August 23, 2024 • 10 mins
Molly Alvey is the Head Coach of the UC Volleyball program. She joined me to discuss the Bearcats' upcoming season, watching UC Hall of Famer Jordan Thompson in Paris, and a bunch more.
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Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The fall sports season at the University of Cincinnati is
a inch and closer. The volleyball team has an exhibition
match at home against Wright State that's Saturday at two o'clock,
and then they begin the regular season in the Hampton
and Invitational that's at Bowling Green that is going to
be next weekend. Entering her thirteenth season as the head
(00:22):
coach of the University of Cincinnati volleyball program and obviously
getting said for year two in the Big Twelve, Molly
Alvi is with us coach. It's good to have you.
I know you have a lot going on. I appreciate
the time. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
No problem at all though, I'm very happy to be
here and this actually worked out excellent. We have a
little bit of break, so our saved time for your
show since you have one. I like hearing that earlier. Yes,
I do have a show that made me last.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Sometimes we have to remind folks. You know, I asked
this of every coach. When you get you're on the
doorstep of the season. You've had the entire offseason to
get ready. You've had the entire off season to figure
out who you're bringing in from other programs. You go
through camp, you go through practice, and now the season's
almost here, and yet I'm sure it feels like you
(01:09):
haven't had nearly enough time. What sort of stuff is
going to keep you up between now and not just Saturday,
but your first regular season match next weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, you know, you're right, it's always this evolving kind
of our science that we have to put together. And
even you know, we know all the pieces, we can
see them. We've had a.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Couple of weeks, but that still changes over the season,
you know, and you think you have all these pieces
that you think you know what you have, and then
players come in looking different too.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
After the spring. You know, we have some jump heights
that look amazing, we have some passing touches or a wow,
and things really clicked for some of our kids over
the summer, so that even changes a little bit. I think,
you know, biggest fear is always just keeping everyone as
healthy as possible. You want to train hard, you want
to train fast so that the game flows down. So
(02:00):
how do we do that and still keep all of
our athletes as healthy as we possibly can. That's probably
most coaches biggest fear to be.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Smart in that, And you know, you referenced health and injuries,
and that was that was an issue last year and
the year before early in the season, so you had
you had to play some kids, you know, maybe earlier
than you would like. But as much as you don't
want to do that, the payoff could be down the
road and that's where we are. So how much are
you looking forward to that early experience from some of
those younger players then paying off with with what your
(02:29):
older kids are.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Going to do this year?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, you know, it's funny that you said that because
that's a little bit of what I was referencing and
some players coming in and looking different. I think, you know,
it really is. I think they hit their stride junior year, right,
that's in general for all of them. I starting to
figure out my body, the speed of the game. I
can catch up too. But I think that early experience
one getting more time on the court and too, I
(02:52):
think even having to play out of position a little bit.
You know, Abby Walker had to play out of position
a little bit for us because she's such a dynamic athlete,
she has the ability to do that. But it's really
paid off for her on the court and just learning
the game and volleyball IQ. I think Harley Glendenning saw
a lot of PT early on in her career. Now
she's hit that stride of junior year, and you're exactly right.
(03:13):
Those kind of dividends pay off where you may have
some growing teams early on. But experience, I think is
one thing as coaches we can't That's the one thing
we can't teach. You know, they have to go through
it to figure some stuff out. So I think we
do have some really strong pieces that have the experience.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Now, you know, I can't goodness, yeah, thank goodness, I
wasn't an athlete.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I came back from my junior year of college and
my body was different too, but not in a good way.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
So you know, I guess I can. Yeah, I can
kind of relate to that.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I hear you out and clear, Yeah, I'm just.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Doing much athletically.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
You have a freshman class that folks who follow recruiting
are high on. Let me ask you this, what is
in every sport freshman did they go from the high
school level, of the club level of whatever it is,
and now they're going to make the adjustment to the
collegiate level. For for volleyball, what's what's the most difficult
adjustment for players.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
It's two things.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
I think.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
One hundred percent speed of the game. So now I've
played my most competitive volleyball typically is in our AAU
the club, you know, the club scene. So at most
I'm playing with everyone that's exactly my age. Maybe there's
someone that's you know, playing up the years, so it's
a year difference. But we have some that haven't even
turned to eighteen yet, right, that can't even sign their
PaperWorks yet, that are seventeen playing against some of our
(04:32):
older players that are fifty years that could be twenty
three years old, you know, and that's a really big
developmental difference.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
So speed of the.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Game, height at which the game is played, so the
angles that the ball is coming to you and how
fast that is is just a totally different perception. So
I think it takes time to figure that out, but
it's a good thing that's have to figure out, right,
Like you got to kind of check yourself and get
gritty real quick to figure that piece of the game out.
