Coach Kennedy on what it takes to go D1

Kennedy Reed discusses her time at FEVA and her journey to becoming a Division 1 volleyball player

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:00

Welcome to Above the Tape and All Access Viva podcast. My name is David Lauderdale, and I am your favorite director of Florida Elite Volleyball Academy. But more importantly, I am the host of this podcast. Back with me after yet another hyatus is my co-host. She's a two-time conference coach of the year, the head coach at Sunlake High School, as well as the head coach of our top 16 team. Please welcome back Elise Zapata. Thank you, thank you. Good to see you back, Elise. You know, it took a little while to get out here. A couple hours to drive up here. Yeah, I know. All right. So, do we have a wonderful guest today or what?

SPEAKER_03 0:39

Oh, yes. You guys are gonna be super excited.

SPEAKER_07 0:42

Joining us today is the first Division I athlete at FIVA. She walked in our doors our very first year, which was her 16s year. She played 16 end of her 16s year, 17s, and 18s with us. She was an all-star in high school. I'm gonna assume she probably owns every single record in Sumner High School volleyball history. She was given the most athletic award in high school. She was an AAU All-American in club. She then went on to play at Texas Southern University, where she was voted team MVP as a freshman. And she is now a head coach for one of our 14 teams. Please welcome to the podcast, the amazing coach Kennedy Reed. Woo!

SPEAKER_04 1:31

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Applause.

SPEAKER_07 1:34

I've been trying to get this one started for a while. It was just kind of a matter of how I wanted to set this up and actually give a quick shout out to one of our parents, uh, Jackie, don't call me outs, Jackie Oots, who um actually made the suggestion about probably about a month and a half ago. And I just kind of had to work, you know, just kind of figure out the bets timing to do it. No, I I wanted to like I had to I had to get I had to give us some summer content. There's really not much going on right now. So I had to give us some summer content. I didn't want to do it right in the middle of the season. You know, we spent half the time talking about you know Sunshine Classic. I wanted to give her a whole episode, you know, whole episode to herself. So um before we do get started, um, yet another reminder to subscribe to the very best volleyball podcast in Florida. Okay, that is a fact. Um, after you do that, make sure you give us a five-star review to avoid being labeled as a hater. Um, also make sure to be a hater. Nobody wants to be a hater. Don't be that. Uh make sure you also register for tryouts today. Um, you can register on our website at fevolleyball.com. Um, do it now so you get that ten dollar discount. There's so much you can do with ten dollars, like like buy a gallon of gas with that. Um so make sure you make sure you do that. Follow us on social media. Uh kind of keep you up with all the club events. So make sure you do that today. Um, Kennedy, great to have you on.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Thank you for having me on. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 2:57

Before we get into things, I have a joke. Yeah. All right. All right. Oh boy. Oh, we have two jokes. Are you doing two jokes? I got one. I got one.

SPEAKER_03 3:06

Yeah, but I think Kennedy's I think we need a I think we really need a Kennedy.

SPEAKER_07 3:09

If your joke is better than mine, we're gonna have a problem.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

And we're gonna have people push at the end of this.

SPEAKER_07 3:14

Oh my gosh. All right, so I'll do mine first. Okay. Why couldn't the sailor finish the alphabet?

SPEAKER_04 3:24

Because he kept getting lost at sea.

SPEAKER_07 3:39

You got one?

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yes, I got one, I got one, I got one, y'all. Y'all gonna laugh for real. Okay. I like it already. When did the DJ name his son?

SPEAKER_04 3:54

What? Scratch.

unknown 3:56

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Eric, Eric, Eric, Eric, Eric. Okay, Eric.

SPEAKER_04 4:03

Eric, Eric.

SPEAKER_07 4:03

Okay, that might that may have been better than mine. We'll give I'll give you that just this once. Just this one time. But I wish I could have I could have stole that for myself. So um I also want to let Kennedy know something that I learned the hard way this weekend. Um you may or may not already know this, but so as a reminder to everyone, I am originally from Hawaii. Um, I moved here about 11 years ago. So I went to my first quinceanera this weekend. Um, shout out to Alina uh Martinez on her quinceñera. Shout out, shout out. Um I learned very quickly about the dress code. Um apparently, you are not supposed to wear jeans and a polo shirt to a quincenar.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

No, describe your polo shirt.

