Latest / The BIG LIFE / The Rise of Underdogs in College Soccer! Special Guest Rylie Combs, Senior at Mississippi State

Transcript

The Rise of Underdogs in College Soccer! Special Guest Rylie Combs, Senior at Mississippi State · The BIG LIFE

0:04
Hey everyone and welcome back to
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the big life podcast all right i'll call
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it the elephant in the room my co-host jordan is on the road as she's flying
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to oregon to get some of her west coast games in for a little bit which has
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left me alone so i am solo podcasting this one for the intro and then we have
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a very very special guest on coming on later to help me out with this solo podcast endeavor.
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I was a little nervous. I'm not going to lie, but then I do realize I just kind
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of talk to myself a lot. So honestly, not much has changed.
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With that being said, so much happened in college soccer that when Jordan and
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I realized we couldn't make the meetup work this week, we needed to have a podcast.
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So I'm so excited to be here and talk about all the big things going on in the
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big life, all the big moments, and of course, get to our very special guest,
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which I'm so excited to have on.
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Up first though, we know we focus on the Big Ten as always.
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And when you look at what's going on with the Big Ten, there's a couple really
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exciting things going on.
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There are three undefeated teams left in the country. So all these teams do
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have ties, but none of them have losses.
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And out of those three teams, two of them are out of the Big Ten,
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and two of them are consistently represented on
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the pod being Iowa and Michigan State it's
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definitely so cool to see that representation out of
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Big Ten both teams are having stellar seasons as we
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have inside looks to both of them quite frequently but and
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then the other one out of those three is Utah State
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as well so to have no losses at this
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point of the season is truly something remarkable clearly something
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I never experienced in my career and so to be
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at that status right now I think it says a lot about the
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program and with that being he said there's also five big
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10 games left though there has been around 13
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to 14 games played this season depending on whose schedule you're
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looking at a lot of it comes down to
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those last couple you know who can push through in october what happens in october
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election season you always say there's an october surprise women's college soccer
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season there's an october surprise most times so it'll be super fun to see how
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the teams kind of riddle with that as everyone has a target on their back now
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and when you when you have that zero in that loss streak you definitely Definitely
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have an extra target on your back.
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Focusing in on the Big Ten play this week, there really weren't that many crazy
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upsets or scores for this week in the Big Ten.
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Pretty much, I believe every Big Ten team only played one game.
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And so kind of a rest week, kind of recoup as we're at that halfway point of
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the season, which I remember having that, you know, around your fifth game.
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Then it's definitely needed.
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It's exciting. You're going to look forward to a little bit more rest one day,
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feel super excited and ready to go for the second half of the season.
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So most results, I would say, would be as you expected in terms of the final outcome of them all.
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But that definitely wasn't true for the rest of the country,
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you know, though it may be in the Big Ten.
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We saw some big upsets this week in college soccer, and it's been a fun season
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to go along because of that.
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We saw Florida State, you know, last year's NCAA national champions lost both
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of their games this weekend, ending their zero loss streak.
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You know so they lost to wake forest
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who has just been upsetting people galore they've upset
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number one in the country number two in the country and the reigning national
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champion so what's one heck of a season for them and then they went on the road
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and lost in a late game comeback by virginia tech so two teams that you really
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don't talk about often out of the acc when you have that much talent packed
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in there so really says something you know i guess that october's prize can
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hit different and And I think that at the end of the day,
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this college soccer season has proven more than anyone I ever played in that
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there is any chance for anyone to take that title at the end.
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And I honestly, I don't know who my odds would be on right now to win a national title.
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I feel like playing in last year, Florida State had an undefeated season,
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and I believe that they were completely win.
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You know, they maybe had one tie this season, but everyone else,
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every other game was a win.
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There was a strong sense that they were going to win the national title and
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it was just going to be the journey that they went on to take there.
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And there wasn't a lot of competitors that really put up a huge match to make that happen.
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And I think that this is a complete opposite. We've seen upset after upset.
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We've seen that the parity in women's college soccer is at an all-time high
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and on any given day, anything can happen.
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And that's definitely, definitely something that is exciting at the end of the day.
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It shows, I think, the growth of women's college soccer soccer,
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and the competitiveness.
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We no longer have those schools that we know always are going to win or always
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are going to take it. It's been the rise of the underdogs.
