How She Overcame an Injury that Should Have ENDED Her Career | Pro-Volleyball Player

She spent years playing professional volleyball across Europe. 

One devastating injury could have ended it all. 

Now, Maggie Speaks is back in the US for the next chapter of her career and she has one incredible story to tell.

Maggie is a professional volleyball player from Camden, South Carolina who played at NC State before spending the last eight seasons competing overseas in Greece, France, Germany, and Poland. 

Now, after a BRUTAL injury that could have ended her career, she is back in the States and preparing for a new opportunity in Dallas.

We get into what most people do not understand about the path from club volleyball to college to the pros.

We also go through:

-Playing pro volleyball in Europe 🏐


-The injury that could have ended her career


-Rehab, recovery, and building “ankles of steel”


-The difference between U.S. and international volleyball 🌍


-Why Greece was her favorite place to play


-Poland, packed arenas, and passionate fans


-What setters, liberos, middles, outsides, and opposites actually do


-The Enhanced Games and honesty in sports


-Advice for young volleyball players and parents navigating recruiting


-Why finding the right college fit matters 🎓


-What Maggie would tell her younger self 

Maggie’s story is still being written, and this next chapter might be the most exciting one yet.

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Follow Maggie: https://www.instagram.com/maggie.speaks/


The Cameron Brown Show is where people, ideas, politics, culture, science, sports, and the unknown collide. No limits. Just conversation and discovery.

Listen to other episodes: cameronbrownshow.com

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I've played in Greece, I've played in France, Germany, and Poland. I was playing in this team in Poland, and I remember the feeling of just like my foot just being stuck. Knowing that my bone was like out of my skin. Like, is my career over? Like my career is over, isn't it? I got like MVP in the game before the injury game. Now it's so much more competitive than it was even when I was in recruiting. Maybe I'm not gonna get exactly where I want to go, but I'm gonna like, I'm not gonna like leave anything on the table. I know that I'm gonna be okay because I'm living it. Right. Then my agents came to me with some teams that were interested, like over the time, and then the Dallas contract or offer came up.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

What should have been a career-ending injury has now led to the biggest comeback ever.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Never ever let anything or anyone get in the way of reaching your goals and getting what you want.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

So, Maggie, once again, welcome back for the second recording. Um in the first recording, we discussed a whole lot. Obviously, we delved into your recent um experience abroad, your injury. We talked about pro volleyball, what it means to you. You taught me a lot about pro volleyball as a woman and what that looks like. And I'm very excited about doing all that again for a second time. Hopefully, not a third, but for a second time. Um, but seriously, welcome back. Uh, let's just kickstart here. Who are you? Where do you come from? And then we'll we'll proceed again. It's the same thing as last time. Okay. Just even this time more fun and with a better hat.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

And I'll try to ramble less. It wasn't it wasn't hot about it. It was great. Okay. So yeah. Um my name's Maggie Sweeks. I'm a professional volleyball player. I am from Camden, South Carolina, so small town proud. And yeah, I played volleyball since I was 11. I think I started playing when I was 11. Played in Camden schools, went to North Carolina State, and then after I gradu graduated from NC State, I have been playing in Europe ever since. So for the past eight, nine years, that's what I've been doing.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Fantastic. Well, welcome back to the States. Thank you. Um, so you just to kind of walk through the story here, too. Obviously, grew up in Camden, played volleyball, went to NC State for volleyball. Uh, in the last episode, you told us too that you didn't actually like know that pro volleyball was even a thing at the time. So you discovered pro volleyball and then made your way to Europe, in which you've been basically gallivanting around Europe for the past decade decade. And now you're back to the States to start a new and I guess fresh start with a pro volleyball team, which the pro league has only been around for five years in America.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

This will be the fourth season going into the fourth season.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

Yeah. Um, and that's that is like pro-indoor softball, correct? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Volleyball, yep.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Did I say softball? I'm just worried about this audio recording. That's what my mind's at. That's okay. Yeah, softball. It's also a great sport, but you don't play softball. Um but with that being said, so in Europe, let's just go back through that again and we'll talk about the injury later on. But the European League, what does that look like? Who did you play for? And talk about what all is involved in like women's volleyball.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Okay. As well. So I the countries I have played in, I've played in Greece, I've played in France, Germany, and Poland. And so how it works is each country has their own like professional leagues within that country. Um, and then of course, you know, there's like different divisions. Um, you know, there's like the top league and then different tiers of like professional leagues within each country. And then on top of that, there's also different international leagues that you can qualify for. Um, so like if people here know soccer, like Champions League, there's Champions League soccer, like there's also Champions League volleyball. Um, so then you have like different tiers of like the international leagues that also like coincide with the selective like countries pro leagues. Got it. Um, so yeah, so that's what I've been doing playing in those.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

Did I ask you what your favorite country was before? Which country was your favorite along the way or how do you feel about answering that question?

