Monster in the Middle

Elyn discusses her newest award, injuries, and her amazing team. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Above the Tape and All Access Viva podcast. My name is Davis Lauderdale, and I am your favorite director of Florida Elite Volleyball Academy. But more importantly, I am the host of this podcast. Today I am hosting the podcast solo, as Elise is probably in Puerto Rico or Hawaii or the Bahamas for yet another one of her vacations. However, we have a very special guest today. My guest today is a member of our 13 Fernando team. I call her the monster in the middle, as she is both a scoring and a blocking machine. She is a national champion, an all-American, an AAU MVP, and now a member of the Team Florida indoor national team. And did I mention she is only 13 years old? Please welcome to the podcast, Elan Blaker. Hey Elan. How are you? Alright, so before we get started, yet another reminder to subscribe to our podcast. We are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and a bunch of other places that nobody has ever even heard of that you can still listen to podcasts on. While you're there, review us, give us five stars. Because if you don't give us five stars, Elon, what are you gonna call them?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

A hater.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

That's right. All right. In addition, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, um, for all the latest news of the club. You can also visit our website at www.fevolleyball.com. You can even call or text me at 813-833-8746 or email FIFAPodcast at gmail.com with any questions you may have. Please remember to register today for tryout so you can save some money on your trial fee, and maybe you can use that money for a free bazookie. Yeah. You ever had a bazookie, Elan?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

No, I want one.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Okay, you gotta talk to your dad. So special thanks to Keith, um, Elan's dad. He's here, he's running the cameras, making sure that uh they don't break by by being on me. Uh, but Keith is our statistician. Keith knows everything that is gonna happen in the tournament, all the scenarios. He's basically like me, but just a lot better at it. So, but he needs to take you to get a bazooka. Okay, they have they have two seasonal ones right now, okay? A Dubai chocolate.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Okay, really, really good. They have another one called a biscoff bazookie.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

You know what biskoff is? Yeah. The little cinnamon cookie things.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

Oh, that's so good. Trust me. Trust me on that, all right? So make sure you do it. Anyway, um, how you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 2:40

I'm good. I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Good. Before we start, one more thing. I got a joke. Okay. Are you ready? This is this is a really, really good one, okay?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

All right. What did the sushi say to the bee?

SPEAKER_00 2:53

What?

SPEAKER_01 2:54

What's up, B? Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. All right. So, congratulations, first of all, on making the Team Florida All-Star Team. I don't know if you know this, but you are the first female athlete at FIVA to make that team. We we had a guy make it a couple years ago, but you're the first girl. So congratulations. Thank you. Um, tell me about that process. How did it work? How do you how'd it all start?

SPEAKER_00 3:20

All right. Well, we got put on a watch list because we got top four at A6 last year, and then in order to get invited, you had to like submit a form to get on the team, get invited. So we submitted the form, I got invited, and then the tryout was last Saturday and it was four hours, it was an hour and thirty minutes. We just did drills, and then the other two hours and a half, we just scrimmage the whole time. So that was fun.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

How many how many kids were there?

SPEAKER_00 3:49

There was 50 girls there, I think. Yeah, there was 50.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Okay, and it went down to 12.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

And then yeah, the yeah, the it went down to 12.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

That is that is pretty cool. Was it was it crazy? Did you feel like you were gonna make the team?

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Honestly, I thought there was a good chance, but I don't know. Like as the days went on, I thought like I thought I was losing hope. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

But you st were you nervous?

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Yes, I was scared. I mean, I'm scared for everything.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Okay, I was gonna do you get nervous when you play? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

But then I usually do good, so it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Do you is it one of those where you're nervous for the first two minutes and then you shake it off and you're good? Okay, that's how I was when I played basketball. I was panicking the first two minutes, and after two minutes, it was all it was all good. But when I watch you guys, I'm nervous the whole way. So just for just so you know later on, if you coach or you um are a club director, you just watch the games, you're gonna be nervous the whole way through. So um, this is your third season of volleyball now. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

So how did you get your start?