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And I think this year has been a full epitome of that.
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You look at the Iowa program that when I committed to Iowa and played there,
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we got our first at-large NCAA bid in 2019.
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It was something that was unheard of in the program. So to see it rise from
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below average to average of the Big Ten to where they're at now is spectacular.
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We've heard Jordan talk about it all the time that this is not the Michigan
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State that she committed to.
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And our guest later on the pod has also recently upset the number one team in
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the country this past week at Mississippi State, who's another program out of
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the SEC that kind of has come from nothing and risen to be a top five program.
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So I think that says a lot about college soccer in general. And it says so much
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about the future of, you know, we may not have these dynasty programs that we once had.
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And I think that's a really, really exciting potential when anyone one on any
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given day can do anything.
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That being said, as we transition and talk about the Big 10 tournament coming
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up, we are halfway through the Big 10 season.
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And with that, we do have some more details about the Big 10 tournament.
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Jordan and I hinted about it, talked about it last week. I got in touch with
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some inside sources to make sure we had the actual accurate information to be displaying for y'all.
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And as we've been told, it is a 10-team tournament.
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First two rounds happening in Minnesota and then the second two rounds happening
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in Washington, D.C. at Audifield.
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So basically with the two locations, what we're seeing will happen is that with
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the 10 teams being taken,
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how this will look is that teams that finish 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th will have
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a play-in game to then make it an 18 tournament like we used to have.
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So that extra two teams, I think, makes sense when you add four teams to the conference.
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You want to expand it and so basically a little
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over half which is what it was in years past it was
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top 8 out of 14 and now top 10 out of 18 will be
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making this big 10 tournament and as we look now it is definitely going to be
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an intense battle as we look at those last four spots in the last four spots
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in versus the first one out there's not going to be much different in teams
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it's really it's a little too hard to project who I think will be on that bubble
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only are halfway through the season.
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But I will be sure to keep my projections up as I'm a little bit more biased than our girl Jordan.
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When I look at predictions, not to say I'm fully unbiased. We're all aware where my biases lie.
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But overall, I think that with there being 18 teams in the Big Ten Conference
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now, and you only play 10 conference games, that is quite literally almost half
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the teams you do not play.
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When that is a reality, yes, you know, these rankings, these undefeated streaks,
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these you know, upsets, everything is very important, but it's really hard to
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say, you know, I love Iowa.
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Everyone knows how much I cheer on Iowa or Michigan state or wherever,
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but when you haven't played half the teams in the conference to say you win
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a conference title is, is a pretty interesting statement.
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So I do think that this puts more pressure than ever on the big 10 tournament.
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And I think the big 10 tournament is going to have some.
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Intense matchups as people are fighting for top
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seeds in the NCAA tournament home games in the NCAA tournament
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and so much as we look forward so this end
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of the season is really really heating up in a really exciting way I know from
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a fan abroad I know I love looking at the stats the underdog stories everything
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going on and it's overall it's been an exciting season to watch and we got five
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big 10 games left before we really have that postseason circled on our calendar
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to to see what's going to happen there.
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And finally, in news, there was some more information dropped earlier this week
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on the House settlement that we talked about in a couple episodes back.
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I'll be honest, I'm not a lawyer. I don't understand the entireties of the situation
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and what is going on with the House settlement.
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But I do know that the NCAA proposal for how this money should be allocated
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and handled has been accepted by the judge.
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And one thing that I did see that I think is really important to acknowledge
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and maybe discuss is the reason why all these universities are owing money is
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it's payback for athletes from the years of 2016 to 2021 before NIL was a thing.
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And it's around $20 billion, I believe, getting that earned.
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And it's about $2.8 billion that that is getting this payout towards athletes
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and people that are getting retributions for not being able to have the opportunities
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that current NCAA athletes have today.
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They have officially announced that that money, those allocations will be going
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to football and men's basketball.
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There won't be opportunity for women's sports to get any of that money.
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There won't be opportunity for, frankly, other large men's sports.