SPEAKER_00 4:32

No, I don't think so. I don't I mean, I think every country was very different. Um but I think overall favorite that it was just like the best of both worlds was definitely Greece. Okay. Yeah. My season that I had two seasons ago. Um we were just like in a great spot. I loved my team. My team did really well in the season. Um, I feel like personally I had a really good volleyball season that year. Had a really great group outside of volleyball for the first time ever, because I've never had that before overseas. Um so yeah, I think that was definitely my favorite favorite.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

And it was Greece.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Yeah, and it was Greece. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

So I during like my study abroad era too, the Greek countries were always like my like the Greek islands were always my favorite. I say Greek countries, but like studied in Cyprus and then we jumped to the islands um and had those experiences along the way. But I was like, you it's kind of hard to compete with Greece.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

You can't I mean, yeah, you can't. You really can't.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

But I mean, Poland was your last stop, correct? And probably a little colder than the Greek experience.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

It you know, it w it was really cold, it was very gray. Okay, it was definitely a bigger adjustment than I thought it would be because I had played in France and I'd played in Germany. Right. Um, so I was like, I I remember what it was like to play, you know, have all those months where it's really gray and cold and rainy. But then I think going from that transition from Greece and then I mean being home in the summer too, like I live at the beach as well. And so going from that to Poland, it was a really big uh adjustment.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

And I definitely did not transition very well, I don't think. But yeah, it was a big switch up. Got it.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Y'all's during so for like your your actual games, um, did you play in volleyball like stadiums strictly?

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Okay, so like Well, I will not strictly, but like for example, my the arena that we played in for my team in Poland, we shared with a handball team. Okay, which is pretty common. Yeah. I think most of the teams that I played for, we shared with like one year it was a basketball team, another year another handball team, which is common.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Cool. And they typically like pack out a stadium for an arena.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Um in Poland, the fans are really devoted.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

So we had some pretty like bottle of vodka and go to a volleyball game, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Right, right. Exactly. I mean, yeah, pretty much. We had I mean towards the end, so my team, um, obviously I wasn't playing, but I was there and my team was playing um in the playoffs until we were in the semifinals. Um, and it was the whole stadium, or I can show you a video later, but it was just packed and it's just really loud and the teams are really passionate. I mean, the fans are really passionate and it's just so like such a fun environment, which I think is something that I'm maybe gonna miss a little bit, but we'll see. Um, but like if you watch, if you've seen any of the World Cup stuff and like how all the fans like they have their songs and they chant and they have drums and everything, it's similar, you know, in the volleyball world too over there. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Have you watched much of the World Cup?

SPEAKER_00 7:51

I haven't watched any games, but I'm on the TikTok, you know, the fans expanded.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

I'm like, I'm like swiping through and I see a bunch of stuff too. But I there's so much going on right now between that, like the UFC fights recently on the White House lawn and you know, uh, and basketball with the Knicks, and and I was like, there's like just so much going on in general. It's like how do you keep up with all this? Yeah, and I've got once again. There are some people that I know that literally follow along with every single one of them. Uh-huh. And it was like, there's some college, there's college baseball going on too. Like, how do you follow and golf simultaneously? How do you follow every single thing? Um, and also, you know, live a life and like work as well. And I live a life just kind of like where for me, like I like to like stay in tune with what's going on like geopolitically to a set like a at a macro level, try my best to stay involved, just to like generally know what's going on. But it's the same thing like trying to follow the markets, like just like following you know, uh sports. Is there something new literally every time? Yeah, it's a lot, it's always a lot.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Yeah, it's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Um, but um, but anyways, I guess those are things we don't have to worry about if we're not following along with all however I did see that Messi scored like he had a hat trick last night, I believe. Oh so he scored three, and I was like, oh the guy's 39 years old and he still scores three goals in the soccer guy. It's like that's that's wild.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Yeah, and it's been so cool, like all the not to be off topic, but very how they're playing in the football stadiums, and it's like I think uh I can't remember which teams are like in the SEC stadiums, and they're but they're playing, they're like catering to the European fans, which is really cool because it's so loud, but then they're in these huge football stadiums, and it's like, I mean, it's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Well, there was also a I shared earlier too, but a bunch of like Europeans that are like, oh, we've been lied to about America, like America's so you know, it's actually great, like there's so much going on here. And I'm like, that's that's the power of the media though. Like, if you unless you go to a place and experience it, you're gonna have your perspective built off of what you see online or your perception of that place built off of what you see online. So um, so I I feel like in regards to like going somewhere, like going to a country and experiencing a country, whether that's for playing volleyball or doing whatever, it's like the best way to get to know a place and a culture of people, regardless.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah, I will say all the the world cup videos are definitely, you know, because I mean being away, it has been a little bit like disheartening to see the the media and like what's going on. And like the World Cup has definitely given me like some positive hope about you know our countries.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

