Latest / Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast / Episode 010 | Live on Location at the MLV Summer Series

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Episode 010 | Live on Location at the MLV Summer Series · Set 6: The Official MLV Podcast

• Mike Moline: What's going on, everybody? Welcome to the Set 6 Podcast. This is episode 10. Thank you so much for listening to us. However, you may be doing so, whatever your podcast platform of choice may be, Apple, Spotify, YouTube. We thank you for making us part of your day, part of your week, maybe part of your weekend. And before you listen to this episode 10, please go back and listen to episode 9. That was with new Omaha Supernova's head coach Chris McGown. A great conversation where we talked about. His experiences, coaching in Nebraska, the roster composition, his love for Metallica, all of it. ⁓ and please, whether you're watching this episode, that episode, or any episode going forward, please continue to like, comment, share, and subscribe. It's how we continue to grow this podcast. Again, the official podcast of Major League Volleyball. So yeah, like I said, that that conversation with Chris was great. I hope you'll check it out. We had a run of coaches and we're breaking that streak here this week. We're talking to Toyosu Onabanjo. Hayden Kubick, Allison Holder, and Hannah Pukis as part of our MLV summer series in Iowa. So we call this one sort of the on location episode. ⁓ not quite live, although I almost wanted to call it the live in Iowa's ⁓ show, but ⁓ no, just just live for us in the moment and then bringing it back to you. But ⁓ the show format, we'll we'll talk to them, we'll talk about ⁓ you know how they went about their their coaching in this camp, which I thought was really interesting to learn about their free agency process. We knew that was a big thing we wanted to talk about with them. The composition of their teams and of course what they were up to ⁓ during this offseason. So before we do that, we'll talk about the news and then we'll wrap it up with just with some fun, random stuff. But it was such a great conversation. ⁓ so we we'll get you over to them momentarily. First, let's hit the news. And the news to start is we missed this one just from a a couple a couple weeks ago, but wanted to make mention of it here. The new Indie Ignite facility, if you didn't see the new ⁓ Indian facility is gonna be right in Fishers, Indiana, and ⁓ Indy is getting a facility that's part of a larger one hundred eighty thousand square foot Fishers Field House. So it's the Fishers Field House kind of around the Fishers Event Center, and it's slated to open in late 2027 or early 2028, adjacent to Fishers Event Center, and it will include office space for front office operations, state-of-the-art practice courts, and weight room, a film area, a locker room, a lounge. and meeting rooms. So I'm excited to see that in person. But also I think if you just look around at ⁓ it's more of a landscape of women's sports take, but I think this is such a great thing, just that the f you know, the sport and and a team like the Indy Ignite are getting a facility that that they that they deserve. Hopefully it paves the way for more of this to come through in the future. Cause I think a lot of times, I mean you all are ⁓ ingrained in the sport. You know how it goes. A lot of times you have to rent out facilities. And whether that's we're talking about major league teams or high level club teams or anything in between, it's not so easy to find your own facilities. So even just the investment into building something like this, ⁓ for a a ⁓ first class organization like the Indy Ignite, I think is tremendous. And and just hearing about the state of the art operations that are going to be in there, ⁓ I cannot wait to see it. And of course the players will love it, being able to go straight from ⁓ this this practice facility all the way into into Fishers and what I'm sure is going to be a a short walk in the dead of winter, which I know everybody will like. But that's awesome. Congrats to the Indie Ignite for that. A little bit of a V and L update for you for all these games last week that were on either incredibly early or incredibly late, no matter how you that you really look at that one there. But a really successful week for Team USA. The US women's national team went four and ⁓ in week two. ⁓ first undefeated VNL week since 2023 I saw, and of course ⁓ we're bringing you the this update because of ⁓ MLV Minnesota's Stephanie Samedee and ⁓ MLV ⁓ or the Grand Rapids Rise rather ⁓ there, Libero Morgan Hence, which obviously are our ties to the national team for this week two roster. ⁓ they defeated Dominican Republic, Czechia, Italy, and Serbia. They're next at it July 7th through 11th in Japan to face Thailand. Poland, Turkey, and Brazil, that is gonna be a very tough stretch. ⁓ but just again to back to this successful week, that four and ⁓ versus Serbia to end the week. Morgan had ⁓ a team high 11 digs. Stephanie entered the match as part of a double switch. We know they've been doing all that a lot, but came in with eight kills, just one error in ten attacks for a 700 hitting percentage. And then that Italy match, we'll give you the stats from that as well, 2024 Olympic Champions Italy. U.S. hadn't beaten them since twenty twenty three. Morgan had ten digs. Stephanie had twelve kills, which was a team high, no errors, and a six hundred efficiency. So I know that we're all either watching the replays if we can't stay up late or just totally i ⁓ impressed with what really has has looked like a a unit that's coming together very quickly, ⁓ for the US national team. Just happy to have volleyball, at least I'll speak for myself, volleyball on my screen at this point ⁓ in the year and this point in the summer. But I I think That run is really gonna be put to the test ⁓ in that second week of July there. ⁓ again, just looking at Turkey and and Brazil are gonna be really, really tough matches. But to even see the US defeat Italy, I was I was thoroughly impressed with that. So hopefully they'll they'll keep it going and we'll keep an eye out on who is selected for that next week roster as well. ⁓ of course they're off this week with the men in action for VNL. So now let's get you to the signings. As I mentioned, these were going to kind of slow down a little bit, but we will still ⁓ bring you what we have, which is still a a fair amount ⁓ as well. So ⁓ Grand Rapids will start there. Yana Henke, outside hitter, signed there. ⁓ Nalani Osea Libero and Natanicha Jisen setter from Thailand signing with Grand Rapids. So three more signings for the Grand Rapids rise there, filling out their roster. The Dallas Pole signed Julia Brown outside hitter and Maggie Speaks setter and then MLV Minnesota. Patricia Yabris at Libero and Madeline May at Libera as well. They teased ⁓ two Libero signings, which I thought was a really cool way to do that. I think ⁓ MLV Minnesota's ⁓ kind of the way that they tease their signings, I think has been great. I I love to see that. So ⁓ as I mentioned, signings will start to slow down naturally as we get these rosters more filled out. And still a few more announcements in the works that I've