The Coaches Group Chat
Grab a drink and a seat at the table with hosts Matt Houlihan, Arielle Houlihan and Chad Gordon as we chat about the world of volleyball, coaching, business, and whatever else Arielle feels like!
The Coaches Group Chat
E1: NCAA Men's Volleyball Predictions
Welcome to the Coaches Group Chat! On this episode we make our predictions for the 2024 NCAA Men's College Volleyball season:
1. National Champion
2. League winners of the Big West, MPSF, MIVA and EIVA
3. Player of the Year
4. Freshman of the Year
5. Most Improved Team
6. 'Biggest Loser' of the 2024 season
7. Newest Trend in MVB
It's all just kind of getting the way, Fucking gravity your tooth like, is it?
Matt Houlihan:It's like a sword.
Arielle Houlihan:This is. This is a.
Matt Houlihan:Is that a skewer?
Arielle Houlihan:Okay, it's a skewer that I cut so that I could put the olives on here.
Chad Gordon:It's for like cabals.
Arielle Houlihan:I'm pretty sure.
Matt Houlihan:I'm in here, so I believe my first question was who you the way too early to tell. National champion of 2020 at 4. Back to the docket.
Chad Gordon:Yeah.
Arielle Houlihan:Prediction.
Matt Houlihan:Who do you think is going to win at all?
Arielle Houlihan:And then we'll go league by league. I think UCLA is head, shoulders, feet and fingers above everybody else. Unfortunate, I mean, it just did as it is.
Chad Gordon:That's not how that expression works.
Arielle Houlihan:It can be, and toes. You had to throw the toes in, yeah toes was a weird one, so it was like that.
Chad Gordon:Action figures. Oh man, I mean, they didn't lose anybody, really right? No, they lost.
Matt Houlihan:Norris, but he's, he was kind of in rotation. They got Hirsch, they got Hirsch. Still they got.
Chad Gordon:Hirsch so.
Matt Houlihan:So obviously they're reloading, they're reloading.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, I mean because you have David still on the. I mean it's the same left.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, it's just Anybody. I want to hear somebody that doesn't have UCLA winning it Long Beach people right. Hawaii people and Long Beach people.
Matt Houlihan:Hawaii people are for sure going to. They know UCLA is legit but they're going to have their high hopes. They still got some pieces, I mean sorry, I mean obviously. Yeah, UCLA is the front runner, no doubt In my eyes. Who was that.
Chad Gordon:How about your eyes? They didn't lose anybody in the one last year. That's usually a good recipe.
Matt Houlihan:I really wish there was a hot take for this.
Arielle Houlihan:Hot take.
Chad Gordon:All right, ucla is still good Dang.
Arielle Houlihan:Nobody's going to be like, hey, have you seen that new? Podcast, or are they all breaking?
Chad Gordon:It's going to be number one.
Arielle Houlihan:This is amazing. We need more clickbait guys.
Matt Houlihan:These guys are edgy. Someone take a chance.
Arielle Houlihan:We have to listen to this.
Matt Houlihan:All right, let's go to the league winners. Please let's go. League winners, we got MPSF. You guys are going to go UCLA there.
Arielle Houlihan:Sure Fine Weva, oh Big West.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, let's go Big West. I think Big West is the most interesting. For sure They've got the most depth. I believe no clear head and shoulders team above.
Arielle Houlihan:Who's setting?
Chad Gordon:for Long Beach this year Nape.
Arielle Houlihan:I mean, I think Tread is good, hawaii Tread yeah, freshman. And I think he'll be freshman of the year.
Matt Houlihan:That's a later on question.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't care. I think he'll be freshman of the year, but I don't. I don't think that Long Beach has as many like stellar pieces Maybe.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah.
Arielle Houlihan:I like Voss more than you do.
Matt Houlihan:Voss in the middle. I think Voss a lot. No, don't be wrong, I like. Why do you hate Voss? He doesn't think he's great. Now, the Hawai'i fans are now going to listen just because.
Arielle Houlihan:I say Hot, take, you're welcome. Do not hate Voss.
Matt Houlihan:I think Voss is very, very good. I think Voss is the type of middle that can take over a game, Matt thinks he's just like another middle. I think he's a very good middle.
Matt Houlihan:I think Merrick McHenry is a middle that can take over a game, I think Merrick would be my top middle, but when I'm going to for Big West I like Irvine has so much. I'm very interested in Irvine and I love Niff, but Niff will always do some weird stuff with his lineups, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But if you can string it together at the right time, at the end I could totally see Irvine winning the tournament.
Chad Gordon:I did.
Matt Houlihan:Hellir is legit. It looked like a Hellir show. He was playing around with a bunch of different stuff. He had Flexin who transferred from Masters on the left on the right and in the middle.
Matt Houlihan:He literally played all three positions so they really you could tell they want to get him on the floor because he's big. They had Max, the NorCal boy was playing on the right and was pretty decently effective. Conor Dom, our beta-bayboy, they kind of used him. They started him in the middle, they'd back rotate him, he'd serve first, they'd sub him out for a middle and then they'd bring him back in at the end. So he ended actually like playing middle at the end of some sets because they were doing this like some creative Nif stuff, but they did end up losing that match to George Mason. So I'm interested to see on Irvine if they can like progress, because they've got some interesting pieces.