But even that shows goes to show like while you were away, you got fed a bunch of like negativity about America. Like I feel like everybody gets negativity about the country in some way, shape, or form. It's just like overwhelming it's like there's so much good though. Yeah, but but yeah, good news doesn't typically like get the views, doesn't create doesn't create the virality necessary necessarily all the time.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

But I think I think that's because a lot, you know, there is a lot of are are a lot of negative things that are going on, and I think it's important to shine a light on that instead of just being like, oh, everything's fine and we're doing great and no one's being harmed, because at the end of the day, those things are happening, and so I think it's important for people to see those things, but like you said, at the same time, it's you know, it's also nice to see that there is also good going on.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Hence the premise of the Cameron Brown show is like the discernment aspect. Like there is good and there is bad, but it's like it's okay for us to you know feel emotions about things, but we shouldn't should not let it consume us completely. Right. We should be able to see through it and see for what it is, not oh, like everything is negative or everything's good. It's like there's good and bad and everything that's going on.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

Well, that's a completely different conversation. Back to volleyball. So um uh was it eight years in Europe? Yep.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Okay, so just finished my eighth season.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Eight seasons in Europe, um, four different countries, five four different countries. Okay, so is that four different teams too?

SPEAKER_00 11:44

My German years, I was played in the same team. Okay, but that's the only time I've played you know in the same club.

SPEAKER_02 11:51

And we'll go ahead and just jump to it. But you were injured pretty severely in December, right before Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Right.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Um actually it was the night before, the day before two two days before Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Yeah, yeah. I was supposed to fly home. It was the 23rd, I was supposed to fly home the next morning. Okay, and I was like surprising my siblings and everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:09

So I'm gonna let you just kind of take it from here and tell us the story. But obviously, what should have been a career-ending injury has now led to the biggest comeback ever in Y Speaks's life.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Yeah, so I was playing in this team in Poland and I I had I had had like a a not injury, but like a problem. So I'd I'd already been out for like a couple of games, and then I have just been coming back. I think I got like MVP in the game before the injury game. So I was like feeling really good and like feeling really hopeful because like I said, like the transition for me to Poland was difficult. Right. Um, but I had kind of gotten finally like adjusted and like in a good headspace, and like our team was doing really well. Um, and we were like finally finding our groove. And so I was just feeling so hopeful about like the second half of season and the game that I was injured in was a was a cup game, which is also like part of the league, but anyways. Um, and I was like, I'm gonna like we're gonna play in this game, we're gonna win, because then when we win, we go to the next round of the cup, and then I get to go home for Christmas for the first time. And I think it was like five years since I've been home for Christmas. Is that a good sound or a bad sound? I think that's a good sound.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

Okay, good. Let's people are gonna be listening to this like, what are you what are you referring to? We're referring to the audio and the software that Riverside is supposed to be, you know, it's supposed to be working, but um, it is still working, still recording, still uploading. We're good.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Okay, just wanted to make sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

I know you and I are both on edge over here. Like, is this audio actually working? Because I'm not doing this again.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Hyper aware. Um, but yeah, so, anyways, in this match, and I mean, I remember the score. It was 11-8. We were down in the very first set. Um, and I just came down, was doing a move that I do every game, but I just happened to land on top of my teammate's teammate's foot, completely like dislocated, uh, compound fracture, all the stuff with my ankle. Um, yeah. And I I mean immediately, because I like I immediately I knew what happened, you know, like just the feeling of like because I I've sprained my ankles like plenty of times where it's you get that snap back or whatever. And I remember the feeling of just like my foot just being stuck and then then just like being completely overwhelmed with pain. And like I looked at it one time and then just like knowing that my bone was like out of my skin. Um, yeah. And then I just remember like you always like I've been in the gym when girls have like torn ACLs and stuff, and like I remember like them screaming or like the way that they cried and stuff, and so you kind of in the back of my mind at least, I've always maybe been like, What what would like what what do you do in that moment? Yeah, and I just really did not handle it like a champ. I was like screaming and crying, obviously, and like in shock.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

Um I don't know that anybody knows how to handle that though in the moment, right? Like obviously nobody else in the stadium knew how to handle it either, which is you can and you can see from the video too that everybody else is is also freaking out. Yeah. Like, holy shit.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

