August 11, 2025 • 40 mins
In this episode of Naked Sports, host Cari Champion discusses her recent NAACP Image Award nomination, the devastating impact of wildfires in California, and the journey of a professional volleyball player, highlighting the importance of women's sports and community support.
Haleigh Washington Two-Time Olympic Medalist and Founding Athlete of LOVE Volleyball shares her journey through the world of volleyball, emphasizing the importance of humility, teamwork, and the challenges professional athletes face. She discusses her experiences playing overseas, creating a new volleyball league, and the impact of the Olympic experience on her career. The conversation also touches on the need for greater visibility and support for women's sports and personal anecdotes that highlight her personality and passion for the game.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
So what's happening in women's basketball right now is what
we've been trying.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
To get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Calanquark broke the all time single game assists record. This
is crazy for rookies to be doing, to the polls
where history is written.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
And now we have Kamala Harrison, it feels more like
women are sort of taken what they've always deserved, as
opposed to waiting on somebody to give them what they deserved.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, family, So thank you
(01:08):
all for letting me share what I was feeling about
the California wild fires.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
This is a safe space.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I appreciate you and I know a lot of you
have family and friends there who may have been affected
as you listen to this podcast, and my quick update
as I am recording this yet again, home is intact.
Things seem to be well, and we're just praying for
those who lost their homes. But most importantly, everyone who
(01:35):
is housing challenged at this moment, we want to make
sure that they find some sort of resources. So please
be a part of the community in which the world
that we live in. Whatever you hear about fires, if
it can help someone, if it can perhaps maybe give
someone some hope, share that information, and whatever way you
can do your small part. Nothing little is considered little
(02:00):
like these. Okay, now let's get to this week's podcast.
I had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for the
first serve of the new Professional Volleyball League indoor Professional
Volleyball League League One Volleyball, or Love as it's called.
And I'm really excited because I said, Hey, yes, I
(02:20):
want to come down, I want to find a player
to interview, and I want to talk about this new league.
Women's sports is really at a beautiful intersection in which
everyone is interested and wants to invest. So they set
me down with one of the league's stars. Her name
is Haley Washington. And I'm smiling already because Haley was
(02:42):
extremely intelligent, funny and smart.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
And I was like, this is it.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This is how you get people to pay attention to
a new league. You bring someone along who is how.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Would I describe her?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
She has her own personality, She's very unapologetic. I asked
her who she is if she was similar to in
terms of another sport, personality, playing style, and she said
Dennis Rodman. But listen, Dennis Rodman was arguably one of
the best players. Even if he didn't score points, he
was in the game, he was making plays, he was
(03:17):
always very invaluable. It's the intangibles that had set him apart.
And Haley Washington has so many intangibles, one of which
is she is extremely funny. She made me laugh and
I key keyed and I loled, and I invite you
to do the same with us. Please enjoy this edition
(03:38):
of Naked Sports. Haley, what is the biggest myth in volleyball?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I'm so glad you asked.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
The biggest myth is that you hold your hands like
you're praying. If there's one thing we can teach Americans aboutvolleyball.
It's hands are held like this, pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage,
wrists kiss. That's how we want to hold our hands. Please,
I will break your fingers.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Stop in that. It makes you so angry.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I just because I see people that are like I
played volleyball in high school.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And they hang me with that, and I want to
drop kick them in the teeth. I'm just like, just
tell me you don't play balltle It's okay.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage, sausage, sausage risk.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
See, it's a game of love. It's so beautiful. It's
a game of love. It's a game. Thumbs are hugging,
your wrists are kissing. It's beautiful. See, I got it.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, I guess I'm ready to play tonight. Do you
a favor? I know, right, introduce yourself for us.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Up Hi. I'm Heally Washington, two time Olympic medalist, Founding
Athlete for Love.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Bybe It's actually just love. They're gonna hate that.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
I said love BB Founding Athlete for Love, PennState alumni
and just the.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Lover of the game. So today's an important day.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And by that I mean this is the inaugural season
of Love Volleyball, and I really appreciate you taking the
time just to be here to explain what this all is.
But I think we need a backstory because this is
the first of its kind. It is an original, It
is a professional volleyball league, and as we know in
women's sports, very few professional leagues get the attention that
they deserve. But I think something is different in terms
(05:09):
of how this will look. Talk to me about your
journey to being a professional volleyball player. When did you
start playing?
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, I started playing volleyball kind of at a later
age for a lot of volleyball athletes.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I started when I was twelve in middle school.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
A lot of volleyball players will get their start at six, seven,
eight years old, and I was just a kid that
was running out on the mountains and so originally I
started playing volleyball when I was twelve. So it's just
something I wanted to do after school because middle school you.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Could start doing extracurricular activities. And truth be told, I
really wanted to play football.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
I was a tomboy growing up. I really wanted to
be a football player. I was gonna be a great
wide receiver. And my dad looked at all six foot
three of me, seventy pounds wet, and it's like, you'll die.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
You get hit by playing football. You can't do that.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
So my football career was dashed within seconds, and I
ended up going to play volleyball and I just fell
in love with it instantly. Why did you fall in
love with it instantly? I wish I had like a
moment that stood out that was why I fell in
love with it, But it really just it just made
sense to me, like serving the ball over the net
made sense to me, and the footwork made sense to me,
(06:16):
and it was so easy for me to get the
concept of the game and why you would get competitive,
and the energy and the fire like it just from day.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
One, I was in love with it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I'm curious because most people normally look at someone or
see someone. They can see someone who does what they
do or does something that they want to do, and
they follow in that trajectory. There was not one player
in your high school and your middle school on television
that you saw and said.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Like, what she's doing.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Well. I had a neighbor who Whitney do boys, and
she played volleyball.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Shout out to Whitney. Shout out to Whitney, Shout out Whitney.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
But I would always want to go and play at
their house when I was like a little annoying ankle biter, and.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
They'd be like, no, Whitney has a volleyball game.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
And I never had the concept of volleyball because I'd
only ever seen a volleyball court outside of our old
rec center and it was just an old sand pit
with a saggy net because.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
There was always winter when I was over there.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
And so I was like, volleyball is people running around
on the sand and they can't touch the ball with
their hands, so they played with their head. Like that
was my concept of volleyball. So yeah, I never really
had a person that I followed. I never really watched
the game, and it wasn't until I was at that
tryout that I was like, Oh, this is what volleyball is.
It's past that hit, it's doing this footwork, it's transitioning,
(07:25):
it's constant movement. And really after that, my dad started
to take me to volleyball games. We would watch the
high schoolers play, and I started to play club and
got introduced to kind of the more competitive side, but
it was just it really was love at first sight.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Wow, literally love at first sight. That's special.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I think that what's so interesting about where we are
in this world today, specifically is about women's sports, and
we're amplifying it in so many different ways. I have
met so many different athletes who have said they wish
that they could play at home.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
They wish that they could.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Play in front of their family outside of when you
graduate from college that's it. Or at the Olympics, for instance,
that's your opportunity to really play for home if you will.
Your journey started obviously early on, but when you got
to Penn State, what was that experience? Like you knew
that you were special, You knew you had something set
apart obviously recruited full scholarship, congratulations, no.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Debt, no debt, No your college debt. You don't have
no college debt, have to pay for a book? Well
that was when I was when I was growing up.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Actually, I decided that if I was going to go
to college, it was on a full right scholarship or
not at all. And so I was twelve years old
and having a little anxiety attack about my future. You
know like most twelve year olds kid, of course, and
I made a list of everything I loved of like volleyball, basketball, track, choir, theater,
I played the trombone, so all these things that I
could potentially want to work towards getting a full right
(08:47):
scholarship for. And I ended up falling on volleyball and
worked my butt off to get a full right to
go to Penn State.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
And the rest is kind of this history.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
The rest is history. Tell us about the history, because
you did make history. Why you were there?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah, yeah, I mean Penn State was first of all
you said, like I had gone to Penn State in
a four right scholarship, I was special. Let's establish I
was not special because Penny kicksie and the teeth.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Why do you say that.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
It's a program that's not supposed to be about me.
It's a program that's built around we. Like Russ was
really big on we win as a team. You are
who you need to be, and you can play great
volleyball and you can be great, but it's not about you.
And you co go from being this kind of big
fish in a medium sized pond, like a good volleyball
player in Colorado to Penn State University that has this
(09:35):
tradition of excellence, this legacy of winning. I mean, they're
one of the few programs that has won four national
championships back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
They had just won in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
They had so many alumni that were Olympians, and like,
their program was just historic and iconic. And so you
get there and you were humbled very quickly. And I
didn't even go there thinking that I could be great.