I've heard from ⁓ or I've heard of. And that might include team news, that might include obviously branding news, as we know teams like MLV Minnesota, MLV NorCal, ⁓ and the Los Angeles team need to kind of really share their branding. Although I I I I don't even mind the ⁓ calling them MLV NorCal or MLV Minnesota. I think that's pretty cool. But we know that they'll have team names and team logos coming up pretty soon. So we're looking forward to that. And well, I'll just say, you know, some more some more announcements that I know are are ⁓ coming our way towards the end of this of the summer and I think I'll leave it there. And I think we'll leave it there in terms of news because now let's get you virtually out to Iowa on location from the MLV summer series with Toyossi Onobanjo, Hayden Kubick, Alison Holder, and Hannah Pukis. Toyossi, thanks for joining us here on the Set Six podcast. We both made it to Iowa here, but you know, these camps are so unique where you get to kind of interface with the kids and the next generation. What's your favorite part about doing an event like this? Yeah. I think it's just meeting the kids. Like when I was younger I got to go to a lot of these things and it was such a big dream of mine to meet the older girls because at that time I was meeting college players and things like that. It's like being able to meet the girls and just showing them where they could be in the future like is just the best part. Do you remember any tips and tricks that you picked up from your time during those camps? ⁓ I would say be yourself. Like that was the main thing that all the players told me. Like don't come in and be someone who you're not like be yourself, show your personality and that gets you far. Is that is be yourself kind of what the main takeaway you'd want like a a camper to take away from this event? Yeah, that's something that my mom tells me all the time. Be yourself, play like yourself, be who you are. And I think that's just a beautiful thing. Like always show your personality, show who you are as a player, show who you are as a person. So I love it. Wanna ask you about just this what's been a whirlwind free agency period for us. I mean it's like the season ended and then we still have so much excitement over who's going where, who's doing what. Yeah we're dying to figure out what's gonna go on with you. I know there's not much you can tell us, but like we have an idea of where we're going yet. I have a good idea. You guys are just gonna have to wait and see, but it's something big, something major. ⁓ Something major. I love it. I love it. I we're so excited and ⁓ yeah, especially just, you know, we know that like you wouldn't be unsigned for too long. So I was just like The very key name that's missing from the signings. So we'll we'll be looking out for that. Just in terms of role, I mean, last year you were just unbelievable. If you let me talk you up for a second, you were number nine in kill percentage last season and few your teammate Chiara was ⁓ only like one percentage point higher than you. And you're just coming off the bench, you were always ready to go. What w how do you do that is the short short version of the question. I think I just put my team first, like coming off the bench, you're in this big role and obviously the team is expecting something of you, so just making sure That you remember that it's a team sport, you're doing this for your team, and that's kind of how I went into it. Like I wanna go out and I wanna play for my team. So just having that aspect in my brain. To say that, you know, to ask so if I ask this next question of like, do you is your next position, your next landing spot wanting to be a starter? Obviously that's gotta be, you know, something that might be on your mind, and it's not selfish to want that, right? But is that something that's like a a big thing that you wanna have, or are you kind of okay with any role? I would love to be a starter, obviously going into my next this is gonna be my third year playing pro. So I wanna start I wanna start the entire season. But if there's someone who is performing outperforming me, like I'm gonna be there for that person. I'm gonna support her a hundred and ten percent, be behind her ten toes. ⁓ but yeah, I do wanna be a starter going into the next season. But it's just working hard and getting to know my setter and getting to work with her and all the other players on the team. Tell me a little bit about the the Omaha season last year. I mean, a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, but I mean you get all the way to the championship. You had everything firing. Just, you know, in your overall view, how was obviously last season with the ending not not what you hoped for, but yeah, a lot of positives, right? Yeah, I love that team. Like one of my favorite teams that I've ever played on, and everything that we went through that season, like to know that we made it to the championship at the end. If you would have told me we were making to the championship, literally. six weeks before them, I would have laughed in your face. Like we just had no idea what was gonna happen with our season. And so just being able to make it to the end with that same group of people, like, it was just everything. And then Thomas and Blake and all of our admin and Grant, I just loved everything about it. Yeah. It's a this is a tough question that I I have to ask, but I'm I'm genuinely curious, like what happens in the aftermath that we don't see, you know, obviously after coming out on the wrong end of the championship, but just You know, what is the locker room like? What is that immediate transition into the off season like? Yeah, a lot of tears. Just not just tears that we lost, but tears that it's over. Like now we're not gonna be on a team anymore. Everyone's going their different ways and their different journeys, but it's also tears of joy that we went through that together. We experienced it together, we made it through together. There's a lot of sadness, ⁓ a lot of deep conversations, like just a lot of appreciation for everyone and appreciation for admin and yeah, I'm like starting to get emotional. don't know why. ⁓ but yeah. It was sad just seeing where ended because you know, we wanted to win so badly just with everything we went through. But I love those girls. I love everyone that was experiencing that with me last season. You you mentioned just obviously how you you've had some experience now being a pro, like a and this is probably gonna sound like such a dumb question, but what are are how what are the differences like at different teams in the league beyond location? You know, obviously Omaha is gonna be different from an Orlando, but like how How different is it really when you're on different teams and in different environments? Did do you take take stock of those differences, I guess? Yeah, I don't know. I it'll be interesting to see like the difference between Omaha to where I'm going next year. But I think each team is growing so much. And I think Omaha is kind of like the base team. Like I think a lot of teams are trying to base off Omaha. Like not just the fan base, but like what Omaha brings, because we had a lot of support. We had a