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Obviously, I can understand from the fact that revenue-wise,
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especially during those eras,
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we've seen an all-time high of women's
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supporters and women's sports being supported at a collegiate level,
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which has been incredible but especially during those
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years of like 2016 to 2019 i can
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see i can understand i you know and recognize that
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you know movement sports weren't a driver of the economy
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in a lot of regards in that in the college sports setting but even you know
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if you look at an iowa program the wrestling program isn't getting any of that
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payout and i think everyone that's an iowa fan could understand that i was one
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of the biggest wrestling schools there are and there's a lot of probably retributions
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that is owed to those athletes as well.
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So like I said, I am not a lawyer. I'm not the one that's going to have a lawyerly
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discussion with us about what these impacts are.
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That's where we bring on the experts for, but something to keep an eye out for.
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I think there's still so, so many unknowns in this situation of how it's going
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to overall impact, especially as we care about women's sports and women's soccer specifically.
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And I think it's something that we're just going to be following along with
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and every school is going to handle differently.
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Every school is going to handle at least payouts differently.
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And there's going to be NCAA mandated rules. There's going to be conference mandated rules.
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So as we learn more, we will update our audience, of course,
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but it is definitely still a learning game for everyone involved.
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And speaking of learning games, you know, I talked about it already.
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There has been a massive uptick this year in college soccer of programs that
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aren't our notorious ones, Aren't the ones that everyone always discusses having
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just insane come out seasons,
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breakthrough seasons for these programs and just show consistency over time.
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And one of those teams is the SEC's own Mississippi State.
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Yes, we cover the Big Ten here. Yes, we always talk about that.
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But I think it's so important and so interesting to talk about the differences
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in conferences and the different impacts that certain conferences has.
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And when you look at Mississippi State's record over the last couple of years,
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all I know is I want to know more.
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You have a team in 2021 that doesn't make the SEC tournament,
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let alone an NCAA tournament.
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Team in 2022 that is an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament and loses in the
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second round. and then a team in 2023 who is high ranked does lose to Iowa at home.
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I have to put that out there. We did beat them on the road last year,
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but plays a phenomenal, phenomenal game and has a great season where they make it to the sweet 16.
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And this year on a roll as last week at home, they upset number one Arkansas
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for one of their first number one upsets in program history.
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It To be a top five ranked school I'm sure is remarkable and I want to know
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more about this come up and everything that's going on with the Mississippi
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State soccer program and how the SEC is looking this year.
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So I brought on a dear friend of mine. I'm so excited to hear from her and talk
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to her. Please welcome Riley Combs.
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We are here with the one and only senior at Mississippi State,
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a staple in their solid backline, which over the years has just grown tremendously
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along with their program.
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And I'm so, so excited to learn more about everything going on in Mississippi,
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in the SEC with Riley Combs.
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Hi, y'all. We had to bring y'all out.
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Okay. So like, you got the little Southern twang, you moved to Mississippi and
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even more Southern apparently. Oh my gosh.
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I swore to myself, I was never going to say y'all.
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I was like, that is going to be the one thing that Mississippi is not going
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to do to me. They are not going to make me say y'all.
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Yeah, I started saying it. And you clapped.
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Okay, so things that Mississippi has done to you. Let's start there.
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Oh, my God. Okay, so you commit to this program when, I'm going to guess,
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around a junior in high school, correct? Yes. Yeah.
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And, you know, the average for what especially people in our time were doing
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before all the crazy rules got implemented and everything.
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And through this, in 2021, your freshman year, I will say you played Iowa.
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Well, I do remember in Iowa city, you don't make the sec tournament.
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And in that moment, when you're a girl that committed to this program,
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you don't make that tournament, your freshman year, everything.
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Did you even imagine that you would be where you're at right now with this program?
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I honestly did not, but I think just like how much our team was bought in from that moment.
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Cause that moment really struck our team like big because we were like,
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we did not not make the SEC tournament.
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We know what we can do.
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We need to do better. Outside of soccer, we need to figure out what we're doing
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wrong so we can get to where we need to be by next year.
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Oh, so cool. And so for those who don't stalk college soccer like I tend to
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do, 2021, you don't make the NCC tournament.
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I think you finish towards the average or bottom of the SEC in general.
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In 2022, you finish fifth in the SEC, and then you go on to get an at-large
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bid in the NCAA tournament where you make the round of 32.
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The next year you finish second in the SEC where you then go and you make it
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to the sweet 16 making program history.
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And this year, of course, upsetting number one in the country,
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leading the SEC top five ranking, so much that I feel like we could talk about.
