March 24, 2025 • 17 mins
Tiffany and Khat recap week 11 of the inaugural League One Volleyball season where LOVB Madison, LOVB Austin, LOVB Atlanta and LOVB Houston each picked up big wins. Khat shares what it was like to come in off the bench for Austin against LOVB Omaha and energize her team to victory, and the two make their picks for match of the week in week 12.
Follow Khat on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Host: Tiffany Oshinsky
Cohost: Khat Bell
Senior Producer: Anya Alvarez
Executive Producers: Carrie Stett, Tamara Deike, and Lindsay Hoffman
Theme Music: Pancakes by Eric W. Mast, Jr.
Sound Designer: Daniel Gonzalez
Serving Pancakes is an iHeart Women's Sports Production, in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
As a volleyball player, I trust Adidas to meet my
own court needs, but they'll also offer the ultimate in
everyday's style from trendy platform sneakers, vibrant track pants, and cozy,
chic flea sweatshirts from their zny collection. Adidas has everything
I need to feel comfortable, stylish, and confident. Explore all
(00:21):
that Adidas has to offer at Adidas dot Com or
through the Adidas App and receive fifteen percent off your
first order when you sign up for ADDI Club, getting
access to fantastic perks, including free shipping. Unlock your style
with Adidas. Today, I'm Tiffany Oshinsky and I'm Capbo, and
(00:42):
this is serving pancakes with League one Volleyball. The inaugural
Love Season is finally here. Each episode will be going
over the matches from the week to keep you up
to date on everything League one Volleyball. Then stick around
after the analysis for interviews with some amazing people in
and around the sport with only If you were weeks
left in the regular season and after a jam packed weekend,
(01:04):
We're gonna focus just on all the action from week eleven.
But before we get into the games.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
How are you doing Cat, I'm doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Long travel day, going to Omaha, Longevelday, coming back, But
I feel great.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Not doing great? I feel like, you know, I'm probably
a little more arrested than you are.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But I'm feeling good for sure, for sure. But you know,
body still tea. We keep going, We keep going, keep going.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, there's three more weeks, lap, so you guys can.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Believing for three more weeks? So crazy, I know.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I gotta say, like this season flew by so quick.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I'm for sure I say the same thing.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
All right, Well, let's get into it in week eleven.
We're gonna start with Thursday Night's matchup between White Hot
Love Madison versus Love Salt Lake at Bruin Arena, and
Madison continue their hot streak in dramatic fashion, solidifying the
w in five sets twenty twenty five, twenty five, fifteen, seventeen,
twenty five, thirty two, thirty fifteen seven. So what was
(02:01):
Madison doing right to stick out this win?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Hey, Madison has found their groove.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Honestly, like kind of shortened the're kind of like long
term in the game, but now they found a groove
of the consistent right Now, obviously Annie's amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
They found a connection through Lauren car Leading. So they're
in a group right now.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
They're killing it, Yes they are. Now let's talk about
that fourth set. Madison was trailing twenty four to twenty one,
one set point away from losing the entire match. We've
talked about previously on the podcast about how the best
teams find ways to win and can persevere in these moments.
But what specifically did Madison do at the end to
not just stay in the game but eventually get the
(02:37):
win at thirty two to thirty.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Honestly, I think exeking transition. I think tradition game is
always very important. If you can defend the ball and
get the ball hop in the mental court and get
a great set to do your pins. I think transitioning
out of system was great. Defending well and just staying
in those moments, taking one point of the time. I
feel like Madison wasn't being rushed.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
They're super patient and obviously helped them out on the end.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Now you already mentioned Annie Drew Schumacher. We can't talk
about this match without mentioning the great Southpaw. Cannot, no,
not at all. She has been unbelievable in this wind
streak for Madison, and Thursday night was absolutely no different.
A love best twenty six kills, only five errors in
fifty eight attempts, absolutely insane, and her biggest contribution probably
(03:18):
came in that fourth set where she had nine kills alone.
But I actually want to give a shout out to
outside Jennifer Yaniska, who finished with fourteen kills, including the
match winner. Those fourteen kills were a season high for her.