And it was yeah, like I in the video, you kind of like it's like a sitcom where you like watch a different character every time because like it's also my teammates coming over and then looking and realizing what it was. Um, but yeah, so I mean, I in that moment I remember like my first thought was my like my career is over. Like, and I remember I looked at my coach at one point because he was like standing with me and he like you know, he was like, Don't look at it, don't look at it, you know. And I like looked at him and I was like, it it like is my career over, like my career is over, isn't it? But yeah, and then you know, going through that process of being in the hospital and everything, and like a couple days later, my mom and my brother came, and then just kind of like going through that whole process and being told, you know, like I'm I'm done for the season. Um and I mean I'm blessed that I haven't had that experience yet with an injury, you know, that's like a season-ending injury. Um, but I mean, there was obviously a good minute there where I also thought maybe my career was also over.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

But yeah, no, I just really had angels watching over me because I'd I mean, I so the the bone literally came so the bone literally came out of your body and you did not tear any tendons or anything. Nothing tore. No, but the bone ripped out.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Yeah, yeah. And like even when I got to the hospital, they're like, okay, like um, we have to do x-rays, but like we're gonna, we're gonna do everything like while you're asleep and like in surgery because for sure you're gonna need surgery. Yeah, and then they did an x-ray because like normally uh when that happens, it's you know, they have to put in the screws and the metal plates and everything. And they did the x-ray and they were like, you just have a really small fracture. I and I I think which they ended up they lost my initial x-ray, which was kind of a bummer because it would have been the coolest image to see. Um, but I guess the momentum of the landing and my foot just m being perfectly moved out of the way, I don't really know which bone came out of my came through my skin. Like I have no idea, but it didn't break enough to warrant like a surgery. So they just set it back, stitched me up.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy yourself. Yeah, thanks, guys. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, so yeah, and then I didn't need to have like my tendons, then ended up getting MRI a little while later. Like my ligaments and everything were intact. So basically it was just kind of like letting everything heal.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

Yeah. Um I have such mad respect for all healthcare workers in general for being able to like see stuff like that on a daily basis and and keep doing it. I guess, and I guess you kind of to a certain degree at some point you've seen enough of it where it just becomes the new normal. But for me, like I see something like that, and I'm like, I don't want anything to do with it. I I see blood and I'm like, I'm good. Like that's that's great. Like I'll patch you up. But then I'm good for like a few years. Yeah, yeah. I don't know that I've wanted to do it like four or five times in a in a day.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

No, no, yeah. And I mean, it would like at one point because they had like rolled me out on the stretcher, and then they're like, We're so sorry, but we have to leave you because someone in the stands, like a fan had passed out, and they're like, We need to go check on them, but we'll be right back because we were like waiting on the ambulance or whatever. So yeah, I mean, I can't imagine. Like, I I feel like it was good. Like, I think my teammates maybe are like honestly more scarred than I am because they had like a they could see view of it and stuff, and I didn't really look at it. And like even in the hospital, I like made sure I like had a pillow over my face the whole time because I was like, I don't even want to accidentally like see.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

I mean your adrenaline is also just like pumping through your body the entire time. Um and you're almost like in a blackout state, which like when anything like that happens, um, it doesn't make it any better.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

I was really hoping that I was gonna pass out, but I didn't. But yeah, pillow over the face works.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

Where they like breathe, breathe, breathe. Breathe.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Well, and I and at one point I was like starting to go so insane uh because they like gave me uh some pain meds, but then when they started to wear off, and I was like, when do I get more? And they were like, We can't give you more for like you know another hour. Yeah. And at one point I was like, I remember I started to just kind of like feel like I was like going insane. And then I was like, I don't care what anyone in this hospital thinks, like I have to focus on something else. And so I started to sing, and so I remember like being like, Okay, I need to think of like what's a song I really know the lyrics to. The only song that I that came to my mind was um, oh say, can you see? So I'm literally like in the hospital out loud singing like the stars.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

So that's hysterical.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

Yeah, fantastic, fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Well, now you are as a result of this. Um, you what was the gap between like to like you you got injured, you were healing, and then you started to have this conversation about coming back to the States and everything else. Yeah, what was the period of time in between?

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Yeah, I mean, uh I it was a little bit of a waiting game, I think, at first, like with my agents and everything, about like next steps for like my career and like the the the next season. Um, but then you know, once it was clear that I like wasn't gonna need any sort of like major surgery or whatever and just need to start doing the rehab process and that I would more than likely be okay for the next season. Right. Um, then they s you know started talking with teams and stuff like that. But I I had kind of in my head accepted like I'm probably not gonna get an offer. Like I know that I'm gonna be okay because I'm living it. Right. But like from the outside, obviously it looked horrific. And like, you know, most a lot of athletes that suffer an injury like this, like it does take them a really long time to come back. Right. So I had kind of like come to peace with the fact that like maybe I'm not gonna get an offer until it's like very, very clear that you know, like I'm back on the court and playing. Right. Then my agents came to me with some teams that were interested, like over the time, and then the the Dallas contract or offer came up, um, which we were like, and then this is even more perfect because the season starts even later. Yeah. Um, so there's even it's you know, more reassurance that we can give them that like, you know, she's gonna be okay for this uh US season because it's so much later.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

And that season starts in December. January. January.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

So like I think we s we'll start preseason in December and then the matches will start in January.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

So are they still playing right now?