Arielle Houlihan:I think Nif is just like picturing giving a speech on like why weird shit works, because if you commit to weird shit for long enough, it's gonna work at some point, People figure it out. I mean I love the idea of like people who can do everything to a certain point, and by a certain point I mean like right after 18 open, we don't do that anymore. And like setters, play setter and middle play middle and outsides play outside. Oh yeah.
Matt Houlihan:He's just looking for all around volleyball players.
Arielle Houlihan:Yes, yeah, I mean that showed in what he did last time and I think that there are very few players that can do stuff like that, like Micah is not Micah, yeah, micah Ma is one of them that can like you can hit and set, and like we have to use you at both things because you're that good at it.
Matt Houlihan:Micah Christian seems the same way.
Arielle Houlihan:But like there are such few players like that and I don't think that, like every middle should be a setter and every setter should be a middle, personally, it's just my personal opinion.
Matt Houlihan:I'm gonna go with Irvine. That's my big West pick.
Arielle Houlihan:Good for you.
Matt Houlihan:They're gonna start off slow and weird and they're gonna finish strong.
Arielle Houlihan:I think they have the best player in the big West.
Matt Houlihan:Who Halir? Yes, I like.
Arielle Houlihan:Long.
Chad Gordon:Beach.
Matt Houlihan:Long Beach. That's the steady answer.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, I mean just so deep, returning a lot of the same guys. I mean they need to set the ball better, they need to hit the ball on the right side better, but like less than middles are strong for them. Mason will be good in the back. I think Irvine probably does too much weird stuff, but it's one of those teams where, like, if they get hot at the right time, like last year, yep, like great, like they should be in the tournament kind of conversation, and then he's hosting this year.
Matt Houlihan:Great, that's a great question. I feel like it's Hawaii. I think it's Hawaii which immediately gives Hawaii an advantage there.
Arielle Houlihan:Great, I'm picking Hawaii.
Matt Houlihan:We have our first hot take Sure Actually, yeah, I think Hawaii is actually Classic Equations. Yeah, home court advantage to win. Big West is big yeah For sure. Surprised they're doing that All three teams. It's because they make money. Hawaii actually makes money hosting, whereas no one else does, and they pay for everyone to come out there and that's the thing right, like if I mean, I guess if they're fine doing that, yeah.
Chad Gordon:I mean it's the reason like we don't hold anything fun in any fun location ever, and volleyball Because there's no money, but I guess I don't want to pick Hawaii. You don't have to.
Arielle Houlihan:I like it. You want to trade picks, you want?
Matt Houlihan:to trade picks. You want to do Irvine? I'll go Hawaii.
Arielle Houlihan:No, pick your own pick.
Matt Houlihan:Speak your own truth.
Arielle Houlihan:I want Irvine to win. I think Long Beach is going to win and I Need Hawaii to win.
Chad Gordon:Yes, it's sponsored me out of here.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, yeah, that's where I stand All right Neva. Neva, I want Mackendree to win yeah.
Chad Gordon:Do we all love that.
Arielle Houlihan:I.
Chad Gordon:What we want Nikki to win is what we want, what he wants to be clear yeah. How many Mackendree matches are you going to watch this year?
Arielle Houlihan:One, two.
Matt Houlihan:Let's get Nikki on the pot. I think Nikki needs to come on the pot.
Chad Gordon:Probably we're pretty. You know full sheet of guests lined up, so probably squeeze around though.
Arielle Houlihan:After watching Loyola this weekend, I think Ohio State is going to win the Meeva.
Matt Houlihan:Why Rough?
Arielle Houlihan:Why? Because, uh, let's double click on this.
Chad Gordon:What Two?
Arielle Houlihan:I mean, I don't know. I didn't think Parker looked super great this weekend, but I also. The Hawaii win was a good win for them. But I think that they've got like a little bit of a lot of decision making that needs to happen. I think Ohio State has the best player in the Meeva.
Matt Houlihan:With their outside best.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, and that's that's where I'm at, I think. I want Loyola to win. I think Ohio State's going.
Matt Houlihan:I'm going to go with Ohio State as well. I think Loyola has a lot of pieces Like seeing them. Seeing them this weekend, play, play Hawaii. Huge win for them in Hawaii. They were obviously banged up when they came to us at Stanford.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, and still on night two. We're able. They're the left that they brought in against us. He was darn good. Their setters were ripping serves. The freshmen were a little bit more up and down against us than they were against Hawaii, but they certainly, certainly seems like they've got enough firepower to be able to string it together and I didn't mind.
Matt Houlihan:Like night one against Stanford. It was most of a completely different line up from Hawaii, so it was a very like full switch and seemed like there was a little bit of number one, just kind of load management. Mason Defunga was not happy. He wanted to see LeBron, aka Parker Van Buren, in the game and he paid for his ticket, which was free, and he came all that way and he wanted to see Parker. Parker was on the bench. He was not happy. So I'm in mind what Hawks Hawks did on that one. It was close. If they were to split Hawaii and split Sanford, that would have been a great weekend for them and they almost did it. But I think it's. It's going to be a long, long road and all they got to do is be able to beat a house at the end.
Arielle Houlihan:I still I was still in the quarters, true Kendrick in the finals.
Chad Gordon:Let's go, nicky, is that who knocked him out last year?
Arielle Houlihan:McHenry beat him in the quarters yeah.
Matt Houlihan:They've kind of had their number.