So talk about the importance of being ready to come
in off the bench and contribute.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You know, we didn't see a lot of Jennifer I'm
coming in the beginning of the season, and now she's
kind of made us stride with the team these last
five matches. And I love that when she comes on
the floor, she's bringing in what she does. I said
last time I talked with her a few weeks ago
that she's very consistent. So they have a consistent attacker
on the pan. That is what you need where there's
ball control, I'm putting a ball away. She brings him
a much more stable option on the outside because they
have Annie all day on the right side, so she
(04:01):
helves them out quite a bit now.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
They're on a five game win streak right now, two
more weeks left in the regular season before Love Finals begins.
Are they peaking too soon? Or is this the right
time for them to peak?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
You know what, I'm gonna say, it's the right time.
It's a great time to peak. Actually, I think it's
better late than never. You do have some teams still
figuring some stuff out aka Austin and Omaha, but hey.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
We're gonna figure it out. I think it's a great
tradition game with them right now.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
They found a way to pivot and they're playing well,
and I just hope they continue to play well. Not
too well gets this, but like I hope they could
even good playing well and showing up every week.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Speaking of Austin and Omaha, perfect pivot to the next match,
which was the game that you crushed it. Let's go.
After three straight losses, Love Austin beat Love Omaha and
five thrilling sets on Friday twenty four to twenty six,
(04:55):
twenty five, twenty twenty five, fifteen, twenty three, twenty five,
eighteen sixteen, and you and Middle Chiacobago had had a night.
I mean, absolutely incredible between the two of you, you
had forty three points thanks to thirty one kills, eleven
blocks and an ace, and you yourself had seventeen kills.
(05:15):
So besides being on the court, what was the what
was different in this game that helped you ladies get
that wh.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And know, I think it's one thing that Chiaca mentioned
to our press conference, said, like there's just some things
you just a score on paper doesn't have, you know,
I think it takes more than just beople to put
a ball away, be able to kind of feed the
energy around the players around you. And I felt like
I was breathing fire into the girls around me.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It was just it was a great night. I think
we were bobbing off each other really well. I came
in with a lot of energy, just trying to, like
I said, feed into them, feed into logan and try
to find stop a flextapability on the course.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So it was just it was our night and it
was great. It was great.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I mean, Chiaca mentioned that during her postgame interview because
she earned Player of the Match honors in this match,
but I mean she mentioned that you being on the
court helped create Like you said, you lit a fire
underneath them, right.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I feel like today we needed a lot of energy
and a lot of fire coming on the court, and
I felt like Kat lit a fire under everyone's part
of my French ass. And I feel like when she
was in I.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Felt more confident.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
So I feel like I could not have done tonight
without her, without her pumping up everyone.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So thank you. You two are good friends. So talk
about the sixth sense that you guys kind of have
when you get to play with your friend, and how
do you try to replicate that sixth sense when you're
not actually lined up to block next to your bestie.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I think it's the communication. I'm talking to Chi, I'm
tripping to her em I'm in the back court. I'm
telling her, you know, give me one, sell me what
you got, what you could you get her or not
like somebody like I'm giving her just some like you know, information,
just like you know, just trying to get her to
like kind of like perk up a little bit, you know.
I talked to the girls like they're my friends. I
don't have a a kind of like a volleyball dialogue.