SPEAKER_00 4:44

All right. Well, I go to TCMS and that's where Katya coaches at for middle school. And I went there in sixth grade, I tried out for J V and I made the team, and then we asked Katya, like, oh, can we join FIVA? And yeah, I joined FIVA. I was put on 12 white and yes, I was.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Did you fall in love instantly or did it take a little time? You could be honest.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Okay. I don't think I fell in love instantly. Like I think I fell in love when I got moved down to 11 white, and then we started winning because I really like winning. But I don't think I fell in love instantly. But I think like a part of me was in love, but now I'm fully in love.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

What is your favorite? What's your favorite part about volleyball? Is it you know, is it spiking the ball on somebody, or is it, you know, serving, or what what do you enjoy the most about volleyball?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Well, hitting people in the head's kind of fun. But no, I like I like winning. I love like being with my teammates and just hanging out with them. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Good. That's that's a good answer. So like you said, you know, your this is your this is your their third year at FIVA, I believe. Um your first year, you started out on our 12, we was actually 12 silver, I believe. You could be right, it could have been white, but silver is what we now would call like our regional team. Um then, you know, we moved you up from the 12 silver to the 11th team. I want to say like toward the end of the year, is that right? Yeah. Keith, yeah, about the end of the year. Um and that's basically the same core of the girls that are on your current 13s team, right? Um so talk to me about how it was when you moved from that first team, which did not win very much, if I'm not mistaken, correct. You're right. Or never almost, right? To moving to a team that was at a significantly higher level. Were you were you like intimidated?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Yes, I was scared, like I was really scared. I remember my first practice, I was terrified. But I don't know. I like I warmed up to them really quick. It was fun. I don't know. I was terrified to practice with them at first.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

What were they mean? Did they haze you?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, they were so rude. No, I'm just kidding. Um no, they were actually nice. I mean, they were about to like 10-year-olds, so yeah, it's not that hard.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

But and you were like literally like a foot and a half taller, right? So there's not not much they can not much they can really do. So, you know, yeah, I get it. Um, so talking about this year, um actually, before we talk about this year, let's talk about last year. So last year you played for Britney on our 12s team, which um at that time was one of the most successful teams that we've ever had here. Uh I think you guys' record was it was something like the you know, the Chicago Bulls record. It was like 72 and 10 or something insane. I mean, it was a it was an unbelievable record. You guys literally won or medaled, I think, in every tournament but one. Um, of course, you got a bid to US AV Nationals. Um, and then before that, you won a national championship at AAU Nationals, and then you were given the ultimate honor of being named the tournament MVP, which obviously is incredible. Um and then you went on to USAV Nationals, got third place, very easily could have beat that team that ended up winning the whole thing. But you know, we'll move on from that. So, how incredible was last year to you?

SPEAKER_00 7:59

It was great. I mean, like I said, I love winning. I love Coach Collison if you're watching this. Anyways, um but it was such a fun season. I mean, like obviously this season's fun, but I haven't even been able to play at half of it, so I wouldn't know. But no, it was so fun last season. I just I loved like the whole part of it. Um and especially winning a national championship. That was fun. Hopefully we can run it back this year. Hopefully, knock on wood. Um but it was great. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah, that was that was that AAU Nationals was it's really, really cool. I mean, US AV Nationals is probably a bigger honor for most people, but the way they do AAU nationals with the big stage and the mascot and everything, I I think that's actually a little bit cooler in a lot of ways. So yeah, that was um that was a lot of fun. And you guys, I mean, it was tough, you know. It was it was there were some tough games in there, but you guys, you know, you guys pulled through, and then like I said, USA B nationals, you guys played great. Um, lost one match, is that right? Yeah, yeah, lost one match in three, you know, can't win them all, but um yeah, it was it was it was fantastic. So now we're talking about this year. So I would assume this year has been a lot more difficult for you personally. Um, so you suffered an injury, is it Casparilla? Yeah. So what happened with your injury?

