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
S2E2: Men's Volleyball Week 2, LOVB vs. PVF, and Marry-Bang-Kill AVCA Top-20
S2E2 provides an in-depth analysis of recent men’s volleyball matches, focusing on team dynamics and standout players. We then move into the emerging rivalry between the PVF and LOVB leagues. We then finish off with AVCA ranking evaluations, performance observations, and predictions for future matchups.
• Analyzing the matchup between Ball State and Stanford
• Evaluating team performances and player statistics
• Highlighting significant league matchups, including Ohio State vs. BYU
• Discussing the branding rivalry between PVF and LOVB
• Evaluating early season rankings and future implications
• Anticipating upcoming matches and viewer engagement
We play a game, real quick yeah, of this grouping, of this grouping of 20.
Arielle Houlihan:Mary Benkel.
Matt Houlihan:Well, obviously I'm banging CSUN.
Arielle Houlihan:We can't say any of this what?
Chad Gordon:are we doing?
Matt Houlihan:The hottest cold open you've ever seen. We love the season.
Chad Gordon:Okay, okay, I digress. This is why we don't have sponsors.
Matt Houlihan:What's the game you wanted to play? This is it.
Arielle Houlihan:What's the game you wanted to play? My game was better. Yeah, yeah, we can't top that game game. Welcome to episode two of season two of the coaches group chat. No, I'm here. I'm here with chad gordon and matt houlahan and bob and bobby and everyone's drinking season two.
Matt Houlihan:We got, we got double the budget for producers. This year.
Chad Gordon:It's huge, Big step up round two.
Matt Houlihan:Can you let Jackson up on his bed please? He wants to get in here. He's giving you another chance this week. That's really nice of him.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, I know right what's up. Dog Okay night one of Ball State, Stanford, we all went.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, ball State high hopes. We already talked about this. They're my MIVA preseason champs, my MIVA prediction for champs you guys have them. Top three probably, sure, but we have Loyola.
Arielle Houlihan:We have Loyola, yeah, but you got Loyola, I know, I know.
Matt Houlihan:My initial reaction was I thought Stanford was in control of night one also and they kind of snatched defeat at the end of set one and set two From the jaws of victory.
Matt Houlihan:From the jaws of victory yeah, and that showed in night two. They just were a little bit more stable and they kind of were in control the whole way and it wasn't a. They didn't overpower them on the serve, they just kind of got them off the net. And Ball State, I think, has three good pins, but each night there was one of them that wasn't on, and night there was one of them that wasn't wasn't on, and then night two two of them weren't on and so that very quickly kind of crumbled for him. Did you guys have any observations?
Arielle Houlihan:I was so underwhelmed with ball state, but I thought I was going to be, so maybe I just set myself up for it yeah I thought ball state was mostly in control night one like it, just it didn't feel well, they won three zero, so that makes sense
Chad Gordon:that the math does check out on that, yeah, but it just felt like, you know, stanford would get some good opportunity that get touched in transition and then ball state would score on that next one. And, like I didn't, I didn't think that stanford was blocking, you know, in great spots, or getting a lot of touches, and then I too were watching at home, um, and I thought I thought t did a much better job.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, right, like finding the hot hitter, putting these guys in better situations, right like obviously you see nate clinton to win that match, right, gets that super flat ball jowl swipe and what did nate clinton hit on the weekend oh, he was he.
Matt Houlihan:He's definitely above 350 yeah, he was he was low volume in night one night two. He had a little bit higher volume but he was 3.54. He was low volume in night one Night two. He had a little bit higher volume but he was still.
Chad Gordon:I thought he hit the 400. He was much cleaner night two, so cool. But yeah, I mean, obviously Mo went off. Tate was playing much better night two. That's the difference. I agree with you.
Matt Houlihan:I think T played way better in the second match of it. But yeah, the thing that I took away from I was like I don't think ball state is they're not top five, um, but I think they're top 10 I think. I think loyola and them are probably in that in that top 10 range not that hard to be top 10 in men's volleyball.
Arielle Houlihan:Honestly, there's only like 20 take it easy over there.
Matt Houlihan:Uh, yeah, but there was other a couple other top 15 matchups throughout the uh second weekend of full volleyball. You guys see Ohio State lost to BYU Did you watch any other volleyball?