lot of outside resources that I think a lot of teams don't have access to. ⁓ so I think a lot of teams are growing in that aspect and they're kind of looking at Omaha as like what like the key model. So totally, absolutely. And then what have you made just of all the I'm hoping you you've kept an eye on obviously where everybody's going, just yeah, all the the either the shakeup in the league like indie bringing back everybody and like what have you just made of the free agency period? I think it's so fun. I'm like refreshing Instagram like every ten minutes. I think it's so fun that everywhere everyone's like trying new things, going to different locations and I think going into this next season, like there's gonna be so many mixes of just like different teams like that we haven't seen before. So I'm excited. And a lot of girl new girls coming in, a lot of foreigners. So I think like the level of play next year is gonna be insane. One more I w I wanna ask you too is just like and again going back to your style of play where you're always so ready to go. I mean you watching you from the side, you're like you're fiery, but you're also locked in all the time. Yeah. How would you I guess self scout if you would like like how would you describe your you and the way that you play? I think I'm very fiery, like I love to scream, I love to yell. ⁓ but when I get locked in, like there's no stopping me. yeah, I just I love playing volleyball. Like I have never had so much more fun than I do when I'm on the court. So I think just like, yeah, I'm always lit, like I'm turn, even when when I'm not on the court, I'm on the bed screaming 'cause I just love to hype with my teammates. So just like being All around, yeah. I love it. And last one for you, Toyo says just what are you gonna be doing the rest of this off season? You obviously while we await this sign and what can we s expect to see you doing, what's your Instagram updates gonna look like? ⁓ man, probably offline. As you should be. Take some time away. After season I like last season I coached. I think this season I just need to relax. I just finished call I just finished graduating my with my undergrad, so I think I'm just gonna relax. I move back to Houston, I'm living with my family, catching up on family time 'cause you just miss a lot in those five months, so Probably just online. You might not see much. I'm gonna be on. Hey, that's okay. Congratulations. The cap and gown, the whole deal. Yeah, it was awesome. I loved it. Well, we we're so happy that to hear that. And then we're also just looking forward to where you sign and looking forward to watching you next season. Thank you so much. Thank you. Hayden, thank you for joining us on the Set Six podcast. I mean, first, I was your home state, right? So this was a nice drive for you. Didn't have to fly in, but how cool is it to be able to do a camp like this giving back to the next sort of generation in your home state? Yeah, I just think that if I had the opportunity like this, like having MLV come and be a part of these club teams and just like give back, I would have been right there too. So I think having this opportunity for these young girls is amazing. It's probably like a lot of information sometimes for for kids this age that'll go in one ear and then out the other. But if there's like one thing that you want them to take away from t from today's experience, what would it be? ⁓ I would say just to have fun and like meet some new people because I feel like the relationships or what go all the way. So just meet a new buddy and have some fun. Love that. Yeah. And then Hayden, so for you, I I w w I want to talk about like just this off season in general, which has been a whirlwind for seeing all the different signings. And then for you, you know, I know that you went to Tennessee and Nebraska in college and now you're returning to Nebraska to be with Omaha supernovas. We saw that signing, we're like, ⁓ my gosh, they're rebuilding that team and kind of retooling a little bit and to have you as a as a piece there is going to be amazing. What went into that decision making for you? Yeah, I just ⁓ I don't know, honestly not too much. I just got a text from John Cook and worked out the logistics and talked to Chris and I knew it was the right place for me and yeah, I'm just excited to be back in Nebraska and be a part of the fan base and some amazing volleyball. It's yeah, it's gonna be amazing. Tell us a little bit more about what those conversations were like with either John or with Chris and kind of what you what you talked about. Yeah, well I had already known Chris from previous times. He was at Nebraska a little bit just like around the team, so I got to know him a bit. So we're just kind of Meeting again 'cause it'd been a minute and just get to know him a little bit more. ⁓ and obviously I'm familiar with Coach or John Cook and so he just reached out, ⁓ just showing his interest in me and being a part of the team and I feel like it was kind of a no brainer at this point. Just it's a great the supernovas have a great culture and it was hard to say no to that. So Yeah, and take a look at the roster and see, you know, like getting Cammy Minor and then getting a play merit. Like, does that excite you a little bit to get the part of that? Absolutely. It's gonna be great volleyball, you know, you're gonna get Better as a person, I'm sure everyone's just gonna make each other better and obviously as a volleyball player, so it'll be good. Yeah. And then, you know, w what what was it like to play for Alicia last year and and that whole the you know, the San Diego team just felt like such a such a complete unit, and you were obviously a very big part of that. Yeah, yeah, it was amazing. Alicia has such a good mindset it coming to the game. She just brings a new aspect of just like bringing the mental side into it that ⁓ Maybe you don't hear as often and and so I just feel like she just brought a really interesting side of like working through some adversity that we had too, just like, ⁓ gosh, we just had I feel like random things that we were just working through. And so we didn't let that adversity define us. We had a rough starting season, but it didn't change. We just kept improving little by little in the season and just like kept us striving for more. And as soon as we w like started to put wins together, we're like, we can do this. And so our confidence just built and she played a humongous role in building that confidence in us. It's really cool because right before talking to you, I talked to Chris and then I talked to Alicia. It's podcast. So it's like getting to see the whole like the whole picture too. And and like you said, she's just so yeah thoughtful. I mean just yeah it and and Chris too, I'm excited to see how his style is gonna really play with you all and having such a a deep team there as well. Yeah. Is it is it tough sometimes as a player, you know, y you've probably had every kind of coach under the sun at this point, but to shift coaching styles sometimes? Hmm. I think honestly At this point, like you just find the ways that you both work together and like you just kinda build off of that. Because in some way there's gonna always be ways that maybe