I'm kind of like, hey, guys, let's go. No I
(06:58):
talk how I talk normally to them like hey, get
this ball right now, like shut her down, be in
her face, like that's the kind of thing I'm saying,
as well as like obviously the opposing team you can
hear it too, So you know, just like bringing who
I am my personally into the court and being able to,
like I said, feed into the girls around me and
bring the spirits up is what it's cost me nothing,
you know what I'm saying. So it's a tough job
(07:18):
obviously come off the bench, but it's what I do best,
and I was very fortunate. I'm very happy to be
able to be able to contribute the way I did
on Friday night.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Absolutely, and after a pretty dominant win in the third set,
Omaha fought back to win that fourth. So what did
you say to the team in between that fourth and
fifth set to keep their spirits up? And what did
you say to yourself because seven of your seventeen kills
did come in that fifth set.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Honestly, I told him, I was like, hey, I was like,
give me your best Bally ball right now, like fifteen points.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Everything you have on the floor right now.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Obviously we're all tired and kind of being like a
dog fight throughout the tire and nighte I was like,
give me your best balleyball and the rest of.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
The work itself.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I think in the fifth set it was connect towards
the end, I would kept telling myself, but we got
to get two more points in the last block.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I told you. I was like, get me one, get
me a block, and she would and did that. So
it was it was great. It was great.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
You didn't need just fifteen points, you needed eighteen points
to when that matche towards me and we were like, dang,
you're like, let's go. What was the celebration like post game?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I mean, it was just like I was screaming and
then like I stopped screaming, and I just like was
just taking it in the moment of just like hugging
Chiaka and hugging their girls around me and just knowing that, like,
you know, the well fought battle was working towards the end,
you know, it wasn't all for nothing. It sucks to
go into a fifth set and lose, you know, regardless
of you're getting you know, it's a good match or not,
but it just sucks to go all the way and
not to get the results. So the fact that we
went all the way and it was at one point tied.
(08:38):
They were up game. Matt set point fourteen fifteen on
us and we managed to fight back and you know,
to be able to be and that moment with them
was amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
It was great, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, that game was a great win for you ladies,
But unfortunately there wasn't a repeat in the first game
of Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Shortly normal it's normal.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
A good a good win on Friday. But in the
end love Atlanta pulled off a sweep over you guys
on Saturday twenty five, nineteen twenty five, one twenty five
to fifteen. So what was the difference between Friday night's
match and this one and how did Atlanta take advantage?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I mean, what are we talking about here? The difference
was the team, obviously Atlanta. We held them pretty well,
I think offensively with our blocking and defense.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
But Atlanta's great. They're a really good team.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
They have really good chemistry right now. Obviously, Kelsey is
going to be Kelsey every single night, and she definitely
was for us the player of the match as well.
I know it's Mackinsey as well, but I think Kelsey
doesn't kept from the game a lot, and they found
a weakness. I think we caught onto tips kind of late,
I would say, in the second set, but I would
just say, you know, they played the game well.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
They had some really good points.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Blocking was amazing and like you've either had to try
to go through them or around them, and they would
just have touching balls all day long. So we just
a really good job fars like blocking us and we
kind of figure out what we were at in our
offensive speam.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So let's talk about Mackenzie for a second, because, as
you said, you know, she won the player of the
match honors. She scored twelve points from nine kills three blocks,
but she also had eleven digs. So which part of
her game do you find the most dominating and hardest
to stop?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Surprising dominating, I would say passing. You know, we served
her basically almost every ball and she kept them in system.
So that was things that was one thing kind of
cut us off by surprise.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I think in the past this season Mackenzie has kind
of struggled in the passive line. I think that's kind
of all of all areas on every team you have
one passer who's you know, pretty good and like, you know,
you can kind of get the ball in a certain way,
maybe we can kind of catch them at the system,
but Mackenzie was just passing dimes or catch them the system.
On top of the said defense, in transition, they're digging
balls high middle of the core. And then they have
Maddie Buck who's an amazing center as well, and she
(10:54):
would keep them and keep them in transition. So it
was tough, tough to be, very tough to be.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Week after we keep topalking about how great Atlanta has
been playing, and they've been atop the standings the majority
of the season and have already clinched a buy in
the Love Finals as one of the top two teams
in the standings. But you've played them three times now,
we've seen them lose to Houston. So what is their
achilles heel? How can teams beat Atlanta?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
That's a hard to needle in a haystack. That's the
hard thing to kind of fine. It's almost like you
have to kind of catch them on a bad day potentially,
and even if their bad day is bad, it's not
that bad, you know. If anything, I would say if
a team can outdefend them, that helps know, Houston's a
great defensive team.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
I would say probably the best team in the league
defensive wise.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I think Maddi Kingdan Michelle, she's actually the league defensive
player right now outside even including Livero. So I think
Houston has done a really good job of far as
defending them pretty well. And I think, like I said,
if you could, if you can defend more balls, it's
going to help you and again transition out and be
more successful in that.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It's that's easy, a good way to help you beat Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Well, at Lana was hoping to secure that number one
spot going into the finals, but they're going to have
to wait a little longer because number two. Houston secured
another win beating love Omaha Saturday night and four sets
twenty five, twenty one, twenty five, eighteen, twenty three, twenty five,
twenty five, twenty three. Now you can tell by the scores,
especially the last two sets, that this was a tough
(12:21):
match for them to win. So what did Houston ultimately
do to get that w.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I think, honestly, what most people can't really see is
the chemistry that Houston has, Like everyone has a third mesh.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Their jail is so nice. It's so tight.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The most Jordy, that starting six are really good friends.
