Home Grown: Lovina Teel

What If Your Biggest Advantage Is Starting Late

She didn’t grow up in a volleyball town. She didn’t start early. And she didn’t take the easy path.

In this episode of Home Grown: Real Athletes. Real Stories. Big Dreams., we sit down with Lovina Teel, a Jacksonville High School ('24) athlete who found volleyball in eighth grade—and turned a late start into a Division I opportunity.

Now, after a breakout junior college career, Lovina has officially signed to play Division I volleyball at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Her journey is built on adaptability, resilience, and doing the work when no one’s watching.

We dive into:
🏐 Starting volleyball late and catching up fast
🏐 Training through COVID and staying consistent
🏐 Switching positions and becoming a complete hitter
🏐 The difference between high school and club volleyball
🏐 Junior college success at Richard Bland & St. Johns River
🏐 Visualization, film study, and mental toughness
🏐 Competing at nationals and handling pressure
🏐 Why JUCO volleyball is underrated
🏐 Signing Division I and what comes next

Lovina’s story proves: It’s not when you start. It’s how you respond.

Presented by Humphrey Heating & Air Conditioning

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Support for Homegrown is provided by Humphrey Heating and Air Condition, proudly serving Eastern North Carolina since 1967.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

They grew up on our fields, on our courts, in our towns. And now they've taken that hometown pride to the college stage. This is Homegrown. Real athletes, real stories, big dreams.

SPEAKER_04 0:26

Easy day, easy day.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Today we're sitting down with one of Jaxville's brightest rising stars on the volleyball court. Levina Teal's journey is a unique is as unique as it is inspiring. A military kid whose family's dedication shaped her path, she's seen firsthand what it means to balance life changes with big dreams. Her dad even accepted unaccompanied orders during her junior year so she could thrive at Jacksonville High School. From her early days at Northwoods Park Middle School to battling through COVID-interrupted seasons to becoming a two-time All-American at the junior college level, she's built a reputation as a powerful hitter, a relentless competitor, and a name to watch on the national stage. Now starring at St. John's River State College, earning Player of the Year honors, and leading her team with nearly four kills per set. She's showing the volleyball world exactly what a homegrown athlete from Onslow County can do. Please welcome Lavina Till. Thank you for joining me. Thank you. And I'm going to go ahead and tell the audience, thank you for joining me again. We had a little oopsie the first time that we were recording this, uh totally on the uh operator air's fault. But uh I think we've got everything uh worked out now. So again, thank you for joining me. So Lavina, let's just start at the beginning. Growing up in Jacksonville in Oslo County, how did volleyball first enter your life?

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Well, you know, we moved here in 2019, and this was my first time, you know, going to a school with organized sports. And uh one of my first friends here, she was like, you know, we should try out for the volleyball team. And I was like, why not? Why not try out for the volleyball team? And so I tried out, I made the team, and then that's where it all started.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

That's where it started. And that was middle school, correct?

SPEAKER_03 2:40

That was middle school and eighth grade.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

In eighth grade.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

So being a military kid comes with a lot of unique challenges. We'll say challenges. Some people say obstacles, but we'll say challenges and experiences. How is moving, adapting to new schools, and your family service shaped your mindset both on and off the court?

SPEAKER_03 3:00

I think it's made me more persistent. I mean, obviously with sports, and when it comes to, you know, playing in middle school and then in high school and then in college, maybe transferring colleges, you know, you have to have a very adaptive and persistent mindset when it comes to that, because you're not going to stay at one school your whole life, you're not gonna have the same coach, you're not gonna have the same teammates. Um, and so I think that really prepared me without me even knowing it before I started playing sports.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Being adaptive and being flexible, right? Yeah, I think I think that's a that's that's a good word, adaptable and flexible. So you started playing what we mentioned, eighth grade, Northwest Park Middle, then the world stopped, right? Right. COVID.

SPEAKER_04 3:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Right as you were kind of picking it up and going.

SPEAKER_03 3:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

So how did that interruption shape your mindset?