don't you don't ⁓ I guess thrive off the most. And so you just find the ways that do work for you. And so you just kinda exploit that if if that makes sense. It does totally, absolutely. And then from your perspective too, as a as a player on a different team, what did you notice about Omaha last year, you're playing across the net from them and just some some of their styles and and characteristics. Yeah, I just think they have a deep desire to win. Like they're not gonna give up even if you're, you know, feel like you're about to win, like you can't let let loose and feel like you have the game in your hands, like they're gonna keep scratching and fighting and so I just feel like that's what I remembered most about the supernovas and obviously the crowd has their back every single moment and they're just gonna keep rooting for them. So yeah. You read my mind 'cause I was gonna ask, what is it like to play in that building? I can only imagine just from sitting on the sidelines, but you know, to be on the court, like what is that like? I mean, it's the the moment definitely builds and as soon as the the points get closer, you know, you just kinda feed off of the energy of the g of the crowd and ⁓ my gosh, it's yeah, it's indescribable. But yeah. I can't imagine now being on the now the cheering for now on the s like side that the audience is cheering for. I think it'll be ⁓ even greater ⁓ benefit to us. Yeah. What did you what have you made just of ⁓ this overall free agency period? Obviously your signing was a big part of it, but we're we're looking around and just so surprised at how teams are being constructed and then seeing big names go to different teams and then other times names are staying with teams now for like their third season and just your overall thoughts on this free agency period in MLV? Yeah, I think it's really I mean everyone is gonna have their own experience. I think the thing that I would I guess find important to me is just like sticking through with a team and just like building like building my roots down in one team. 'Cause it's ki it's tough to like you were saying, just like switch with teams all the time and San Diego Mojo we had a falling out for a temporary ⁓ moment, but you know, maybe that could come back. But I I just I really like to dig my roots somewhere and not just always be going somewhere new. So I guess for me personally, I just want to have a good, like consistent career like at a the same team. Yeah. Yeah. And and then it feels like too like building that environment with, you know, team camaraderie too is is something that it's not something you can force, but it feels like you with every team that I went around to cover last season, everybody had a genuine, like almost like their own identity. And like is that built during practice? Is that built like away from the practice, you know, when team bonding or things like that? Like for you all last year, how did you I thought San Diego was it was incredibly bonded together. And like how was that built? Yeah, I would go back to Like we didn't have the greatest start to our season because we didn't really know what our identity was. And as games continued to go on, we can continued to find what our identity was. And that was being scrappy, we we were a great defensive team. So we really just took advantage of that and we were a great serving team. And so we just really emphasized on like that was our identity. And as the gate as season went on, we were just like so certain of that. So that just built our confidence, like I was saying earlier. Yeah. Yeah. Hayden, what does the rest of the offseason look like for you? Right when you're not at camps, when you're not I'm assuming you're getting the moving truck ready for Nebraska, but not quite yet. I mean, I don't know if I'll need a moving truck. I d I'm trying not to take as many things as I did last season because I did not need all of that. But yes, I'm gonna pack is the worst. I'll probably end up taking a lot, but I try to say say that I'm gonna not take as much. But right now I'm just spending time with family. I was home in Kansas City for a little bit. then probably move to I'm gonna be in Tampa for a little bit. yeah, starting to pick up volleyball soon. I am t trying to take a little bit of a break just going from my regular season and in college straight into my rookie season. Like leave the volleyball in the corner and don't touch it until you absolutely Yeah, just for a little bit. I mean it's not like the desire isn't there. I just know that I need a little bit of a break. I know what you mean. Yeah. With Kansas City, have you had any ⁓ overlap with the World Cup stuff happening? I s I feel like I see Kansas City videos and it's like insane over there. I actually have kind of been hesitant to go downtown. I did have to go downtown to get here, but it's crazy down there. I haven't been to a game yet. But I definitely I definitely want to because, you know, when does this kind of stuff happen? So I feel like I'll have to eventually. But I think it only goes until mid July or something like that. I don't know. So I'll need to go soon. Some soccer fans are screaming it's the end of July, you know, whatever it is. I I've I've loved it so far. I think seeing all the the fan stuff is great. Yeah. ⁓ Hidden, I would be remiss if I did not ask you. So your sister Maddie, have you been watching her this summer with the national team? And how how much do you keep in touch your text, hey that was a bad swing or hey, great swing on that one? Yeah, I I have been watching bits and pieces, the time change of where they're playing. They're in the Philippines right now, so they're like Eleven hours ahead has been a bit of a struggle, but they play Serbia ⁓ tonight at eleven PM. So I think that'll be more manageable. But like last night they played Italy at three AM and I like, I don't know. I'll see you on the reading. I wa I watch the the highlights and stuff and so I'll message her and say a few things. But I mean, yeah, she's doing great and I think she's really excited to yeah, keep playing for USA. It's amazing. It's an amazing opportunity. E even as you both have become pros, has it been easy to stay in touch and were you always, you know, pretty close along your your journeys? Yeah, yeah. I definitely look up to her and just like learning from her because she's she's playing for USA, like she's learning from I mean y in the MLV you're learning from the best as well, but the USA is like the exactly where you wanna be. So I'm like, Hey, when you get back, can you teach me a few things and can we get in the gym together? So yeah, I'm excited. But we always yeah, we stay in contact, so that's good. Yeah. Well we're looking forward to seeing you in the gym too with the supernovas as well. Congratulations on that sign. And thanks for stopping by. We appreciate it. Yeah, of course. Thank you. Allison, thanks for stopping by and chatting with us on the Set Six podcast. Great to have you here. Great to have you back in Omaha, but we'll get to that first. Just being here, I feel like you probably have one of the hardest jobs with like, are you teaching the kids platforms here today or what? I mean, like some of that information's