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What are some of the things that you attribute that growth to? two?
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I honestly think it started all with like the people that we've brought in.
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I think everyone, we all got on the same page to where like, we know what we can do.
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We know where we can go from here and how like much better that we can like get.
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So I think that was like what really was got us through it. It was like,
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we all know that we're good and we're good enough to be as good as we want to be.
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And it just comes down to us putting in the time during off season,
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during winter, spring, summer, like that was when we were like,
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we all need to be bought in and we all need to be on the same page.
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So as someone who's been in locker rooms before a college soccer programs,
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and I feel like those are conversations that we've had in Iowa as well and all those things.
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It's a lot of talk. Obviously, it's great to have that follow through.
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But I feel like it's really easy to be like, all right, guys,
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we got to do this. But over the summer, I am going to leave for four weeks because
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I want to go on vacation or whatever.
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What is it about your program that was actually able to talk about it,
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but then consistently walk the walk? You know, what kind of accountability?
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What is where does that really tangibly come from? So we had accountability groups.
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So we had, it was probably like 10 or 12 of us in a group.
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And when everyone would have to send a picture, either of your watch of you
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at the field of you absolutely drenched in sweat because of like how hard the workout is.
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And then also like our strength coach also checks in as like,
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Hey, how much weight did you do on this, this and this?
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And so I feel like that also kept us. And I think our relationship with our
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strength coach, like I was sending him pictures being like, you killed me. I'm dead. I'm dying.
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So I think that also was a big thing. And I also think like,
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even if like you were in another group, other groups were checking on other
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groups just to be like, Hey, like, how's it going?
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Like we said that this was hard this week. And like, other people were like, yeah, this too.
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So I think it was just collectively, we all were like, we all need to make sure that we're doing that.
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So cool. So cool. Okay. Backtracking a bit. Cause I did skip over this.
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I feel like, especially with recruiting these days, you hear so much about the
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dynasty programs, as I like to call them, you know, the North Carolinas,
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the Florida States, the programs that are notoriously over the last decade been
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powerhouses in college soccer.
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As someone who committed to not one of those, yet you're kind of basking in
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the glory a little bit now, what made you commit to Mississippi State and,
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you know, ever think you're going to end up here your senior year?
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So for me, it was like the community around the school, like everyone was so bought in to you.
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And to your program, like even like, though, whenever I first got here,
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like soccer was not big. We maybe had like...
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200, 500 fans. And now we just had like a record of like 2000 fans and that's
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the most we've ever gotten.
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So I generally think like this community has like, is there for you no matter
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what and wants you to thrive in and out of your sport.
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And I also think like whenever I got here, the coaches, like they were, they were hilarious.
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You know, like our coaches, Nick James, like they They were crazy.
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But I think it was also like the locker room, like they were really close.
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And I think that was also like, okay, I like this.
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And then I also was in the South. Warm.
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I love warm. Fair enough. Fair enough. I love the warm.
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I think that was a big thing was like the community aspect of it.
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And like since it is far away from my family, because I'm seven hours away,
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I think like the family like community and like how it made me feel like I was in a family. here.
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I think that may like draw me to here. Yeah, that makes so much sense.
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And okay, speaking of, I actually did want to touch on crowds.
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It seems like Mississippi State has done a phenomenal job drawing people to
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women's college soccer,
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which I know I feel like women's sports in general, we've seen a dramatic growth
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over the last two year to two, I would say, but like early in my career,
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we were getting maybe 300 people at a soccer game.
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And now I'm actually seeing women's college soccer programs including Mississippi
18:55
State outdraw professional games what is it do you think about like the Starkville
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community especially or what have you guys done that makes soccer like oh yeah
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we're gonna go spend our night at the soccer game.
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Yeah so we so what we do for campus is like we have a drill field which is basically
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where like a lot of like the main classes are so we'll like go out there we'll set up a table,
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and our marketing people are absolutely amazing with like getting people to
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come so like we're out there we're handing out flyers we're making jokes with
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people like we're just having fun and making it seem like because soccer sometimes
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it can be a little boring to watch i I know.
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So we make it like more fun for the fans. Like we try and play for them and
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like put in those hard tackles to make them want to come back.
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So I think just like having like a relationship and talking to people is really big.