I was just like, you know, I'm just I'm glad
I made it. I got a four right scholarship, school
is paid for, and I'm just here to work hard
and do the best that I can.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
But it was grueling. It was a grueling four years.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Penn State volleyball was the hardest thing I've ever been
a part of in my career, hands down.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And not because it was like a negative part. It
was just it.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Russ Rose believed in forging you in the fire, and
that was what we did. We were forged in the
fire at Penn State, and it really I think made
me a mentally strong player and a mentally.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Strong at which also helped you find your voice.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah, more or less, Yan, because you have it So
when you get there and you realize that you are
a smaller fish in a very big pond, how do
you adjust?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
What does that feel like in that particular program.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I mean, I think obviously you have to recognize the
things that are outside of your control. I think for freshman,
I'm still an idiot. Let's I'm still an idiot freshman
coming to campus. I look at myself and try to
see wisdom, but I really just see an idiot freshman.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But you recognize the things that you can and can't control.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And I was like, look, whether I get onto that
starting spot or not, I can't control that. And I
actually suffered a pretty devastating injury during pre season that
cost me the first part of the season, and I
just remember being like, well, there's nothing I can do.
All I can do is get in, get my rehab, workout,
try to be strong and work my butt off. And
I remember when I could finally play again. I was
(11:19):
playing on the B side, and I was like, I
don't care that I'm on the B side. I'm gonna
play my hardest, I'm gonna whoop a sides.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But because so for those of us who don't know
volleybo yes, And when I say us, I mean me, what's.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
The B side? Okay, So you have A side and
B side.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
So you have your starting six that are on the
fourth that are gonna play in the game, and then
you have your B side, which are the people that
are coming into be game changers.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
They tend to be on the bench and.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
They'll sub in to serve or they'll sub in if
an athlete's injured, but they're typically your bench players.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So you have your A side is your starting side,
and your B side it's your backup bench players. Okay,
so you're on the B.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So I was on the B side because I had
been injured and I needed to earn my starting spot,
which I was absolutely necessary, but I was like, Okay,
if I'm gonna be over here, they're gonna have to
fight tooth and nail to shut me down because I'm
gonna whoop their butt because if they can beat me,
then they can probably beat the other athletes that they're
gonna face the competition.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
And I remember we had B side whooped, but because
we had also.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Two men's practice players and it was me and I
was yelling and shirping and talking smack.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And what I shockgames, but I was, yeah, I was.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Just shirping away, having to good all the time, and
we actually ended up winning the drill.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
We won most of the drills.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
That day, and Russ at the end of practice always
talked to the team and he was like, you can
have all the energy you want, but just remember this,
you're still on B side. I was like, thank you,
thank you for the slight so humble bye, thank you,
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
But the following day I was on each side. Really okay,
hold on, don't just don't don't talk.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Don't talk over that you hell so you you're on
the B side.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's one practice. It was one practice.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Yeah, and then I'm sure if you ask other girls,
they're gonna be like it was like a wee in
a half of practice. Like but in my mind, in
my memory, who's the following day?
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Damn? Yeah? What that say to you?
Speaker 4 (13:07):
So that I that energy goes a long way, because
I don't think I'm like this stellar attacker, like I
have one of the highest hitting percentages in Penn State history,
and like I have like a good hitting like I
was a great middle at the Tokyo Olympics and all
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
But like that doesn't matter. I think my personality is
kind of what makes me a decent.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Ish player because I'm loud and I'm obnoxious, and I'm
in your face and I'm screaming and I'm cussing and
I'm smacking butts and I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You're right, the fans love It's well, you're what the
game needs. You are it if you if you were
to describe yourself folk for folks who aren't familiar with volleyball,
who would be your equivalent? Someone would say you remind
me Ofsessed and such in the AMBA or the w
NBA or in soccer. Who would who would your personality
remind people?
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Ah, okay, personality, not going off to Las Vegas for
three days, but personality.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I'm gonna say Dennis rodd that I want to be Rodman,
so that and I know.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Maybe a little Liken't don't apologize about that, just say that.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
On the court, Dennis his flared hair, his obnoxious style,
like his just kind of being loud and in your face,
but also like just a good support player.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Brodman would have games where didn't score any points at all,
but he was everywhere. What I'm saying that was my
motto for this past everything was just do your job.
Like you don't got to be the star, you don't
got to score twenty points. You gotta blah blah blah
blah blah, do your job.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
And I did it with high energy, and so I
think Dennis Rodman, if I can say, that's a bold statement,
but I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Gonna say it when we come back.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Hailey shares more about her playing style and what made
her realize she was built for this sport. Back in
a moment, Hey, everybody, welcome back to Naked Sports. So
Haley is in the middle of sharing a story and
she talks about how she found out, uh that she
was really a special player without bragging. I use the
(15:02):
word special one day during practice when she was in college.
One day of practice aside. The next day, you walk in,
you're on a side, and what do you say to yourself?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I said to myself, Okay, don't blow it, idiot, you know,
positive self talk. I'm a mentor, I'm a roll model. Sorry,
just touched my mic.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Sorry, yeah, I have no I've pushed this mic around
twenty times.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Deal with it now, I'm kidding.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
But that aspect of a humility of like, Okay, yes
I earned it, but let's not like just assume that
that's it, Like, you still gotta.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Do your job.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Do your job, idiot, and I wouldn't dare call you that,
but yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
So then you get in there, you do your job,
and I work my butt off. I get I think,
defensive player of the year something, all big ten, something
like that, And I love the humble brag. I don't know,
I just I'm not I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
I just say I have right, dad, Yeah, I'm all
big ten. I'm just kidding. I'm joking. Cut cut that
out in stays in. Don't take it out for agincer.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Okay, so you you literally show up and you show
out and you do your job.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
How's that season end?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
We got a national fiship actually okay, but truth be told,
that was not a humble brag. Again, I'm just saying
a fact. We won a national championship that season. We
had two starting freshmen, me and Ali Franti, And it
sounds like this great accomplishment, but I played like trash.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
The NCAA tournament.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Russ was even very kind enough to tell me that
at the end of the tournament. He was like, hey,
you played like garbage a tournament. I said, thanks, Russ,
appreciate you. But the thing is I didn't need to
play great. It was again because it's not about me,
it's about we.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So I did my job well enough.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
It's right that the women around me could take care
of business and they could get the w and that's
what we did.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I just did my job.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
The cydebar not even a cydebar, but actually, what I
am noticing as I listened to you talk and I've
said this about women in sports. Obviously, it builds your
self esteem, in your confidence. That's something that there's much
more positivity about women who play sports then there is
about women who don't.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
And it's not a knock, it's just what it is.
But there is this thing about women in general.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
When we get into this world and we live in
the world, it's hard for us to find our voice.
It's hard for us to speak up and raise our hands.
You don't have that problem. But what I love is
that you have the humility mixed with that, and that
is a special that's a yes and and it's an
invaluable trait that you don't get to see. So much
of and it takes it separates you from everyone else.
It really does, and I think that helps. As Russ
(17:29):
has pointed out, you know, I love your energy, but
you do your job. But I'm going to do my
job well, and I'm going to be everywhere and I'm
not trying to be the best, but I'm going to
be everywhere and do my job. Now when you have
that same mentality, and I know in twenty seventeen, you
also went to the semi finals, right you guys?
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Guys A final semifinals, Oh, Reversey, Nebraska in twenty seventeen.
I don't want to talk about it, but fencety just
did that to them this year, so it's fine. I
guess we can talk about it. It's fine.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
We can't talk about it, talk about it the whole
time that you're playing in college. Do you think that
there is a life after in terms of playing professional life?
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I love this question. I remember my sophomore year being
in the locker room and being asked, hey, will you
go pro? And that was the first time SID had
ever been presented to me, this idea of going pro.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
And I remember jokingly being like pro, my niece can
barely handle college. There's no way I can handle pro.
If I could go back and slap the sophomore year me.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Shut up, look how far we can go?
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I would, but I never really thought that I could
play pro let alone do USA. I remember my senior
year being asked, will you try out with the USA
gym and telling them I just don't really think I'm
a good enough blocker. I'm not offensive enough in front
of the setter. So I just I don't really think
it's gonna be for me. And that was just kind
of my mentality, was like I'm going to get through college.
(18:41):
And I remember my senior year well, because I really
wanted to stay in academics, well, I wanted to get
why not go pro pro? Yeah? One, it was so
far away, and like everybody that came back kind of
told me these horror stories of being overseas, being isolated
from your family. You're far away for a long period
of time, we're not really making big money.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
So I was like, this doesn't sound fun. But I
remember talking to Russ again.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Russ Rose, this guy influenced my whole life. I remember
talking to Russ about going overseas because I had this
idea that Okay, I'll go play pro for two years,
save up enough money to pay for a little bit
of my master's degree, and then I'll come back and
get my master's in philosophy, and then I was going
to be a critical race philosopher and then a library
and work in the Library of Congress.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
That was the dream.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Sounds exciting. Yeah, the volleyball's better in the Library of Congress.
But volleyball has been way more exciting. Yeah. But Russ
actually pulled me aside and he's like, if you're gonna
do this overseas thing, do it right. He's like, build
yourself up, build a career, build a name for yourself.