(05:01):
The other part, I think, you know, we do have
a lot that there's so much accessibility with weed lifting
and agility coaches and all of those pieces that I
think younger kids have some opportunities with. But it's still
extremely different to be in a strength and conditioning program
at the college level, and I think sometimes that can
be eye opening. So how do I balance out while
(05:22):
my body's really changing and feels different, but knowing I'm
okay to go out and grind every day in practice.
So those are the two biggest things, you know. Now,
I have a lot older players with a lot more
experience coming at me, a lot higher and a lot
faster and a lot harder.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Do you do you have freshmen, obviously, who are coming
in and are highly thought of. Do you think do
you think that class as a whole can make an
immediate impact?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I do. I really do think so.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And you know.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It's that's twofold. Obviously, you have to have the ability,
but I think you also have to believe in the
ability and treat it as I'm coming in to compete.
I'm not coming in as a freshman, right like I
the best players will play, So how do I come
in and tackle this and just be the competitor that
that I am? And that's one thing I really appreciate
(06:09):
that we spent a lot of time with this freshman
class identifying I think the exposure that we've had just
with the success of the program with Jordan nationally right now,
we can we've been able to really identify some players
that can compete at a high level, but have that motor,
you know, like have that confidence that that want to
come in and they want to win championships. So that's
(06:31):
that's a hard thing for a coach to build too.
You got to kind of have that internal motivation or that,
you know, that inherent ability to get yourself going. So
that's a big piece of this freshman class. I think
our fans will be all to identify that too. That's
a really visible quality to see on the court.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Uh, what was the biggest adjustment going from the AAC
to to the big twelve year one?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know, it's I've been in similar conferences this in
the past and my coaching career, and it's there is
no gi me and I'm not saying there were any
gimmes before. I think the parody of volleyball across the
board in the country. I mean we see upsets, reverse sweeps,
this team who shouldn't have be that team. We're seeing
that all the time, which is a great thing for
the sport. But you're you know, last year, I think
(07:15):
we had five teams in the top twenty five. Most
were in the top twenty at one given time. So
you are constantly on your constantly battling, and you have
to recover much quicker and perform at a high level,
much faster than in the past. So but you know
who didn't like that? Who then go to battle every night?
You know, I would take that any day of the week.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yeah, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Molly Alvi, the volleyball coach at the University of Cincinnati.
An exhibition game on Saturday, and then it gets underway
for real up in Bowling Green. First home regular season
match will be on the fourteenth of September of Saturday
against ken State. You mentioned Jordan Thompson, you went to France.
You went to France and yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Winter Fred, Yeah all right, and I tried to see
the pool play match against France. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Now, yeah, so the atmosphere for that was awesome, unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, So it's unbelievable. Just the you know, all the
French were there, they have their tears, they have their songs,
the just the total the euro vibe around volleyball is
totally different than what we see in America. But it was.
It was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, and obviously we wish that the US women would
have won gold, but still they meddle. Jordan's coming back
to the University of Cincinnati when you play Morehead stayed
on the nineteenth and she's going to be inducted in
a loaded class to the University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame.
So that's got to be awfully special for you.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
It's unbelievably special. And I'd have to say, you know,
for a team that came back when the first ever
gold medal for USA indoors that they've ever had, and really,
you know, and no one would mind me saying this.
I don't think this was necessarily you know, a meddling
team on paper or from the summer performance, but how
they came together and pull out silvert silver is just
(09:02):
I mean, it's outstanding. And Jordan had obviously had a
big piece in that.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
No question you when you when you go to a
match like that, are you able to just be a
fan or you like resisting the urge to yell at
the players? How does that work?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
I do my best. I'm never really a yeller too
much of these kind of places, so I do my best.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
But it's definitely a different perspective. It's way more like nervous, right,
like if you're like watching your own kids, like, oh gosh,
come on, you got to do good, you know, instead
of instead of necessarily you know, all the volleyball technique
and pieces, though I do have that in my mind
as well, but.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Totally different perspective. It is extremely nerve wracking at the
highest level in the entire world, and you know you're
you're watching somebody you've known and loved for years.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So yeah, that's that's pretty cool. I'll let you get
back to it. You have a lot of work to
do between now and this Saturday, and obviously next Saturday
as well at two o'clock an exhibition match against Wright State.
