⁓ for Norseca teams that do not participate in the volleyball nations league. We of course were talking about that a lot earlier this summer. ⁓ and it also forms part of the qualification pathway towards Lima twenty twenty seven and the Pan American Games. More information on it can be found at Norseca.net. But Jen, I just thought it was great that two more of our MLV athletes will be representing ⁓ the US national team in this particular event. speaker-1: No, I mean it's fantastic. And ⁓ from a player perspective, repping Team USA is always gonna be a fantastic, you know, like I still remember when I got my first Team USA jersey and I treasure it to this day. But I can't wait to see them continuing to get competition ⁓ internationally and grow their games and I can't be more excited for them. speaker-0: Harken back to one of our earlier conversations. Do you frame your Team USA jersey with your name facing the outside, or is it framed with the front? speaker-1: Now you see because my team USA jersey was the first jersey with my name on the back. I don't know, cause the USA patch is on your chest. And so that's the coolest part of it all. Well, you gotta frame both then. You gotta frame the red one and the blue one. So you get two. So I'm so I'm envisioning, right? Because this is currently all in a storage tote at my mother's Yeah. So so now as I envision this, it's a it's a larger shadow box, right? With the back, the jersey with my name on the back. speaker-0: Yeah, I forgot you got two. I can provide visual aid. Keep talking. speaker-1: You and then a little bit of an overlap here, cover up the number a little bit. You can Ooh. speaker-0: Do have a USA patch here? ⁓ So then but you get you get a real one here. speaker-1: No, see it's the real one on the on the left chest. You know, the standard country flag and, you know, three letter abbreviation. So I'm I'm envisioning like a double layer situation. Gotta gotta cover both. speaker-0: I like that. I think you know, then you get a shadow box with maybe a picture of playing so that you can see that it's, you know, a three dimensional object maybe and you know, there you go. speaker-1: No, there's a beautiful picture actually. w on my first ⁓ little college national team trip out to China, ⁓ it was it was all of us like walking out through the national anthem and you can see you can tell it's in China with all the other ⁓ signs around, but then you see the flag, you know, ⁓ laid out in front of us and someone grabbed a picture from the bench of all of us walking out and that was really cool. That was ten years ago now. My goodness. speaker-0: To ⁓ to to get back to our players, but it also ties into your experience as well. I feel like it's a ringing endorsement of the level of play that we have out of our middles representing our country, no exception for when you were on the team as well. But I think also, you know, this is complete, ⁓ I don't know if conjecture is the right word, but it's just totally my opinion, not based in fact. But I always have found that the middles that play for team USA in most capacities are really good. at executing the slide or just being really good offensive middles. And I feel like that's always been a characteristic to the point where whenever I look at controversy or ⁓ times when fans are not so happy with the way the team is performing, it generally revolves around I wish the middle was involved more on offense. And so I I just, you know, especially with we know how good Natalie Foster is from the service line. We know how just of a how much of a Swiss Army knife Toyosi is. ⁓ To me I I saw that they were announced for this team and I I couldn't help but think, you know, I I I like to think that they're carrying on that tradition. Well speaker-1: The problem is I will always say we need to set the middle more. I think everyone will always say there no one is ever going to be satisfied with the amount you're setting the middle. That's just a unfortunate fact. ⁓ but no, I think you're right. I think ⁓ team USA's previous era of USA fast really did lend itself to a slide based or not a slide based offense, but an offense that really heavily featured the slide. So I definitely think you're on the right track there. But I want to see Natalie contributing in a really well rounded way, especially with her service, ⁓ her service ace abilities. ⁓ you know, there's there was a pun there that I think I botched, but you know where I'm getting at that with that. ⁓ not as bad as the Norseika dot net pun that's just hiding there. Were they was Norseca cheap when they got the debt net domain or were they speaker-0: I didn't even I didn't even think of that until now. That's speaker-1: ⁓ terrible. Dude, that's the best one. Check out Norseca.net. That's amazing. speaker-0: That hurt my soul to realize that. ⁓ gosh. Either way, to the way that you should