Chad Gordon:I got on Volleymetrics and I watched a set of a few different things. Byu looked alright, keone's playing pretty well. I saw Penn State dropped both, both, and then I watched a little bit of Loyola because I wanted to verify. Not know nothing, I feel like the Penn State arc, though, is like I'd watch a little bit of Loyola, because I wanted to verify.
Arielle Houlihan:Not know nothing, yeah I feel like the Penn State arc, though, is like that.
Matt Houlihan:Of course, yeah.
Arielle Houlihan:It's just like they can get beat up on figure it out it's just about winning their conference.
Matt Houlihan:They're not worried about RPI, they're not worried about it's kind of a nice road to getting there.
Arielle Houlihan:by the end of trying to, you give yourself space and time. A lot of these other teams in these big conferences they like need these big ones early and they're not polished enough yet and it's such a high pressure situation so early in the season, penn state's just like that's like I've been here.
Matt Houlihan:I've been here for so long. I've done this for literally decades and all I need to do is win three matches in a row at the very end and I'm into the tournament.
Arielle Houlihan:That's kind of how it should be.
Matt Houlihan:Who needs a regular?
Chad Gordon:season Just practice for four months and then play three matches and go.
Matt Houlihan:He knows how to work that scenario. No doubt I don't read too much into Penn State losing early. I would say they certainly didn't look hot, but that was Penn State last year, early too.
Chad Gordon:They were in the tournament at the end right like, that's how it goes.
Arielle Houlihan:Let's see, that was the other big games, or was that?
Matt Houlihan:no, I mean everyone else kind of, just you know, held, held seed, as is no one else really had a, a big matchup um I thought that the stanford games were well attended.
Arielle Houlihan:I thought there was a good amount of people there for both nights we got uc.
Matt Houlihan:irvine Stanford is the next one that's going to be. That'll be a good matchup. And then we have Ball State is taking on BYU.
Chad Gordon:Sorry, you're saying at home, is the next one for Irvine, for Stanford, I think so. I think it's at Stanford because obviously they're going to be at a specific tournament this upcoming week.
Matt Houlihan:Oh, yeah, yeah, that's two weekends from now. Yeah that they're gonna be at the first point collegiate challenge, which will have ohio state, penn state and ucla um and sanford. So yeah, four matchups four good high quality matchups there.
Matt Houlihan:The ucla penn state match got picked up and will be nationally broadcast on espn you so some high level competition, uh, getting it shown, and obviously it's an event that we have been to a few times now. That's, uh, that's coming up. That just keeps getting better every year. I think they've done a really nice job iterating that event and making it a showcase. When it was first started, it was men's volleyball, but lower level, and they've gotten legitimate teams into the building now and it's it's a full-on.
Chad Gordon:And they've done a great job showcasing the top podcasts around the volleyball ecosystem as well, the voice of the First Point Challenge.
Matt Houlihan:Chad Gordon is the voice of the First Point Challenge In my same sweatpants and socks, as you may be familiar with the feet of the foot. The official foot of the first floor challenge Damn it, Bob.
Arielle Houlihan:I wish we were going. I do too To be honest, we tried to go.
Chad Gordon:We wanted to. It's not too late.
Matt Houlihan:Well, and We'll get there.
Arielle Houlihan:We'll get there, and that segues us, and that segues us into our next topic.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, it's the reason we are not there. We actually looked into it. Before we got through the start of the season for club volleyball. I reached out to the Litskis and asked about getting to this tournament, bringing our teams, because it's so much fun, it's such a great environment. And then I quickly realized, after sending that text, that it's the same weekend as the socal cup tournaments in los angeles, which is obviously a, typically speaking, a just required attendance event for us.
Arielle Houlihan:You have to be at that event, um you have to be at the tournament in la you gotta, you gotta be, you gotta be in that socal event.
Matt Houlihan:We've got, we've got multiple professional women's volleyball leagues starting up their seasons versus pvf we got, yeah, we got. This is like a classic afc versus nfc nfl battle going right here love versus pvf pvf in its second season.
Chad Gordon:Huh, would you say, afc, nfc yeah, oh, yeah sorry afl, afl, legitimate, like okay do not watch the nba documentary called semi-pro? Come on, I thought will ferrell was basically in this club come on, guys, kill me here.
Matt Houlihan:He's in another club all right well, yeah, we got a lot of, a lot of women's volleyball and with I mean, there are people picking sides on this, for sure, of course uh, where you guys stand on this. What are your thoughts on love versus pvf? I love it. It's a battle of good versus evil and we don't know who's good, and where do you guys stand on this? What are your thoughts on love versus PVF?