They have their relationship, but I think it kind of
relies off the court and it helps them on the
court as well the communication standpoint. They're able to kind
of feed into each other the way they can communicate
with one another, and it's able to help them be
consistent about the season.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Those intangibles for sure.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, they're besties.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Of course. Jordan Thompson, no surprise here, was named Player
of the match thanks to twenty one kills, two blocks,
and thirteen digs. Then, looking at Jordan's stats, her three
highest kill efficiencies came in matches against Omaha. How does
she do it when she goes up against that Omaha
block and defense.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I think, honestly just being her JT is so athletic.
She gets so high.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
On top of the ball, and I think it's finding
that range in motion if she can keep the ball.
I think throughout her game she keeps the ball off
of jesting, which helps a lot. So her being able
to trigger between middle back and right back. Putting the
ball in those placements placements areas definitely does help.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Just teams won the best of barrels or probably the
best barrow in the league right now. And if you
can be able to keep any ball off of her
will help you off with some game for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And we talked about Madison being on a hot streak
and if they're peaking too early, but with Omaha, we
kind of have the opposite right they've lost nine in
a row. Now, do you think this slump might get
to them enough to actually turn it around before the finals?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
You know, going to the finals, I think it's anyone's game.
I think right now, it's almost like you know, chess,
it's okay, we win this game. Who do we want
to play in the SMIs on the quarterfinals?
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Who do we don't want to play? Kind of thing.
Like I said, it give me anyone's game.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Hopefully Omaha going into the finals can find some type
of like stinch together and kind of will together to
come to the final chemistry. But it's tough, but I
think they can come of manage their game and manage
their mindset and manage each other. They will be able
to kind of pull it together.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
All right.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Well, now we only have two weeks left in the season,
so we're gonna look ahead to week twelve and which
game we are most excited for? So the lineup we
got for Week twelve. On Thursday night, the top two
teams face off for the final time in the regular season,
with Houston hosting Atlanta and Atlanta looking to clinch the
top spot in the finals. Your team, Austin hosts the
(14:39):
Weekend with Love, and we start with you ladies playing
Omaha on Friday night. Then it's Love Salt Lake versus
Love Omaha in the first match of Saturdays doubleheader. And
we end with you guys Austin facing off against Love Madison,
who are on a five game win streak. So which
game are you most excited for?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I would say Love Madison.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
The last time you played them, it wasn't the best
volleyball and now be able to be more in of
our home court advantage, so to speak. I think we
have a little bit of about that game. We were
not as a team, we were not happy about that match.
So I think I'm excited to see what we come
up this week. Durham practice unfair for that and for Omaha,
but yeah, that's my match of the game for sure,
match of the week.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That's what I'm thinking of. I like it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's definitely going to be a really good match, and
I can't wait to watch you guys especially. I mean
the way that you guys played Friday night. If you
show up like that against Madison, who's white hot, I mean,
it's going to be a really good match exactly. But
I'm also I mean, I've been saying this weekend and
a week out, but I just Houston Atlanta for me, rivalry,
that's not that's not officially a rivalry.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
But to me exactly, I think it is for everyone.
I think we all do the same thing. One would
always be a rivalry for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
And I think also I think this is the game
to secure the spot for number one, right mm.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Hmm yeah, because if Houston wins, then they're tied with
so because there are two games back, so it'll be exciting.
I'm pumped.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
All right.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Well that's to be it for this episode of Serving Pancakes.
Say tune next week where you and I will recap
Week twelve. Wait lea go. Serving Pancakes is an iheartwomen's
sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
(16:21):
or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by League one Volleyball.
I'm your host Tiffany Oshinsky. My co host is kat Bell.