check out Norsega.net is to remember that these matches with ⁓ Toyosi and Natalie will be taking place September 9th through 19th. Viewing is always a little interesting on Norsega. I think it's usually YouTube based, but ⁓ you should find the information there. ⁓ to be able to watch your MLV athletes in some real volleyball, which ⁓ if you can't tell, we are dying to have. And part of that real volleyball will include several athletes that we know are in our league that we know will be on probably one of two teams still remaining to announce their rosters. And so what are we gonna do here? Well, we're gonna speculate on these pool of players and maybe not necessarily where they'll go. We'll leave that final answer for you all to figure out. But we're going to further highlight who is still out there, who is still available, who some of your favorite athletes from ⁓ L V from seasons past and last year are are wh where they're who they are, where they are, what they're best at, and and what they we bring into some of the teams. And that is going to be the the main crux of the rest of this episode. And so Jenna, ⁓ I'll let you start here with I you know, we were going through this earlier today and yesterday, and the level of talent is still very evident. And, you know, as we've been teasing all summer, you know, you'll be okay fans of both teams. But you know, when I was going through it, I was really like, wow, okay, yep, some some really good players still out there. speaker-1: Hundred percent. And that's where I started getting a little funny with it. It's our missing persons report. For example, Ramat Al San, last seen at the end of regular season at Grand Rapids. Where is she now? We don't know. Identifying or do we know? Wink wink nudge nudge. speaker-0: Witnesses saw an appearance of Vermont at the the Ren photo shoot where she was posing in very elegantly for our ⁓ our ⁓ Ren essential essentials, our our athletic new athletics apparel ⁓ line, and then she was has not been seen or heard from since. ⁓ but but there were there were sightings earlier this summer. speaker-1: There were signs of life and we can continue picking up the mystery. But ⁓ in all seriousness, Ramot is ⁓ I got the opportunity to play with her a little bit this last season during my stint with the rise. And she is such a phenomenal both team leader on and off the court. But you you can't deny her physicality and her reach are an amazing asset to any team that gets her. ⁓ I'm really excited to see more of her in twenty twenty seven, ⁓ and season coming up and ⁓ She was really a huge part of that Grand Rapids Rise comeback. a big push towards the end after a bit of a slow start. And when you keep in mind, Severin, she was injured for a really, really decent chunk of the season. So I don't even think we saw ⁓ the full potential of Ramat Alassan in season three. ⁓ my notes say I I had her out. She was out from Feb February twenty sixth through April tenth. That's a very substantial part of the season. And ⁓ Setter hitter connections are huge, especially at the middle blocker position. So I think we can see some really great stuff from Vermont in season four. speaker-0: Yeah, even even with injury, she was ⁓ she had forty eight blocks, tied for seventh or sorry, ⁓ alone in seventh, ⁓ you know, for the for the league ⁓ block leaders this ⁓ last year. Just beyond the stat sheet, tell tell me more about what it's like to play with her. What is she like that maybe I wouldn't see in the box score? speaker-1: I mean, again, she's just a f really phenomenally bubbly, fun person that really turns it into a really good competitive edge. ⁓ playing with her is she's a really great, ⁓ she's a really great teammate and a really great leader who helps build in build in ease into a lineup. You need a b a good balance of like firecrackers and stability players. Like Carly Snyder, when we talk to her at Ren Athletics, ⁓ I think Ramot is also built from that same let's say cut from that same cloth, let's say. But Again, you can't top the reach. Her reach is stup we're about the same height. And I I swear to God, she's got about three inches on me on reach. And that is such a huge game changer when it comes to blocking. You think you're tipping short over the block and she can still grab it and throw it right back in your face. It's insanely frustrating to play against. And it's really, really ⁓ encouraging when she's on your team. speaker-0: It's it's the ultimate compliment that I promise. Is it truly in the form of a compliment that I can pay to Grand Rapids from last year. Just like I I on paper do not understand how that team did not go any farther. And it's part of why, you know, when we talk about all the teams that look good on paper this offseason, it's exciting, but it's not at all reflective of what we'll see towards the end of the season because, you know, we