Arielle Houlihan:I love it. It's a battle of good versus evil, and we don't know who's good and we don't know who's evil.
Matt Houlihan:TBD on who's who.
Chad Gordon:We don't know who's anybody. We don't know yet.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, I think that I have been like this and this on it the entire time, like I have swung back and forth. I will say that both of them have reached out to me and have wanted to partner on content or different things, and I have not chosen sides yet. I haven't really.
Matt Houlihan:I'd love to hear you make the case for each other. Can you make the case for PVF to start?
Arielle Houlihan:Yes, based off of the start of both of them this year, yeah, or based off of the entire make, if you were going to make the case for pvf, bold case for pvf.
Arielle Houlihan:And they just had the largest attended professional women's sports game in the country in omaha with their season opener with like 13 000 people 14 000 people there, um, so they like are tripling the numbers of love right now, um, with ticket sales. They've also had a year to be able to do it and they're in hotbeds around the country where women girls volleyball is growing majorly. Pvf has named their teams like normal professional teams are named like the Omaha supernovas and the Atlanta vibe, orlando Valkyries I'm all I'm. I don't love any of those names and I think that they all kind of suck, but whatever, um, but at least it's not trying to reinvent the wheel with love Omaha and love Salt Lake city and like that to me doesn't make any sense when we're with a professional team and you don't have like a standard, uh, like city name and mascot, like I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel what are you getting?
Matt Houlihan:what are you getting behind with the mascot? Yeah, like the team. Yeah, I, just I just don't love that.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't love that.
Matt Houlihan:It's love, yeah, ha, ha, ha Um yeah, I don't love that PVF has leaned a little bit more into the very collegiate style right Like they take a lot of the kids from that just graduated from those colleges?
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, for sure.
Matt Houlihan:And they're pulling them into those pro teams as well, which love does also right, they have. They have players for each of those those cities that are kind of representing as well, but I think PVF is is more more staggered in that direction than uh, than love is. Yeah, um, that reminds me. That reminds me of kind of the NFL strategy as well, like they were. Basically, how do you turn college football into professional football, and that was one route is you just take those players and you maneuver them into a pro environment, but in that same city. So I'm I'm intrigued there. They're both kind of fall in that that landscape. How about love, though? What's your, what's your bowl case for love?
Arielle Houlihan:they sent me a box let's talk about it. Do you want to try a jersey on?
Matt Houlihan:no, I'll try a jersey on, okay?
Arielle Houlihan:um, well, give me if you didn't know give me a. Give me atlanta for brian cook atlanta you want the love, atlanta the pink one um player of the year we've got one for everybody. What do we like? Austin, you love? You're the voice of the first point challenge.
Matt Houlihan:You love Austin Texas. That's how it goes Omaha.
Arielle Houlihan:Anybody got ties to Omaha, madison, wisconsin, houston and Salt Lake? We love Jordan Poulter. I can be Salt Lake. Don't put it on. We're not getting paid. What are you doing?
Matt Houlihan:Just trying to emphasize.
Arielle Houlihan:You look like Lance Armstrong right now.
Matt Houlihan:With one more testy you look like.
Arielle Houlihan:You look like you're ready to go ride a bike. Oh my God, we should have given you Salt Lake with the gold jacket.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, oh my God, we should have given you something with a gold jacket.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, oh my gosh, that's a missed opportunity for you. All of these jerseys look like bike Sure Bike Bike Cyclist, cycle Cyclist.
Chad Gordon:It's not coming off, it's permanent.
Arielle Houlihan:Can you not do that on camera?
Chad Gordon:Oh, please do it on camera rip it branding is professional.
Matt Houlihan:I don't love it who's all right, who wins the branding battle?
Arielle Houlihan:you give that to pbf no, I do give it to love because love I. Okay, I will say that when we went to, when we went to the um final four, it was like love central, like it was everywhere they were. Their activation at the final four was like off the charts and pvf was like a little rundown. Nothing there, comparatively. Yeah, um, so in front of volleyball people they are, they're hosting the love party with Adidas and they're doing it right. Um, I think that it's a little uh, wholesome for me.