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And then we also go to like our frats and our sororities to get them to come.
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And then we go to like elementary schools and like go to like their morning
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drops off, like drop off and be like, woo, soccer, football games.
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And then we also have people that work for soccer, like our support staff and
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like our managers, they're also in like sororities and fraternities and all that stuff.
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So they tell their friends and then they have all their friends and cause sororities
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and fraternities are very big here.
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So I think that was like, our main thing is to get more people our age to come and to like, enjoy it.
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So I think people are starting to understand like, yeah, like this is fun to
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go to. They're fun to watch.
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So I think that's what is a big thing. No, of course. And as someone who who
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last year did play in Sarkville, you know, we made the trip down.
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I remember the environment that you guys created and in a game that ended in
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like a one nil hard fight, you know, those crowds so much.
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And obviously you drew a record one this past week. Can you talk about what
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that crowd meant for you?
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Honestly, it was unreal. Usually when we go outside to warm up,
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there's like, okay, there's like a couple people here.
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But when we went outside to warm up, it was already packed.
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I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like this does not happen.
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Honestly, it made like our team feel so good because it's like we have like
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our communities, like our community has our back and like we want to play good
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for them so they can come back because it's honestly so fun.
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Hearing them like yell scream ring the cowbells like even if they don't even
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know what's going on like and they're just doing their thing it's just so awesome
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to see and it makes us be like,
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this is awesome it gives us that extra energy that
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extra boost that like we need if like something's going like sideways not our
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way and like we hear them going like crazy then like we're like okay like we
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got this they're here for us we're here for them let's do this no absolutely
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okay let's Let's get into the game a little bit because I know that's what a
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lot of people want me to ask you about.
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Last week, you guys were ranked number six. You go in to play Arkansas,
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who's ranked number one in the country at the time in an SEC,
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probably critical for an SEC title game in the locker room before,
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before you went out, saw the fans, all that.
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What was the message? What was the energy within the team going into the game?
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So I think it basically all goes back to last year, how we lost them at their
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house and then we lost them in the SEC tournament.
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And I think it just gets to the point where like.
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We can do this. Like we should not be losing.
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Like we got, like we have confidence in ourselves. Like y'all,
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like who cares about the number that's in front of their name.
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It is just Arkansas. It is just another sec game. We just need to go out there and play our game.
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And I think we did a very good job of not letting like them being number one,
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them being the number one offense, like in college soccer right now.
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So I think that was a big thing is not letting the outside stuff get to us and
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just staying like, like we always say, like, keep what's in the circle.
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So like what's on around our team, let's just keep it between us and don't let
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the outside noise like impact us. So I think we do a really good job at doing that.
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Good. Okay. And you're up at halftime, you know, you have the Olympic goal to
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go up one zero in the first half at halftime. Are you up one zero,
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but you know, like you said, you're going up against a team that's prolific
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at scoring. scoring, what's kind of the message then?
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For that, we were just like, we're so close. Like we were close many times.
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We just need to keep like, keep hounding them like, and try and get another
23:19
because scoring against Arkansas is hard.
23:22
It's a very hard, they may are very good team. They make it hard to score.
23:25
So any opportunity we had, we just knew that we needed to capitalize on it and
23:29
keep doing what we were doing. Cause it was working and it was working for us.
23:33
So I think that was just the main thing is keep the energy up because like for
23:37
a team like Arkansas, you cannot take a playoff at all.
23:40
Like they will punish you. So I think that was just a big thing.
23:44
Energy high, no plays off, keep doing what we're doing and just try and get the result.
23:50
All right. And we have to ask, buzzer goes 89th minute, 90th hits. What is that feeling?
23:56
I couldn't stop smiling. I was jumping. I was hugging. I was so excited.
24:00
I am not a hugger. And I was hugging everyone.
24:03
I was like, oh my gosh, we just did that.
24:06
I think that was a key moment for us to be like, we can do this.
24:11
Whoever it is, we trust in ourselves. We trust in our ability and we know we
24:16
can do whatever we put our mind to.
24:19
Wow. That's amazing. Especially, I feel like, obviously playing college soccer,
24:23
this is a critical point in the season where that's built.
24:25
You know, there's obviously so much ahead, but you need to have those wins and
24:29
those moments right now to believe in that road ahead.