SPEAKER_03 3:46

I mean, you know, I kind of had a knack for volleyball when I first started. So, you know, I would go home, I would practice it with my sisters. I brought home a lot of information that I learned, which, you know, wasn't much at the time, but it was a lot for me. And so, you know, we got our permanent two weeks off for like a year. And then, you know, uh, I kind of just I stuck with it because I really enjoyed it, and like obviously, like I said before, like I'd never gone to a school with organized sports before. I had done cross country. Yeah. Uh, but that's you know, not similar to volleyball at all. But um, yeah, I mean, I think it it changed my mindset in the sense that like if I could keep playing through COVID, I could keep playing through anything.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Yeah, so all script didn't take me what a couple minutes. Um let's so you mentioned your sisters. You have uh two younger sisters. I do both play volleyball. One was recently named uh first team all-area volleyball for for our area here. She's a junior or senior, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

She's a junior.

SPEAKER_02 4:52

Junior. And then how old how old is your other sister?

SPEAKER_03 4:55

Eleven.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Eleven. Okay. And of course, you have a mom who is very active. She coaches volleyball. Right. Uh uh. So talk about uh being the big sis. And uh again, totally off script. Big sis and and being uh kind of the one leading the way in this volleyball journey that honestly your family is going through.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

Right. I mean, you know, it's fun, I think, watching my sisters also grow in volleyball. I think it's even more interesting because I don't think any of us are gonna end up playing the same positions. So even though we all play volleyball, like, and I brought that here, like I've switched positions before, but Athena being left-handed, you know, she has a different skill set than me and she's also a setter. And so I think, you know, kind of blazing that trail a little bit, it's really interesting because not only are they like growing into volleyball, but they're doing it themselves too.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Yeah, that's great. So when you look back at your time at Jacksonville, what moments stand out the most?

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Um I think my position changed between junior and senior year. Um I had played middle. I mean, you know, I say middle, but I don't I didn't really know what that meant for a little while, but I was in middle. You were just learning you were just learning the game, weren't you? I mean, and I would say like the first two years that I played volleyball, I was just there. And I loved it, but I did not know much about it. But um, I think my position change between junior and senior year uh was a really big moment for me because like I had never played anything other than middle for like I said, like four years, you know, from eighth grade up until junior year. I even played middle in club too. And so that that change that like showed me a different side to volleyball, especially because like middles they don't play back row, like when you're an opposite or when you're an outside, you have a lot more opportunity for defensive play, and so it allowed me to grow in a lot more places than I like first anticipated, and become maybe a more versatile volleyball player.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Yeah, that's great. So after your sophomore year, you added travel volleyball. Um, and I know this because I asked you in the first interview and I remember, but what club, what club did you play for and how did that experience elevate your game?

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Right. My very first club was Twin Rivers Volleyball Club out of Newburn. Um that was my first experience, you know. I was 15 years old, I played on a 16 national team, and then after that, I transitioned to playing at Carolina Performance Volleyball Club out of Kinston. And I played there for the last two years that I played club. So total three years, but started at Twin Rivers, ended at Carolina Performance. And I think, I mean, like I was saying before, you know, like you play sports, you have different teammates, different coaches, different schools. Um, and I think that really just it added a lot of depth to my skill set because I was getting coaching from I mean, in all three of those years, I had a different coach, I had different teams. So I got exposed to not only different coaching styles, but like other people's playing styles as well.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

So it made me again even more adaptable to like different coaches, different players, different teams, different, you know, ways to run an offense and a defense. And so it just added a lot.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Club volleyball, travel volleyball, however you want to versus high school. Talk about them, talk about the there's a major difference. There's a big difference. Yeah, talk about that a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

I would say a lot of people play school ball and not in a bad way, but they play it more as a hobby. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

Have something to do during the during the during the fall.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

And there's nothing wrong with that, because volleyball is so fun, as is any other sport. But um, I think when you start playing club, it gets a lot more competitive, you know, because I think club, I mean, the same with college, but club will weed out the people who don't like really want to be there, you know, like it's a much more intentional place to be. Whereas like if you play school sports, it's like where you're at school anyways, you know. But it's like, okay, well, now you're playing club, you might have to commute two hours a day round trip to go and practice. You're you're gonna go out of your way to go to tournaments, you know. And so you get to be around and play with a lot more people that are not only much more intentional about coaching, but much more intentional about playing as well.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

It's a it's a real commitment, right? And it's a commitment not just for you, but for parents, but for parents, right? Both uh time-wise and financially. So I'm assuming you guys did the did the circuit of uh maybe going to like Richmond. Did you go to Richmond and play or go to or I mean some of those bigger tournaments?