probably gonna like stay for a little bit and then leave, but like how are you approaching being, you know, one of the the the main ⁓ talkers today for the I mean passing everyone has their different philosophy with s with it. So for me, like with camps is always like, hey, we've got thirty minutes to talk about passing. I'm gonna give you three cues. Hopefully you take at least one of them away after the day. Teach us, teach the audience, what would be one of the cues that you would give for some of these campers? ⁓ man. Well, we're gonna work on defense at some point. So I always say like three cues number one, get the ball up is your job. Then we try to get it to the middle of the court, that's job number two, and then just get under it. Be aggressive. Seems like it seems simple enough, but it sounds like it would also be difficult to do. So I mean at any level. But ⁓ no, it's so great to have you here and and teaching though that. It's also great to have you back in Omaha, re-signing with the supernovus. That squad is looking fantastic. Just I'm sure it was probably not a hard decision to re sign, but w take us inside that process. What was it like? What were some of the conversations you had? ⁓ it happened pretty quick for me. Obviously I've been with the ⁓ supernovus for two seasons and I've loved Omaha. I've loved everything about it. ⁓ and the franchise. So when they offered me a spot it was pretty easy for me to take it again and say, Hey, let's do year three. I'm excited for it. What'd you make of all the signings then specifically, you know, getting to be a tandem with Teodora? Like what what are you what are you excited the most about for all the new ⁓ newcomers? I'm Always excited to have returners to the team. I think that we'll have a s really solid core group coming in and then also to have a lot of new faces. I think we're stacking up with a whole lot of talent and a whole lot of experience. ⁓ so it's always fun to see how it'll play out in the long run. Any conversations with Chris at this point and just you know, w have you do you have kind of a sense of what his style is gonna be? Obviously probably a little bit different last year from Thomas. And just yeah, what do you make of his him and his style? I think it's gonna be great. I have gotten the chance to talk with him a few times and even s meet him in person. ⁓ so it's great that we already have a connection at this point in the off season so many months before we get into training camp. ⁓ I think his style is gonna be very ⁓ what's the word? Like fluent in what he's doing and is like very coordinated. ⁓ but I also think he's like very personable and can carry both sides of that sword. So ⁓ it's gonna be fun, like having a bunch of different players in the gym under him and his lead. ⁓ I think it's gonna be great. It's it's great. I was right before this podcast we talked to him and I was I described I was like, I feel like you can see the coach gears turning in his brain a little bit, you know, when he's thinking about coaching. So that's so cool. And then Alison, this is a tough question, but yeah, I'm I'm genuinely curious. Like after obviously the way that last season ended, I asked Toyosu the same thing. Like what happens immediately after that we don't see? Like what is the locker room like? How was that transition to the offseason? You put obviously so much investment into this season and it's gotta be tough to head right into the offseason right after, right? It's I always think it's interesting, especially being in the championship setting. Like you have that big final point and you're either on the losing side of it, that's really sad, or you see the confetti falling on your side on the other end. So seeing the other team celebrate always you always take a hit to the heart. And then we just like went back into locker room as a team and we like kind of sat in the moment of silence just For a little bit the tears were there. I think some people just spoke about the season and the journey we had been on. ⁓ but it more so for us, like it was just kind of sad because it was over. I think that was the main thing. Like, yeah, we lost the championship and like that part, you know, we wanted to culminate the whole thing with like this beautiful finish, right? ⁓ but then to go into the locker room and just hang our heads a little bit, but then we also like looked around at each other and went, This is a beautiful team, like we put in so much work. And so then it's in the off season, like we take A few weeks off, like sometimes we don't even touch volleyball. We gotta go back out and just experience life, let it go, reflect on everything, and then around the end of summertime or halfway into summertime, you're getting back in the gym, like, okay, let's set up a new goal, here's a new season, let's get into it. Do you give yourself time to reflect on the season at all? Or are you very much someone who's like, I'm on to the next thing? But just if if I may, like I think at the beginning, at the middle of the season, I think it would have been fair to say a lot of people didn't expect to see you there at in the championship and you proved whatever doubters or haters wrong and got all the way there and rallied around, you know, Thomas and just how well you all meshed as a team. You know, obviously there's a lot of positives to take away if you do look back at it, right? Yeah. I'm pretty introspective. I think I like to reflect on every season I've ever played volleyball. I think you take a lot of lessons from it. I think you can take some wins away from it. but from looking back on the season, just like y you said, you know. Every team every team, every season has ups and downs. And so to look back on all that and it really was like I said as a team, we were just really unified and peaking during championship weekend. So it made the end of season feel really phenomenal and it's great that like we walk away with those memories and that positive experience of just like reaching the mountaintop together even if it didn't come with a championship win. There's a two parter here, but you as great of a player as you are are also a fantastic presence on the bench. I always am looking over and seeing you are the most animated, the the having the most fun. I called it by the way, I was like, I don't know what the official name is. Actually there's a perfect opportunity for you to tell me the Omaha slide is what I called it. I like it. What is it actually called? I'm When you all dive and then I mean it turned I don't even know how it started. There was some like cheer for Layla surfing at some point and then it just like developed over the next couple of weeks. I think a super slide is is solid. Supernova slide, whatever. Supernova that's yeah, I love alliteration. So why didn't I think of that? Super slide, yeah. Okay, so that's what we're calling it now. It's the super slide. ⁓ but regardless, just how how important is it to also, you know, bring that energy? Because again, like if you if you fall down in a set, if you need to, you know, bring it back up, there's not a lot of time to do so and it feels like you're really the ringleader to do that. I try to be. I mean, just wherever my feet are is where I