just know some teams will come out of o nowhere, like Omaha, who we didn't think was going to be in the the postseason at the beginning of the year, and maybe San Diego at the beginning of the year we didn't think was going to be in the postseason. And you look at a team on paper of just how stacked that Grand Rapids roster was. And then, you know, you're they're not one of the teams that you see in the end. But she was a huge part of that reason why I thought Grand Rapids had just all the talent in the world last year. speaker-1: Dude, we almost made it out I I say we as if I was on was there for any longer than a month. Dude, it it almost happened after starting like in an eight game deficit to very much be in the conversation for playoffs up until the very last week. Come on, that's amazing. And that leads into my next missing person. Where is Cam Turner? She ⁓ my goodness, I have never seen such amazing defense out of the setter position. She's a f like that girl's a phenomenal athlete. Pure athlete front court, backcourt, blocking, amazing setting location. ⁓ I think ⁓ coach Coach Kathy George making the change from SKT to Cam Turner really, really changed the complexion of that Grand Rapids team. When you have Cam and Morgan playing defense in the back row, ⁓ that completely changes the game and you're extending rallies, you're extending plays. ⁓ you're making a difference. And that kind of defensive hustle is so inspiring to your teammates. And ⁓ I can't wait to see where Camp Turner turns up this year. speaker-0: Tell me more about her characteristics as a setter. ⁓ what what makes her unique? What what's kind of separates her style? speaker-1: I think it's just an incredibly she's a smaller athlete, but it's an incredibly athletic, incredibly physical style. ⁓ she played Libera when she was younger, I believe. And so again, that d relentless defensive pursuit mindset being brought to the setter position completely elevates all aspects of her game. ⁓ I think my favorite thing is, you know, you forget she plays so much bigger than she is. You forget, ⁓ she stands at a relatively modest, I'll I have to double check her height. But she's going up and she's stuffing the big hitters of our league ⁓ while blocking. Sometimes you might think, ⁓ you know, smaller setter, we need to run a 6'2 or something. No. Cam proves that that is absolutely not the case. ⁓ and I I think that that relentlessness ⁓ really carries through all of her game, especially since ⁓ she had to earn her spot from the bench and really prove it to prove it to everyone that she deserves it. Cause it was very, very abundantly clear. And sometimes, you know, earning those positions. It takes a lot of guts to do that. A lot of respect for that. speaker-0: Jen, another thing I want to just draw attention to is, you know, we mentioned Ramat, but also just how many middles are available between these two teams ⁓ to be announced and really high quality at that. You know, Tristan Savage, five kills, seven blocks in the championship. We've got Marin Groat, fifty-one blocks on the season tied for third in the league leaders. We mentioned Toyosi as well. She's still going to be probably on one of these two teams. So, I mean, it just highlights the elite level of middle play that. is gonna be on either of these two teams still remaining that I I'm just so so fascinated by and then also is just, I mean, you would have to think will be a strength of both DC and LS. speaker-1: I mean, all of these athletes, you're right. Tristan stepped in and filled Lane's shoes so well in an incredibly high pressure situation. ⁓ I can't wait to see where she ends up. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. And again, like you said, Marin t tied for third in the league overall. ⁓ you know she's landing somewhere. And ⁓ yeah, it's like I said, it's the missing report person's report. We haven't seen them since season ended and We know they'll be coming back soon and we want to assure you guys, our fans, that we haven't lost them, let's say. speaker-0: The Missing Persons report also includes two of the leading members, in addition to Marin, of the San Diego offense last season. ⁓ you know, that's Grace Loberg, who stuffed the stat sheet in most categories, eighth in the league in blocks, seventh in kills, ninth in digs, so everywhere on the court. And Maya Tabron, the first player in Mojo his franchise history to reach the four hundred-four hundred club, and I I think had ⁓ you know, a bunch of double doubles last season. So, you know, that that entire unit. is gonna be between one of these two teams, which I mean, I don't know, Jen, I don't think it's going out on a limb to say they work pretty well together. So if they're on the same team, that'll be incredible to see again. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. I mean, that's an incredible tandem. I also, where's Naya Shame? I wanna see that girl. She was turning in some really, really great performances down the stretch, February through March. ⁓ she had a little bit of injury trouble too, but that that athlete, she's got a lot more to say on the court. And I wanna see where she pops up. We wanna find her again. ⁓ there's so much good talent left. And I think they're I think there's a lot of excitement waiting for us when these teams get around to finally announcing their picks. speaker-0: I got such a kick out of watching that San Diego offense last year and just the way that it was run by Marley and just the the plethora of offensive weapons that were available and and between Maya and Grace and Marin, it was like just it truly felt like a three headed monster and and just like the the dragon tamer at at the front with with Marley, which was so cool. And I mean, I'm all for if that's run back and forth. You know, we know obviously It's probably not going to be with Marley and Orlando, but it's it's still is gonna be great for whatever setter, as we mentioned, the the high level of of ⁓ skill and ability there with all of the setters in our league there. Who whatever setter, if they end up being on the same team again, is just gonna have ⁓ an absolute blast with that. And I I I that'll be one of the first stops on an OTAs that I want to go to just to see how that is all coming along offensively. ⁓ but I just I too, you know. We talk a lot about all these other teams and and last season we were like, you know, that's probably where your scoring is coming from. This is probably what you're gonna see in this offensive set. And and on on one hand, that's really cool because it's kind of like the hey, you know what we're doing, we know what we're doing, come stop us. But I always thought the the San Diego offense is little bit different where it's like, you don't know where it's gonna come from and good luck. speaker-1: Good luck, everybody else. ⁓ but like that's why I get so excited about expansion in general, right? So ⁓ like tying it back to Taylor Landfair that we had with us at Wrigley. Not not the biggest compute contributor right away for the Indy Ignite, but more than deserving enough to lead her own team and franchise. And now she can have that opportunity in NorCal. There are so many good players that have been stacking our rosters that giving everyone a little bit more room to spread out can only mean greater opportunities for these athletes who deserve to show what they can do and bring their best against the best, night in and night out, not just on the practice court. So speaker-0: you know, I to to that point too, sticking with Indy, you know, I think of Leck Membermena and being now one of the stars that we ⁓ expect to see leading the offense in Vegas, you know, and that being like your your chance to really see her and and her team. It could you know could be could be somebody else's team, but just again, looking on paper offensively, I I view the same thing that you're viewing with Taylor there, just thinking about Indy and just how stacked that team was. Never mind the fact that they're running it all back too. So Yeah, the excitement is is definitely not fake. It's it's for real. And that expansion, I agree, is just such a great opportunity to see athletes who we know are great and who just maybe fit a system a different way, getting to hold their own in a new capacity. One of those athletes may be someone that I need you to tell me more about because I don't think we got to see her a whole lot last year. But Hannah Maddox ⁓ is still ⁓ gonna be probably on one of these two teams. We know that she's out there. speaker-1: Yeah, no, she was also dealing with some injuries in Orlando this last season. But Hannah Maddox is a super dynamic, super exciting outside hitter. She really had a fantastic breakout season for the Vegas Thrill ⁓ in 2025, season two. S ⁓ draft pick out of South Alabama. Not exactly the biggest volleyball powerhouse school that you think of, but Hannah really, really, really flourished in the professional leagues and really quickly made a name for herself with, you know, mm-hmm. really physical outside hitter play. and ⁓ we were really excited to see more of her in Orlando, but ⁓ injury problems kinda held her back a little bit. And so I want to see how she comes back, bounces back better than ever. I d like I said, the I still remember it back at Lee's family forum, just her coming out of absolutely nowhere and hitting the I wanted to find a proper word for this. Hitting the ball really hard. I'll say that. Hitting the absolute heck out of the ball. speaker-0: ⁓ I like it. We'll we'll have to work on the adjectives that you can describe for hard the whole season to figure it out. speaker-1: I was gonna say ⁓ god I can I promise I have a vocabulary broader than curse words, but sometimes