SPEAKER_03 9:46

Yeah, I mean, you know, we I don't know how often my first club, I think we stayed fully in North Carolina.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Okay, okay. Yeah you play your normal, like your A your season, your June Olympic season, yeah, and then you might sprinkle in some tournaments. When my daughter was playing, they went, she went to Richmond one year, right? Went to Atlanta one year and sprinkled in some tournaments like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:08

In at uh at Carolina Performance, we went to the um Shamrock Festival up in Virginia, and that was actually where my uh first college coaches got to see me play for the first time, so that was fun. Um, but I think the farthest we ever went for club was Orlando because I played like extended season AAU, and I mean that was fun because I I don't know if I had been to Florida before that, maybe like once or twice, but it was a really from the West Coast, right? From the West Coast, yeah. And so yeah, I mean traveling again, like even more exposure to like different teams, different skill levels, just an amazing experience overall.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

So high school, after high school, Richard Blanton College, junior college in Virginia, if I'm not mistaken, right? Where you earned, okay, I've got a list of things here. First team all region, region tournament MVP, second team All American honors as a freshman.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

What did that first college season teach you? I think all on and off the court. I didn't mean to on and off the court.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

Um, well, I mean, off the court, especially when we're dealing with academics, I think I got to, you know, learn more what I liked. You know, I went into college and I was like, oh, I'm definitely gonna do psychology. I love psychology. I don't love psychology. I found that out really quick. Um, you know, I I ended that freshman year, I think, with a 3.7 GPA, so not too bad. But, you know, the only classes I didn't get A's in were my psychology classes. So I was like, that might not be for me. Right. Um, and I think on the court it taught me that there's really nothing I could do, you know, or nothing that I can't do.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Uh I didn't I know what you said, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:51

Like, um, I mean, obviously I went and I I had high expectations for myself because I always do. But um, you know, I didn't anticipate getting like first team all region or tournament. I mean, when I got tournament MVP, I didn't even know that was a thing. You know, they were like, and now we're gonna announce tournament MVP, and I was like, what is he saying?

unknown 12:08

I can't.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

You're getting us you're getting a snack and a drink, and they're like, hey, tournament MVP.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

I'm going to get you my free Chick-fil-A sandwich, and they're like, Hey, you got tournament MVP. I was like, Oh, awesome. But like, you know, like it it really just raised the bar of like I didn't expect anything really, like I had high expectations, but I didn't set myself really like solid goals, and I still overachieved more than I probably would have expected to, anyways. And so I think that shaped a lot of my goals going into sophomore year as well. Yeah. Um, because obviously I'm I think your greatest competitor as an athlete is yourself. So and so I just aimed to beat everything I did that first year.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

So awesome freshman year, springboard, you're rolling. Yeah. And then your coaches take a job in Florida.

SPEAKER_04 12:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

But you had never been to Florida before you went to before the travels, yeah, travel team. So, and you make a bold decision, right? I mean, you you trust, you trust them, you follow them to St. John's River State College.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Talk about that, making that move and that kind of trust trust factor.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

I mean, you know, initially, like, we were at practice, my coach sat us all down, and she's just like talking, it was just a casual conversation. Then she was like, so we took a we took a job in Florida, and I was like, oh my gosh, that's awesome. And they're like, We're leaving in like two weeks. And I was like, Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

That's kind of awesome, I guess. Right.

