Everything Volleyball & More with AC

In this episode AC and G talk about growing up playing volleyball in Lithuania and then moving to the U.S. to go to college with nothing but two suitcases. They also discuss her journey through the college rankings to then find her true calling, coaching volleyball.

AC and Matt discuss what it was like growing up in a volleyball family as well as growing up in the sport. They also talk about aspects of the coaching job and how to look at the job from a different perspective. Lastly, they discuss some of Matt's philosophies on being a good volleyball coach while sharing stories along the way.

On today's episode AC and Davis discuss the performance and culture on a team. Davis asks "what if your top player does not fit with the team's culture? What do you do as a coach?" We also discuss how to build culture and deal with situations when the team's culture can be compromised.

AC and Kara discuss her journey through volleyball and how she ended up in the college recruiting business. Kara shares her knowledge of what she has learned after a decade of helping athletes get recruited as well. They also talk about the state of college volleyball and the recruiting process during COVID-19.

Ryan Ford is a Leadership and Team Based Behavioral Consultant with a background in Industrial Organizational Psychology. Ryan’s mission is to help coaches and athletes take control of the mental side of the game in order to build trust in communication, confidence and high performing teams.

This episode is our first in a series of episodes called “Two Bald Bearded Buddies." Every other weekend or so I will be meeting with Coach Davis Ransom to discuss all kinds of subjects but knowing us… it will more than likely be volleyball topics. We will also discuss, debate and answer listener’s questions.

Samantha Moore played colligate volleyball for the University of Portland, then she transferred and played for Western Oregon University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and Human Biology. She then got her Masters Degree in Exercise Science and now is working on a PHD in Health and Human Performance. She was a sports scientist or the University of Utah, where she was also an Intern for the Sport Science Department. Most recently, Sam is the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach and an Applied Sports Scientist at North Carolina State.

Mike Griffin has been a major influencer in the sport of volleyball for almost two decades with most of his work being in the Pacific Northwest. He is currently a Tournament Director for The Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament in Oregon, Lead Coach and Architect of Ajax Boys Volleyball Club and Creator/Director of Bad Boys Volleyball Tournaments.