SPEAKER_00 21:55

No, they finished in May. So they at the end of May. So it's a really condense. Yeah, it's a really condensed Condensed season because like the European seasons, like we start preseason in August and games start in October, and we go October to May. Got it. And so the US leagues are really short and condensed.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

And you're technically announcing this publicly shortly?

SPEAKER_00 22:14

Yeah. Yeah. I think the announcement is going to be yeah, like next week.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

Next week.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Officially.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

So we officially have to wait to release this until next week.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Yeah, I mean, that would be great.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

So this is going to coincide with the official announcement. Wow, we're you're hearing it here, folks, here first, folks. Yeah. Not really, because you're not hearing it until next week, but you're hearing it on the same day. Um well that's very exciting. So the the Dallas, the Dallas team, though, once again back to this, the the Dallas or the women's volleyball professional league has been around for four seasons. This will be the fifth.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

This will be the fourth season. This will be the fourth.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

You said that. Okay. So um how many teams are there in the league?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

So this upcoming season, I think there's gonna be 12. So they've kind of added, I think they started with six or eight, and then each year they've kind of added on like two or three more teams. Um, so it's just kind of a gradual process of expanding. All over the place, or they're pretty constantly all over, all over, which is gonna be really cool. So lots of traveling, lots of traveling, which I'm excited about. I feel like you like to travel. That makes sense. Yeah, I'm excited to like, you know, go to different places in the States because like even in college, you know, it's like we stayed on the East Coast, didn't really travel too far. So I'm really pumped about that. I'm really excited to just be on the court again. Cause I mean, I was like the la I think the last six, I don't know, like five, four or five, six weeks, I was in Poland. I was I was like training, but uh because it was like a medical replacement for me, I was and I obviously I I also wasn't to the point to be like doing six on six, right? But I was like playing, but it was like individu very individual stuff, and so now I'm just like so pumped to like be in a team again and very exciting.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

I'm so excited. So we're gonna go back to elementary school here for just a second. Okay. And you're going to tell us about the positions in volleyball. Okay. Um we're just gonna lay out the court and I want you to just you know go through each individual position and just explain them to me. Okay. Um, like I'm a toddler because I've seen them, I've watched matches before, but I don't actually fully understand.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

So okay, got it. So I will keep it it can it can get complicated when you start like rotating and stuff like that, but I'm gonna keep it simple. So my position, which is the setter, so I'm in charge of like calling plays and setting up the attackers for them to then score. Um, so we'll just put my base like so there's the six spots. We'll put my base here. Okay. Okay. Then you have two uh we call them like outside hitters, so OHs. And when they're in the back row, they'll play in the middle, and when they're on the front row, they'll play on the left side, and they're responsible for they kind of do everything. They're they're passing for reception, they're playing defense, they're attacking on the pins and blocking when they're front row. They're also attacking out of the back row from six. So, like usually outside hitters are kind of like all around, like they do it all. Then we have so you have the libero who is like strictly defense and reception, so they never go to the front row.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

And they usually will replace the middle blockers when they come around to the block to the back because shout out middles, like you can, we know you can play defense, but usually they come in and they will play defense, and we have them usually in left back.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Can you spell libero for us?

SPEAKER_00 25:34

L-I-B-E-R-O.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Libera. Okay, perfect. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Sometimes people pronounce it like Libro and stuff like that, but Libero.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

Then we come to the front row and we have our second outside hitter over here on the left. So doing the same thing that we said before. Then we have our middle blockers who, in my opinion, have the hardest, most difficult job. Um, and they are like going all along the net every play. They're also transitioning off, trying to attack, and also trying to block. And then on the right side in the front row, we have what we would call like our opposite or our right side attacker. Okay. And they're usually gonna be like who you feed any sort of, you know, like shit ball or you know, they're your go-to attacker.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

Got it.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

Um, and that's gonna be your opposite hitter.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Is your so if you're serving, does everybody have to serve technically, or is that so everybody rotates, correct?

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Yeah, everyone, everyone rotates in like every position except for libero will serve. Now it's different between college and then when you get into international. Yes, that's true. Because in college, in college, liberos do serve. Okay. International, they are not allowed to serve. Got it. So the middle serve.

SPEAKER_02 26:50

There's DH rules. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Yeah. And the rules are different, like there are different rules from like NCAA volleyball to the international rules.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

There's like difference in like court size and height of the net and other things too, or is it all pretty much?