Arielle Houlihan:How's Lewis this year?
Matt Houlihan:They went to five with Penn State in their first first weekend matchup. So I'm sure I'm sure they'll have some. They'll have something to say about it for sure. Yeah, I don't, I don't they're kind of.
Arielle Houlihan:They're kind of the.
Matt Houlihan:Irvine of the Miiba.
Arielle Houlihan:I feel like, like, oh, that's a great, they get hot at the end. They're not going to be.
Matt Houlihan:I don't think they're going to be head and shoulders above anyone, but they could figure it out at the end and and work their way into the tournament.
Arielle Houlihan:I love that. Lewis is the Irvine of the Miiba.
Matt Houlihan:Lewis just has more attitude than Irvine, though, like in a great way for any Lewis people that end up watching this, I like the Lewis attitude. They got some they got gritty, gritty kids.
Arielle Houlihan:Grittiest team in the country.
Matt Houlihan:It's for another episode, chats we need Chad's. Miiba prediction for us.
Chad Gordon:Medius dog in this garage, coach Jackson, just trying to make that's one problem of the camera we can't get Jackson on film.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah. We just need, the we need the camera up here.
Chad Gordon:I figured you would have had one, you know for you.
Matt Houlihan:You got three angles.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, I think Miiba, I mean it's, I'd like to take a little, or McKenzie, I think it's probably Ohio State, I don't know. I mean I know Hawks is it's a really tough schedule that they started for the first month, basically right, yeah.
Arielle Houlihan:You know the UCLA Yep Yep.
Chad Gordon:Um, dog, come on, it's my turn to talk away. Um, but yeah, I mean, pescher is pretty impressive and I just don't know who's going to be able to kind of get in their way. No, but I don't know.
Matt Houlihan:I like to think.
Chad Gordon:Birch figures it out for that team this year.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, and then they didn't really lose anyone that I can remember. Not that I think, all their pretty much all their main pieces are back, at least offensively.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, so I mean it'll so, wessel, who's on the right.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, it's Florida guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chad Gordon:Um, so I mean they got. They got the pieces. Yeah, I guess we'll see.
Matt Houlihan:Is there anyone that challenges Penn State in the? Yeah, yeah.
Chad Gordon:Or are we getting in about Ball State too? Ball State in the Miva? Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I don't know, I don't watch a lot of Ball State. They got a their.
Matt Houlihan:Their pin is legit. Blanket on the same Genesis Genesis.
Chad Gordon:Genesis, genesis, caleb, genesis. There you go. Yeah, he's legit. I thought he graduated, isn't?
Matt Houlihan:he done? Did he graduate? I don't know.
Chad Gordon:We can cut this. I'm pretty sure he graduated.
Matt Houlihan:Okay, all right, fair enough, but he was legit. Shout out to that guy.
Arielle Houlihan:I hope you're doing well. I think Donan is good coming in like right away, but I don't know, yeah, we are sleeping on.
Matt Houlihan:We're sleeping on Ball State.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, I don't. I don't know where they, if they like, picked up any freshman or I don't really remember.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, stapher plays in the two weeks there you go?
Chad Gordon:Oh wow, where You'll know? Austin Texas, austin Texas.
Arielle Houlihan:Hope you love that.
Matt Houlihan:So that'll be We'll.
Arielle Houlihan:I'll get the, I'll get the scouting for it. We're all going, we're all going, we're all going. Should we film and?
Matt Houlihan:Podcast, podcast, podcast in Texas. There you go, it's taking it on the road.
Arielle Houlihan:That's so quick. We're filming our first episode. We're already going on the road show notes.
Matt Houlihan:We need to, we need to find out about Ball State. But all right On to the Eva.
Arielle Houlihan:Wait, hold on. Can we talk about the grittiest team really quick.
Matt Houlihan:Sure, who do you think?
Arielle Houlihan:the grittiest team in the country is.
Matt Houlihan:Hashtag LB grit.
Arielle Houlihan:No, that's. That can't be your answer. It's not allowed to be your answer, because they are self-proclaimed as the grittiest team.
Matt Houlihan:The Long Beach.
Arielle Houlihan:Are they?
Matt Houlihan:though, is Nick McCrae.
Arielle Houlihan:Nick McCrae is the grittiest, grittiest guy I know you can't say boom really loud and be the grittiest person.
Matt Houlihan:You know it's a baby. No, you're not allowed to Boom baby.
Arielle Houlihan:No.
Matt Houlihan:We love you, Nick. This is not a shit talk.
Arielle Houlihan:Actual grittiest team. You can hear Jackson drinking his water in the background.
Matt Houlihan:Yes, actual grittiest team. First thought that comes to head.
Chad Gordon:Because, Guys, just one beer.
Matt Houlihan:One beer, I promise.
Arielle Houlihan:First thought that comes to head he's really nervous guys.
Matt Houlihan:Put that on the idioms that I mess up.
Arielle Houlihan:It's not an idiom, just talking.
Matt Houlihan:Is that a normal word? Words are just hard. First thought that comes to my mind. Thank you, you, jerks. I'm going to go Grand Canyon.
Arielle Houlihan:Oh, I like that answer.
Matt Houlihan:Go Grand Canyon.
Arielle Houlihan:I love that answer, just because you think that Hitchh.
Matt Houlihan:Hickman, hickman. I just love watching Jackson. That dude just wants to fight everyone.