SPEAKER_00 9:19

All right, it was day three, it was the gold medal day, it was the first match in warm-ups, and I was serving and I landed on a teammate's ankle and it broke and whatever. But the thing is, I didn't even know it was broken for two weeks, and I was walking on it because I thought it was sprained and all that stuff, whatever. And then I went to the doctor, it was broken, and I couldn't play for ten weeks-ish. Like it was a while.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Yeah, because I remember initially you thought we thought you were gonna be back. You know, it's a little sprained ankle, happens all you know, happens all the time. We'll be back in a week, you know, be back in a week or two. Yeah. Um, and kind of to give you guys a little bit of a story about that. Um, when they left so I actually was at the game where she sprained her ankle, but you initially came in and played. Like when you know that we you actually came in and played. So I didn't even know anything was wrong. So I walk I watched the game, you guys were killing them. I was like, I'm gonna go watch somebody else. I w I left, and then I came back and I'm like, Everybody's like, Eden, Eden got hurt, Eden got hurt. I'm like, what? So then um the rest of the tournament was a was a struggle for the team. I don't think you were there, I think you were probably the doctor. Yeah, you like it was a real struggle, and then we ended up losing in the either finals or semifinals, the finals, um, and just the the team looked a little bit lost. And I think that was, you know, obviously losing you is a big blow to the team. Um, didn't have another middle. You know, there's there's no replacing Elon, but we really didn't even have another backup middle. I think Anna, I think no, uh Alicia had to play middle. Yeah, they switched Anna and Alicia. And so I remember at that tournament being like, well, I'm glad it's early because we don't have any qualifiers for a little bit. We'll get her back for the we'll have her back for sunshine in a few weeks, and then we'll be, you know, then we'll be all set. Um then we get the sunshine, and she's you know, she's like, well, maybe she's gonna play. Maybe she's gonna maybe she's gonna play day two. And I remember you out there warming up, and we're like, okay, okay. And she's still pain, still pain, still pain. And so then I think Fernando was the ended up being the bad guy to be like, you're not gonna play. But I know you wanted to play. I think dad probably wanted you to play. I wanted you to play. You know, we all wanted you to play. Um, and then it didn't. So, um, however, you know, that was uh pretty amazing that because it honestly, from my perspective, I thought the team was gonna struggle. I didn't, I was like, you know, USA bid is gonna be too much. Um, maybe we can get one, maybe we can get an American bid in A6 or something like that. But I just kind of felt like there's just no way without you. And of course, they came out and proved me to be an idiot, and they ended up, you know, winning it right away. So, you know, obviously really happy about that. Um so yeah, like you said, you ended up missing all of February, March.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Yeah. I think summer, basically.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

April. Yeah, yeah. I mean, basically at all the tournament. You didn't play another tournament since Casparilla. Um, and now you're back 100%? Yeah, I think so. You think so? No pain or anything like that? Not really. Um, so yeah, so you obviously weren't able to get be there to help your team. They got it, they ended up going to Sunshine, um, won the bid. Um, unbelievable that they did that. They just they played fantastic. Um, I think you were there for every game. Yeah, I was there. That must have been torture, I'm sure. Um, and then went on later on in Minnesota to get the to get to get an I'm sorry, Chicago. Chicago.

SPEAKER_04 12:32

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Yeah, Chicago to get the open bid. So so I'm sure that you're very happy for your team. But talk to me about how it was for you to not be able to be on the court and contribute. I think I know the answer, but I just want to hear you say it.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

I mean, I was so proud of them because I didn't think they were gonna get open bid, neither did any of my teammates. I asked them and they didn't think they were gonna get an open bid. Nobody did. But yeah, I was so proud of them, but it also sucked just watching them have fun in Chicago when I couldn't be there. But I don't know. It was it was rough. I don't know. I loved watching them play, but I just wish I could have been out there.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Any tears?