SPEAKER_03 13:36

It's uh good for you. Um, but I mean, honestly, like initially when the news first like hit us all, it was like a shock. It's like, wait a minute, like, because I mean, not to speak for anything else, but I know for me personally, the reason I went to that college was because of the coaches. So I was like, okay, well, why stay here if my coaches aren't here? Um and then we really got into beach season, and I was like, oh my gosh, I don't, I don't want to, I don't wanna stay here. This is not for me. And then, you know, I mean, obviously we got to meet the new coach and everything, and I was like, yeah, it's just it's not feeling like it anymore. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

And so Well, you know, and no matter what someone tells you, when when you're talking to a parent or maybe uh uh a high school coach or a mentor, they all they always tell you choose where you're gonna go to school based on the school. In case in case you get hurt.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

I really do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

In case you get hurt and you maybe or maybe whatever sport is not in your future, but let's be honest, you're gonna spend more time with the if you're playing sports, with a team or with a coach. Of course. And so a lot of people, I mean, you see it because they're transferring every day when coaches leave. They choose it because they like the environment that that team creates. So you your decision was no, it was was just like you would just like everybody.

SPEAKER_03 15:00

And I mean, like that too, like I know that people say, Oh, you're a student before you're an athlete. I'm an athlete before I'm a student. And it's not that I don't like excel in my classes and you know, also set high expectations and high goals for myself in the classroom, but I'm really in college to play volleyball.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

So that's hey, that's a great, that's a listen, you're honest about it. So that's yeah, so that's great. So you make the move to Florida.

SPEAKER_04 15:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Again, I'm gonna have to get a list here. First team all region, region eight player of the year, first team all American. Talk about your continued development from that freshman year where you had a great year and the continued growth through this past year.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

I mean, again, it really just goes back to like I ended that season, and I remember thinking, like, I know I have more in me, you know? And so I I sat down and I made in my phone a little notes, a little note on my notes app, and I was like, okay, well, we're gonna get first team All American, we're gonna get player of the year, we're gonna, we're gonna get 600 kills, we're gonna, you know, and I mean I got all of those and then some as well. And I mean, it was just it is a great experience, like, because I knew that I could push myself that far, but it like it just it was so like surreal.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

So let's talk about the kills. Nearly four kills per set.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

I know a little bit about volleyball because my my daughter played uh in high school and and and then chose not to play in college, but yeah, what kind of work goes into becoming that consistent offensively?

SPEAKER_03 16:42

I mean, you know, playing outside, you get set a lot. And I mean, obviously I did play middle for a little bit. It's a lot easier to terminate out of the middle because defense is much different. Um, but I think outside what makes a difference is your mindset. You know, are you ready to go up and take a swing? Because I mean, when you're an outside, like you can have one really good shot, but that can't be the only thing you can have, you know? Um, because different things are gonna work on different teams and other things aren't gonna work and so on and you know, so forth. And so I think for me it was really a mentality thing, like mental toughness, you know, getting up, taking a bigger swing, taking a bigger approach, like you know, taking a bigger and harder swing at the ball the third time in a rally versus the first time, you know, like getting more aggressive, you know, being there for your team, like and knowing that your role is to score points, you know. And I mean, as much as it is mental on the court, it's also mental off the court. Like, I practice a lot of visualization, um you know, pre-game. I mean, I would even do it like weeks before, especially when we went to nationals. I was like, this is big, like I gotta work on visualizing, I gotta I gotta prepare for this. Like, I gotta start getting good sleep, I have to start drinking a lot of water, you know. And so I mean, getting a lot of kills like it's honestly for me, it's mental. Yeah, it's just super like being intentional. I mean, seeing a block, seeing a defense, you know, listening to your teammates in the rally and just being ready to try new things when something doesn't work.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

So that that leads to great question. Mental, the mental part of the game. Your coaches and teammates talk about your presence on the court. How would you describe your playing style?

SPEAKER_03 18:33

I would say I'm supportive. I'd say I'm supportive and relentless. So like two sides. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, so it's like I'm always gonna, yeah, I always want to kill. I always want to get set, I always want to get the kill, but I'm also there for my team too.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

Yeah. So that's great. And that's that's a great combination. Yeah. That's a great combination. So volleyball is a sport of rhythm and and momentum. Yeah. You talked about the mental part of the game. So big match, nationals. How do you prepare for though for that and for and for pressure moments? You talked about visualization. Is that the big the biggest uh I would say so.