Arielle Houlihan:For sure. I love it. Grittiest player in the country, Hickman.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, great name for it too Great name.
Chad Gordon:And Whirly Whirly. Yeah, that's fair man.
Arielle Houlihan:I like that.
Chad Gordon:I would really pick if you talk about last year, as we kind of work our way into this year but I thought Penn State last year yeah, wait, it's just like Cole Wagner was pretty Well that crew that had been.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, jackson, I'm trying to talk about Pennsylvania State.
Chad Gordon:University. I mean that crew that had been together for a number of years right and just gone to battle a bunch. That was cool to see them play some really tough matches in the season For sure.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah them at Hawaii, them UCLA. Cole Wagner was my favorite setter last year. Might have been my favorite player to watch when we played them in Texas. I was like this guy's impressive. He was fully in charge and he was undersized and did a lot of great things. I like that. That's a good pick.
Arielle Houlihan:It's not this year, but still, we'll allow it, but Jason, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, if we're talking historically, like, lewis has to be up there, but I wouldn't say Lewis is like the grittiest team right now.
Matt Houlihan:If you pick Long Beach, I'm going to be so mad at you.
Chad Gordon:That's a dirtbag move right there.
Arielle Houlihan:No, I don't think it's Long Beach, that's a good joke.
Chad Gordon:What do you got? Long Beach Baseball.
Arielle Houlihan:Grittiest team right now. Can I?
Matt Houlihan:give my secondary answer C-Sun. Oh, c-sun, ready, don't hate that. You know what I like about why?
Arielle Houlihan:do I come up with that. You know what.
Matt Houlihan:I like about C-Sun.
Arielle Houlihan:You're right.
Matt Houlihan:A lot of foreigners. Yeah, they find a lot of guys where it's like they're not the highest recruited player.
Arielle Houlihan:Donovan Gritty kid. Yeah, donovan center, for sure Under-sized, but like Absolutely.
Matt Houlihan:Plays with a chip on his shoulder, grinder, and does a ton of really good things. It's not what you would picture as like the best player in that position, but constantly plays at a level that is there.
Arielle Houlihan:Honestly, the Grand Canyon kid is just like that. Who's their?
Matt Houlihan:center Nick Slight.
Arielle Houlihan:yeah, that kid is like the same is Donovan, Like the same type of kid, Like under-sized center, but just gritty like total gamer yeah.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, nick, slight Nick. Slight's a good representative of the grid award yeah, but C-Sun, I like them. I like what they do. They grind out a lot of games.
Arielle Houlihan:Good answers.
Chad Gordon:Also.
Matt Houlihan:Stanford. We've struggled against C-Sun in the past couple years, so we need to.
Chad Gordon:We got to find a way to beat the gritty.
Matt Houlihan:I like those answers. Stop getting aced against Northridge. That's a good idea.
Chad Gordon:Or hope they miss their serves. I know Jones Huss is here Over under 42 and a half miss serves tonight Alex Jones is over under on this serves.
Arielle Houlihan:It's hilarious, surprisingly accurate.
Chad Gordon:He's setting a great line, yeah, so accurate, because it feels like a lot and then somehow it's like no, we went to a four set 47 miss serves. Hell, there was one.
Arielle Houlihan:UCLA game that we were at and it was like the line was at 42 and a half and it was at like 45 or something crazy.
Chad Gordon:No, he has a gift, that's for sure.
Matt Houlihan:OK, where are we at? We still need to. Oh, I'm going Penn State, but George Mason seems to have a group that can.
Chad Gordon:I'm not taking Mason Can do it. I'd be interested to see how Pav reloads with Penn State. Yeah, I do like. I mean I watched a little bit of that Irvine one and just like Mason was playing fast and had some dudes with arms and then we were playing some off speed and had kind of I don't know modernized a little bit compared to what I would think of I guess. So that was kind of interesting and obviously a nice win over Irvine.
Arielle Houlihan:They were up 2-0.
Matt Houlihan:They were ripping a serve against Irvine.
Arielle Houlihan:They were up 2-0 on Santa Barbara and then they lost, it Right yeah.
Matt Houlihan:They were up 2-0 in convincing 2-0.
Chad Gordon:And then Joe Weller stepped on the court and he was on the court. That's definitely Joe as well. I'll take George Mason.
Arielle Houlihan:I like that one, yeah, I'll do it.
Matt Houlihan:I can see that totally. It's one of those ones where it's like I just don't know what Penn State has right now.
Arielle Houlihan:What does Princeton have?
Matt Houlihan:Princeton forgot about Princeton, so I asked him.
Arielle Houlihan:No, they got a In two years. Princeton's got Worth it, princeton has some players for sure, for sure. Who do they have? Who does Harvard have right now?
Matt Houlihan:Brian.
Chad Gordon:Thomas, obviously.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah. Which one they're going to listen to this and be like oh, the Beta-Bate coaches are all talking about the Beta-Bate kids and it's the only kid on Harvard I can name.
Matt Houlihan:I could see Princeton being in there for sure.
Arielle Houlihan:Who do they have?
Matt Houlihan:They've got a. I'm blanking on names right now. Do they have any?
Arielle Houlihan:fifth years, or did all of those kids graduate from that?
Matt Houlihan:group that I do not know.
Arielle Houlihan:Because if they have fifth years then they've got the kid from Carolina UBC I don't know if he's still there, I know Wedbush is setting, I'm pulling, I'm pulling.