Don't just shut it out after two years. It's like,
commit to it.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
And I was like, this Russ guy, Hi, I'm telling
you man, he's a legend. He's a life coach.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Well, let don't let him fall back into the pages
of history, you guys.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
He is a gangster and built the program.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
He coached Penn State for forty three years, built volleyball
at that school.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Was they want Russ road Man, all right?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Yeah, so he says, do it right, do it right.
You get those orders, then you think why not I
do want to say this, Hey, you were going to
give up on a dream because it was far away.
It wasn't a dream for you though it wasn't a dream. Yeah,
I wonder is it a dream for others?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
I you definitely think they don't want to do it
because they don't want to go overseas. I that's a
fear of mine.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Is that?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Or worse?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
People do follow their dream and they go overseas, And
I'm telling you it's not a glamorous life. We're very
spoiled in college sports here with our nice some of
us have charter flights, and if we don't have charter flights,
we at least why like domestic and it's comfortable, and
we have these big, fancy locker rooms and now there's
underwater treadmills and programs and dining halls with lots of
(20:45):
fancy food, and we have ice bats and hot tubs.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
And we're spoiled in college sports.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
And then you go overseas and you're on a greyhound.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Bus for six hours to go to your next game.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
You get to a hotel where you're sharing it, where
you're sharing a room and they're two.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Twin sized beds and the locker room that you have.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Is leaking, and you have to make sure that you
have all your stuff and your equipment because nobody else
is handling reefs like it's a culture shock. And so
you follow the dream to go overseason to play pro
and you're really fighting.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
And fending for yourself. And it's not always like that.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
There are some definite good teams that have great resources.
So no Tino shade to any of the international leagues.
I was blessed that Italy I had some really great
opportunities resources.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Yeah, they're the side note she she's been playing overseas
in Italy. Not a bad game, not a bag, not
a bad gag.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
You like pasta. I do not like pasta to Corby,
It's too car baby. I gain weight like crazy. I
can't enjoy pasta. I can have the occasion is the pasta.
They're bad and I feel like I know it's it's
so good.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
The problem is just you can't eat it all the time.
I like wine though, Okay, bals gun.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Let me tell you what I did learn overseas is
the wine. So so there are presumably, and this is
why we are here today to talk about this professional
league that is stateside, But there are presumably, and I
don't want to make up numbers, but there are many women,
maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of women who who gave up
the opportunity or perhaps thought about going overseas to play,
(22:16):
but they just didn't want to do it because of
what it required on them mentally and physically and personally.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
No holidays, no like no holidays with family, Thanksgiving, New Year.
What's the season?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
So, if you're a national team athlete, the season can
be anywhere from October till May. But if you're not
a national team athlete, if you're just coming out of college,
or if you're not doing national team, they usually ask
for you around like August, so you'll be out there August, September, October, November, December,
ten yard, feb It's like ten months.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Wow, it's a long season.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
And if you're in a higher tier team, you have
usually Champions League and then you have Cup Italia and
Super Colpa and regular season, so you're playing two three
games a week.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
You're traveling constantly.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Your off day is really your travel day, so you're
also seeing everybody.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
You never get a chance to be by yourself. It's
how much money do you make. It's decent. It's I
think a crass am. I'm gonna talk numbers.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I in sports, don't I hate that they don't talk
noumb Yeah, my last season name is two hundred and
thirty thousand, which is pretty high paying for a middle blocker.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I mean there are girls that are making I mean,
there are some pro girls that are making millions and
like in endorsement, sponsorships. But I think on average, we're
trying to make a six figure contract. So League one
was a downgrade from two hundred and thirty thousand, but
still six figures. I think I'm making somewhere from like
one twenty to one fifty. But I have to look
at my contract, I know how much of me. But yeah,
still six figures. And they offer decent money to most
(23:46):
of the athletes as far as I know. Maybe not
always six figures, especially for girls that are coming out
of college or for girls that are have less experience
overseas or in the pro world.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
But the money's decent, pays the bills.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So it's ten months overseas somewhere in the twos anywhere
upwards to perhaps seven figures in the millions.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
That's for the oh one percent, okay of athletes.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
That's for like done average.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, on average, I would say on average. If you're going,
if you're an American going overseas, on average.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
You're looking at one hundred and twenty.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
I think, like the Olympic American athletes like go overseas,
we're in the six figures. But if you're just an
average college girl, I mean, your starting salary is gonna
be a twenty one.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
So Russ gives you this advice and he says, do
it and do it right. How'd that work out for you?
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I think I went into overseas with a good mentality
of like just say yes, Like whatever opportunities present yourself
to them, say yes and work hard. And so it
worked out well because I played on this really low
level A two team my first season only.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
For a month and a half two months, because I
came in for a half season.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
We didn't make playoffs, so I just kind of came
in but made enough of a statement that I got
on an A one team, the last place team in
A one, which, if you don't know volleyball, most national
leagues overseas have like an A one team and an
A two or an A one league, in an A
two league, Okay, it's like our any like our NBA
and the G League. Okay, perfect equivalent. Yeah, and so
(25:11):
I was on the last place team in A one,
but then I managed to work my way up to
the fourth place team in A one, and then I
was in.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
The top one or two teams for the rest of
my career. So you did it right, it right, as
Russ suggested. As Russ suggested, he's a very wise man,
A wise man, wise man.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
When we return, what does the future of professional volleyball
look like here in America? Back in a moment, Welcome
back to Naked Sports. So just for context, I want
(25:50):
to remind you I am in Atlanta while doing this interview,
and we are just hours away from the beginning of
making history and professional volleyball. Take a listen. I want
you to talk to me about when you heard about
this opportunity. There's been other professional volleyball league, So there's
been obviously beach volleyball that people have tried to do,
(26:11):
and some of them have failed because there have been
issues with finance.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Money is always the issue, and there's always the issue.
Money is always the issue, and I want to make
this a negative. But when you were approached by Love,
what were you thinking, Is this real? Can I do this?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And I know this has been in the works for
some years now, but what were your initial thoughts.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Yeah, I think my initial thoughts were excitement because I
had been approached by a couple other leagues about how
they wanted to kind of run American volleyball. So I've
been approached by AU, which is another volleyball league that
we have here in the States, and it's super fun.
It looks like the girls that go and play and
that have a really great time, and again it's a
way to bring volleyball to America.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So I love the AU as a thing, and I
had been approached by them, and.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
I didn't love kind of their format though, like I
just want to be a regular volleyball league and they
rotate teams every week, and I was like, I'm not
as excited about that. And then I had been approached
about another potential league that was all all stars and
it was only for a couple of weekends and it
was just like all start showings and showcases, and.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I was like, I don't love that either. And so
when League one kind of came up to me.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
When Love approached me, They're like, Hey, we have this
idea for a league, and it's just a regular old volleyball.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
League, but it's a grassroots movement. It's oriented in the community.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
We want to get youth athletes involved, youth sports involved.
I was like that I'm interested in because I think
that there's an untapped market in youth sports here stateside.
I think that, like, youth sports are so big in America,
and we do a really good job of developing our
younger athletes, and so to tap into that market while
also funneling that excitement into a pro league and to
(27:46):
provide just a regular old pro league is so exciting,
and so I was. I was on board from the jump.
As soon as they presented the idea. I was like, yes,
I'm in Wow, And I think it was just it
was kind of that mentality of yes, and and then
like what do I have to lose, Like if it fails, whatever,
at least I try.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
You have the opportunity to still go play overseas. That's
still an option for you. Sure this is a win win, absolutely,
Like there was no.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Like Italy wasn't just gonna disappear off the face of
the earth because I did League.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
One, and there are so many leagues in the world.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
There's France, there's Germany, there's Korea, there's Japan, there's turky like,
so it was never gone.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
So I was like, why not take the time to
invest in this.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Do you look at the WNBA and you see what
it You know it's in section right and where it
is now? Do you see that being the same vision
for love?
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I think yes. I think I okay to begin one.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I don't love the comparison of are you gonna be
like the WNBA, Are you gonna be like the fair
and WSL, because we're all different things, and I think
like they're all gonna have I think what makes volleyball
funds the intimate environments.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
I think what makes the WNBA fund is their big atmospheres,
and so they didn't always have a big atmosphere, and
so like those are the things that are like growing into.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
So I think women's volleyball is going to have its
own kind of path and I think the start of
the intimate atmosphere is going.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
To be kind of our what will set you up pact?
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Well?
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Far is that intimate atmosphere can feel like a lot
of fun, whereas sometimes in the w NBA that intimate
atmosphere can feel a little bit almost.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Energy sucking, at least in their inception.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I don't want to overstep I am, I want to
say anything rude, but I think that intimate atmosphere can
really be great for.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
You're Jenna sa Qua.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, what we like about going to a Love volleyball game.