SPEAKER_03 19:17

I think along with visualization comes with like meditation, like not necessarily like meditating, like how people would think about it, but just like really like being mindful of yourself, like honing in, calming down. Because I mean, especially with pressure moments, like I don't think you can ever like really prepare for it. Yeah, you know, like I think that's a cross that bridge when you get to it.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Yeah, you can do everything that you can to get there, but at some point it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

And you really you're gonna react the way you react, but you don't know until that moment gets there.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

I yeah, I definitely think so. And like I think a lot of the times our our practices at SGR, they were very like simulation-based. So it's like our coaches would hop into practice with us and they would be like, Okay, well, I'm gonna be this girl, and these are her tendencies, and so we would basically play against our opponents before we played against our opponents. And so I think in the sense it's like you have to try to do your best to simulate things, but at the end of the day, like you really can't fully do it to a T, especially with pressure moments, because like I mean, if I'm visualizing and I'm sitting here and like pre-game and I'm trying to prepare for a pressure moment, that's like I'm like stressing myself out before I'm stressing myself out, you know?

SPEAKER_02 20:37

Oh, yeah, absolutely. We uh we we do another show, uh, not a part of this, and one of the coaches uh on the show said, made the comment, the the famous Mike Tyson comment, everybody's got a game plan until he gets hit in the face. Right. And literally not talking about getting hit in the face with a volleyball, but you you don't know how you react until that moment. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

So that's exactly what you're talking about. Yeah, and I mean, and I think too, like, especially the difference between like region play and national play. You're gonna play a lot of different teams from a lot of different regions. And I mean, that kind of hit me too when we got there because I was like, these girls can block. And I had a moment and I was like, I need to figure out how to get around this because I was like, I can't just keep swinging into a block. And I mean, I did figure it out, but that again, it goes back to like the mental side of it where like, you know, you need to be ready to switch something because like maybe you're really good at one thing, but the other team is really good at stopping that one thing, and so you need to be ready to like turn, figure it out, like also regroup because it's fresh. I mean, you know, like it's frustrating. I went into nationals with I think 500 kills. I think I had hit 500 kills by that time. So I I've gotten used to like, you know, I'm gonna get into a game, I'm gonna get at least 12 kills in a three set match. It's gonna be, you know, that's just gonna be how it is. And then You know, we show up and it's a lot more difficult to get kills, you know, at nationals because like I mean obviously everyone wants it. You know, you get that far. You don't get that far just to not care about it.

SPEAKER_04 22:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:11

And so yeah, it's just a lot of like mental, like, switch it, figure it out, read the situation. So there's a lot good.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

I mean, do you do do you guys do film study? Do y'all watch it?

SPEAKER_03 22:24

Yeah, we do, especially um initially like preseason, it's a lot of film on ourselves. Yeah. So it's like you can be aware of like when coach says, hey, you're not max jumping, or or your your feet are too broad on your last two steps, or like you're really not getting your arm back when you're swinging, it's like that kind of stuff where it's like you can see what she means while she's saying it to you, because sometimes you really don't know until you actually see yourself do it. But then more into the season, it's a lot of like scout work and you know, watch your opponents see what their tendencies are. You know, is she really good at doing this? Does their libero move a lot? Who's their weak people on serve receive? So yeah, we do um a lot of film and as well as our coaches. I mean, above all else, like before our like team watches film, our coaches are gonna watch it beforehand and like they're they're gonna get a shot chart and they're gonna know who's good at what and like the setter tendencies, who's their primary hitter? Like, they figure all of that out.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

They get they they get you positioned, they position you guys to go out there and perform the best. Yes. So you mentioned about nationals. People often overlook how tough the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association level is. What's something about junior college volleyball that you wish more people understood?