Arielle Houlihan:Maybe that's good for the sport, to get young girls excited about it and make it a little bit more feminine, because I do think that volleyball is a more feminine sport. Um, I don't know. I go back and forth on it because I like the effort put into the branding. I just I don't like these hieroglyphics that are on each of these jerseys and like, yeah, there's just something maybe, maybe I'm wrong, though, because branding can take shape and form into different things, and it could be amazing.
Matt Houlihan:It's definitely non-traditional. I'll give you that. It's not your traditional professional sport type of brand engagement.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, but hey, they sent me jerseys, so that was nice.
Matt Houlihan:Chad. What's your perspective? I know you've got some volley station works with all these leagues.
Chad Gordon:I love everybody. Everybody's doing great.
Arielle Houlihan:You love everybody, everybody loves everybody. A lot of reference to.
Chad Gordon:If you haven't seen Semi Pro with Will Ferrell from you want to take that?
Arielle Houlihan:About 14 years ago.
Chad Gordon:It's a great feature film. Check it out. No, I think PBF had a great year last year. They are playing in obviously bigger arenas than Love is my assumption is that's kind of on purpose by both groups, but I heard from people that were at the finals for PVF last year. It was really well attended. It was a great event. They have good entertainment while the game's going on, so I think people are happy with that.
Arielle Houlihan:I think to Love's credit League One has gone out and got out, like all the stops, to get the olympians. Yeah, they've got, they've got the players.
Chad Gordon:So I think when you look at it from 10 000 feet, you're like, oh well, they partnered with adidas and they got all the olympians and they're doing all these things and they picked up, you know, sarah franklin's playing in madison and maddie skinner's playing in Texas and like all this kind of stuff. Like, oh, they're checking those boxes. You know, to be fair, we finished week one for for love. I watched. I watched a match. I thought it was well put on. Obviously they are working through some week one.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, jitters for back of a lack of a better word, got it back of a letter word.
Chad Gordon:Back of a letter word. It's like with the E and the b. It's a little bit, you know it's a little. What are you looking for there? But no, I mean it's, I think it it's going to come together for them. Um, I'm excited that pvf is still having another good start to their season. I don't know who wins, you know a lot of people talk like, hey, is there some merger down the road right again, boom, semi-pro, um, but we'll, we'll see. I mean, at the end of the day, more volleyball in the states is a great problem to have.
Arielle Houlihan:So I'm I'm just happy that more people are watching volleyball okay, so I will play devil's advocate on on one thing with. I used to think love got all the olympians and everybody from Team USA and they were just like getting the big stars. But technically nobody's a star in volleyball and so there hasn't been somebody that is really like Caitlin Clark-esque, popped off yet and like really made a name for themselves outside of the volleyball world yet in a major, major way. Skinner might be the one of the only.
Arielle Houlihan:Maybe harper murray maybe kelsey robinson cook has got sure she's got a good, a sizable following sure, okay so, but these are like volleyball people and it's not a huge following outside of the volleyball world. Agreed or not agreed?
Matt Houlihan:I get where you're going Do you agree or no?
Chad Gordon:Yeah, I mean even like a Jordan Larson right Is like I mean best player in the world and like huge in Nebraska If you're, but like people outside of the volleyball world can't name a volleyball player.
Matt Houlihan:Yes, okay, yeah, I think that for sure, and a casual viewership, fan basis of course you know, kerry Walsh, sure, that'd be about it.
Chad Gordon:Yeah, that's about it. Some beach volleyball Olympian.
Arielle Houlihan:Yes, 100%. So for me, I almost think that everybody's on a level playing field with it.
Arielle Houlihan:Because when the normal viewer looks at it, volleyball is volleyball and both of them are at very high levels and the difference between them may be a little bit, but it's not a ton. And so you have somebody like Allie Batenhorst, who is a star in Nebraska, and all of a sudden some of these players put some really effort into their social media and they go viral for something, and now all of a sudden they're getting fans to come in and it becomes this effect of all of a sudden're getting fans to come in and it becomes this like effect of all of a sudden they're wearing crazy outfits and they're through. It's this whole big show. Then, all of a sudden, pvf or love, it might not even matter right.
Matt Houlihan:So you're saying basically, volleyball talent level, wise love is probably a little bit ahead there because they have the top, they've got the olympians but that might not even matter but because there isn't a true transcending superstar on any of these leagues yet, that to a casual viewer it probably doesn't matter much. Okay, I can see that argument for sure.
Chad Gordon:Do you need to be on ESPN the Uno instead of ESPN the Ocho to get Caitlin Clark kind of fame?