Amya Alvarez is our senior producer. Our executive producers are
Carrie Stett, Tamaradike, and Lindsay Hoffman. Our marketing lead is
Juara Parker. Sound editing and mixing by Daniel Gonzalez. Our
(16:44):
theme music is Pancakes by Eric W.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Mass Junior.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Next week we'll recap Week twelve. Thanks for listening.
As a volleyball player, I trust Adidas to meet my
own court needs, but they'll also offer the ultimate in
everyday's style from trendy platform sneakers, vibrant track pants, and cozy,
chic flea sweatshirts from their zny collection. Adidas has everything
I need to feel comfortable, stylish, and confident. Explore all
(00:21):
that Adidas has to offer at Adidas dot Com or
through the Adidas App and receive fifteen percent off your
first order when you sign up for ADDI Club, getting
access to fantastic perks, including free shipping. Unlock your style
with Adidas. Today, I'm Tiffany Oshinsky and I'm Capbo, and
(00:42):
this is serving pancakes with League one Volleyball. The inaugural
Love Season is finally here. Each episode will be going
over the matches from the week to keep you up
to date on everything League one Volleyball. Then stick around
after the analysis for interviews with some amazing people in
and around the sport with only If you were weeks
left in the regular season and after a jam packed weekend,
(01:04):
We're gonna focus just on all the action from week eleven.
But before we get into the games.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
How are you doing Cat, I'm doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Long travel day, going to Omaha, Longevelday, coming back, But
I feel great.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Not doing great? I feel like, you know, I'm probably
a little more arrested than you are.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But I'm feeling good for sure, for sure. But you know,
body still tea. We keep going, We keep going, keep going.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, there's three more weeks, lap, so you guys can.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Believing for three more weeks? So crazy, I know.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I gotta say, like this season flew by so quick.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, I'm for sure I say the same thing.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
All right, Well, let's get into it in week eleven.
We're gonna start with Thursday Night's matchup between White Hot
Love Madison versus Love Salt Lake at Bruin Arena, and
Madison continue their hot streak in dramatic fashion, solidifying the
w in five sets twenty twenty five, twenty five, fifteen, seventeen,
twenty five, thirty two, thirty fifteen seven. So what was
(02:01):
Madison doing right to stick out this win?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Hey, Madison has found their groove.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Honestly, like kind of shortened the're kind of like long
term in the game, but now they found a groove
of the consistent right Now, obviously Annie's amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
They found a connection through Lauren car Leading. So they're
in a group right now.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
They're killing it, Yes they are. Now let's talk about
that fourth set. Madison was trailing twenty four to twenty one,
one set point away from losing the entire match. We've
talked about previously on the podcast about how the best
teams find ways to win and can persevere in these moments.
But what specifically did Madison do at the end to
not just stay in the game but eventually get the
(02:37):
win at thirty two to thirty.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Honestly, I think exeking transition. I think tradition game is
always very important. If you can defend the ball and
get the ball hop in the mental court and get
a great set to do your pins. I think transitioning
out of system was great. Defending well and just staying
in those moments, taking one point of the time. I
feel like Madison wasn't being rushed.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
They're super patient and obviously helped them out on the end.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Now you already mentioned Annie Drew Schumacher. We can't talk
about this match without mentioning the great Southpaw. Cannot, no,
not at all. She has been unbelievable in this wind
streak for Madison, and Thursday night was absolutely no different.
A love best twenty six kills, only five errors in
fifty eight attempts, absolutely insane, and her biggest contribution probably
(03:18):
came in that fourth set where she had nine kills alone.
But I actually want to give a shout out to
outside Jennifer Yaniska, who finished with fourteen kills, including the
match winner. Those fourteen kills were a season high for her.
So talk about the importance of being ready to come
in off the bench and contribute.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You know, we didn't see a lot of Jennifer I'm
coming in the beginning of the season, and now she's
kind of made us stride with the team these last
five matches. And I love that when she comes on
the floor, she's bringing in what she does. I said
last time I talked with her a few weeks ago
that she's very consistent. So they have a consistent attacker
on the pan. That is what you need where there's
ball control, I'm putting a ball away. She brings him
a much more stable option on the outside because they
have Annie all day on the right side, so she
(04:01):
helves them out quite a bit now.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
They're on a five game win streak right now, two
more weeks left in the regular season before Love Finals begins.