when you're describing that, there's only one word I can describe it. Anyway. speaker-0: Well, I'll have to look up the the speed numbers ⁓ that we'll see on some of our advanced analytics on on her when when she hits the court. That'll be fun to see. speaker-1: Definitely. ⁓ speaker-0: On the defensive side, Georgia Murphy, twenty twenty four digs leader at Libera, we know, is still out there as well. ⁓ I Jenna to me, you know, I I I look at her almost like one of the Liberos who just again how how many amazing athletes we have in this league maybe didn't find herself in the right spot last year in terms of being able to play and show off the great skill that she had in twenty twenty four. Now between one of these two teams has a chance to be a real leader. speaker-1: Yeah, and I think that's another a aspect too. A lot of people will, ⁓ a lot of general sports fans who are not quite as familiar with volleyball will ask why volleyball is so adamant about one year contracts. It it does lead to a lot of hopping around, but in this case for Georgia Murphy's say, you know, you Terodor Pusik gets brought in a twelve twelve year vet, like many year vet, Serbian national team vet, that's tough. You know, as athletes, you always want to duke it out and fight for your spot. But I think an important part about being an athlete is knowing when to tip your cap and, you know, acknowledge that maybe this wasn't quite the situation for you. And that doesn't make her ⁓ you know, unworthy of playing. She's a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal player. And now she was able to sign a contract and maybe move on to a different situation in which she can fully share her talents with her team. So it's a huge win. And again, I think she has a lot more to say in her athlete story. And we're gonna be able to follow that and see that this season. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, it it falls under the category of probably stating the obvious, but I think it's something that really jumps out even if you're a very casual fan of our league, is that the the gap in skill level, I mean, yeah, maybe in some positions can be evident, but I think a lot of times, even when we saw different shifts last year, whether it was changes at setter or changes at, you know, ⁓ middle because of injury, or maybe it was because of, you know, you had to play someone out of position, ⁓ I think we heard Can't remember who the player was, but I think in Dallas they had to shift some things around after Lane's injury. And it was, you know, players even playing out of position, playing super well at a different position, which to me, something that I've noticed about our league is not only is there depth, but there's there's ⁓ you know the the wins above replacement stat that gets thrown around a lot in baseball. I mean, I think our our war stats, if we kept them, I'll have to check in on our our volley station metrics there, but if we had wins above replacement. You know, I think that that's something that would be it would be a low number because ⁓ I I think the talent that is able to step in and fill gaps i is really impressive all the way down the bench. And, you know, given one specific change in system, change in injury situation, change in coaching staff, ⁓ coaching philosophy, it can really highlight a player's skills and strengths that maybe just for whatever reason they haven't been able to y to show. But I find it very rare, at least from what I've seen so far, that that it's a it's a talent gap. I don't think that really exists a lot. speaker-1: Totally agree with that. And now I haven't watched Moneyball in a while, so my ability to discuss baseball stats is incredibly limited. But I think you're right because saying a player is better one player is better than another is not necessarily such a done, settled deal as you might think it is. Like, sure, she might be point ⁓ one percent better than me. However, it's still a competition, and you you come to that competition. with your skill sets and within the variability of each or each of your skill sets, you still compete every single night. She might be better than me, yes. But if I have a better tactic, if I have a better system, that's why that still becomes a game. That still becomes a lot more competitive. ⁓ I think and I think that goes again to a lot of these different athletes finding different places and finding different combinations that can enhance their enhance their play. ⁓ with their teammates, you know, one plus one equals three, sort of thing. ⁓ I suppose baseball maybe did figure it out by getting wins above replacement, and I will kinda Google that after we're done recording here. speaker-0: Well, even even just to not talk about it from a stats standpoint, you know, to me it it brings up like the conversation that we had with Anna Dixon a couple of weeks