So so as we record this podcast, Love's first serve
will be on ESPN plus who It's huge, right, I
think that's a huge start. I'm curious as to what
you think will make this first game different. You said
you want your own path, you don't want to be compared,
(29:49):
and that's very fair. I think that the comparisons are
also fair as well.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Definitely, I'm sorry if that came across this room.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
No, no, no, no, but I think they're fair because
people what I what I I think when I say
that is it started off with fanfare.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
People are excited.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
It might have some growing pains as all all it's
do is yeah, But then then there comes this moment
where people understand it's its value and start to appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
That's the truth. That's truck was talking. I think, yes,
I absolutely agree, and I'm sorry, no, no, no, no go.
I think the WNBA has kicked but in kind of paving.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
The way for women's sports also, and so I think
like there's gonna be that growing pain time whereas where
there's less engagement or maybe not as many people are
watching for sure, but the WNBA and just women's sports
in twenty twenty four have really kind of put us
on the map, have helped with getting more exposure.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Like the WNBA really came up for nothing.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
There really weren't meant, there wasn't much excitement for women's
sports when it was in like when it had its
inaugural season and when it was first starting off, and
they really had to kind of like build.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
From somewhat nothing.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
And so I think that they have done a great
job kind of paving the way and getting excited about
women's sports. And so I think that's maybe what might
make it easier for us to get people's attention, to
get you well, yeah, because I can't remember a time
where you get a professional women's league and they're like,
let's just put it on ESPN in any capacity. Yeah,
and you know, year to year even the growth of
(31:16):
the nc DOUBLEA Championships from my understanding, where forty one
percent from year to year, and that's huge to actually
tune in and see people are paying attention. It's in
the zeigeist if you will. I hate to use that word.
It is.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
It's just out there.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But I'm interested in what you think the ceiling is
or is there no ceiling?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
What I think the ceiling is.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
What is the world that you could imagine in your
wildest dreams, in the world that you think will actually
be in.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
My wildest dreams.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
I imagine every game is like the NCAA Championship.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I know that that's that's a big.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Dream, but I mean, if you can get fans that
excited for one game out of the year, I don't see.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Why you can't get them hype for every game. Kind
of like that.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
And I mean I just went, like, I went to
a hockey game ABS played the Utah Hockey Club in
Salt Lake City, and I was like, this is so
cool and it's so possible for women's Like I think
it's possible for women's volleyball to be in those big arenas,
be in those spaces, for people to be excited. We
have to teach people how to be volleyball fans. We
have to tell them it's okay to be louds okay
(32:23):
to make noises. You're not going to scarce away. That's
so interesting that you say that, Well, it's just because
volleyball's like tennis, so they assume it's like tennis or
fighter and serve fighter. It's so interesting that you say
you have to teach people how to be fans. You
have to teach people how to understand the sport.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
You have to teach them, and that is the onus, honestly,
is on the people who know the sport and the
people who play it.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Yeah, definitely, I'm just bringing you in and be like, hey,
come on, I don't know what we gotta do. If
it's I don't know, whatever it is, you're gonna get
you guys excited about this game.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I do want to ask you a question about being
an Olympian, and that's the ultimate goal. And I'll find
a way to put this bick and I want to
weave in the ultimate I think for mini athletes, no
matter who you are, even if you play professionally, the
goal is ultimately to represent your country you have the
opportunity to do that in a major way. You want
a gold and you want a silver middle blocker. Talk
to me about those those experiences for you. What does
(33:15):
it feel like to actually take a sport, because I
believe during the Olympics that's when volleyball gets more attention
definitively and at the highest levels, and it's global so
people can pay attention and they understand the sport in
a different way. What does that feel like for you
for a sport they get so little attention states I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
The Olympics, you always get hype over sports that you
don't usually get to see because there's just less coverage
of it. Like track and field is one of the
most watched events, but outside of the Olympics, like unless
you're following an athlete on the Instagram, you're not really
seeing what they're doing during a quad And so I
think every kind of sport, even gymnastics, gymnastics, track field, rugby,
although rugby now is pick and I think so it's huge.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Yeah, but I just think.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
To be at that stage, to be at the Olympics
and like know that kind of the world is watching,
especially with the background of playing overseas because internationally volleyball.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Is big sport.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Turkish fans, Brazilian fans, Italian fans.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
They're big.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
It's big over there, and so you kind of feel
all eyes on you in that moment, which is on
the one hand scary and intimidating, but on the other
hand still just volleyball. For it's the same size and
that's the same height. So all you have to do
is what my motto is, do your job.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Do you out there? I'm telling you, it's that's the
name of this podcast. Do your job, Hey says, do
your job. It's so easy to does not be bad
at life. Just do your job. Stop trying to be
a start to do your job.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
But yeah, okay, so I'm going to say this, and
this is just this is just my projection. I do
believe that this sport will do well, but it needs
it needs its characters, it needs its it needs people
to correct.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And I was like, you are.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Illuminary, and I think that if people can understand who
you are, where you come from, and their personality is
absolutely a one. So I think that if you have
more stars, people can follow and be invested. I'm fully invested.
I want to, I really am like I'm in love
with her. I mean in a completely platonic way, but
I'm like, I.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Really want to know. I really like, I really don't
know what else is happening. Your favorite food? My favorite
food is rice. I know it sounds super boring, but
you can do so much with rice. You won't eat pasta,
but you just like rice. I love rice.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Joe love rice, Rice, cilantro, lime rice. You just make
rice Farmers risotto? Are you kidding me?
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Do you put meat in there? Just rice? So if
you were on an island, all you need is rice.
You do so much with rice. You just find rice
and spices. Rice is great. I love favorite song right now,
uh Dodger Blue by Kendrick Lamar. Favorite artists right now?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
So some good artists right now, the beaches they're Canadian bands.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Okay, you threw me off with that one.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
I'm sorry, I appreciate that, all right. Favorite dance right now?
What's your celebration dance?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Oh see, I'm not like I just I can't do
that on this stop. You don't have it?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
No, I don't know been doing you can't do You're like,
I'm not doing a petequla in me or you pay
me for it.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It's just.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Paper drink ooh water, stay hydrated. Actually, Pablo Mouse, Lacroix
is Mike. I love Lacroix, dude. But if we're speaking
in the more like adult beverage beverage, I love tequila.
I did a tequila tasting when I went to Disney
(36:39):
World with my boyfriend, and that was fire on yeho tequila.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
That's it. That's all.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
We're doing a big pan of tequila. All is your
thing on your hell? Okay, I like you or a
good mezcal. Oh way, did I take it back? I'm
gonna be that pretentious a hole like a meal. I
love a smoky mescal. Do any mix you just mescal
rot like a mescal. I'm just I don't love mixed drinks.
(37:05):
I don't like the sugar, so like a mescal sunrise.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
That's easy. It was like orange juice. Okay, all sugar
just okay. That's real gangster favorite athlete.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
There's so many good ones to choose from.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
She Carri Richardson some mon biles. Katie the Decky. I'm
gonna do o Katy the Decky right now.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Why she's a mermaid and I've always wanted to meet
a mermaid.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Dang.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Yeah, okay, I'm gonna o kay the decky and I'm
sticking about the mermaid thing.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
But she's your on thin Ice Katie do something cool. Yeah,
she got so, she wrote a book. She's just like
he's so smart. She loves Lacroix like I love LACROI meant.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
You're okay, okay, crush At the moment out of the Driver,
Oh yeah, I was like, uh, Adam, driver's pressure the drivers,
So yeah, yeah, for your daddy.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Why because he's uh, he's got that like Burley muscle
but also like dorky kind of look. Oh or Leandre Earl.
She's one of the artists in the beaches. Okay, okay,
all right, there you go.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
And then when we get ready to get our mind
right before a game, what are we listening to?
Speaker 3 (38:18):
What's your What's Your Goal?
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Song? Either Sweet Transvestite from the Rocky Hord Picture Show
or Plagues from the Prince of Egypt, both musicals.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Those musicals get you hype to play. They get me.
Have you heard Plagues? I know I have not a girl.
I need to get to it. You gotta get on
that Okay, we'll play it in the podcast.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Play sweet transvestite. That's not for this kind of podcast.
But hey, but that's what that's that gets you, right, Yeah,
every time you go out. Yeah, I played that entire
Olympics before every game. What Yeah in your mind locked
in zone.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
Yeah, because it's like the slow build and there's this
one part in the Plague song at least where it
like really it just hits and you're, oh, we're.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Going I can't sing, so I'm not singing for you.
I was hoping. I'm like, I'm quiet. I'm like, but
you do it.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
Well.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
We're having some mescal for the game. Your favorite saying,
My favorite saying of one thing I am certain is
that I know nothing.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage, risky.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
It's love. It's love, man, Hayley, I love you. Thank
you for being here. This was so fun. It was great.
It's great goodness. I surely enjoyed that, young lady.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We had a good time. So huge thank you, though.
Let me get these out of the way to Stephanie
Martin of League one Volleyball and everyone who made this possible.