Are they peaking too soon? Or is this the right
time for them to peak?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
You know what, I'm gonna say, it's the right time.
It's a great time to peak. Actually, I think it's
better late than never. You do have some teams still
figuring some stuff out aka Austin and Omaha, but hey.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
We're gonna figure it out. I think it's a great
tradition game with them right now.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
They found a way to pivot and they're playing well,
and I just hope they continue to play well. Not
too well gets this, but like I hope they could
even good playing well and showing up every week.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Speaking of Austin and Omaha, perfect pivot to the next match,
which was the game that you crushed it. Let's go.
After three straight losses, Love Austin beat Love Omaha and
five thrilling sets on Friday twenty four to twenty six,
(04:55):
twenty five, twenty twenty five, fifteen, twenty three, twenty five,
eighteen sixteen, and you and Middle Chiacobago had had a night.
I mean, absolutely incredible between the two of you, you
had forty three points thanks to thirty one kills, eleven
blocks and an ace, and you yourself had seventeen kills.
(05:15):
So besides being on the court, what was the what
was different in this game that helped you ladies get
that wh.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And know, I think it's one thing that Chiaca mentioned
to our press conference, said, like there's just some things
you just a score on paper doesn't have, you know,
I think it takes more than just beople to put
a ball away, be able to kind of feed the
energy around the players around you. And I felt like
I was breathing fire into the girls around me.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It was just it was a great night. I think
we were bobbing off each other really well. I came
in with a lot of energy, just trying to, like
I said, feed into them, feed into logan and try
to find stop a flextapability on the course.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So it was just it was our night and it
was great. It was great.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I mean, Chiaca mentioned that during her postgame interview because
she earned Player of the Match honors in this match,
but I mean she mentioned that you being on the
court helped create Like you said, you lit a fire
underneath them, right.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I feel like today we needed a lot of energy
and a lot of fire coming on the court, and
I felt like Kat lit a fire under everyone's part
of my French ass. And I feel like when she
was in I.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Felt more confident.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
So I feel like I could not have done tonight
without her, without her pumping up everyone.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So thank you. You two are good friends. So talk
about the sixth sense that you guys kind of have
when you get to play with your friend, and how
do you try to replicate that sixth sense when you're
not actually lined up to block next to your bestie.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I think it's the communication. I'm talking to Chi, I'm
tripping to her em I'm in the back court. I'm
telling her, you know, give me one, sell me what
you got, what you could you get her or not
like somebody like I'm giving her just some like you know, information,
just like you know, just trying to get her to
like kind of like perk up a little bit, you know.
I talked to the girls like they're my friends. I
don't have a a kind of like a volleyball dialogue.
I'm kind of like, hey, guys, let's go. No I
(06:58):
talk how I talk normally to them like hey, get
this ball right now, like shut her down, be in
her face, like that's the kind of thing I'm saying,
as well as like obviously the opposing team you can
hear it too, So you know, just like bringing who
I am my personally into the court and being able to,
like I said, feed into the girls around me and
bring the spirits up is what it's cost me nothing,
you know what I'm saying. So it's a tough job
(07:18):
obviously come off the bench, but it's what I do best,
and I was very fortunate. I'm very happy to be
able to be able to contribute the way I did
on Friday night.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Absolutely, and after a pretty dominant win in the third set,
Omaha fought back to win that fourth. So what did
you say to the team in between that fourth and
fifth set to keep their spirits up? And what did
you say to yourself because seven of your seventeen kills
did come in that fifth set.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Honestly, I told him, I was like, hey, I was like,
give me your best Bally ball right now, like fifteen points.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Everything you have on the floor right now.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Obviously we're all tired and kind of being like a
dog fight throughout the tire and nighte I was like,
give me your best balleyball and the rest of.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
The work itself.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I think in the fifth set it was connect towards
the end, I would kept telling myself, but we got
to get two more points in the last block.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I told you. I was like, get me one, get
me a block, and she would and did that. So
it was it was great. It was great.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
You didn't need just fifteen points, you needed eighteen points
to when that matche towards me and we were like, dang,
you're like, let's go. What was the celebration like post game?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I mean, it was just like I was screaming and
then like I stopped screaming, and I just like was
just taking it in the moment of just like hugging
Chiaka and hugging their girls around me and just knowing that, like,
you know, the well fought battle was working towards the end,
you know, it wasn't all for nothing. It sucks to
go into a fifth set and lose, you know, regardless
of you're getting you know, it's a good match or not,
but it just sucks to go all the way and
not to get the results. So the fact that we
went all the way and it was at one point tied.