SPEAKER_03 23:41

I wish more people understood that, you know, it's still it's still college athletics, you know, like it's still like in my opinion, and like I kind of said earlier, college has a way of weeding out people who aren't serious about a sport. And so, you know, whether it's junior college, whether it's a four-year, they're still gonna be competitive because they're choosing to, you know, usually spend a lot of time and a lot of money pursuing a sport. And so, no, it's not the big 10, and no, it's not, you know, a big four-year, but it's still an extremely competitive environment, in my opinion. And I think it's really good like transitioning between high school and between a four-year, because I think there's a big gap between those two. You know, you go to high school, especially depending on what high school you go to, and then you go to four-year universities and they're much bigger, the classes are a lot different, but at junior colleges, you get this little transitional space to like you know, learn the difference. I really think that is like the step between high school and four-year. Yeah, and it's much more comfortable too.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

Nice transition, nice easy transition. So you did move here in eighth grade, seventh eighth grade. How is being homegrown? And I'm gonna say we'll give you since you've been here for five or six years when you moved, how is being homegrown from Jacksonville, because it it's really where you did start playing volleyball, how has that shaped your work ethic and competitive mindset?

SPEAKER_03 25:09

I think it's made me, I mean, just even more competitive because you know, I play, I've played with a lot of girls who come with like who come from highly reputable clubs or they come from really good high schools who like made it to their state finals and you know, they just come from really reputable places when it comes to volleyball. But I think it makes it more like special in my opinion, where it's like I don't have any big names attached to my like resume when it comes to volleyball. You know, like nobody's gonna look at it and be like, oh, she went here, she must be good. You know, I don't have any fat any of that, all I have is me.

SPEAKER_02 25:47

Yeah, and and which is very unique because Jackson Oslo County, yeah, uh, you go an hour south of us, and Wilmington, New Hanover County has real has really good volleyball. Very competitive. You go an hour and a half north, some north something towards the Pitt County area, yeah. And the Greenville Schools really, really good volleyball programs. So uh yeah, it it speaks something obviously about you uh and and and just your competitiveness, your desire. Sure, it it's a lot of it you driven, a lot of it family driven. Yeah. Yeah, but that yeah, that's great. So what's one piece of advice from a parent, a coach, or a mentor that you carry with you every time you play?

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Um I said this the last time we recorded it, but uh when my coach told me that she made a winning team, and whether I was on it or not, they were still gonna do good.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yeah, tell tell that I want you to tell that story because that's a that's a great that's a great story.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

Yeah. Um so while I was, I mean, not really getting recruited, but you know, discussing like my decision to move to St. John's River um a little while into her, you know, because she had a full roster by the time I could actually get down there and visit.

SPEAKER_04 27:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

Um, but she talked to me and she was like, you know, the best thing about this team is that I've put it together. It has so much depth, there's really good people on it. And she was like, it's gonna succeed whether you're here or not. And I was like, that is perfect, that's awesome. And like, I don't know, that's another thing where it was just like I wanted to be on that team even more because I was like, I'm gonna make even a bigger, like an even bigger difference on this roster, you know, knowing that I like it wasn't technically like needed, but I was gonna make myself needed.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

And getting to know you over the last month or so as as we've done this, that was motivating.

SPEAKER_03 27:38

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. It lit a fire so fast.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

Oh, yeah, I'm sure, yeah, I'm sure it did. So I've got one closing question, but we're gonna go to the fun rapid fire questions now. Older high school player you looked up to as a freshman or sophomore?

SPEAKER_03 27:53

Juliana Erickson.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Yeah. Yeah. Best memory from your high Jacksonville high school career.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Oh goodness.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

I don't remember what you said last time, but I don't remember either.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

I think I had to think about this one.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

I don't know. I think a safe one is senior night. Yeah. Um, but I also, it was really, you know, when I made uh varsity as a sophomore, because I was even talking about like the first couple of years I played volleyball, I didn't really know what I was doing. I was just there. You're just out there having fun.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

I mean, and that's but you know what? No matter how far you progress in whatever you do in life, right? Whether you were your job or whatever, you need to have fun. So you had you had a good basis for working on the floor.

SPEAKER_03 28:40

I I loved the sport before it became tough. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

That's awesome. Favorite teacher at Texas Mara, yeah. Most memorable thing a coach has ever told you.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

Uh again, the we're gonna win without you.