24:32
So it has to, that feeling has to, I can only imagine that locker room after
24:37
being with your team on the field after that had to be incredible.
24:40
Oh my gosh, we were singing, dancing. It was honestly probably the most hype
24:45
we've ever been in the locker room. It was unreal.
24:48
Okay. But you get back to practice, you know, a couple days
24:51
later how do you not stay too
24:54
high what's what's kind of the message right now so for
24:57
our coaches they're really big on because I feel like our team in
25:00
general like we're good at as I said like not getting
25:03
too high in the moment and not focusing on the outside stuff like we flush we
25:08
flush it like yes we enjoyed it that day and a little bit the next day but after
25:12
that game's over there's it's done that's in the past now we have to focus on
25:18
the next games up like we're focusing on Georgia now.
25:21
Like we're focusing on ourselves, of course, but we're also, it's the next game up.
25:24
Like that game happened. We did what we needed to do. We got the result that
25:28
yes, that's going to be really good for us, but we still have six more games
25:32
to play, which is a lot. Yeah.
25:34
Completely. Okay. And going into this, obviously, Jordan and I playing in the
25:38
Big Ten, we cover the Big Ten a lot and talk about the conference as a whole,
25:42
you know, what it's like playing in the Big Ten, how deep it is and everything like that.
25:46
You just upset Arkansas and you're going straight into Georgia territory,
25:49
which Georgia knocked me off my season last year.
25:52
You have Auburn that had a remarkable start to their season.
25:57
The SEC is deep, as we know.
26:00
What is it like how every game is like that?
26:04
It's honestly battle it's a battle every game like
26:07
no matter who you play in the sec like no one's like
26:10
no one goes into it being like oh we're automatically gonna do good like every
26:14
game is a a dog fight no matter who it is like like even if like it's a more
26:20
technical team or more direct or more like physical like blue collar team like
26:25
no matter what it is everyone is putting their body on the line.
26:30
Everyone is doing anything to try and get a result because it is hard to get a result in the SEC.
26:35
There are a lot of draws and getting those points are massive.
26:40
No, absolutely. That makes sense. And okay, I feel like every conference has
26:45
an identity in a lot of regards.
26:47
I would say the Big Ten is very, very blue collar.
26:50
When the Pac-12 existed, which is so weird to say, it doesn't.
26:53
A lot more technical, different things like that. How would you describe the SEC?
26:58
I honestly think the SEC is a mixture of both because we have teams like Vandy and South Carolina.
27:04
I think they play more technical soccer to where us, LSU, Arkansas,
27:12
and other schools like that, we're more blue-collar.
27:15
We will put in the tackles. We will go into it wanting to. It's a dogfight.
27:21
And I feel like it's just like there's both. And I feel like our team is getting
27:25
better at being that technical side of it, too.
27:27
Like, we're very good on the ball now, which we've been working on for a very long time.
27:31
So I think I feel like the SEC just likes to do a little bit of both.
27:36
Yeah, a little bit of everything. I like it to a degree. I mean,
27:39
when you look at how the team's stacked up in the NCAA tournament over years,
27:43
as me who's played SEC teams, like, it's a dogfight.
27:47
No, 100%. I completely agree with that. And, you know,
27:50
a lot of people that listen to this podcast tend to be girls that are our
27:52
high schoolers looking to like recruit and I know I think you
27:55
would echo like the biggest thing is find your image and how
27:58
you play and how that aligns with your school yeah completely agree
28:02
so all right we talked about it Mississippi State kind of went from this program
28:07
that no one you know really blinked twice at when it wasn't a dynasty it wasn't
28:11
anything years ago and I think consistently over time you guys have proven that
28:15
you're something to fight with something you know to scrap with.
28:19
What is it about Mississippi State, especially like on the field,
28:24
off the field, that makes y'all unique?
28:27
I feel like it's just how much we fight for each other and have each other's back.
28:33
Because I feel like our chemistry on the team is very good.
28:36
Like we all like love each other no matter what.
28:39
And I think when it comes to the like to the field and to the game,
28:43
like we are fighting tooth and nail for each other. Like we do not care.
28:47
We have each other's back no matter what. But I think that's a big thing for
28:51
us is we also have like trust.
28:53
Trust is a big thing when it comes to a team.