wanna help the team, whether that's on the court or it's on the bench or you know, in between timeouts, anything like that. ⁓ and for me, like, I'm the same way. I can read the energy of the team. I think the bench plays a really important piece of like, hey, whoever's on the court, we need you to know that like we have your back over here and we're rooting for you. You don't want to look back and see your team just kinda out of it. That puts you in the slumps a little bit more too. And even championship weekend, it was like, Hey, our team's peaking at the right spot. Our team really flowed off of like the fun energy. So like, hey, let's get out there and make a fool of ourselves on the sideline and I think it's cool. I don't think it's making a fool of yourself at all. I mean we we were I was handing out like my fake sort of like awards for celebrations and I was like it it's gonna be the super slide and the landslide honestly. Like there was nobody else I thought was particularly close. So I don't think it was I think it was cool, honestly. But with with now I feel like Omaha especially is is merging a lot of new people with a very solid core. How do you how do you assemble the same kind of chemistry that you all had last year? Do you even want to do that? Is it gonna be a completely new chemistry? How do you approach that? I think we do a really good job as a team, especially with our mindset coach, Dr. Larry Whidman. ⁓ he kind of helps us in the beginning of season create like what our identity is as a team. So part of that is taking, you know, we're gonna have half the personalities back. So some of those core values may carry through. But we also have a bunch of nude teammates. And so it's really just feeling out the vibe of the team in those first like two weeks of practice. I think that's when you can get a sense of like. what our vibe is in the gym together. And then we can kind of set like, hey, these seem like the three characteristics of our team. Like, do we think we can carry this through the whole season? And then Alison, for you you were talking about your your off season. Do I have it right that you're you're still coaching at St. Mary, possibly? What is that like? And how do I mean coaching the off season too, you're not really leaving the volleyball too far behind. But that's gonna be so cool. And and those those women have got to be very lucky to have you as a coach. Yes, I really enjoy coaching, honestly. It's great to get a perspective as a coach. And then come back and be a player. It's given me a lot of wisdom and direction, even as a player, of like noticing what coaches notice or don't notice. I mean, that's a big part. As players, I think we think a lot of of what coaches' opinions are, but they only have two eyes. ⁓ and so it's given me a lot of good perspective, but I also just love being able to pour into the community in Omaha and obviously being at College St. Mary's. ⁓ but also just getting the experience to get my mind in volleyball in the offseason. Like it just keeps me going. ⁓ and then just transition right into playing again. Coach mine today for for the camp? Yeah, we're gonna put the coach hat on, I guess. Maybe a little bit of player mine. I think we'll get to jump in with him a little bit. I like it. Well we're also looking forward to seeing you back on the court with Omaha. Allison, thanks so much for sitting down with us. Thank so much. For the viewers, we're now at the end of the campus or a bit of a different location. But Ha Hannah, this was such a fun event to put on. I looked like you all really resonated with the campers. Just describe it for me. What was it like today? Yeah, I think I mean, kinda like we talked about it's So important for us to connect with our community and I didn't realize this, but Iowa doesn't have any professional sports. So how cool for these kids to get to come and train with pros when that's not something they get to see all the time. I had to see it in their eyes, you know, talking to some of the campers, just how they lit up and being able to hit listen from you and and learn from you and I saw you repositioning hands and walking them through drills. What were some of the kind of things you were teaching them? Yeah, just trying to build from the ground up with them. I think it's really important that they get good coaching from a young age and so Just being able to be here on site with them and kind of make tweaks to the foundation they already have is huge. Does it make you think back to when you were a little girl and when you were kind of maybe going through your first volleyball journey steps and what that was like? Yeah, it's it's good, I think, for us to come back to camps like this because I think we forget, you know, like I don't really remember what it was like to be a camper. And so to be reminded of that and kind of see where we all started is really cool. Well, Hannah was awesome to have you here helping through that. We also would be remiss if we did not talk to you about just the crazy off season and what is, you know, a bunch of different shifting. But then you especially as well, signing to Dallas, going from Orlando last year. Just you're gonna be part of a a brand new ⁓ reorganization, I guess, of the roster in Dallas, but was so cool to see you sign there and then obviously a lot of other players. Just first talk to us about what the decision making was for you to sign with Dallas. Yeah, I talked to Dallas pretty quick. I think with the change of the deadline, everything happened, we all thought we had a couple more weeks and then all of a sudden it was like, nope, we're live now. ⁓ I just had a really, really good conversation with their head coach and I felt really confident in what they were building. And even though like the pieces were changing, it seemed like they had a really good foundation in place to kind of keep the ball rolling. And then with them winning the championship, it was like so reaffirming to that decision. Yeah. What what strikes you about Shannon as a coach and like what what sets her apart, what makes her kind of unique from what you've seen on ⁓ from afar and now that you'll experience being one of her players. Yeah, I think it's unique that she didn't come from the college game and so she's kind of like not not that the other coaches aren't, but I think she's like a real professional coach and her major experience is in the professional arena. And so I think that lends a different kind of eye to the sport as well as like a different relationship player to coach. Yeah. I mean I think from what I saw you're the only setter announced so far. I mean Is is it kind of do you feel I guess any pressure is the word I'd use, although I feel like that's the wrong word. But like obviously winning the championship, they're retooling a bunch of their roster, different pieces for this year. Does it feel like pressure to kind of be part of the group that leads them back to a championship next year? Thing most of the thing is I just feel like incredibly fortunate to be a part of a team that knows what success looks like. And so they obviously know what it takes to get there. And so the big thing, like I've been on a team where we've won and then come back and