Matt Houlihan:Okay, wedbush setting. They've got the old MBSurf middle, who had a really good freshman year.
Arielle Houlihan:People are also going to listen to this and be like can they do their research before they talk? No, it's our first episode.
Chad Gordon:Shut the hell up. Got some slack, just want to drink a beer. Volleyball started like two days ago, nero, nero's legit. I feel like we have it all the time with Princeton, though, right, I'm like, oh man, like the roster's like pretty strong. Hartley, that's what I was talking about and Hartley's still on there, hartley's good. They just they were knocking on the door Like it's just kind of my heart.
Matt Houlihan:I think they're close. They're probably top three. I probably slate Mason as the two and Penn State as the one with our massive sample size.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, we've seen Mason, george Mason to the moon, yeah.
Matt Houlihan:I mean, hey, that's a pretty a full California swing that was. That was a lot of matches for them in a row and you'll sneak out a pretty good one against Irvine. Big and they could. They could have gone. They could have gone Santa Barbara, Irvine and they beat Northridge but lost to nothing. I forget how they beat San Diego.
Chad Gordon:Make it up because I'm not gonna know. That's fair. Could have been a great weekend.
Arielle Houlihan:Okay, predictions for Player of the Year.
Chad Gordon:Oh okay, no respect for the Carolinas. I respect that disrespect true.
Arielle Houlihan:Name the Carolinas North Carolina.
Chad Gordon:That was easier than I think you thought that's all sweet Carolina.
Arielle Houlihan:No, okay, no, all right chat, chat Player of the Year?
Chad Gordon:who you got? Player the oh man? Do they decide player of the year before the NCA?
Arielle Houlihan:a semi finals, I Know what they do in the women's game. I don't know what they do in the men's game in the in the women's game. They. We eat they come up with it, then the semi finals happens, and then the player of the year is the next morning, and if something crazy happens that night, they all meet again in the morning and then let's just say they decided before the semi finals.
Matt Houlihan:That way it's not like you have to reach the finals.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, okay, so it's not like a winner kind of thing.
Matt Houlihan:I.
Chad Gordon:It's gonna be somebody from UCLA and I think it's gotta be Rowan, because everybody else is just such an equal slice of that pie. Like you can, you can undersell like night and then, and champion of these guys, but like they do their role really really well, right, and so Rowan really facilitates that and is, you know, obviously the one touching the ball the most, so I think he's gonna naturally, yeah, get looked at for that award.
Chad Gordon:So that would be that would be a good one for me. So that would be. That would be my pick right now good pick.
Matt Houlihan:I think that's. I think that is If, if Jones was here, set nods in Vegas, I think.
Chad Gordon:I think Rowan would have the best odds. I think it's fair. The reason I asked about the semis is like if Irvine does push, heno could be that guy, because that guy's stealing is is pretty stupid. He's always bigger than I. I think he's gonna be like oh, he's gotta be six, four.
Matt Houlihan:He's like no, it's like six, seven, six, eight. Yeah, big guy.
Chad Gordon:He's a big dude, yeah.
Matt Houlihan:Probably the best serve in the country easily.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, not even close who you got first off Keone's service, the best service in the country. But incorrect.
Matt Houlihan:No, keone's service might be the fastest, but Heno's is the most consistent and that lefty spin and His ability to change depth is it's very good, you're right, it's ridiculous.
Arielle Houlihan:You want me to go? Yeah, you're up.
Chad Gordon:Would you like to go last?
Arielle Houlihan:Robin done which one. Alex will, dave, steve, danny.
Matt Houlihan:Dave Robin player.
Chad Gordon:He's overdue.
Arielle Houlihan:Will Robin player the air.
Matt Houlihan:Okay, dark horse pick for player. The air. I like, I like that Hype up, hype up my book. I put my Stanford guys I Could see it.
Arielle Houlihan:Stanford's a net large and wins to get into the final four and Rotman gets player the air. Okay, you heard it here, for if you see LA does something stupid this year Like UCLA's, gotta not be undefeated going into it. Obviously Rowan is the top like contender in it. But if you see LA has like a blunder game and a half, then If Stanford can get into the final four, I think Robin gets player the air because he's gonna be the one to do it.
Matt Houlihan:Okay, I Like that. Chad hinted at mine. Heno, I'm going, I'm going. Heno, I think he's the Serve attack pass. He's the dude for Irvine, if Irvine figures it out, I think they, I think they can go far. Statistically speaking. If we're gonna volid orchid, his serve is Probably the biggest plus minus across them. Caa in any capacity.
Matt Houlihan:You just need him at the service line as many times as you possibly can get and it's not like a I Think he only serve, is ridiculous as well but it's not just a grip it and rip it, a surmise it is consistent pressure and he will move it around so well, and Then they run him out of the back row almost immediately. Every single time they get it, they get a transition and he scores. So, yeah, I'm going Heno, heno for Heno for player the year.
Arielle Houlihan:I like Heno, I also love Robin.
Matt Houlihan:It's a great pick. It's a great pick. All right, what's next on our docket here? Freshman in the air area already hinted at it, so you can start us off. Let's, let's reconfirm there.
Arielle Houlihan:I got Chad as freshman in the air. I Think that he's going to get the shot to lead Hawaii and they have a likely chance of getting in and, as a freshman, to do that I don't know if Anybody any other freshman I didn't aim some.