It's so awesome to have you on and let's do
it again. Thank you so much, amazing though, thank you
so much.
The fall sports season at the University of Cincinnati is
a inch and closer. The volleyball team has an exhibition
match at home against Wright State that's Saturday at two o'clock,
and then they begin the regular season in the Hampton
and Invitational that's at Bowling Green that is going to
be next weekend. Entering her thirteenth season as the head
(00:22):
coach of the University of Cincinnati volleyball program and obviously
getting said for year two in the Big Twelve, Molly
Alvi is with us coach. It's good to have you.
I know you have a lot going on. I appreciate
the time. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
No problem at all though, I'm very happy to be
here and this actually worked out excellent. We have a
little bit of break, so our saved time for your
show since you have one. I like hearing that earlier. Yes,
I do have a show that made me last.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Sometimes we have to remind folks. You know, I asked
this of every coach. When you get you're on the
doorstep of the season. You've had the entire offseason to
get ready. You've had the entire off season to figure
out who you're bringing in from other programs. You go
through camp, you go through practice, and now the season's
almost here, and yet I'm sure it feels like you
(01:09):
haven't had nearly enough time. What sort of stuff is
going to keep you up between now and not just Saturday,
but your first regular season match next weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, you know, you're right, it's always this evolving kind
of our science that we have to put together. And
even you know, we know all the pieces, we can
see them. We've had a.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Couple of weeks, but that still changes over the season,
you know, and you think you have all these pieces
that you think you know what you have, and then
players come in looking different too.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
After the spring. You know, we have some jump heights
that look amazing, we have some passing touches or a wow,
and things really clicked for some of our kids over
the summer, so that even changes a little bit. I think,
you know, biggest fear is always just keeping everyone as
healthy as possible. You want to train hard, you want
to train fast so that the game flows down. So
(02:00):
how do we do that and still keep all of
our athletes as healthy as we possibly can. That's probably
most coaches biggest fear to be.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Smart in that, And you know, you referenced health and injuries,
and that was that was an issue last year and
the year before early in the season, so you had
you had to play some kids, you know, maybe earlier
than you would like. But as much as you don't
want to do that, the payoff could be down the
road and that's where we are. So how much are
you looking forward to that early experience from some of
those younger players then paying off with with what your
(02:29):
older kids are.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Going to do this year?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, you know, it's funny that you said that because
that's a little bit of what I was referencing and
some players coming in and looking different. I think, you know,
it really is. I think they hit their stride junior year, right,
that's in general for all of them. I starting to
figure out my body, the speed of the game. I
can catch up too. But I think that early experience
one getting more time on the court and too, I
(02:52):
think even having to play out of position a little bit.
You know, Abby Walker had to play out of position
a little bit for us because she's such a dynamic athlete,
she has the ability to do that. But it's really
paid off for her on the court and just learning
the game and volleyball IQ. I think Harley Glendenning saw
a lot of PT early on in her career. Now
she's hit that stride of junior year, and you're exactly right.
(03:13):
Those kind of dividends pay off where you may have
some growing teams early on. But experience, I think is
one thing as coaches we can't That's the one thing
we can't teach. You know, they have to go through
it to figure some stuff out. So I think we
do have some really strong pieces that have the experience.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Now, you know, I can't goodness, yeah, thank goodness, I
wasn't an athlete.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I came back from my junior year of college and
my body was different too, but not in a good way.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
So you know, I guess I can. Yeah, I can
kind of relate to that.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I hear you out and clear, Yeah, I'm just.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Doing much athletically.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
You have a freshman class that folks who follow recruiting
are high on. Let me ask you this, what is
in every sport freshman did they go from the high
school level, of the club level of whatever it is,
and now they're going to make the adjustment to the
collegiate level. For for volleyball, what's what's the most difficult
adjustment for players.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
It's two things.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
I think.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
One hundred percent speed of the game. So now I've
played my most competitive volleyball typically is in our AAU
the club, you know, the club scene. So at most
I'm playing with everyone that's exactly my age. Maybe there's
someone that's you know, playing up the years, so it's
a year difference. But we have some that haven't even
turned to eighteen yet, right, that can't even sign their
PaperWorks yet, that are seventeen playing against some of our
(04:32):
older players that are fifty years that could be twenty
three years old, you know, and that's a really big
developmental difference.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
So speed of the.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Game, height at which the game is played, so the
angles that the ball is coming to you and how
fast that is is just a totally different perception. So
I think it takes time to figure that out, but
it's a good thing that's have to figure out, right,
Like you got to kind of check yourself and get
gritty real quick to figure that piece of the game out.