28:56
And I think like no matter what, when our forwards got it, defense is like, whew, y'all got it.
29:00
And then if we're defending, our attacking players are like, we know that they got us.
29:06
And like when they're attacking, Allie even said it in her interview after the
29:09
game against Arkansas, that whenever like we're behind her, she knows that they
29:12
can do whatever they need to do to get to score.
29:15
And they know that we have their back if things come down to like our end.
29:19
So I feel like that is a good picture of what our team is like.
29:23
It's just how much we trust each other no matter who's on the field or where anyone is.
29:28
All right. This is more of a deeper question. So I know there's not necessarily
29:32
one answer, but how do you create that?
29:34
I feel like that's a dream scenario for so many people, but in reality,
29:38
it doesn't always work out that way. There's so many other things that can get in the way.
29:42
How is it created at Mississippi State to make it that special, make that trust there.
29:47
So we do a lot of things like outside of soccer, like we'll do like team bonding
29:51
stuff, but it's more like we set it up ourselves.
29:54
Like no one's like telling us to go do it.
29:56
And we do like a lot of like, we do like vision boards and like,
30:00
we'll go to the locker room early and like, we'll just all hang out with each other.
30:04
And I think it's just like that vibe that we all have with each other is really
30:08
good. And I think just like.
30:11
Each one of us brings different aspects to the team. And we got this man called
30:16
Seth King and he works with us for like leadership.
30:19
And I think he's helped a lot with like our team and like understanding each
30:23
other more and like how there's different types of leaders and like what like
30:27
their specialty is versus other people's. So I feel like that has been a huge part of it.
30:34
No, that's so cool. That's so cool.
30:37
One really unique thing from a total outsider looking into to your program.
30:42
I feel like if any of y'all win SEC Player of the Week, if you guys have a big
30:47
game, if a player gets an award,
30:49
there is something about Mississippi State whenever it pops up on my timeline
30:53
that it is one of you guys kind of out there quoting that tweet,
30:56
shouting out someone else.
30:58
That's just something I feel like I've always seen with your program.
31:01
Why? And I guess like, is that something that inherently you do because you're team chemistry?
31:07
Is it something intentional? Like what is it about it? Cause that's the only
31:10
program I've really seen that consistently about.
31:12
Yeah. I feel like we're just so thankful for who, like everyone has got us to where we are.
31:19
Like, it's not just like ourselves that got us there. Like practice,
31:22
everyone like is making each other better.
31:25
Our coaches, players, support staff, like everyone takes is like getting you to where you need to be.
31:33
And I think we're just all super, super thankful for where we are and where
31:37
we've came from and who is around us and how much they have an impact on us
31:43
and our soccer and also outside of soccer.
31:46
So I feel like that's a big thing is that...
31:50
We still love each other. I know that's so cliche to say, but we all really do.
31:55
Our coaches are there for us. We can just go talk to them about,
31:59
be like, my dog, he's sick, or he just got his favorite toy and they're over there making fun of me.
32:06
Stuff like silly stuff. I feel like that also is a good thing to have.
32:10
And I feel like that also makes us appreciate everyone a little bit more is
32:14
we make it more personal, more rather than just like a job, I would say.
32:19
No, completely. That's so cool.
32:21
So one thing about college soccer this year, at least in my opinion,
32:25
from a total outsider being removed, is I truly feel like this year it's been
32:29
proven over and over again that anyone can be anyone.
32:31
We've seen a ton of number ones get upset. We've seen, you know,
32:35
the projected juggernauts lose.
32:38
What do you think or do you have any idea why the parity in college soccer is
32:44
so high? I feel like higher than ever this year.
32:47
I just think like everyone has the mindset of it could be us Like anyone I feel
32:53
like for at least for our team.
32:54
We saw alabama do it and we were like, why not us?
32:58
That like last year I think it was last year a girl on our team literally was
33:02
like why not us like why don't we go?
33:04
Win one and i'm like exactly and it was the year I think that alabama did it
33:08
or was the year before they did or like after they did it but Like I feel like
33:12
everyone's just like Like anyone has the chance.
33:15
Like you just got to put the work in. You just got to work hard.
33:18
And I feel like that's just everyone's mindset right now. Because as you can
33:21
see, like top teams winning, losing, tying, like it is anyone's game.