haven't been able to replicate that. And so I think I now know what both things look like. And so using their experience and using my experience, I almost feel like it's gonna be easier kind of step step in and play the role. Yeah. I mean I'm so excited to see You, Sarah, Kaz, joining Kaylee. I mean, you know, if you let yourself think about what that combination is gonna look like and and playing with all those obviously other well-established players. Yeah, I mean I'm really excited to play with Kaz again. I love Kaz and I love the energy she brings to the game, but I'm also really excited to kind of play with a whole new group of girls. And kind of like you said, there's so much experience already with who's been announced, and I think it'll be so beneficial to kind of like blend all that experience together. With your time in Orlando, what did you learn from Shampoo? So much. I think Shampoo like has one of the most incredible careers and she's such a creative setter. And so it's really fun to just even watch her work because I think how she thinks about the game of volleyball is different than how a lot of people and especially how a lot of American setters are trained. I feel like and please like educate me, I feel like setter is such a unique position where From the outside you can see that everybody has their own style. How have you gone about knowing, okay, like maybe what some some parts of what Shampoo does, it's gonna be different the way that I look and you know, vice versa. But how do you go about defining your game as a setter? Yeah, I mean, that was kind of the cool thing about playing with Shampoo is I think we are such different setters and our games are vastly different that when a lot of the times we would get together and the individual setter training stuff, it was Like a lot of people are just kind of trying stuff out and like she'd be like, Have you tried this or try that? And so it was kind of being able to step out of the box of what I maybe envisioned for myself. And like a lot of the times I was bad at it. I was like, ⁓ I don't know how you do this. I can't undo this. But it like good to be able to push myself in that area where it's like normally we don't really challenge ourselves outside of what we're we're like, this is who I am as a setter. And so just kind of being able to watch her. And see kind of the maybe weird stuff she does was so good for my growth. We talk a lot about identity, you know, just with with all the teams and all the athletes, but it seemed like Dallas was able to be, you know, really find their their identity and shift it a little bit at times last season. What did you notice about the Championship Dallas squad that maybe, you know, attracted you to go there for this season? Yeah, it was it was neat that they had a pretty young core and especially a core that Being a new grandchild had never played together and they were able to find chemistry. And I think that speaks a lot to the coaches, but also the players they had in place. And the leadership was obviously really top tier to be able to blend so quickly. And I think kind of what you mentioned is just like Dallas at the beginning season versus Dallas at the end was almost like a completely different team. And so many young players stepped up and played massive roles in them winning. And I think that really speaks to the leadership of the program. It's so gratifying for me to hear you say that 'cause I can always, you know, I can just see from the sideline, but to have a an athlete say that, it's really what I thought is like, you the the the ability to change and not necessarily be the team from the beginning of the season, I think is is just incredible. And then it has to have really good athletes to be able to do that as well. So ⁓ and and just again with you know, and I'm I'm curious, you know, I believe and I'm ⁓ please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was Vegas, then Orlando, then now to Dallas. Different settings, obviously. It's a broad question, but How different is it really when you go from team to team beyond the location? Like I'm assuming there's a lot of differences in those locker rooms, right? Yeah, absolutely. I think it depends the makeup of the team. And I think right now with the one year contracts, teams look so different year to year. And so kind of trying to figure out your groove and what that locker room really looks like and what the culture on the court and off the court looks like. And that can change so much. Whereas in like my first year in Vegas, we had a massive age gap between we had a bunch of older players and a bunch of younger players and that can be really hard to meld. And so I just think as this league has continued to grow, it's been kind of cool to see the shift and how we kind of bridge the gap between the kids coming out of college and then the women who've been playing for five to ten years. Well we have some time until we see you on the court with Allison. But until then when you're not at these camps, you know what are you doing? What's your offseason looking like? ⁓ I'm of course getting in the gym and working out. But I really try to use the off season to kind of find a place within myself where I can mentally kind of reset. And so a lot of the times I kind of do that by traveling. So I've got a couple trips on the books that I'm really excited about. And so I'm kind of do that, relax, reset to get back in the gym. I'm jealous. I need some of that travel schedule too, but we'll we'll have like check in and see like where in the world is is Hannah. But ⁓ we thank you so much for stopping by on the Set Six podcast. We appreciate it. We cannot wait to see you with Dallas next season. Thank ya. And our thanks once again to Toyosi, Hayden, Allison, and Hannah. ⁓ just all great players, great coaches, ⁓ great people. You you know how it goes with just the seeing these athletes in action is always great. And ⁓ we know that the kids loved it. ⁓ we know that ⁓ the the the players had great smiles on their faces and it was so cool to watch them going through the process of teaching the next generation. I mean, these were mostly high school to middle school kids that they were working with, ⁓ about sixty in total, I think. And ⁓ I thought it was it was just it was the perfect amount when when they broke out into different squads to be able to have enough hands on time with some kids. I saw Hannah adjusting some setter ⁓ placement with the hands, which I thought was great. I mean that that's something that ⁓ that young athlete will will not forget, I hope. You know, being able to learn and and be up and close with with the right hand positioning from a fresh a professional setter, I think is is great. ⁓ I thought it was really funny there was a queen of the court moment where ⁓ that our our MLV athletes were having some fun and Toyoshi went over up went up to a hit. And you know, they're going maybe I think twenty-five percent is even strong to say. Let's call it like ten percent, but it's not a hard swing. And Toyoshi still like puts it over the net and the kid on the other side, ⁓ the the camper kind of yelps a little bit and just was so surprised at the different either attack angle or the the way and I