(05:01):
The other part, I think, you know, we do have
a lot that there's so much accessibility with weed lifting
and agility coaches and all of those pieces that I
think younger kids have some opportunities with. But it's still
extremely different to be in a strength and conditioning program
at the college level, and I think sometimes that can
be eye opening. So how do I balance out while
(05:22):
my body's really changing and feels different, but knowing I'm
okay to go out and grind every day in practice.
So those are the two biggest things, you know. Now,
I have a lot older players with a lot more
experience coming at me, a lot higher and a lot
faster and a lot harder.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Do you do you have freshmen, obviously, who are coming
in and are highly thought of. Do you think do
you think that class as a whole can make an
immediate impact?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I do. I really do think so.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And you know.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It's that's twofold. Obviously, you have to have the ability,
but I think you also have to believe in the
ability and treat it as I'm coming in to compete.
I'm not coming in as a freshman, right like I
the best players will play, So how do I come
in and tackle this and just be the competitor that
that I am? And that's one thing I really appreciate
(06:09):
that we spent a lot of time with this freshman
class identifying I think the exposure that we've had just
with the success of the program with Jordan nationally right now,
we can we've been able to really identify some players
that can compete at a high level, but have that motor,
you know, like have that confidence that that want to
come in and they want to win championships. So that's
(06:31):
that's a hard thing for a coach to build too.
You got to kind of have that internal motivation or that,
you know, that inherent ability to get yourself going. So
that's a big piece of this freshman class. I think
our fans will be all to identify that too. That's
a really visible quality to see on the court.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Uh, what was the biggest adjustment going from the AAC
to to the big twelve year one?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You know, it's I've been in similar conferences this in
the past and my coaching career, and it's there is
no gi me and I'm not saying there were any
gimmes before. I think the parody of volleyball across the
board in the country. I mean we see upsets, reverse sweeps,
this team who shouldn't have be that team. We're seeing
that all the time, which is a great thing for
the sport. But you're you know, last year, I think
(07:15):
we had five teams in the top twenty five. Most
were in the top twenty at one given time. So
you are constantly on your constantly battling, and you have
to recover much quicker and perform at a high level,
much faster than in the past. So but you know
who didn't like that? Who then go to battle every night?
You know, I would take that any day of the week.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yeah, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Molly Alvi, the volleyball coach at the University of Cincinnati.
An exhibition game on Saturday, and then it gets underway
for real up in Bowling Green. First home regular season
match will be on the fourteenth of September of Saturday
against ken State. You mentioned Jordan Thompson, you went to France.
You went to France and yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Winter Fred, Yeah all right, and I tried to see
the pool play match against France. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Now, yeah, so the atmosphere for that was awesome, unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, So it's unbelievable. Just the you know, all the
French were there, they have their tears, they have their songs,
the just the total the euro vibe around volleyball is
totally different than what we see in America. But it was.
It was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, and obviously we wish that the US women would
have won gold, but still they meddle. Jordan's coming back
to the University of Cincinnati when you play Morehead stayed
on the nineteenth and she's going to be inducted in
a loaded class to the University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame.
So that's got to be awfully special for you.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
It's unbelievably special. And I'd have to say, you know,
for a team that came back when the first ever
gold medal for USA indoors that they've ever had, and really,
you know, and no one would mind me saying this.
I don't think this was necessarily you know, a meddling
team on paper or from the summer performance, but how
they came together and pull out silvert silver is just
(09:02):
I mean, it's outstanding. And Jordan had obviously had a
big piece in that.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
No question you when you when you go to a
match like that, are you able to just be a
fan or you like resisting the urge to yell at
the players? How does that work?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
I do my best. I'm never really a yeller too
much of these kind of places, so I do my best.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
But it's definitely a different perspective. It's way more like nervous, right,
like if you're like watching your own kids, like, oh gosh,
come on, you got to do good, you know, instead
of instead of necessarily you know, all the volleyball technique
and pieces, though I do have that in my mind
as well, but.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Totally different perspective. It is extremely nerve wracking at the
highest level in the entire world, and you know you're
you're watching somebody you've known and loved for years.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So yeah, that's that's pretty cool. I'll let you get
back to it. You have a lot of work to
do between now and this Saturday, and obviously next Saturday
as well at two o'clock an exhibition match against Wright State.
It's so awesome to have you on and let's do
it again. Thank you so much, amazing though, thank you
so much.
Mo Egger News
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