Chad Gordon:I didn't watch much 18s.
Arielle Houlihan:I mean coach of 17s like I. Just we didn't. I mean overlap. Jake Reed looked pretty good this weekend. I Got tread over show bowl. And who else Are we, who we're missing, like?
Chad Gordon:Lenshet came out earlier. Yeah sure.
Matt Houlihan:That was the one that I was gonna say, the other other player that could.
Chad Gordon:I think, I think tread is.
Matt Houlihan:The is already kind of established as the guy. I don't know if linchets fully established. We haven't really seen. They kind of ran a couple different Lineups in their first round matches against the HBC. Use what?
Matt Houlihan:about attackers but like, yeah, I'm not sure, but blanchett was the guy I was gonna say it's kind of the next the other pick. I think if he's the guy for USC and USC has a as a decent year, that will be a huge piece, a Huge piece for that team, no doubt. But, chat, do you have a pick for freshman year?
Chad Gordon:I mean I, I, I agree. I mean treads, probably in the best position to do that. Yeah, coupled with the fact that I can't name any others.
Matt Houlihan:There's a fresh one I forget in.
Chad Gordon:I'm sure that's gonna gonna have a breakout year I'm sure there's a kid who's you know, not about the old guy or something that you know, Was in, gold was all world, and we're just not a wave kid or something probably.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, like.
Chad Gordon:West West Smith or something.
Arielle Houlihan:Oh.
Matt Houlihan:Welcome viewers. Yeah, west Smith, that's a good call, that is a West. He seems to be a little bit of a problem. Yeah, I'll take West man.
Chad Gordon:I'm not taking you with, see, but I'll take West.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, I know he was banged up all three agents here. If you can stay healthy, for sure he's gonna get a lot of. He's gonna get a lot of a lot of chances as well.
Arielle Houlihan:That was a great Sorry. Okay, we figured it out. Nice, we did a job scenic route.
Matt Houlihan:Before we got there, before we move on, he need to make another martini.
Arielle Houlihan:No, great, all right, next Wednesday Next on the docking slow. I can slowly go into this. We have a whole weekend of drinking or about to embark on the next question prediction for most improved team.
Matt Houlihan:Most improved team who do we have?
Chad Gordon:I'll go first. I think it's gonna be Stanford. No drama here, I agree, just Watching to the moon a doc's gone, so obviously big improved.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, addition by subtraction, doc. I'm not even gonna go anywhere near that. Obviously Just kidding dog we love you Just getting addition by subtraction for us, because then we added.
Chad Gordon:No, I mean just like how, how fast they were playing, just how things seem to kind of. It just seemed more balanced and Just better. I don't know like good vibe and it was spread. Yeah, yeah, and little little 6-2 action in there. Dross getting in later served a little bit. No, it was, it was good. And then you know you have will Alex and and lamp, right, you know to go for for those two spots. That's. It's pretty, pretty deadly. Yeah, it's good problem have yep, there's some, there's some.
Matt Houlihan:We got some depth, we've got some options and the boys are yeah, they're certainly they're playing well. Let's see. I think let's. He's doing a really good job. It's, it's our ability to be consistent throughout the course of the season. That's the, that's the thing we've got to continue to prove. But I could, I could certainly see ourselves in that category, not making the term in the past couple of years being close. I like that, mary on. Do you have a? Do you have a pick beyond Stanford?
Arielle Houlihan:And beyond Stanford, a most improved team Irvine maybe okay, they're kind of the same boat.
Matt Houlihan:Actually, I don't know.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't know if you, I don't know if you can say Irvine, with the loss of Sony, sony, oh man, so I mean, if that's such a tough loss like Stanford didn't lose anybody that big, so like you can't say Irvine.
Matt Houlihan:I can see USC being much improved. With what?
Chad Gordon:they have.
Arielle Houlihan:USC or Grand Canyon.
Matt Houlihan:I mean.
Arielle Houlihan:Grand Canyon was good last year, but Grand Canyon's looking. I mean Grand.
Matt Houlihan:Canyon was a tournament team last year, for sure, but I'm they. They still have Johnny.
Arielle Houlihan:What does improved mean? Does improved mean makes the tournament that didn't last year?
Matt Houlihan:I just mean biggest jump from where they were at last year.
Arielle Houlihan:It's probably some Carol South Carolina's probably.
Chad Gordon:Charleston, let's ride.
Arielle Houlihan:Something in the Carolinas is probably making improvements, right for sure.
Chad Gordon:Or George Mason, honestly yeah.
Matt Houlihan:Mason yeah, that's. That was where my head was gonna go.
Chad Gordon:Are we just angling to get on his podcast or like what's going on?
Arielle Houlihan:here. Does he have one? Yeah, he's on well like, he's on with like yeah, but he's on with like a sparrow, and those like.
Chad Gordon:I mean Dan's on all the time.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't watch it. Theo's on it. What a bit. Just like nobody's gonna watch ours.
Matt Houlihan:It's great we're just shouting into the abyss.
Chad Gordon:They say to drink more beers on theirs. Yeah, I promise.
Matt Houlihan:George Mason. I like, I like that pick.
Arielle Houlihan:I'm gonna go with you see.