(08:38):
They were up game. Matt set point fourteen fifteen on
us and we managed to fight back and you know,
to be able to be and that moment with them
was amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
It was great, all right.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, that game was a great win for you ladies,
But unfortunately there wasn't a repeat in the first game
of Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Shortly normal it's normal.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
A good a good win on Friday. But in the
end love Atlanta pulled off a sweep over you guys
on Saturday twenty five, nineteen twenty five, one twenty five
to fifteen. So what was the difference between Friday night's
match and this one and how did Atlanta take advantage?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
I mean, what are we talking about here? The difference
was the team, obviously Atlanta. We held them pretty well,
I think offensively with our blocking and defense.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
But Atlanta's great. They're a really good team.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
They have really good chemistry right now. Obviously, Kelsey is
going to be Kelsey every single night, and she definitely
was for us the player of the match as well.
I know it's Mackinsey as well, but I think Kelsey
doesn't kept from the game a lot, and they found
a weakness. I think we caught onto tips kind of late,
I would say, in the second set, but I would
just say, you know, they played the game well.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
They had some really good points.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Blocking was amazing and like you've either had to try
to go through them or around them, and they would
just have touching balls all day long. So we just
a really good job fars like blocking us and we
kind of figure out what we were at in our
offensive speam.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
So let's talk about Mackenzie for a second, because, as
you said, you know, she won the player of the
match honors. She scored twelve points from nine kills three blocks,
but she also had eleven digs. So which part of
her game do you find the most dominating and hardest
to stop?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Surprising dominating, I would say passing. You know, we served
her basically almost every ball and she kept them in system.
So that was things that was one thing kind of
cut us off by surprise.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I think in the past this season Mackenzie has kind
of struggled in the passive line. I think that's kind
of all of all areas on every team you have
one passer who's you know, pretty good and like, you know,
you can kind of get the ball in a certain way,
maybe we can kind of catch them at the system,
but Mackenzie was just passing dimes or catch them the system.
On top of the said defense, in transition, they're digging
balls high middle of the core. And then they have
Maddie Buck who's an amazing center as well, and she
(10:54):
would keep them and keep them in transition. So it
was tough, tough to be, very tough to be.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Week after we keep topalking about how great Atlanta has
been playing, and they've been atop the standings the majority
of the season and have already clinched a buy in
the Love Finals as one of the top two teams
in the standings. But you've played them three times now,
we've seen them lose to Houston. So what is their
achilles heel? How can teams beat Atlanta?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
That's a hard to needle in a haystack. That's the
hard thing to kind of fine. It's almost like you
have to kind of catch them on a bad day potentially,
and even if their bad day is bad, it's not
that bad, you know. If anything, I would say if
a team can outdefend them, that helps know, Houston's a
great defensive team.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
I would say probably the best team in the league
defensive wise.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I think Maddi Kingdan Michelle, she's actually the league defensive
player right now outside even including Livero. So I think
Houston has done a really good job of far as
defending them pretty well. And I think, like I said,
if you could, if you can defend more balls, it's
going to help you and again transition out and be
more successful in that.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It's that's easy, a good way to help you beat Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Well, at Lana was hoping to secure that number one
spot going into the finals, but they're going to have
to wait a little longer because number two. Houston secured
another win beating love Omaha Saturday night and four sets
twenty five, twenty one, twenty five, eighteen, twenty three, twenty five,
twenty five, twenty three. Now you can tell by the scores,
especially the last two sets, that this was a tough
(12:21):
match for them to win. So what did Houston ultimately
do to get that w.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I think, honestly, what most people can't really see is
the chemistry that Houston has, Like everyone has a third mesh.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Their jail is so nice. It's so tight.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The most Jordy, that starting six are really good friends.