33:26
It's it just matters on who shows up on game day.
33:29
Yeah. Okay. You talked about the vision boards within the locker room and everything.
33:33
And as you said, six more SEC games left before postseason. Where do you see this team going?
33:39
I, me personally, I feel like our team, we still have a lot to grow and we all,
33:45
we all know that, that we're not done yet and we still have things that we need to learn, grow from.
33:49
I feel like it's, I feel like we have a very good, very good.
33:54
We're going up. I love that.
33:56
Perfect. No, that makes total sense.
33:59
And I think my final question for you is, like I said, a large portion of this
34:04
audience is either parents of high school soccer players or high school soccer players themselves.
34:09
You've gone through this journey. Your freshman year, frankly,
34:12
you were a player that I believe the stat was you started in two games.
34:16
You know, you weren't the staple.
34:18
You were the sub off the bench. And now I've played you. I know what our scouting report looked like.
34:24
You know, like you become a cement of this back line of a top five team in the nation.
34:29
What advice do you have about your journey looking back that you would like
34:33
to give to other younger girls?
34:35
I would just say like Like if things don't go your way, do not let that be like
34:40
all or be all like my, as you said, like my freshman year, it didn't go as I wanted it to.
34:46
And that summer, not even that winter, I was like, things are going to change.
34:51
And I proved to the coaches and to like my team that like, Hey,
34:54
y'all can trust me. I can be there for y'all.
34:56
And my spring is when I like took, I had my, I had my one chance that I had and I ran with it.
35:02
I feel like that's a big thing. Like when you get your time,
35:05
you need to take advantage of it, but you also need to work,
35:07
be working on and off the field when no one's there.
35:09
And when people are there, like, I feel like that's what is good.
35:12
And also like, make sure you're doing good. Focus on like the good things.
35:16
Don't focus on the negative. Cause that was me. I, I was like,
35:20
Oh, things aren't going my way. Like, Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?
35:24
I think just make sure you have a still good support system.
35:28
You stay positive as much as you can and just work hard.
35:31
That's incredible. Incredible. Well, Riley, thank you so much for spending a
35:34
little bit of time with us. I know everyone's excited to follow Mississippi State.
35:38
I know I am. I got to give a quick shout out. You know, I'm going to send this to my boy Drago.
35:41
I miss him like crazy, but I will. I will.
35:47
But no, I'm so, so happy for you and so thankful for you spending some time
35:51
with us. Well, thank you so much. I loved it.
35:53
I am so, so thankful for Riley for coming on the podcast. Truly.
35:59
I mean, the story is amazing and seeing what Mississippi State and
36:02
what so many other college programs have done and the belief
36:05
in themselves and the why not us mentality I know
36:08
that that's something that Iowa we really channeled our 2020 season when we
36:12
went 0-7-1 and turned it around and won the Big Ten tournament it was why not
36:17
and so I'm not surprised that they're channeling that down in Mississippi State
36:20
and I wish them the best of luck in their SEC future and they definitely have a fan over in Sweden.
36:27
Well, guys, thank you so, so much for tuning into my solo podcast, Endeavor.
36:31
I truly appreciate all your support. And as always, I have my big matchups for the week.
36:36
I really think when I look at the calendar of what this week's going to bring,
36:39
the first one that really stands out to me is Purdue versus Indiana.
36:42
These are two teams that are going to be battling to be in that Big Ten tournament.
36:46
It's a rivalry game, as always. I know there's always so much on the line when
36:50
it comes to those team battling it out.
36:52
So that game on Thursday, I think, will be a really, really big one for both teams, honestly.
36:57
And then my other one has got to be Iowa versus Rutgers on
37:00
Sunday I really think that Iowa being undefeated
37:03
of course is fantastic but when you fly out to Rutgers which
37:06
is proven to be one of the best defenses in the country that's going to be a
37:09
battle and so I think both teams have a lot to prove and this is a big weekend
37:14
for both teams to really up their stakes and really prove who they're going
37:17
to be as we heard Raleigh say like this was the turning point in their season
37:20
and both teams I think need that extra push going into postseason so that's another big
37:25
matchup in the big 10 as always follow us on social media follow girls soccer
37:30
network at sam carry angel all the little details as we take you through our
37:36
lives in the big life thanks so much guys.