promise it was not a very hard hit. But it was still very funny to just, you know, here's here's a pro on the other side of the net coming at you. And yeah, the the the ⁓ yelp out of nowhere was was really funny. I think it was also really great too, ⁓ I I I gotta mention this. So it's on our socials, you can see the full the full way that this turned out. But one of the things that was organized for the end of the camp was naming ⁓ sort of the I think it was the Future Pro Award, I think was the name of it. but one of the special sort of things that that that this this camper that was named to the award got to have was a personalized vid video message from Merritt Beeson, which was just so cool. And being on the other side of it, seeing how that got to happen, but also, I mean, the the camper was was crying afterwards. And I think that is such a it's really cool to see the impact of that. And I think for us on the inside, I will only speak for myself because I know a lot of a lot of the ⁓ league staff, this is their this is their why, and they always have it at the forefront of their head. I know I sometimes get caught up in the weeds with ⁓ the day to day and and the different things that go around, but when you see that and then you also just see how much fun everybody was having at this camp and how impactful it was, ⁓ it really reminds you kind of why you're in this. And I know that's corny and and I don't care. I think it's true. And I think if you were there you would have felt the same thing and I hope that the parents and the kids do too. I mean, we've gotten a lot of great feedback that that people felt that way too. But I just especially when you see that and the genuine emotion from the the young athlete who who, you know, not only knows who Merritt is, but is so impacted by just a quick little video message and and Merritt was so great about it too. So ⁓ I also wanna just shout out ⁓ Jenna and Mike, both producers on the show, but also really fully ⁓ helped make that camp happen, Jenna, ⁓ from the all the operations of it, but also with Mike being able to send ca capture all those fantastic moments. I was just a gopher running around when I wasn't interviewing the players, so anything that I could do to to help either of them. But they they did just such an a an outstanding job and ⁓ I think they deserve all of the praise for that. And we're looking forward to more of it. I you know I think some of them are gonna be ⁓ in the works. I don't know if they're all gonna be in Iowa necessarily but ⁓ yeah I it's it was at least another travel dot I got to put on my map, ⁓ which was fun. I'd never been to Iowa before and ⁓ I have a little map above my desk that has a bunch of little dots of everywhere I've been and and it was nice to be able to to put Iowa there. It was it was sketchy for a little bit, I'll say that. I don't know if I was gonna be able to actually make it to Iowa with a lot of travel lows, but ⁓ did end up getting into my hotel at four AM and then was able to make make our ⁓ our rendezvous at about ten. So I got a few hours of sleep, but it was it's tough to get to Iowa if you've never been ⁓ but just yeah, lastly, ⁓ it was a blast. Our our players were tremendous and ⁓ it was a it was a great event. So that was awesome. What's going on? It's gonna be a very, very small what's going on here, but ⁓ just finalizing travel for several events coming up this summer and ⁓ yeah, I'm excited to to kinda add some more things and be able to to travel out to talk to some of our athletes for you all, it will which will be fun. Not that I don't enjoy talking to everybody through a computer screen, but it's also really fun to to see everybody in person. ⁓ and keep that connection going. So I know we'll visit our friends at Rennes in July. That's the next big trip coming up for me. That's towards the end of July. ⁓ and I believe we'll have representatives from every team there, which will be really fun as we look to I think it's I believe the main purpose is to finalize uniform ⁓ selections and also different new styles ⁓ of MLV gear, which may or may not be coming to you available in the near future. But you didn't hear from me. My lips are sealed. ⁓ but yeah, hope that was easier that it becomes easier travel than it was to Iowa. I look quickly, I know no one ever cares about when someone else has travel woes, but just to let you know, like there was a whole bunch of storms in Dallas, and I think that was the main reason why everything got got crazy, but delayed in in California, delayed circling over d over Dallas, which I haven't done in a really long time, and then gates just kept changing and I was supposed to get into Iowa at like five o'clock and I think I was on two other different flights and and kept running back and forth from DFWs. So ⁓ if you h happen to be traveling too and you happen to see me sprinting from gate to gate, you you did. That wasn't a double take. ⁓ but no, we made it and that was the important thing. And then ⁓ you know, with that, you with a bunch of travel ⁓ over the summer for MLV, I'm also looking to do maybe just a little bit of ⁓ you know bopping around to different things for myself, lined up a a few shows, which I'm really excited about. ⁓ I'm I'm in line to see the strokes Charlotte Sands, the Wildlife and Turnover and ⁓ you know, so definitely leaning into my alternative side of music there. But I sort of thought it was funny. ⁓ I saw someone who was into similar kind of music ⁓ tweet out that ⁓ alternative music declared war on all of our wallets ⁓ last weekend, which I I I thought was very accurate. ⁓ but ⁓ yeah, I'm I'm excited to get get back to see some live music too to break up some of this travel and ⁓ it's always fun, you know, have those on the weekend and then ⁓ jet back out to whatever wherever else we need to go and ⁓ it's not bothering me yet. Still still love doing it. So and ⁓ yeah, we hope you enjoyed too, because ⁓ I I think when we're able to able to chat with these athletes out on location and in person and do these kind of back-to-back to back interviews. I I have a blast with it, so hopefully that hopefully you do too. So that's almost it for the show here. Next week we're we're gonna either bring on Jenna, ⁓ Jenna Rosenthal back to talk a little bit more about free agency and maybe do a little bit more of an extended, extended talk because I know that last time was little short. ⁓ but maybe we'll hit every team, talk a little bit more about ⁓ what it's gonna mean in terms of lineups, maybe matchups, ⁓ maybe some power rankings if we're into that. We'll we'll figure it out. So we'll either do that or I know ⁓ we're looking to talk to Ali Czech from MLV NorCal coming up. I know both are gonna happen. I just don't know which one is going to be next week. So ⁓ in the meantime while I figure that out ⁓ we'll say thank you once again to ⁓ first to producers Mike, Jenna and Amy. As you you've heard me say it does not happen without them. And also, of course, it does not happen without you, our listeners. So thank you very much for listening to the Set Six Podcast, the official podcast of Major League Volleyball. I'm your host, Sever Lavenstein. Thanks once again for listening, and we'll see you next time.