Matt Houlihan:I think, you see, is gonna be gonna be much improved be unfortunate for. Stanford where they were last year. No, I think they'll be a good battle. I think that I think the MPSF is actually very strong. Big West is currently has more Like high rankings but honestly, Big West did not have a great starting weekend in comparison it's very.
Matt Houlihan:Hawaii. Hawaii loses one to Loyola, irvine loses to George Mason. I think that that's gonna even out a little bit come next rankings, but I do think the MPSF is actually just as strong as the big West right now. You I use legit is gonna be legit still. Grand Canyon lost one of their pins, but they still have the majority of that core and USC.
Arielle Houlihan:Listen you us not flexing flexing with Irvine.
Matt Houlihan:Jared Anderson fly, you'll fly. I don't want to go a little bit of time. I got a little bit of time. Yeah, I don't know, I didn't see if he played or not like at the end of the third. Yeah, I think they kept this because Johnny's still on the right for them, yeah, but yeah, I think I think the MPSF is gonna be Pretty well loaded.
Arielle Houlihan:There's UCLA, there's like a midsection of Everybody else.
Matt Houlihan:UCLA is a juggernaut and there's a. There's a selection of contenders. I'd say there's a selection of like what does contenders mean, though?
Arielle Houlihan:like tournament teams, like sure, like for sure contending to be in the tournament.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, and then there's a. There's a couple tiers there we should make a, we'll make a tier ranking on the whiteboard.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, something like that. I'll go with a, I'm gonna go with USC. That's gonna be my pick. It's a good pick For most of.
Arielle Houlihan:USC.
Matt Houlihan:USC for most approved.
Arielle Houlihan:Predictions for biggest loser of 2024 biggest loser.
Matt Houlihan:What do you mean?
Arielle Houlihan:Not teams, this was in parentheses not teams, but a concept.
Matt Houlihan:Yes, and I love that I had a specific all laid off, because I had a specific thought we're not we're not here to bash teams.
Arielle Houlihan:We love bashing teams, sure you may.
Matt Houlihan:We may love it, but we're not gonna record it to. We're not here to. We're not here to broadcast this bashing teams. We're not sure yet. You guys ready for my concept biggest loser this is this is something that pissed me off last year. Video challenge biggest loser of the 2024 season. The video challenge is killing me.
Chad Gordon:It takes 140 seconds minimum to review it's really specific yeah, it is but it is Talk about talking shit.
Arielle Houlihan:The Stanford Video Review is the most egregious thing. It is double the amount of time that every other sport.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, it takes like seven minutes to try and do a challenge.
Arielle Houlihan:It's unbelievable, I timed it last year and I was like, oh, my goodness, what are they playing this on?
Matt Houlihan:But that is not the only like. That happens all the time. So video review that's my biggest loser. We gotta find a better way. We gotta find a better way for video review. There needs to be like a time limit, like all right, 120 seconds, is it?
Chad Gordon:That's all you get to review. It was a definitive, but then 60 seconds. Yeah, exactly, it wasn't clear enough. Then we're done. Then we're done.
Matt Houlihan:I could buy that concept, but thus far, it's been literally they review the you challenge. They review the entire play. That's what they do. They go through and they're looking at every single little part and it takes forever. So that's my biggest loser. We gotta find better ways for video review.
Chad Gordon:I mean, I don't know what's out there that's cheap enough, I know.
Matt Houlihan:That's why I'm like that's why I like the time limit. It's like tell me exactly where I need to be looking and I'm going to look for that. Try and spend my time on that exact point. Is it a net?
Chad Gordon:positive at all, Like or would you just get rid of it in its current form? I want to get rid of it.
Matt Houlihan:I think video, there's a need to be able to challenge.
Arielle Houlihan:I think that is good, but we can't spend seven minutes Like literally last year we were taking the average time, I think that it was like six and a half minutes that I recorded and then showed it to John and we all were like, oh my God.
Matt Houlihan:They did add in a new rule this year you only get eight seconds to challenge, so when the play is over, whistle blows eight seconds because there was issues at like BYU or Hawaii, where coaches just look up to the screen and wait for the replay and then challenge before the serve, so they added that in.
Arielle Houlihan:Have you seen the video of my dad throwing the challenge card? There's a video of my dad and you see during the right one, the whistle blows. You see this card in the film like go up, and it accidentally like took wind and like went up and over the net and like flew onto the other side and then he got a card for throwing.
Matt Houlihan:And then it got stuck in someone's neck.
Chad Gordon:That's where I thought we were going and I was like I'm here for that one. It was the video I'll send you the video of it.
Arielle Houlihan:It's so funny.
Matt Houlihan:Prediction for the newest trend in men's volleyball this season.
Arielle Houlihan:The late six two. I like the late six two.
Matt Houlihan:Honestly, it was one of the things that I thought about as well. Seen it, seen it in a couple couple settings, there seems to be some pretty good death in a couple teams.
Arielle Houlihan:It makes sense.
Matt Houlihan:Have the ability to do it. You get. You get those three front row attackers. You get in a little bit of a different the thing that I like about it from Stanford perspective you get. You get that serve too, like especially when your center has a better serve. Doug and Ron Moses serve can be effective, but T's got a better serve on the jump serve, so like being able to switch. That is pretty nice.
Chad Gordon:So you're saying, yep, death to the D ball. Is that what we're implying? Depends on who you depends on your team.
Arielle Houlihan:You are.
Matt Houlihan:And I don't think men's volleyball can be death to the D ball because of the international several.