The first game was a huge success, follow along on
their site, League One Volleyball as they played through their
inaugural season. Remember, here's to everyone watching women's sports. I'll
(39:59):
talk to you all next week. Naked Sports written and
executive produced by me Kerry Champion, produced by Jack Vice Thomas,
Sound designed and mastered by Dwayne Crawford. Associate producer Ola
busaiel Shabby. Naked Sports is a part of the Black
Effect podcast network in iHeartMedia
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
So what's happening in women's basketball right now is what
we've been trying.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
To get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Calanquark broke the all time single game assists record. This
is crazy for rookies to be doing, to the polls
where history is written.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
And now we have Kamala Harrison, it feels more like
women are sort of taken what they've always deserved, as
opposed to waiting on somebody to give them what they deserved.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, family, So thank you
(01:08):
all for letting me share what I was feeling about
the California wild fires.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
This is a safe space.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I appreciate you and I know a lot of you
have family and friends there who may have been affected
as you listen to this podcast, and my quick update
as I am recording this yet again, home is intact.
Things seem to be well, and we're just praying for
those who lost their homes. But most importantly, everyone who
(01:35):
is housing challenged at this moment, we want to make
sure that they find some sort of resources. So please
be a part of the community in which the world
that we live in. Whatever you hear about fires, if
it can help someone, if it can perhaps maybe give
someone some hope, share that information, and whatever way you
can do your small part. Nothing little is considered little
(02:00):
like these. Okay, now let's get to this week's podcast.
I had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for the
first serve of the new Professional Volleyball League indoor Professional
Volleyball League League One Volleyball, or Love as it's called.
And I'm really excited because I said, Hey, yes, I
(02:20):
want to come down, I want to find a player
to interview, and I want to talk about this new league.
Women's sports is really at a beautiful intersection in which
everyone is interested and wants to invest. So they set
me down with one of the league's stars. Her name
is Haley Washington. And I'm smiling already because Haley was
(02:42):
extremely intelligent, funny and smart.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
And I was like, this is it.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This is how you get people to pay attention to
a new league. You bring someone along who is how.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Would I describe her?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
She has her own personality, She's very unapologetic. I asked
her who she is if she was similar to in
terms of another sport, personality, playing style, and she said
Dennis Rodman. But listen, Dennis Rodman was arguably one of
the best players. Even if he didn't score points, he
was in the game, he was making plays, he was
(03:17):
always very invaluable. It's the intangibles that had set him apart.
And Haley Washington has so many intangibles, one of which
is she is extremely funny. She made me laugh and
I key keyed and I loled, and I invite you
to do the same with us. Please enjoy this edition
(03:38):
of Naked Sports. Haley, what is the biggest myth in volleyball?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I'm so glad you asked.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
The biggest myth is that you hold your hands like
you're praying. If there's one thing we can teach Americans aboutvolleyball.
It's hands are held like this, pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage,
wrists kiss. That's how we want to hold our hands. Please,
I will break your fingers.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Stop in that. It makes you so angry.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I just because I see people that are like I
played volleyball in high school.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And they hang me with that, and I want to
drop kick them in the teeth. I'm just like, just
tell me you don't play balltle It's okay.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage, sausage, sausage risk.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
See, it's a game of love. It's so beautiful. It's
a game of love. It's a game. Thumbs are hugging,
your wrists are kissing. It's beautiful. See, I got it.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, I guess I'm ready to play tonight. Do you
a favor? I know, right, introduce yourself for us.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Up Hi. I'm Heally Washington, two time Olympic medalist, Founding
Athlete for Love.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Bybe It's actually just love. They're gonna hate that.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
I said love BB Founding Athlete for Love, PennState alumni
and just the.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Lover of the game. So today's an important day.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And by that I mean this is the inaugural season
of Love Volleyball, and I really appreciate you taking the
time just to be here to explain what this all is.
But I think we need a backstory because this is
the first of its kind. It is an original, It
is a professional volleyball league, and as we know in
women's sports, very few professional leagues get the attention that
they deserve. But I think something is different in terms
(05:09):
of how this will look. Talk to me about your
journey to being a professional volleyball player. When did you
start playing?
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, I started playing volleyball kind of at a later
age for a lot of volleyball athletes.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I started when I was twelve in middle school.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
A lot of volleyball players will get their start at six, seven,
eight years old, and I was just a kid that
was running out on the mountains and so originally I
started playing volleyball when I was twelve. So it's just
something I wanted to do after school because middle school you.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Could start doing extracurricular activities. And truth be told, I
really wanted to play football.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
I was a tomboy growing up. I really wanted to
be a football player. I was gonna be a great
wide receiver. And my dad looked at all six foot
three of me, seventy pounds wet, and it's like, you'll die.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
You get hit by playing football. You can't do that.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
So my football career was dashed within seconds, and I
ended up going to play volleyball and I just fell
in love with it instantly. Why did you fall in
love with it instantly? I wish I had like a
moment that stood out that was why I fell in
love with it, But it really just it just made
sense to me, like serving the ball over the net
made sense to me, and the footwork made sense to me,
(06:16):
and it was so easy for me to get the
concept of the game and why you would get competitive,
and the energy and the fire like it just from day.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
One, I was in love with it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I'm curious because most people normally look at someone or
see someone. They can see someone who does what they
do or does something that they want to do, and
they follow in that trajectory. There was not one player
in your high school and your middle school on television
that you saw and said.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Like, what she's doing.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Well. I had a neighbor who Whitney do boys, and
she played volleyball.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Shout out to Whitney. Shout out to Whitney, Shout out Whitney.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
But I would always want to go and play at
their house when I was like a little annoying ankle biter, and.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
They'd be like, no, Whitney has a volleyball game.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
And I never had the concept of volleyball because I'd
only ever seen a volleyball court outside of our old
rec center and it was just an old sand pit
with a saggy net because.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
There was always winter when I was over there.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
And so I was like, volleyball is people running around
on the sand and they can't touch the ball with
their hands, so they played with their head. Like that
was my concept of volleyball. So yeah, I never really
had a person that I followed. I never really watched
the game, and it wasn't until I was at that
tryout that I was like, Oh, this is what volleyball is.
It's past that hit, it's doing this footwork, it's transitioning,
(07:25):
it's constant movement. And really after that, my dad started
to take me to volleyball games. We would watch the
high schoolers play, and I started to play club and
got introduced to kind of the more competitive side, but
it was just it really was love at first sight.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Wow, literally love at first sight. That's special.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I think that what's so interesting about where we are
in this world today, specifically is about women's sports, and
we're amplifying it in so many different ways. I have
met so many different athletes who have said they wish
that they could play at home.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
They wish that they could.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Play in front of their family outside of when you
graduate from college that's it. Or at the Olympics, for instance,
that's your opportunity to really play for home if you will.
Your journey started obviously early on, but when you got
to Penn State, what was that experience? Like you knew
that you were special, You knew you had something set
apart obviously recruited full scholarship, congratulations, no.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Debt, no debt, No your college debt. You don't have
no college debt, have to pay for a book? Well
that was when I was when I was growing up.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Actually, I decided that if I was going to go
to college, it was on a full right scholarship or
not at all. And so I was twelve years old
and having a little anxiety attack about my future. You
know like most twelve year olds kid, of course, and
I made a list of everything I loved of like volleyball, basketball, track, choir, theater,
I played the trombone, so all these things that I
could potentially want to work towards getting a full right
(08:47):
scholarship for. And I ended up falling on volleyball and
worked my butt off to get a full right to
go to Penn State.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
And the rest is kind of this history.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
The rest is history. Tell us about the history, because
you did make history. Why you were there?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah, yeah, I mean Penn State was first of all
you said, like I had gone to Penn State in
a four right scholarship, I was special. Let's establish I
was not special because Penny kicksie and the teeth.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Why do you say that.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
It's a program that's not supposed to be about me.
It's a program that's built around we. Like Russ was
really big on we win as a team. You are
who you need to be, and you can play great
volleyball and you can be great, but it's not about you.
And you co go from being this kind of big
fish in a medium sized pond, like a good volleyball
player in Colorado to Penn State University that has this
(09:35):
tradition of excellence, this legacy of winning. I mean, they're
one of the few programs that has won four national
championships back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
They had just won in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
They had so many alumni that were Olympians, and like,
their program was just historic and iconic. And so you
get there and you were humbled very quickly. And I
didn't even go there thinking that I could be great.
I was just like, you know, I'm just I'm glad
I made it. I got a four right scholarship, school
is paid for, and I'm just here to work hard
and do the best that I can.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
But it was grueling. It was a grueling four years.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Penn State volleyball was the hardest thing I've ever been
a part of in my career, hands down.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And not because it was like a negative part. It
was just it.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Russ Rose believed in forging you in the fire, and
that was what we did. We were forged in the
fire at Penn State, and it really I think made
me a mentally strong player and a mentally.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Strong at which also helped you find your voice.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah, more or less, Yan, because you have it So
when you get there and you realize that you are
a smaller fish in a very big pond, how do
you adjust?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
What does that feel like in that particular program.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I mean, I think obviously you have to recognize the
things that are outside of your control. I think for freshman,
I'm still an idiot. Let's I'm still an idiot freshman
coming to campus. I look at myself and try to
see wisdom, but I really just see an idiot freshman.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But you recognize the things that you can and can't control.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And I was like, look, whether I get onto that
starting spot or not, I can't control that. And I
actually suffered a pretty devastating injury during pre season that
cost me the first part of the season, and I
just remember being like, well, there's nothing I can do.