SPEAKER_00 27:02

No, the only the only change like from men's to women's is like the height of the net, like the court and stuff that size, like everything stays the same.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Same volleyball size across the board. Okay. Cool.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

All right. So as a setter, what are what's your key role?

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Again, um, yeah. So like I I play, like I will play all the way around. So like in the back row, I'm, you know, I'm playing defense, but obviously my main role is to set up the attackers.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

Okay, specifically.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Got it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

And as a is there a we talked about height before, and I don't want we don't know. We're not gonna go too far into that one this time. But I am curious to know, like, is there a certain kind of like height for like an attacker, especially? Do they do you like your attacker to be taller? Does it really matter just as long as you can get up above, you know, the net?

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yeah, I think it just depends. I think I do think that players' heights uh kind of dictate the tight like the style of play that they have. Um, so like usually the shorter players will tend to be smarter and they're they're better at finesse and using the block and quicker, like you can play like a little bit faster with them to the pens, which is really fun. Gotcha. In my opinion, that's kind of like the style that I like. Um, but then you also, you know, it it does pay to be tall in a sport like volleyball. Um, you know, so each each one has their advantages and disadvantages. But got it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Got it. Cool. It's a lot, a lot I've learned about volleyball in a very short period of time.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

I'm just gonna be taking notes.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

Yeah, I should be taking notes. I'm taking mental notes right now. A bunch of mental notes currently. Um, and men's volleyball, like prof men's professional volleyball as well, which I've never actually watched. Yeah. But is it also six v6? Yep. Okay. Um, are there any other so like do they ever change the number of people on the court for the kind type of volleyball you're playing? Except except for like beach volleyball, obviously. Like it's like they're like 2v2 beach, like Olympic volleyball if like watch that plenty of times. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

But is it typically just six and yeah, indoor, indoor is yeah, six or six. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

Awesome. Well, that's a fun solve like volleyball questions. I think I keep saying softball. Have I said softball in like Did you just say it again? I think I just said it again.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

It's okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Just keep slipping out.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Softball is like my least favorite sport.

SPEAKER_02 29:08

Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to go. My softball keeps coming out of my mouth. You mentioned that you played basketball though growing up, too. So you played basketball in the past. I loved basketball, yeah. And that was it, correct?

SPEAKER_00 29:15

I so I I I mean I played basketball, I played I played softball, but I was terrified of the ball. You did so that did softball. I think I did last time, yeah. Yeah, because I was terrified of the ball, so that didn't last very long. Um, basketball, I played soccer, which I really loved soccer.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

And I was also I did ballet for a really long time. So did I. Oh yeah, you did tell me that before.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

I didn't do ballet for a very long time. I did one ballet. Yeah. Like one. Yeah. We did the Hobbit. And it was me and a bunch of guys that I'm now still friends with that also did the Hobbit.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:49

And because our because our moms told us that football players did ballet.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

And so we were like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

And it's true. And I was like, but we at the time I was like, well, I didn't think that would mean I was dressing up as a Hobbit, though. And we were dwarf, we were dwarfs. So I dressed up as a dwarf, and it was like the worst experience of my life from a skin perspective, anyways. Yeah, but yeah, it was about six months of my life.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Okay. Well, fair.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

That's a that that was a quick phase.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

My dad was like, Yeah, we're good. I think you're I think you're good now. I think you've had your experience with me. He's like, I don't want to see this anymore. Yeah, I think I'm done supporting the ballot, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

But yeah, so I mean, I did I did a little bit of everything, cool, but then volleyball was kind of the one that I chose to stick with.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

I think you kind of have to though. And that's like that's the one thing that people talk about as a kid and growing up and doing sports. But in order to get really good at one thing, you kind of just gotta stick to it somewhere.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Yeah, yeah. And and I think the way, especially like how volleyball is, like you have to play club volleyball in order to like get recruited and be seen. Yeah. And so, you know, the school season's in the fall and the club season is in the spring. And so you just, you know, there's not enough time to do everything. Yeah. So unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

So rehab's been good though. Everything's been good on that front.

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Yeah. I mean, yeah, rehab's been good. I've been working like, I mean, since I've got gotten home, like still doing the rehab part, um, which I don't think I will ever stop now at this point. Uh yeah. Yeah, but don't think I will ever stop. I want my ankles to be ankles of steel. The strongest angles of steel. Yes, ever possible. Um, yeah. So yeah, still just chugging away. I mean, you know, gonna start playing again at some point, uh, before we go back into the season, uh, which will be fun.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Fantastic. Um, I mentioned I mentioned peptides before, and I think we kind of talked about like different not like drugs, like drugs and stuff, but things that they would do for you, like if you did get injured or whatever. Um I don't remember what you said exactly though, but there was like certain things, like they obviously like they sub they will obviously support you, but what was what have you seen kind of from like a recovery perspective that teams and like team doctors will provide you with in order to help you recover quicker in like the pro space?