ago in Gainesville, talking about what really opened up her eyes about ⁓ you know, playing in in certain systems, like playing in ⁓ you know, the the Dave Boo's Florida system and and how what he taught her about, you know, how to view the game and you know, it just kinda it's it's one little unlock that that just makes you a whole new dynamic kind of level of player and that I'm I'm really interested in In talking to our athletes more about what it is in these situations that, you know, maybe is that little unlock ⁓ of that that skill set and and everything like that. So more to come, honestly, there, because I'm eternally fascinated by that subject. One more player to mention, Jen, and then a question for you before we move on ⁓ to our our final topic of the show. But ⁓ we're not gonna say this player's name because that's giving it away. But there is a setter with Canadian national team experience that is going to be on one of these two teams and some pretty significant Canadian national team experience, which, you know, just in some research before the show, I was thoroughly impressed by the resume. And, you know, I just I I'm also continuously thoroughly impressed about, you know, all the different styles of setter that we have in our league. And I cannot wait to see how this particular setter brings her style to the league and specifically this new team next year. And I'm before you go, transitioning that into my question for you, which is from your player perspective, what gets established in OTAs? It's gonna gonna be one of the next things that comes up for us on our calendar and and when we'll first get to see some of this in action and I think we'll be traveling to some of them. But with this player in mind, what from and from your insider perspective of gone going through this before, what is it like when that first little part of the chemistry starts getting developed. speaker-1: Yeah, it's it's like you have to introduce yourselves and your play styles to each other. So obviously I'm a middle blocker. So my first and my first concern is going to be setter hitter connections. ⁓ that every every player needs a slightly different set. ⁓ though obviously the better athletes will have a much larger l window in what kind of sets they like to hit, but really getting tight and understand And having your setters and hitters understand each other. ⁓ what kind of ball I can expect, how how far is this setter willing to force me? Is she an absolute crazy woman who will attempt to set me from her knees in zone two on a shoot set? Those are those are things you have to kind of understand about each other and feel comfortable playing with each other and getting a sense of where you it's like the sixth sense of knowing where each other's each other are on the court at any given time. And then I would say equally important, if not if not more important, is that passer relationship as well and understanding passing seams and knowing what kind of balls are your strength, what kind of balls are not your strength. Obviously I'm not a passer, so don't quote me on all of this and understanding what kind of communication styles can really lead to a really tight and unified ⁓ backcourt. Because once you get as if I'm a coach, that's what I want to get figured out first. If the reception core is stable and figuring it out, then you can do all sorts of things and you can figure out the details from your offense. But again, Jenna Rosenthal the middle, she just wants to go hit free balls off of her new setter and become best friends as fast as possible. speaker-0: I I was talking to a setter. I I won't confirm ⁓ who who the player is or when I was talking to them, but it was funny. I was trying to understand more about, you know, like we've all seen the the line the hitting lines and you know, you know, ⁓ good, just a little bit higher, you know, ⁓ just a little bit on the and it was so funny, like I was talking to this person and I was like, you know, what do what do you what do you like? What do you what do you think of that and and how do you approach it? And she goes, I'm pretty easy, man. Like, you know, if you don't like the set, I can take it. But she says the one thing. Don't BS me. If I gave you a perfect set and you tell me to to change it, I'm going to give you a look and you're going to know the look the more you get to play with me. And I I laughed pretty hard at hearing that. So ⁓ I don't know if that's how everybody treats it, but I I always think it's ⁓ I I get it if I if I'm ever available to in pre pre match, I like to go stand near the hitting lines and just hear, you know, how everybody interacts with their setter and be like, that was great, that's perfect. I need to jump higher. ⁓ you know, still a little bit flatter, you know, a little bit more arc. And then I immediately look back to the setter and and wonder if that