All I can do is get in, get my rehab, workout,
try to be strong and work my butt off. And
I remember when I could finally play again. I was
(11:19):
playing on the B side, and I was like, I
don't care that I'm on the B side. I'm gonna
play my hardest, I'm gonna whoop a sides.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But because so for those of us who don't know
volleybo yes, And when I say us, I mean me, what's.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
The B side? Okay, So you have A side and
B side.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
So you have your starting six that are on the
fourth that are gonna play in the game, and then
you have your B side, which are the people that
are coming into be game changers.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
They tend to be on the bench and.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
They'll sub in to serve or they'll sub in if
an athlete's injured, but they're typically your bench players.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So you have your A side is your starting side,
and your B side it's your backup bench players. Okay,
so you're on the B.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
So I was on the B side because I had
been injured and I needed to earn my starting spot,
which I was absolutely necessary, but I was like, Okay,
if I'm gonna be over here, they're gonna have to
fight tooth and nail to shut me down because I'm
gonna whoop their butt because if they can beat me,
then they can probably beat the other athletes that they're
gonna face the competition.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
And I remember we had B side whooped, but because
we had also.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Two men's practice players and it was me and I
was yelling and shirping and talking smack.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And what I shockgames, but I was, yeah, I was.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Just shirping away, having to good all the time, and
we actually ended up winning the drill.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
We won most of the drills.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
That day, and Russ at the end of practice always
talked to the team and he was like, you can
have all the energy you want, but just remember this,
you're still on B side. I was like, thank you,
thank you for the slight so humble bye, thank you,
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
But the following day I was on each side. Really okay,
hold on, don't just don't don't talk.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Don't talk over that you hell so you you're on
the B side.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
It's one practice. It was one practice.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Yeah, and then I'm sure if you ask other girls,
they're gonna be like it was like a wee in
a half of practice. Like but in my mind, in
my memory, who's the following day?
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Damn? Yeah? What that say to you?
Speaker 4 (13:07):
So that I that energy goes a long way, because
I don't think I'm like this stellar attacker, like I
have one of the highest hitting percentages in Penn State history,
and like I have like a good hitting like I
was a great middle at the Tokyo Olympics and all
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
But like that doesn't matter. I think my personality is
kind of what makes me a decent.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Ish player because I'm loud and I'm obnoxious, and I'm
in your face and I'm screaming and I'm cussing and
I'm smacking butts and I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You're right, the fans love It's well, you're what the
game needs. You are it if you if you were
to describe yourself folk for folks who aren't familiar with volleyball,
who would be your equivalent? Someone would say you remind
me Ofsessed and such in the AMBA or the w
NBA or in soccer. Who would who would your personality
remind people?
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Ah, okay, personality, not going off to Las Vegas for
three days, but personality.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I'm gonna say Dennis rodd that I want to be Rodman,
so that and I know.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Maybe a little Liken't don't apologize about that, just say that.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
On the court, Dennis his flared hair, his obnoxious style,
like his just kind of being loud and in your face,
but also like just a good support player.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Brodman would have games where didn't score any points at all,
but he was everywhere. What I'm saying that was my
motto for this past everything was just do your job.
Like you don't got to be the star, you don't
got to score twenty points. You gotta blah blah blah
blah blah, do your job.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
And I did it with high energy, and so I
think Dennis Rodman, if I can say, that's a bold statement,
but I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Gonna say it when we come back.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Hailey shares more about her playing style and what made
her realize she was built for this sport. Back in
a moment, Hey, everybody, welcome back to Naked Sports. So
Haley is in the middle of sharing a story and
she talks about how she found out, uh that she
was really a special player without bragging. I use the
(15:02):
word special one day during practice when she was in college.
One day of practice aside. The next day, you walk in,
you're on a side, and what do you say to yourself?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I said to myself, Okay, don't blow it, idiot, you know,
positive self talk. I'm a mentor, I'm a roll model. Sorry,
just touched my mic.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Sorry, yeah, I have no I've pushed this mic around
twenty times.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Deal with it now, I'm kidding.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
But that aspect of a humility of like, Okay, yes
I earned it, but let's not like just assume that
that's it, Like, you still gotta.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Do your job.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Do your job, idiot, and I wouldn't dare call you that,
but yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
So then you get in there, you do your job,
and I work my butt off. I get I think,
defensive player of the year something, all big ten, something
like that, And I love the humble brag. I don't know,
I just I'm not I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
I just say I have right, dad, Yeah, I'm all
big ten. I'm just kidding. I'm joking. Cut cut that
out in stays in. Don't take it out for agincer.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Okay, so you you literally show up and you show
out and you do your job.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
How's that season end?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
We got a national fiship actually okay, but truth be told,
that was not a humble brag. Again, I'm just saying
a fact. We won a national championship that season. We
had two starting freshmen, me and Ali Franti, And it
sounds like this great accomplishment, but I played like trash.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
The NCAA tournament.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Russ was even very kind enough to tell me that
at the end of the tournament. He was like, hey,
you played like garbage a tournament. I said, thanks, Russ,
appreciate you. But the thing is I didn't need to
play great. It was again because it's not about me,
it's about we.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So I did my job well enough.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
It's right that the women around me could take care
of business and they could get the w and that's
what we did.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I just did my job.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
The cydebar not even a cydebar, but actually, what I
am noticing as I listened to you talk and I've
said this about women in sports. Obviously, it builds your
self esteem, in your confidence. That's something that there's much
more positivity about women who play sports then there is
about women who don't.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
And it's not a knock, it's just what it is.
But there is this thing about women in general.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
When we get into this world and we live in
the world, it's hard for us to find our voice.
It's hard for us to speak up and raise our hands.
You don't have that problem. But what I love is
that you have the humility mixed with that, and that
is a special that's a yes and and it's an
invaluable trait that you don't get to see. So much
of and it takes it separates you from everyone else.
It really does, and I think that helps. As Russ
(17:29):
has pointed out, you know, I love your energy, but
you do your job. But I'm going to do my
job well, and I'm going to be everywhere and I'm
not trying to be the best, but I'm going to
be everywhere and do my job. Now when you have
that same mentality, and I know in twenty seventeen, you
also went to the semi finals, right you guys?
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Guys A final semifinals, Oh, Reversey, Nebraska in twenty seventeen.
I don't want to talk about it, but fencety just
did that to them this year, so it's fine. I
guess we can talk about it. It's fine.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
We can't talk about it, talk about it the whole
time that you're playing in college. Do you think that
there is a life after in terms of playing professional life?
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I love this question. I remember my sophomore year being
in the locker room and being asked, hey, will you
go pro? And that was the first time SID had
ever been presented to me, this idea of going pro.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
And I remember jokingly being like pro, my niece can
barely handle college. There's no way I can handle pro.
If I could go back and slap the sophomore year me.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Shut up, look how far we can go?
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I would, but I never really thought that I could
play pro let alone do USA. I remember my senior
year being asked, will you try out with the USA
gym and telling them I just don't really think I'm
a good enough blocker. I'm not offensive enough in front
of the setter. So I just I don't really think
it's gonna be for me. And that was just kind
of my mentality, was like I'm going to get through college.
(18:41):
And I remember my senior year well, because I really
wanted to stay in academics, well, I wanted to get
why not go pro pro? Yeah? One, it was so
far away, and like everybody that came back kind of
told me these horror stories of being overseas, being isolated
from your family. You're far away for a long period
of time, we're not really making big money.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
So I was like, this doesn't sound fun. But I
remember talking to Russ again.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Russ Rose, this guy influenced my whole life. I remember
talking to Russ about going overseas because I had this
idea that Okay, I'll go play pro for two years,
save up enough money to pay for a little bit
of my master's degree, and then I'll come back and
get my master's in philosophy, and then I was going
to be a critical race philosopher and then a library
and work in the Library of Congress.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
That was the dream.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Sounds exciting. Yeah, the volleyball's better in the Library of Congress.
But volleyball has been way more exciting. Yeah. But Russ
actually pulled me aside and he's like, if you're gonna
do this overseas thing, do it right. He's like, build
yourself up, build a career, build a name for yourself.
Don't just shut it out after two years. It's like,
commit to it.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
And I was like, this Russ guy, Hi, I'm telling
you man, he's a legend. He's a life coach.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Well, let don't let him fall back into the pages
of history, you guys.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
He is a gangster and built the program.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
He coached Penn State for forty three years, built volleyball
at that school.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Was they want Russ road Man, all right?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Yeah, so he says, do it right, do it right.