Arielle Houlihan:Well, caitlin Clark is kind of a bad example, because Caitlin Clark is the best player in basketball, for was the best player in basketball for college Um, by far hands down, like generationally, like the best player that has come out of college basketball in a long time.
Arielle Houlihan:Um, I think that, uh, lsu basketball and that whole thing is a little bit better of an example, because you've got like an Angel Reese and people who are, yes, they're upper echelon of like players, but they may not be the complete best in the like of everybody, but they're putting on a show and they've got this coach that's crazy and they've got this, all this stuff going on around them.
Arielle Houlihan:Um, so I think that that could have happened anywhere if they put some like real effort into the branding of what was going on in lsu basketball. Women's basketball did do that, and so I do think that all of these professional teams are kind of on a level playing field of like. If somebody does a really good job with it, they could become a sensation, um, and be really good for the sport. And it might not matter what the league is to the normal I'm talking about, to the normal everyday person walking down the street, but hey, I'm definitely interested in partnering with somebody, I just don't know who yet so weird, matt and I have also neither been reached out to by either league.
Chad Gordon:Actually, that's actually athletes unlimited.
Matt Houlihan:I just signed an exclusive deal, so I'm playing fantasy volleyball for the rest of my life. I'm still.
Chad Gordon:I'm still available.
Arielle Houlihan:Okay, we are looking at the ABCA rankings that came out today. Ucla number one yes, no.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, you win it last year. You haven't lost, you keep it yeah yes, okay, we're all in agreeance.
Arielle Houlihan:Uh, long beach number two, yeah sure I'm in, I'm in on that long beach number two bobby bobby bobby's having tactical difficulties, get out of here. You just asked her to do way too much there, bob.
Matt Houlihan:I know you can't see without glasses. Neither of us can. Let me dictate for you. Ucla won. Long Beach State is the current number two. Okay, I think that's good. Uc Irvine is three.
Arielle Houlihan:I love that for Irvine, I agree.
Matt Houlihan:I think this is right, this same topic we had already. There's a juggernauts category. Yep, ucla, long beach and I'd say irvine are in those juggernauts. Yeah, hawaii went five with harvard. They're young. I don't think they're a juggernaut. I think they're definitely in the top.
Arielle Houlihan:They're definitely in that they're in that next group.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, they're that extra one that game. Yeah, on a four point service run they were gonna lose they were oh yeah, they're-11.
Arielle Houlihan:I did hear that.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, and they came back to snatch that victory, Okay so the top three is good.
Arielle Houlihan:Yes, then there's the next group.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, we'll call this the the B squad. No, not the B squad, I'd say they're contenders. These are the contenders. Hawaii at four BYU. Ball State I'd probably maneuver Ball State.
Arielle Houlihan:Down seven. No, I'd probably move USC above Ball.
Matt Houlihan:State, Ball State at six is wrong to me. Yeah, yeah, I mean they swept Stanford and then they got swept by Stanford. I think that's deserving of a further drop than just one spot USC. A lot of high hopes for them, A lot of talent on that roster.
Arielle Houlihan:I like USC around there.
Matt Houlihan:I don't mind that I would put them ahead of Ball State also.
Arielle Houlihan:That seems so high for Grand.
Chad Gordon:Canyon, grand Canyon beat.
Matt Houlihan:NJIT.
Chad Gordon:I'm sorry, are you?
Matt Houlihan:skipping Loyola. Oh sorry, loyola.
Chad Gordon:Loyola jumps four spots big jump for.
Matt Houlihan:Loyola yeah, and I'd keep them wait, who did they? Beat.
Chad Gordon:Loyola jumps four spots.
Arielle Houlihan:Big jump for Loyola? Yeah, and I'd keep them right behind Ball State. They beat.
Chad Gordon:Penn State. Okay, so Loyola gets to jump four spots, but Stanford I mean if it helps. Penn State fell six. Stanford didn't move much at all.
Arielle Houlihan:That's unfortunate for a 3-0 beatdown of the number six team. Well, let's be real.
Matt Houlihan:If they would have won one of the sets on night one and then swept night two, they probably would have jumped further.
Arielle Houlihan:They'd probably jump.
Matt Houlihan:Grand Canyon would be my guess.
Arielle Houlihan:I think you move both of them into the middle of that a little bit more.
Matt Houlihan:Sure, yeah, that would be fair. Grand Canyon is a mercurial team for me because there's so much new for them.