goes for all setters, what I heard. speaker-1: No, that's probably your number one slightly problematic coworker move. ⁓ the other reason that the one that I'm guilty of is I need my setter to quickly understand when I am completely lying about being open. Like 'cause like as a middle, like as a big middle, I usually gar grab a lot of attention. So I need to run an approach anyway and yell my head off. And hopefully the other middle at least pays me a little bit of attention to leave a gap or a seam in the block for my ⁓ teammate. And I got better at this as I got older, but I was like, no, I was faking at that time. You know, when I was really calling for the ball super loudly, I definitely didn't mean that. Sorry. but now with how much people are throwing the ball around, like power tipping, that's a whole nother segment. With the ability of power tipping and me being fortunately so tall, like even if I wasn't ready, I can like two step it and throw it a little bit. So that's not quite as much of a problem. But yeah, things you shouldn't do to your setter. Really loudly fake call the ball and then ask for minute inch based adjustments on your set. But that's what OTAs are for. speaker-0: But all this gets gets set up in OTAs. Jennifer, just a final thought on our topic here of just, you know, now that we've we've rattled off some, not all, by the way, very key component here, not all players that we have ⁓ talked about here. But, you know, just any any final thoughts on, you know, the players that we've we've talked about and also just how, you know, they'll get settled in and established on their new teams in OTAs. speaker-1: Gonna say more to come and we told you it's gonna be okay. So keep listening and we will be piecemealing you guys very juicy tidbits as we get them and as we can. speaker-0: Yeah, we also figured we'd remind you just who's still there because a lot goes on in the offseason. We've been flying around all over the country. So it's nice to sit back, take stock, and be like, okay, what do we still have to have to look forward to? But yeah, as we've illustrated throughout the segment, a lot of talent ⁓ still there to be announced, ⁓ that we're we're looking forward to. Jenno, our final topic as we close out the show here on episode twenty-one, ⁓ it's just a fun one that I saw as I was scrolling Instagram. You know, the nice thing is now I get a lot of ⁓ more volleyball-centric things on my ⁓ for you paired. I think I always had a fair bit, but especially now when it picks up where we're going and how much volleyball we're talking, I think the the algorithm just gives me more. I saw this one from at Coach Boat Volleyball. It was a video on reels. And the the subject was basically just would you want someone to come over to your side of the net after hitting you in the face? And basically I'm gonna summarize. You can see the video for yourself if you want, but the the coach was like, you hit me in the face You can s you stay on your side of the net. Do not come over or or we we will be throwing hands, which I I got a good kick out of. But ⁓ I I know you've got a couple of stories probably on this. speaker-1: Okay, so this is different. All right. I'm gonna distinguish adult rec volleyball for fun and volleyball volleyball, pro volleyball, college volleyball, organized team volleyball. Now, if I'm playing with my professional team or my college team and I got my girls around me, don't you dare, like when this game means something for real, no, don't come over. Don't I I I won't I want a very apologetic look and a sorry. From your side of the net, that's valid. That's kind. However, if I I have my five girls around me. I've got my girls to say, ⁓ my god, Jenna, are you okay? And like, you know, pull me up and like dust me off a little bit. I've got my girls for that. You, ma'am, you can stay over there. Do look sorry. A little bit of sorry is good. That's fine. But no, you don't need to come over. I've got my own team. It's fine. I got my girls. I have a medical person. I don't need you. speaker-0: But what if what if you don't see the sorry? What so like like let's say it's me and you, right? So I I hit it over, I I smack you in the face, and I I give you a sorry, but you're still discombobulated and you're talking with everybody. I'm coming over to the other side of the net just to make sure you see my sorry. We're we I still want to be friends afterwards. You know, we're we're we're still going out after the game, right? Like let's let's make sure we're on good terms. Or is it, hey, if I didn't see it, I don't care, stay on your side of the net. speaker-1: Someone needs to see it. Someone of your team needs to see it. 