You get those orders, then you think why not I
do want to say this, Hey, you were going to
give up on a dream because it was far away.
It wasn't a dream for you though it wasn't a dream. Yeah,
I wonder is it a dream for others?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
I you definitely think they don't want to do it
because they don't want to go overseas. I that's a
fear of mine.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Is that?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Or worse?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
People do follow their dream and they go overseas, And
I'm telling you it's not a glamorous life. We're very
spoiled in college sports here with our nice some of
us have charter flights, and if we don't have charter flights,
we at least why like domestic and it's comfortable, and
we have these big, fancy locker rooms and now there's
underwater treadmills and programs and dining halls with lots of
(20:45):
fancy food, and we have ice bats and hot tubs.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
And we're spoiled in college sports.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
And then you go overseas and you're on a greyhound.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Bus for six hours to go to your next game.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
You get to a hotel where you're sharing it, where
you're sharing a room and they're two.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Twin sized beds and the locker room that you have.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Is leaking, and you have to make sure that you
have all your stuff and your equipment because nobody else
is handling reefs like it's a culture shock. And so
you follow the dream to go overseason to play pro
and you're really fighting.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
And fending for yourself. And it's not always like that.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
There are some definite good teams that have great resources.
So no Tino shade to any of the international leagues.
I was blessed that Italy I had some really great
opportunities resources.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Yeah, they're the side note she she's been playing overseas
in Italy. Not a bad game, not a bag, not
a bad gag.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
You like pasta. I do not like pasta to Corby,
It's too car baby. I gain weight like crazy. I
can't enjoy pasta. I can have the occasion is the pasta.
They're bad and I feel like I know it's it's
so good.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
The problem is just you can't eat it all the time.
I like wine though, Okay, bals gun.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Let me tell you what I did learn overseas is
the wine. So so there are presumably, and this is
why we are here today to talk about this professional
league that is stateside, But there are presumably, and I
don't want to make up numbers, but there are many women,
maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of women who who gave up
the opportunity or perhaps thought about going overseas to play,
(22:16):
but they just didn't want to do it because of
what it required on them mentally and physically and personally.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
No holidays, no like no holidays with family, Thanksgiving, New Year.
What's the season?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
So, if you're a national team athlete, the season can
be anywhere from October till May. But if you're not
a national team athlete, if you're just coming out of college,
or if you're not doing national team, they usually ask
for you around like August, so you'll be out there August, September, October, November, December,
ten yard, feb It's like ten months.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Wow, it's a long season.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
And if you're in a higher tier team, you have
usually Champions League and then you have Cup Italia and
Super Colpa and regular season, so you're playing two three
games a week.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
You're traveling constantly.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Your off day is really your travel day, so you're
also seeing everybody.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
You never get a chance to be by yourself. It's
how much money do you make. It's decent. It's I
think a crass am. I'm gonna talk numbers.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I in sports, don't I hate that they don't talk
noumb Yeah, my last season name is two hundred and
thirty thousand, which is pretty high paying for a middle blocker.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I mean there are girls that are making I mean,
there are some pro girls that are making millions and
like in endorsement, sponsorships. But I think on average, we're
trying to make a six figure contract. So League one
was a downgrade from two hundred and thirty thousand, but
still six figures. I think I'm making somewhere from like
one twenty to one fifty. But I have to look
at my contract, I know how much of me. But yeah,
still six figures. And they offer decent money to most
(23:46):
of the athletes as far as I know. Maybe not
always six figures, especially for girls that are coming out
of college or for girls that are have less experience
overseas or in the pro world.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
But the money's decent, pays the bills.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So it's ten months overseas somewhere in the twos anywhere
upwards to perhaps seven figures in the millions.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
That's for the oh one percent, okay of athletes.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
That's for like done average.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, on average, I would say on average. If you're going,
if you're an American going overseas, on average.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
You're looking at one hundred and twenty.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
I think, like the Olympic American athletes like go overseas,
we're in the six figures. But if you're just an
average college girl, I mean, your starting salary is gonna
be a twenty one.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
So Russ gives you this advice and he says, do
it and do it right. How'd that work out for you?
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I think I went into overseas with a good mentality
of like just say yes, Like whatever opportunities present yourself
to them, say yes and work hard. And so it
worked out well because I played on this really low
level A two team my first season only.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
For a month and a half two months, because I
came in for a half season.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
We didn't make playoffs, so I just kind of came
in but made enough of a statement that I got
on an A one team, the last place team in
A one, which, if you don't know volleyball, most national
leagues overseas have like an A one team and an
A two or an A one league, in an A
two league, Okay, it's like our any like our NBA
and the G League. Okay, perfect equivalent. Yeah, and so
(25:11):
I was on the last place team in A one,
but then I managed to work my way up to
the fourth place team in A one, and then I
was in.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
The top one or two teams for the rest of
my career. So you did it right, it right, as
Russ suggested. As Russ suggested, he's a very wise man,
A wise man, wise man.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
When we return, what does the future of professional volleyball
look like here in America? Back in a moment, Welcome
back to Naked Sports. So just for context, I want
(25:50):
to remind you I am in Atlanta while doing this interview,
and we are just hours away from the beginning of
making history and professional volleyball. Take a listen. I want
you to talk to me about when you heard about
this opportunity. There's been other professional volleyball league, So there's
been obviously beach volleyball that people have tried to do,
(26:11):
and some of them have failed because there have been
issues with finance.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Money is always the issue, and there's always the issue.
Money is always the issue, and I want to make
this a negative. But when you were approached by Love,
what were you thinking, Is this real? Can I do this?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And I know this has been in the works for
some years now, but what were your initial thoughts.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Yeah, I think my initial thoughts were excitement because I
had been approached by a couple other leagues about how
they wanted to kind of run American volleyball. So I've
been approached by AU, which is another volleyball league that
we have here in the States, and it's super fun.
It looks like the girls that go and play and
that have a really great time, and again it's a
way to bring volleyball to America.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So I love the AU as a thing, and I
had been approached by them, and.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
I didn't love kind of their format though, like I
just want to be a regular volleyball league and they
rotate teams every week, and I was like, I'm not
as excited about that. And then I had been approached
about another potential league that was all all stars and
it was only for a couple of weekends and it
was just like all start showings and showcases, and.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I was like, I don't love that either. And so
when League one kind of came up to me.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
When Love approached me, They're like, Hey, we have this
idea for a league, and it's just a regular old volleyball.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
League, but it's a grassroots movement. It's oriented in the community.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
We want to get youth athletes involved, youth sports involved.
I was like that I'm interested in because I think
that there's an untapped market in youth sports here stateside.
I think that, like, youth sports are so big in America,
and we do a really good job of developing our
younger athletes, and so to tap into that market while
also funneling that excitement into a pro league and to
(27:46):
provide just a regular old pro league is so exciting,
and so I was. I was on board from the jump.
As soon as they presented the idea. I was like, yes,
I'm in Wow, And I think it was just it
was kind of that mentality of yes, and and then
like what do I have to lose, Like if it fails, whatever,
at least I try.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
You have the opportunity to still go play overseas. That's
still an option for you. Sure this is a win win, absolutely,
Like there was no.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Like Italy wasn't just gonna disappear off the face of
the earth because I did League.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
One, and there are so many leagues in the world.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
There's France, there's Germany, there's Korea, there's Japan, there's turky like,
so it was never gone.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
So I was like, why not take the time to
invest in this.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Do you look at the WNBA and you see what
it You know it's in section right and where it
is now? Do you see that being the same vision
for love?
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I think yes. I think I okay to begin one.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I don't love the comparison of are you gonna be
like the WNBA, Are you gonna be like the fair
and WSL, because we're all different things, and I think
like they're all gonna have I think what makes volleyball
funds the intimate environments.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
I think what makes the WNBA fund is their big atmospheres,
and so they didn't always have a big atmosphere, and
so like those are the things that are like growing into.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
So I think women's volleyball is going to have its
own kind of path and I think the start of
the intimate atmosphere is going.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
To be kind of our what will set you up pact?
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Well?
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Far is that intimate atmosphere can feel like a lot
of fun, whereas sometimes in the w NBA that intimate
atmosphere can feel a little bit almost.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Energy sucking, at least in their inception.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I don't want to overstep I am, I want to
say anything rude, but I think that intimate atmosphere can
really be great for.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
You're Jenna sa Qua.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, what we like about going to a Love volleyball game.
So so as we record this podcast, Love's first serve
will be on ESPN plus who It's huge, right, I
think that's a huge start. I'm curious as to what
you think will make this first game different. You said
you want your own path, you don't want to be compared,
(29:49):
and that's very fair. I think that the comparisons are
also fair as well.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Definitely, I'm sorry if that came across this room.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
No, no, no, no, but I think they're fair because
people what I what I I think when I say
that is it started off with fanfare.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
People are excited.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
It might have some growing pains as all all it's
do is yeah, But then then there comes this moment
where people understand it's its value and start to appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
That's the truth. That's truck was talking. I think, yes,
I absolutely agree, and I'm sorry, no, no, no, no go.