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Maybe just a little bit. Yeah, yeah. No, I mean it's I totally understand. Like, you obviously you want it, you don't you want your team to do well, but again, you also want to be a part of the team. I think any athlete will tell you that. Like, you know, it doesn't feel quite the same. Um, but we are we are playing in a couple weeks in Daytona, right? And you were going to play. Yes. How excited are you?

SPEAKER_00 13:25

I'm very excited. I've been waiting for it. I'm excited. Because it was either Daytona or ASICs, and I was trying to get us to go to Daytona because I didn't know if I would have been ready by ASICs. Yeah. So thankfully we're going to ASIC or Daytona. Yeah. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Well, they they kick us out of ASICs, right? So when you when you get an open bid, um, whenever you get an open bid in ASICs, they they won't allow you to compete. So, you know, we were kind of thinking, okay, well, that'll be her little warm-up is an ASICs, and then ASICs didn't happen. So we had to find another tournament to replace it with. And really, I mean, there was a couple options, but Daytona was by far the what we thought was gonna be the best competition. We were just trying to find them the best competition. Obviously, we were hoping it'd be a little closer, um, but you know, they ended up doing it. The team agreed. Um, so we're excited about that. But yeah, that is gonna be I I fear for all those teams having to play against you in Daytona because I have a feeling you're gonna tear somebody's head off. So hopefully, yeah, that was um, yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be really exciting. Um, I want to talk a little bit about your team. Okay. All right. So I've been saying for three years now that this team is special, and they keep proving me right. Um, and there's a couple things that make this team what I think is special. Obviously, talent. Everybody's really talented. Um, you don't get an open bid without being a talented team. You don't even get an American bid without being a talented team. Um, but other than you, I mean, there's really not a lot of height on this team. So um, but they what this team has, I think, is a bunch of amazing athletes, good ball control, and and tons of heart. Um, and then of course, you guys have tons of experience in high pressure situations because you guys have been playing in high pressure situations since you know 11s. Yeah, a long time. So they kind of just always seem to find a way to win, um, even when they don't have one of the best players in the game. So um, also, pretty cool group of parents, wouldn't you say? Um if you have ever been to a tournament where 13 Fernando plays, I promise you you have heard their parents at some point or another. There is nothing like that. They bring incredible, incredible energy, always the loudest, and they cheer super hard. So it's really, really fun to watch. So starting we'll start out with the girls on the team. Um, are you guys super close?

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Yeah, I mean we see each other like every day. It's kind of hard not to be close with them. But yeah, I think we talk about everything. We're super close. I mean, everyone's friends. I wouldn't say anybody like doesn't really like each other or anything like that. And I think that's a good reason, a good part of the reason on why we win so much. But yeah, we just have such a good connection on and off the court.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Do you think that your connection off the court helps you guys on the court?

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Yeah, I think so. I mean, if you have a bad connection off the court, you're just not gonna do that good on the court. Yeah, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Yeah, I I've I've never seen this team argue or you know, even bicker anything when things go wrong. And again, they're playing in high pressure games. It's not like we're playing in, you know, rinky tenfold brackets. We're playing high pressure, um, very, very easy in those situations to have players snap at each other, but I've I've never seen it, so they do really good. Um for the for the parents, does their energy help you guys or just annoy you?

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Low key, like when I'm on the court, I don't hear them. But when I was like off at sunshine on the bench, they were so loud. So I know what you guys are talking about, but I think it does. I they they definitely bring up the energy in tough situations, like yeah. In tough situations, they bring up the energy. They could I don't know, they have a cheer for everybody. Everybody, yeah. There's not one girl they don't have a cheer for.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Yeah, one of the things I'm interested in is you know, typically for most club volleyball, you know, when they're young, the parents are super loud, and then as you get older, like my daughter used to be like, Dad, stop, stop being so loud. So I'm interested to see if you guys are ever if that is gonna happen with this team. Hopefully not, because when we've got Aubrey's dad, you know, dancing and you know, Brooklyn's mom screaming and tolering, it's just it's a lot of fun. So um I'm hoping that stays the same. So before gotta before we get out of here, I have some rapid fire questions to you about your team. All right, you ready? Okay, okay. Who is the funniest on the team?