'Cause again, the team is one little little posse here. And as long as we decide that you aren't a terrible person by just hitting me in the face, cheering and moving on with your life. speaker-0: Putting you on the spot here, but is there any memory from your career that sticks out where it was the most contentious, someone getting hit in the face and and it was a little bit no, I don't accept your apology and and it look out a little bit rowdy? speaker-1: It did. I did. Why can't I remember the specifics? Because I know it did, because all of you know, I don't think I got hit in the face. Someone else got hit in the face. And we were all grouping up together, like, ⁓ this girl is going down. Like, we are speaker-0: Was this ⁓ L V or overseas? ⁓ speaker-1: I definitely think it was MLV. God, I why can't I remember specifically what it was? But no, it was a very unifying moment for team cohesion. And, you know, it got everybody really fired up and ready to avenge our sister there. And I do think we gave back as good as we got, which is important. Of course I don't remember if we won. I don't remember the details, but ugh. It it happens. It happens. Now again, if we're playing adult rec volleyball, ble do do come over. It's all friends. It's beerly. It's fine. speaker-0: You t you told the story that of it happened recently. I don't want to steal your story here, but that it happened recently where someone came over and and got to you before you even hit the ground. speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. ⁓ we were playing so ⁓ I I sometimes play men's quads a little bit. and this was very, very firm sand. So ⁓ Vegas could his n his name was Vegas. Hi Vegas if you're watching. He went up, he s absolutely s crushes the ball four to four, right? Super sharp diagonal. I'm playing defense in left front. I don't get my hands up, nothing, full, full to the face. And I'm so shocked that I fall down. And I swear I blinked. And before I realized it, he had landed and had run over to the side and is like, ⁓ my God, are you okay? He was kind of like helping me up already. And I was just so like, I was so impressed by it. Cause like he's kind of a short guy, but he can really jump. So I was like, wow, hold yeah, I'm good. Thanks, man. Like, not no concussion or anything. Like, we're good. You know, let me just wipe the tear away. And then he goes and he hits the same shot on the very next ball. I'm like, Dude, of like, what are we doing? At this point, I reacted enough to like turn my back. ⁓ I have the defensive instincts of a house cat. ⁓ Like I'm really trying to be like my girl Morgan. I really am. But the the the instinct to fling myself at a ball for defense is not there yet, especially playing against men. I sort of just turn my back and flee. To which I said, dude, what he's like, Well, I thought you would have been ready for it this time. And I'm like, ⁓ my God. speaker-0: I don't know if that's the answer anybody wants to hear. speaker-1: Which was objectively kind of funny. but yeah, so he did he didn't hit it anymore, or maybe we rotated. I don't know. Good. No, no, and I think I still think I would have turned my back. I just still don't think I would have tried to dig it. Again, defensive instincts of a house cat. speaker-0: No third time's the charm. Well, the debate topic is open for anybody. Please let us know what your where your stance is in the comments. ⁓ and ⁓ yeah, no, certainly one that can be contentious in either rec or or ⁓ professional settings. But ⁓ good to know that ⁓ that it's happened rarely, it sounds like in your career, which is good. Mm-hmm. Jenna, ⁓ it's been a blast as always. We're gonna wrap up the show here. But please, you know, again, everybody, please like, comment, share, subscribe. It's how we grow the podcast. We thank you for listening to episode twenty-one. Go check out the MLV Training Essentials live on the shop. That's what we mentioned where the last time we saw Ramont was was ⁓ showing off our wonderful training essentials that you can now ⁓ purchase. I think I'm in DC next week. I don't know. ⁓ I think. So I mean speaker-1: That's casual. ⁓ you know, Orange County to D C. Just an easy little popover. speaker-0: Boover. if I am, that will be the subject of next week's episode is ⁓ our on the road, you know, set six in the air all over the place, ⁓ giving you the reaction from DC, ⁓ and sort of the next phase after of course the color scheme and the name has been revealed. speaker-1: ⁓ and maybe some players. speaker-0: Yeah, we'd hope. So we'll see. ⁓ but that is hopefully coming up this week. And ⁓ regardless of what next episode is, please ⁓ catch us on the next episode every Thursday, launching at 3 p.m. Eastern. Thank you as always to Mike, Amy, and Jenna for producing the podcast. It does not happen without them, and it does not happen without you. Once more, thank you so much for listening to Set Six, the official podcast of Major League Volleyball. I'm Severin Lavenstein. That is Jenna Rosenthal, and we'll see you next time. speaker-1: See ya.