Arielle Houlihan:Because of people like Parker and you can't. But if you have a team that you just don't have enough subs.
Matt Houlihan:You don't have enough subs to do it. You have to have it.
Arielle Houlihan:The late six two is interesting for a team that has a medium right side or like somebody who isn't super defensive at all or some. Like there's some holes there, like you're able to cover some things up with the six two. Yeah, it's a little sketchy on the rhythm, but I don't mind it. It just depends on who your team is.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, I think we're going to see more creativity offensively, maybe defensively. I don't know I don't know what that would mean, necessarily, cause, like I'm already seeing, like so Brinkley and static joint Niff staff, right, yep, and so the the George Mason match I pulled up power is already like sliding into the, you know, like basically like five, six, like dead center, almost the same crap that Brinkley was doing. They're just taking the line and he's like playing middle back, yeah, um.
Chad Gordon:So maybe, maybe there'll be more of that, but offensively, I think you'll see more routes that look the same but have different end points, right, so like you see it, with like pop and float stuff with the middles, but the same way that, like RPOs and football or something, have just like hey look, it all looks like this, and then I get to make a decision, or you know, I don't know, like quarterback keep, like I can hand it, or I can take it, like that kind of stuff of just like, all right, I can decide, am I going to be here or am I going to be there, and I mean blockers just don't. Yeah, you're just outmatched, right. And so at some point using the football metaphor, right Like the receiver knows where the receiver is trying to run to, the quarterback doesn't, and they're always going to play catch up, right, so you can show them something that you know. And maybe this is almost cyclical and vulnerable, right Cause, like we used that like a swing hitter. Right Like you pass middle and like do I hit left?
Arielle Houlihan:or I hit right.
Matt Houlihan:I don't know, we'll see.
Chad Gordon:And maybe maybe it's kind of just like a trend that just comes back to, back to the forefront, maybe not swing hitter, but like just that I'd like.
Arielle Houlihan:Bell bottoms. I'd love to see a swing hitter Sure.
Chad Gordon:It's like disco and all that kind of stuff you know, vintage is cool, who knows.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't think that this is a trend for this year, but it's a trend of the last couple years. Is the undersized setters just become more of a trend? Like people don't really. There are some coaches that don't look for the size anymore. They don't care.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, it's just like yeah, the big, the big setter used to be the. It's like I'll take the biggest center I can get.
Arielle Houlihan:And then that didn't work out for some of the big setters and or some of the teams, and I think the undersized setter has been a trend over the last half a decade.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, yeah, that unders, certainly undersized setter that just locates and is a gamer as a gamer plays volleyball. Well, may not be the best blocker may not be the most offensive, but like can get it all done, Certainly makes sense.
Chad Gordon:Is that the end of the loy ball era, then? Yeah, you have coaches that grew up, kind of that era.
Arielle Houlihan:Right, hey, this is a big guy. Give me the biggest dude possible, biggest lefty setter that you can find.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, just tall, yeah, tallest, tallest dude that can clog up the, clog up the right side.
Arielle Houlihan:And now it's just like what's the super physical, like athletic kid that can kind of jump, but like jumped well enough and I mean, even like the, the Joe Carlos is right.
Chad Gordon:Right, I'm just going to wheel and deal.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, irvine is the perfect example of right now Shure Carlos yeah, even last year with Dylan's eye, like just undersized setters, that kind of just fling the ball around for sure.
Arielle Houlihan:There's a lot of undersized setters. Yeah Well, they're just not that many like six, eight humans, let alone people.
Matt Houlihan:That hey, I decided to make me a setter, and I was 14, not outside or middle or whatever, yeah, yeah, totally. I'm going with one that we've already somewhat hinted at and I think it will become a trend this year, but it is the serving sub starting on subbed out, coming back late.
Arielle Houlihan:Who started the sub?
Matt Houlihan:So we talked about it with Nif and Irvine. He had Connor Dom start in and Connor played middle and outside in clubs, so he like has experience with it, but he has a good serve. He starts him as the first server or starts him as like the. If they back rotate he starts on as a middle and then he'll back rotate to serve and then they'll use them again at the end of a set to get another round. Just knowing men's volleyball is how important the ability to get your best servers back to the line more often than not. I think that's going to become more of a trend.
Arielle Houlihan:I've seen Charlie do it as well why he did it with Tony.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah yeah, charlie's done it as well for Hawaii, so we'll see more of it. Just creative ways to maximize the subs that you do get. You're able to get another half rotation, but it's risky, right, like just like we saw with Irvine Connor goes in to serve, they end into it, they go into a deuce game. He gets front row. He's now playing middle blocker at the end of the fourth set, right. So you, it's a little bit of a risk, but I think I think the reward is there If you have a server that truly makes sense, keone being one of them. That that could be. That could be a trend, that for sure continues on Jackson.
Matt Houlihan:Do you have a closing that you'd like to throw there?
Arielle Houlihan:We can cut all we pray.
Matt Houlihan:This podcast is brought to you by. Athletic Greens.
Chad Gordon:Cue the music.
Matt Houlihan:Here we go. No, there you go. Listen to that.
Arielle Houlihan:We got the music queued up.
Matt Houlihan:Here's right now Chad and I have the kids. Just a random piece of music. I don't like it. I feel weird. You can't do that. Someone that's a listener, make us a theme song.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, we don't like this music.