They have their relationship, but I think it kind of
relies off the court and it helps them on the
court as well the communication standpoint. They're able to kind
of feed into each other the way they can communicate
with one another, and it's able to help them be
consistent about the season.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Those intangibles for sure.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, they're besties.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Of course. Jordan Thompson, no surprise here, was named Player
of the match thanks to twenty one kills, two blocks,
and thirteen digs. Then, looking at Jordan's stats, her three
highest kill efficiencies came in matches against Omaha. How does
she do it when she goes up against that Omaha
block and defense.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I think, honestly just being her JT is so athletic.
She gets so high.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
On top of the ball, and I think it's finding
that range in motion if she can keep the ball.
I think throughout her game she keeps the ball off
of jesting, which helps a lot. So her being able
to trigger between middle back and right back. Putting the
ball in those placements placements areas definitely does help.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Just teams won the best of barrels or probably the
best barrow in the league right now. And if you
can be able to keep any ball off of her
will help you off with some game for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And we talked about Madison being on a hot streak
and if they're peaking too early, but with Omaha, we
kind of have the opposite right they've lost nine in
a row. Now, do you think this slump might get
to them enough to actually turn it around before the finals?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
You know, going to the finals, I think it's anyone's game.
I think right now, it's almost like you know, chess,
it's okay, we win this game. Who do we want
to play in the SMIs on the quarterfinals?
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Who do we don't want to play? Kind of thing.
Like I said, it give me anyone's game.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Hopefully Omaha going into the finals can find some type
of like stinch together and kind of will together to
come to the final chemistry. But it's tough, but I
think they can come of manage their game and manage
their mindset and manage each other. They will be able
to kind of pull it together.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
All right.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Well, now we only have two weeks left in the season,
so we're gonna look ahead to week twelve and which
game we are most excited for? So the lineup we
got for Week twelve. On Thursday night, the top two
teams face off for the final time in the regular season,
with Houston hosting Atlanta and Atlanta looking to clinch the
top spot in the finals. Your team, Austin hosts the
(14:39):
Weekend with Love, and we start with you ladies playing
Omaha on Friday night. Then it's Love Salt Lake versus
Love Omaha in the first match of Saturdays doubleheader. And
we end with you guys Austin facing off against Love Madison,
who are on a five game win streak. So which
game are you most excited for?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I would say Love Madison.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
The last time you played them, it wasn't the best
volleyball and now be able to be more in of
our home court advantage, so to speak. I think we
have a little bit of about that game. We were
not as a team, we were not happy about that match.
So I think I'm excited to see what we come
up this week. Durham practice unfair for that and for Omaha,
but yeah, that's my match of the game for sure,
match of the week.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That's what I'm thinking of. I like it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's definitely going to be a really good match, and
I can't wait to watch you guys especially. I mean
the way that you guys played Friday night. If you
show up like that against Madison, who's white hot, I mean,
it's going to be a really good match exactly. But
I'm also I mean, I've been saying this weekend and
a week out, but I just Houston Atlanta for me, rivalry,
that's not that's not officially a rivalry.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
But to me exactly, I think it is for everyone.
I think we all do the same thing. One would
always be a rivalry for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
And I think also I think this is the game
to secure the spot for number one, right mm.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Hmm yeah, because if Houston wins, then they're tied with
so because there are two games back, so it'll be exciting.
I'm pumped.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
All right.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Well that's to be it for this episode of Serving Pancakes.
Say tune next week where you and I will recap
Week twelve. Wait lea go. Serving Pancakes is an iheartwomen's
sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
(16:21):
or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by League one Volleyball.
I'm your host Tiffany Oshinsky. My co host is kat Bell.
Amya Alvarez is our senior producer. Our executive producers are
Carrie Stett, Tamaradike, and Lindsay Hoffman. Our marketing lead is
Juara Parker. Sound editing and mixing by Daniel Gonzalez. Our
(16:44):
theme music is Pancakes by Eric W.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Mass Junior.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Next week we'll recap Week twelve. Thanks for listening.
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