Arielle Houlihan:Mercurial is a wild word, it's kind of like a ghostly figure.
Matt Houlihan:You know Like it could be. They're in the aura, they're in the mists. I'm not sure yet.
Chad Gordon:I'm sure that's exactly what that word means. I don't think so. I think you got the gist of it. Fact. Check me, Bob.
Matt Houlihan:Mercurial. I think Grant Henry was probably the most active in the transfer portal this offseason. They lost a lot. They lost a lot but they also, yeah, and then therefore obviously had to gain a lot to replace those spots. So they got guys coming from all over BYU Moser, the guy they picked up from BYU who was an Arizona boy, he went off. He hit like 500. Yeah, he's good With like 16, 17 kills or something against NGIT.
Matt Houlihan:So, I'm interested to see how they kind of gel together. Pep obviously hasn't played yet why. I honestly don't know if it was because of fires or if they're.
Arielle Houlihan:I don't know either. That is odd. I'm not sure either.
Chad Gordon:Pepperdine has had two games against us but, more importantly, csun Santa Barbara, both 3-0. Smoking people right now, the same as Irvine and Irvine's at three. Are you kidding me? It's the niff factor. It's unbelievable.
Matt Houlihan:Can we play a game, real quick yeah, of this grouping, of this grouping of 20.
Arielle Houlihan:Mary Benkel.
Matt Houlihan:Well, obviously I'm banging CSUN. We can't say any of this.
Arielle Houlihan:What are we doing?
Matt Houlihan:The hottest cold open you've ever seen. Welcome to.
Chad Gordon:CSUN. Okay okay, I digress. This is why we don't have sponsors. What's the game you wanted to?
Arielle Houlihan:play.
Matt Houlihan:This is it.
Arielle Houlihan:What's the game you wanted to play?
Matt Houlihan:My game was better but yeah, yeah, we can't top that game. Who would you not want to see in the playoffs?
Arielle Houlihan:Ooh yeah, I don't want to see Loyola.
Matt Houlihan:Is it just Parker Van Buren that makes you iffy on that?
Chad Gordon:It's the checkout side as well. I don't want to see CSUN. Honestly, depending on how BYU kind of trends, it could be Dark Horse to take down one of those big guys.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, I don't know, I mean, they probably got like four 23-year-olds starting for them. Yeah, that usually helps. Who?
Chad Gordon:BYU.
Matt Houlihan:What matchup do you want to see the most? Hawaii-byu might be a matchup that I've got to see. I want to see Keone versus Charlie.
Arielle Houlihan:I want to see UCLA-Irvine.
Matt Houlihan:UCLA-Irvine.
Arielle Houlihan:Yeah, I do want to see Keone versus Charlie, that's for sure.
Chad Gordon:That's fun, besides Keone versus Charlie, I want UCLA-Long Beach yeah.
Matt Houlihan:UCLA and Long Beach is a boring story. To me, though, that's the easy storyline.
Chad Gordon:I'm interested to see USC play one of the top four teams. Yeah, I want to see if they're really built for that.
Matt Houlihan:I mean in the tops, obviously. You've got UCLA defending. Can they back to back to back? You've got Long Beach State with Nikolov that are going to be it's national championship or bust for them and it's most likely my guess would be a one and done for Nikolov, For Irvine it is. They're knocking on the door. They have the national player of the year returning. Can he manufacture or even step up to the next level?
Arielle Houlihan:Who's setting for them?
Matt Houlihan:They've got Joe Carlos setting for them, so another yeah can they get it done.
Arielle Houlihan:How old is Joe Carlos now? I feel like he's like 27.
Chad Gordon:29, I don't know.
Arielle Houlihan:Fifth year senior. Fifth year senior got it. That makes sense.
Matt Houlihan:Hawaii. A lot of changes for them. They're pretty young but they have a lot of physicality. They got the French outside. They got the Bulgarian opposite. They got Tread in his second year.
Arielle Houlihan:I want to say they got the kid on the bench that's flipping off the camera.
Matt Houlihan:They got everybody yeah they got double birds being thrown to Spectrum's moors that one on the docket.
Arielle Houlihan:Honestly.
Matt Houlihan:Yeah, some good stuff. There's some good stuff out there. But yeah, if anyone's got a good storyline for us to follow, send it our way, send it our way, we'd love to follow it.
Chad Gordon:Here on the Coach's Group Chat. Please look at this.