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Yeah, I mean the rules are pretty strict um as far as like even just the way that certain medications are uh distributed. So I mean, I've gotten several like injections, but like the we'll do like hyaluronic acid injections, like if you're having a problem with your knee, PRP is really popular now, but I think the research research on that is kind of like 50-50. Yeah. But there's like certain things that are like I I looked into doing, I think it was like some a certain type of peptide, like for my ankle, and I like looked it up to see if it was allowed and it was not allowed, like even though essentially it's naturally occurring in your body, I think it's still considered like the way that it's put into your body is like a steroid. So it was something that I wouldn't be able to do. Um, but yeah, I mean, the good thing is there's a list and you can just like put whatever you're wanting to take, like as far as supplements and stuff like that, into the list. Um, but it's pretty strict as far as like what you're sure allowed to use.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, I'm sure I just think about like Lindsay Vaughn like tearing her knee or whatever she did to her knee.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

Four different times, however many times it was. Seemed like it kept happening. Um, and then the final time, but I was like, in order for her to even get back on the mountain after that second occurrence or first occurrence, whatever it was, she obviously was doing something. I was like, they were pumping her full of something. I know there's obviously rules and regulations and plenty of things. Like, think back on it. I'm like, there's no way a little bit of rehab gets you back on the mountain that quickly.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Yeah, but I I feel like also like, I don't know, like mindset. Like if she like, I mean, if you like put yourself in her shoes, like she uh like did all this work to come back and be physically in a place to like qualify for the Olympics again. And then it's like what she like heard it a little like the week before.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

Doing the trial, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Yeah, and it's just I feel like obviously I can't relate on that standpoint, but I've I feel like a most athletes, especially at that level, can relate to where you do like if you have an injury like that, and then you have a competition like the Olympics, that it's like might as like I'm just gonna push through. Like pain is pain, and like I'm just gonna push through, like I feel invincible, like I can do this. And yeah, I mean, I probably honestly I probably would have done the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

I'm not saying Lindsay Vaughn took anything in particular, I'm just saying I was like the the recovery time is wild. And I was like, of course, as an Olympic athlete, they've got every single resource at your disposal between the training and the you know the the clean or the the drug that you're allowed to take, etc. But I just thought the recovery time was wild, and then obviously, you know, watching her absolutely rip through.

SPEAKER_00 34:40

I mean, I obviously she wasn't recovering.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

Obviously, she was not fully recovered. Obviously, she did not take enough time to fully recover. But to your point, like if you're at that point in your life and this is potentially gonna be your last Olympics, yeah, you're gonna do everything you absolutely can to get back on the course.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Mind never matter.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Yeah, never matter. Yeah, but I and I mean I think with the Olympics too, like I'm sure the drug testing and everything that they do there is even more intense, you know. So I don't even know what she could have taken to help.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

But if you've seen any of the new, like the um not what do they call them, the uh the new games where they're like people take drugs and they're allowed to it's the enhanced games. Have you seen the enhanced games? So literally it's like a new league, new um whatever, but they're allowed to take as whatever they want pretty much in order to enhance their bodies, and they call the enhanced games, and they're all breaking records, of course. Yeah, um, and there was there were a couple I don't know the name of the swimmer, but there was one swimmer that came in and didn't actually take anything, it's still be their buddy. Um I was like, hey, good good for you. But a lot of the guys are like fully enhanced with whatever drugs they they want to basically take in order to compete as you know best as they possibly can. Yeah, which I kind of like the idea of something like that, but it's like at least be honest about it, at least be honest about what you're taking. Yeah. So people know that you are enhanced, you're not just right a normal human being. Right, right, right. Especially when people you know complete certain feats and you're like, that's that's vanilla. Yeah, but how would you do that? What did you take? Oh, cool. So the the last time we too, we talked about like you know, younger individuals, younger women that are coming into volleyball and are considering this college pro route. Um, now that you've done it, yeah, what would you do different? What would you do the same?

SPEAKER_00 36:15

God, we definitely don't have enough time for all that.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Um But what kind of advice really more so, what kind of advice do you have for those individuals that are in high school that are looking to take that next step that now know that pro volleyball is a thing?