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Everybody's funny. Like they all have their own jokes and own like just comments that are so funny. I don't think there's one person that's funny.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Are they do their are their jokes as good as mine? Have you ever heard those better? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Okay, I don't that that's debatable. I don't believe that for one second. But yeah, that's fine. That's your teammates. You gotta you gotta hype them up, but you know, for me, I I think that mine are are definitely a lot funnier. So that's all right. Um when, not if, when you guys win the national championship, who is going to shed the most tears on the team?

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Me, probably. Or my dad. My dad's gonna cry a little eye. I think all the parents will cry. All cry. Most people will cry, I think. The twins will cry. If they say they're not gonna cry, they're gonna cry.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Oh, they're definitely gonna cry.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Yeah, I think everyone will cry, but probably me. You're gonna cry the most? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Okay. What about Coach Fernando? You think he's gonna cry?

SPEAKER_00 18:23

Maybe. I think he might. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That would be a first.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

I don't think I've ever seen that before. So um, okay. Who is the most talkative on the team?

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Probably Alicia or Valerie. I think they're very talkative.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Alicia?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Yeah, she's very talkative. I think they're all talkative. We all know the twins are talkative, like Amaya, Brooklyn, definitely. They're all talkative.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

Okay, so who's the who's the quietest?

SPEAKER_00 18:51

Probably Elio or Isabella. They're not quiet. They're just less loud. They're just less loud.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Okay, yeah, I gotta say, because yeah, there's not really very many quiet on this team. Um which teammate drives Coach Coach Fernando the craziest? Who does he get on to the most?

SPEAKER_00 19:10

He gets on to everybody equally, but like maybe Valerie, because she just does like this random stuff sometimes. Like she just like dances randomly, and I think he just like laughs at her sometimes. So maybe, maybe Valerie.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Okay. This is the most important question. The last one. Who is your favorite director at FIVA?

SPEAKER_00 19:28

You.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

You're the best. That is our all-American Team Florida national champion, middle blocker, Elon Blaker. Thank you so much for joining us today. Um, before we get out of here, next week, we are gonna have Coach Kennedy on the podcast. Coach Kennedy was our first Division I player we had at FIVA, and we are gonna kind of talk to her about her experiences and journey to how she got to play at that level. So I know for you that's probably gonna be really, really interesting. Um, if you guys do have any questions for Coach Kennedy, which I'm sure there's gonna be a ton, but don't forget to email us at Fiva Podcast at gmail.com. We will do our best to go through those questions. Um, did you know Kennedy played there?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

No, I didn't.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

You didn't? She did. She was uh and she started as a sixth rotation outside in her freshman year. So yeah. You know who she is? Have you seen her before?

SPEAKER_00 20:20

I had like a training with her the other day.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

She is incredible. So anyway, thank you all for joining us, and we will see you guys next week.

unknown 20:28

Bye.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Them side, up live, Davis in the cup, coming. Every story, every play, break it down on the daily club dreams, on the tools, take it on the parts, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, freeze, every dad, drop down, take on the lead, do this, but it's big, take it.

SPEAKER_04 22:00

Turn it up, every set, every side out. He talks it all on the pine, no doubt. A buttons can hold us. Happy voices in the chorus. Bum set, love this game. Sing aloud, remember the name, a bugger. We go up, up, up, never stay the same.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Talk it out, lift it up. Every play of our name. From the first lily to the college stage. Feel a femme in your ears as you chase that wave. Above the tape, we rise up, we feel the club, turn it up.

SPEAKER_04 22:44

Every set, every side out. We talk it all on the wine, no doubt. Above the tape can hold us. Happy lessons in the chorus. Bomb set, love this game. Sing it out, remember the name. A button.