SPEAKER_02 28:55

Okay, you know, favorite pregame meal.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

Gushers.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

Gushers. So nutritional. I've got a thing of Swedish fish over there, not gushers, but uh do you have a must-do pre-game ritual?

SPEAKER_03 29:09

Uh, my teammate, my setter and I this year, we would always, you know, do our little finger tapes uh pregame. And I don't know if we did that every single game. I'm not actually sure when it started, but that was like one pregame ritual that I absolutely had. Oh my gosh. And um slick back, slicking my hair back into a ponytail. Every I I never, I don't think I ever stepped on the volleyball court. Without it back in the ponytail.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

Yeah. Nice. Funniest person in your family.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Uh, my little sister Athena.

SPEAKER_02 29:43

She's the one in high school, right? Yeah, the most competitive person in your family.

SPEAKER_03 29:50

Maybe probably also Athena. I would say both my sisters. They're both very competitive, but in like different ways. Um, I think that shows up in because obviously I've watched both of them grow into volleyball. Um, and I think not only are they both competitive in volleyball, but like we have like our little Nintendo Switch and we'll play like Mario Party, but it gets so heated so fast.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

That's siblings. I have a ball.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

It's just so competitive.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

I'm the youngest of three, so it gets competitive. Oh yeah. Because the older well, you're the older, but yeah, mom, the older ones know best, right? They they they know best. And yeah. So last one, and I think you may have struggled with this one last time. Hidden talent off the court. Something that people might not know that you're good at off the court.

SPEAKER_03 30:38

I don't know. I feel like I'm just really good at school in general. Like, I feel like if people know me for sports, they don't know that like, you know, I also I graduated high school with like a 4.6, or you know, I just ended this semester with a 4.0 GPA, I had high 90s in all of my classes.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Um So you're good at life. Good at life. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

So last question, Levina. Looking back at everything, Jacksonville roots after you moved here, COVID seasons, your growth at Richard Bland, and then just your dominant year at St. John River State, what does being homegrown mean to you today?

SPEAKER_03 31:24

I think it it just means that I'm an even harder worker than I would have been otherwise, you know, and I kind of touched on the you know, big reputable clubs or big reputable schools, like coming from here, it's I mean, it's especially like you were saying, you know, you go north, you go south, there's great volleyball. And then here it's like we're not really known for volleyball. Um I don't know. I would like to hope that um I could put you know Jacksonville on the map for volleyball.

SPEAKER_02 31:56

That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

Two one additional rapid fire question that I just that I just thought of.

SPEAKER_04 32:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

So it's off script, but then there's no script for rapid fire. Right. What's the thing what's the thing you most like doing when you come home?

SPEAKER_03 32:13

Sleeping.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Sleeping.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

I like resting. I like relaxing.

SPEAKER_02 32:16

That's cool. Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

I like I like being outside. As much as I enjoy like the rigidity of a schedule, I love doing nothing. Sometimes doing nothing's great, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:28

So last last little piece before we end up. Um, you're on a journey, social media-wise. If folks want to follow your journey, uh, we'll we'll put up um on there uh post-production when we do this. Yeah. Instagram, Twitter, or X or whatever. If someone wants to find to follow Levina Teal and her journey, where can they go?

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Uh I am on Instagram. I don't have Twitter, but um I do have Instagram and it's my name.t612.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 33:01

And that's my username.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Perfect. And I will get you to text me that afterwards. So I make sure that we'll get it right. So um that was awesome. You you again? Yeah, this I mean, amazing, amazing. Um uh your journey, while it's your journey, um, it's your family's journey as well. So that's I mean, so so that's just I mean, that's great. So Levina Till's journey shows what it truly means to be homegrown. Through moves, challenges, and seasons of growth, she carried Jacksonville and Oslo County's values with her: resilience, work, work ethic, and belief. From local gyms to national recognition, her story reminds us that success is built long before the spotlight, and it's shaped by family, coaches, and community. This is Homegrown, real athletes, real stories, big dreams. I'm Steve Goodson. Thanks for watching, and remember, no matter how far you go, you're always homegrown.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

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