SPEAKER_00 36:27

Yeah, I mean, I think like just the first step, like I think just the like making that decision of like, okay, like I want to be a collegiate athlete. Um, and then understanding like what it takes to get to that point. And I think even more so now it's so much more competitive than it was even when I was, you know, in recruiting. Um, but I think also like one big thing that I tell people and that I would do differently is I would have like tried to research and like go on as many college visits as I possibly could just to like find the right fit for me. Whereas when I was going through it, I was like, I just want to go to a big school. That's all I want. I want a big school. And it was kind of like I'll just like I don't I don't need to like go around, like I'll just look, I know which schools are the big ones, which actually turns out I really didn't. Um so I think that's one thing I would definitely do differently and just like find the school that you think fits best for like education as well as like the culture and like the sporting culture and environment that you think fits you best. And then yeah, I think it's just about like really just like working your ass off to get to where you want to be. Yeah. And you know, like I I've worked with several like high school players over the years, like over the summer. And I remember I had this one player who I just like loved her because she just really like worked so hard and like she just really, really wanted to play in college. And like I remember it was like during COVID and there was no gyms, and I would like they would have me come to their house and just have a volleyball in the hot outside, and we would like do volleyball lessons, and it's just like I just like admired that so much because she's so young and so like still so determined, and just like I'm gonna like at least do everything I can. Like, maybe I'm not gonna get exactly where I want to go, but I'm gonna like I'm not gonna like leave anything on the table. Right.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

But I kind of mentioned that before too, then like in high school and middle school, you're like, you don't really know, like you have a direction, a path, and you're like, I want to do these things, but you don't really know. Yeah. There's like the more the more people you can talk to, the more people's experiences you can you can hear about, um, the more you can learn about certain programs, the better off you're gonna be at the end of the day. Yeah. Um, but um, but I think for like for me in high school, like it was kind of like these are your paths, like this is the direction you go in. Um, but it's just like for parents and for the kids as well. It's so good to hear stories like this, especially for somebody that's done it now overseas and is joining a brand new pro volleyball league, which is phenomenal. Um, so I think that I think a lot of people will get a lot out of that uh at the end of the day, especially from listening to this.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

Yeah, and I think it's like important for the parents too to like also understand the recruiting process. Um, because I think a lot of times that's also the case too, because I mean the kids don't the kids don't know, and the parents are kind of like that guiding force and like where we're gonna visit and what we want to do. And so just like understanding the recruiting process. And um, but I I mean it's hard and it's like you know, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my mom like going to tournaments with me every single weekend and like giving up her weekends and her time to like drive me an hour there and back to practice three times a week, you know. So shout out to the moms.

SPEAKER_02 39:54

Shout out to the moms for supporting us in all that we do, even if it's a weird podcast. Thank you, mom.

unknown 40:01

I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

She's like, she's like, you're all over the place with these episodes. She's like, I love them, they're phenomenal, but like they're all over the place. I'm like, yeah, that's just the point.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

It's just me, mom.

SPEAKER_02 40:10

I appreciate it. Um well, Maggie, I I really appreciate you coming back for a second recording. Yeah. Um, and um looking forward to our Colorado trip as well, which is phenomenal, which we have coming up, which we're all pumped about. Um, but is there anything else that you want to add to the this episode before we we part ways this evening? Um aside from how ridiculous I look in that.

unknown 40:32

No, you're crushing it.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

God, I mean I think like that I'm just really grateful to like be in the position that I'm in and um that I you know I get this new opportunity and this next chance um to just like keep proving what I what I feel like I have inside of me when it comes to like volleyball. Yeah, and I just am grateful for my support system and my roomies, Taylor and Jake. Thanks for letting me like you know, stay with you during the week when I have my PT. And yeah, my parents were just supporting me. And yeah, I think it's just like I think you asked me last time, like, what would you say like to the younger your younger self? And I like thought about it.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

Hold on, hold on, real quick, real quick, real quick. Maggie, what would you say to your younger self? Let me ask it again. That's a great question. What would you say to your younger self now with all the experience you have? What would you say to your younger self?

SPEAKER_00 41:28

Um, I would say that never ever let anything or anyone get in the way of reaching your goals and getting what you want, just to make it clear.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

Should we just end on that? We're just gonna right there, we're just gonna lock it in. No, that's phenomenal. Uh well, once again, I appreciate you hopping on. Maybe at some point, middle way through the season, shout out Dallas.

SPEAKER_00 41:52

Yeah, shout out Dallas MLV. I'm ready, I'm pumped.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

We might need to have like the entire team on the camera round show.

SPEAKER_00 41:59

Hey, we could probably make that happen.

SPEAKER_02 42:01

I honestly have no idea how that would work.

SPEAKER_00 42:02

If I if I struggle with a round table of just you and some professional volleyball.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

If I struggle with two mics, imagine though, trying to like set up like like another six or so mics. Yeah. Um, well, hopefully at that point we've got that.

SPEAKER_00 42:13

That would be a fun episode.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

But if we have hopefully have a producer at that point that can support that actually occurring, we can make that happen for sure. But yeah, this audio better be perfect. That's all I'm gonna say. But really appreciate it and uh looking forward to to watching the season and uh supporting you from afar.

SPEAKER_01 42:29

Yeah.