I think the WNBA has kicked but in kind of paving.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
The way for women's sports also, and so I think
like there's gonna be that growing pain time whereas where
there's less engagement or maybe not as many people are
watching for sure, but the WNBA and just women's sports
in twenty twenty four have really kind of put us
on the map, have helped with getting more exposure.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Like the WNBA really came up for nothing.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
There really weren't meant, there wasn't much excitement for women's
sports when it was in like when it had its
inaugural season and when it was first starting off, and
they really had to kind of like build.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
From somewhat nothing.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
And so I think that they have done a great
job kind of paving the way and getting excited about
women's sports. And so I think that's maybe what might
make it easier for us to get people's attention, to
get you well, yeah, because I can't remember a time
where you get a professional women's league and they're like,
let's just put it on ESPN in any capacity. Yeah,
and you know, year to year even the growth of
(31:16):
the nc DOUBLEA Championships from my understanding, where forty one
percent from year to year, and that's huge to actually
tune in and see people are paying attention. It's in
the zeigeist if you will. I hate to use that word.
It is.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
It's just out there.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But I'm interested in what you think the ceiling is
or is there no ceiling?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
What I think the ceiling is.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
What is the world that you could imagine in your
wildest dreams, in the world that you think will actually
be in.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
My wildest dreams.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
I imagine every game is like the NCAA Championship.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I know that that's that's a big.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Dream, but I mean, if you can get fans that
excited for one game out of the year, I don't see.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Why you can't get them hype for every game. Kind
of like that.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
And I mean I just went, like, I went to
a hockey game ABS played the Utah Hockey Club in
Salt Lake City, and I was like, this is so
cool and it's so possible for women's Like I think
it's possible for women's volleyball to be in those big arenas,
be in those spaces, for people to be excited. We
have to teach people how to be volleyball fans. We
have to tell them it's okay to be louds okay
(32:23):
to make noises. You're not going to scarce away. That's
so interesting that you say that, Well, it's just because
volleyball's like tennis, so they assume it's like tennis or
fighter and serve fighter. It's so interesting that you say
you have to teach people how to be fans. You
have to teach people how to understand the sport.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
You have to teach them, and that is the onus, honestly,
is on the people who know the sport and the
people who play it.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Yeah, definitely, I'm just bringing you in and be like, hey,
come on, I don't know what we gotta do. If
it's I don't know, whatever it is, you're gonna get
you guys excited about this game.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I do want to ask you a question about being
an Olympian, and that's the ultimate goal. And I'll find
a way to put this bick and I want to
weave in the ultimate I think for mini athletes, no
matter who you are, even if you play professionally, the
goal is ultimately to represent your country you have the
opportunity to do that in a major way. You want
a gold and you want a silver middle blocker. Talk
to me about those those experiences for you. What does
(33:15):
it feel like to actually take a sport, because I
believe during the Olympics that's when volleyball gets more attention
definitively and at the highest levels, and it's global so
people can pay attention and they understand the sport in
a different way. What does that feel like for you
for a sport they get so little attention states I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
The Olympics, you always get hype over sports that you
don't usually get to see because there's just less coverage
of it. Like track and field is one of the
most watched events, but outside of the Olympics, like unless
you're following an athlete on the Instagram, you're not really
seeing what they're doing during a quad And so I
think every kind of sport, even gymnastics, gymnastics, track field, rugby,
although rugby now is pick and I think so it's huge.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Yeah, but I just think.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
To be at that stage, to be at the Olympics
and like know that kind of the world is watching,
especially with the background of playing overseas because internationally volleyball.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Is big sport.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Turkish fans, Brazilian fans, Italian fans.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
They're big.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
It's big over there, and so you kind of feel
all eyes on you in that moment, which is on
the one hand scary and intimidating, but on the other
hand still just volleyball. For it's the same size and
that's the same height. So all you have to do
is what my motto is, do your job.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Do you out there? I'm telling you, it's that's the
name of this podcast. Do your job, Hey says, do
your job. It's so easy to does not be bad
at life. Just do your job. Stop trying to be
a start to do your job.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
But yeah, okay, so I'm going to say this, and
this is just this is just my projection. I do
believe that this sport will do well, but it needs
it needs its characters, it needs its it needs people
to correct.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And I was like, you are.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Illuminary, and I think that if people can understand who
you are, where you come from, and their personality is
absolutely a one. So I think that if you have
more stars, people can follow and be invested. I'm fully invested.
I want to, I really am like I'm in love
with her. I mean in a completely platonic way, but
I'm like, I.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Really want to know. I really like, I really don't
know what else is happening. Your favorite food? My favorite
food is rice. I know it sounds super boring, but
you can do so much with rice. You won't eat pasta,
but you just like rice. I love rice.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Joe love rice, Rice, cilantro, lime rice. You just make
rice Farmers risotto? Are you kidding me?
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Do you put meat in there? Just rice? So if
you were on an island, all you need is rice.
You do so much with rice. You just find rice
and spices. Rice is great. I love favorite song right now,
uh Dodger Blue by Kendrick Lamar. Favorite artists right now?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
So some good artists right now, the beaches they're Canadian bands.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Okay, you threw me off with that one.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
I'm sorry, I appreciate that, all right. Favorite dance right now?
What's your celebration dance?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Oh see, I'm not like I just I can't do
that on this stop. You don't have it?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
No, I don't know been doing you can't do You're like,
I'm not doing a petequla in me or you pay
me for it.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It's just.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Paper drink ooh water, stay hydrated. Actually, Pablo Mouse, Lacroix
is Mike. I love Lacroix, dude. But if we're speaking
in the more like adult beverage beverage, I love tequila.
I did a tequila tasting when I went to Disney
(36:39):
World with my boyfriend, and that was fire on yeho tequila.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
That's it. That's all.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
We're doing a big pan of tequila. All is your
thing on your hell? Okay, I like you or a
good mezcal. Oh way, did I take it back? I'm
gonna be that pretentious a hole like a meal. I
love a smoky mescal. Do any mix you just mescal
rot like a mescal. I'm just I don't love mixed drinks.
(37:05):
I don't like the sugar, so like a mescal sunrise.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
That's easy. It was like orange juice. Okay, all sugar
just okay. That's real gangster favorite athlete.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
There's so many good ones to choose from.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
She Carri Richardson some mon biles. Katie the Decky. I'm
gonna do o Katy the Decky right now.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Why she's a mermaid and I've always wanted to meet
a mermaid.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Dang.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Yeah, okay, I'm gonna o kay the decky and I'm
sticking about the mermaid thing.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
But she's your on thin Ice Katie do something cool. Yeah,
she got so, she wrote a book. She's just like
he's so smart. She loves Lacroix like I love LACROI meant.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
You're okay, okay, crush At the moment out of the Driver,
Oh yeah, I was like, uh, Adam, driver's pressure the drivers,
So yeah, yeah, for your daddy.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Why because he's uh, he's got that like Burley muscle
but also like dorky kind of look. Oh or Leandre Earl.
She's one of the artists in the beaches. Okay, okay,
all right, there you go.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
And then when we get ready to get our mind
right before a game, what are we listening to?
Speaker 3 (38:18):
What's your What's Your Goal?
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Song? Either Sweet Transvestite from the Rocky Hord Picture Show
or Plagues from the Prince of Egypt, both musicals.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
Those musicals get you hype to play. They get me.
Have you heard Plagues? I know I have not a girl.
I need to get to it. You gotta get on
that Okay, we'll play it in the podcast.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Play sweet transvestite. That's not for this kind of podcast.
But hey, but that's what that's that gets you, right, Yeah,
every time you go out. Yeah, I played that entire
Olympics before every game. What Yeah in your mind locked
in zone.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
Yeah, because it's like the slow build and there's this
one part in the Plague song at least where it
like really it just hits and you're, oh, we're.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Going I can't sing, so I'm not singing for you.
I was hoping. I'm like, I'm quiet. I'm like, but
you do it.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
Well.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
We're having some mescal for the game. Your favorite saying,
My favorite saying of one thing I am certain is
that I know nothing.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Pancake, pancake, sausage, sausage, risky.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
It's love. It's love, man, Hayley, I love you. Thank
you for being here. This was so fun. It was great.
It's great goodness. I surely enjoyed that, young lady.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We had a good time. So huge thank you, though.
Let me get these out of the way to Stephanie
Martin of League one Volleyball and everyone who made this possible.
The first game was a huge success, follow along on
their site, League One Volleyball as they played through their
inaugural season. Remember, here's to everyone watching women's sports. I'll
(39:59):
talk to you all next week. Naked Sports written and
executive produced by me Kerry Champion, produced by Jack Vice Thomas,
Sound designed and mastered by Dwayne Crawford. Associate producer Ola
busaiel Shabby. Naked Sports is a part of the Black
Effect podcast network in iHeartMedia
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