SPEAKER_07 4:50

It was a Jordan polo shirt.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Jordan Fiva polo shirt. He wore a FIVA polo shirt and then quince in there. I thought it was just quince and I just meant 15. What I need you to do, okay, what I really need you to do is post the picture of us, yeah, and then right after, I need you to post the group coach's picture so you can just see how everyone was dressed. I want to I want to do a press.

SPEAKER_07 5:16

If it was I mean, if I didn't live like 45 minutes away, I I really was like, if I left now, went back home, I'd be back in an hour and a half. I could I could have done I could do this a lot better, but it was too late. I just I just roll with it. I I didn't know. We don't have quince and eras in Hawaii. I didn't mean what am I supposed to do here?

SPEAKER_03 5:35

Pretty good. Everybody that came in, like we we did walk in fashionably late. We did not miss anything, but the group that all like came in together, we passed Davis table. We all every stable.

SPEAKER_07 5:49

Everybody was like, what are you wearing?

SPEAKER_03 5:51

What like eight or nine of us were like walking by? Every single one's like, what are you wearing, David?

unknown 5:57

So what type of jeans?

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Like what what they were just like, light bulbs. No, they're like blue, like light, like blue jeans. Blue type of jean that no one wears. You know what I'm talking about? Okay, now like that's not that. Oh, wait till you see the photo. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:11

Photo again, I will say I did text Cody and Fernando and ask them about it, and they did not describe it correctly. And Fernando said so, and then Fernando said Google, you took Google. I know, I know. I should have, but I I talked to them, they're Spanish, I thought they would know. So Fernando walked Fernando said he was dressing the same way, and then because they were all getting ready at his house, like Maddie and all them, they walked in with the dresses. He was like, Oh, I better change. Did not think to maybe call me and tell me or bring you an extra pair of pants, or bring me a jacket at least, or something. Nothing, just left me out.

SPEAKER_03 6:47

Every every guy that that was there had like dress pants, button up. There were some jeans, but they had a jacket, yeah. And everybody at least had something. They had I had nothing fancy on. He was wearing Jordans. My movie.

SPEAKER_07 7:00

No, the shoes were nice, though. The shoes were nice. I had the fours on the white cement fours.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

Okay, okay, okay. Made the outfit look less casual, right? Did not help it. It made the red occasion, made it look better, but not for that occasion.

SPEAKER_07 7:14

Yeah, it was it was um I was I was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable the entire Keynes and yeah, I could not wait for that thing to get out of there. I felt so bad.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

In front of every Diva parent in front of everyone.

SPEAKER_07 7:33

Originally, too, so my son had a basketball. I thought he had a basketball tournament that weekend. So I told my no, so I told Monica, who's Alina's who's Alina's mom. I was like, hey, I might not um be able to make it. And she was like, oh, just show up whenever. Just just come after the tournament. So again, in my head, I'm like, well, yeah, I'll just I mean, I'm not gonna dress up to the tournament. So you're lucky he didn't have a tournament, or I would have been in like shorts and I would have been like dressed how I am now in the end of the kinetiera.

SPEAKER_03 7:57

So and it it was one of the most decked out. It was kinsenatas.

SPEAKER_07 8:01

I don't know what the I don't know, but it was not what I expected.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

It was stunning, it was beautiful. Monica did a great job. Alina looked beautiful, yeah. Davis did not file dress coat. I think he learned his lesson that he will always overdress.

SPEAKER_07 8:14

I was dressed like the photographers. See, that's what I see. I'm used to being a photographer at these events. I should have. That's what I should have done. I should just like, oh, I'm just here to I'm just here to take pictures. I'm not actually here to do anything. Anyway, all right. Enough of that, enough of making fun about me. Um, I do want to tell a story about how I first saw Kennedy. And I don't think you know the story, and you probably don't know from my perspective, but um, this was our our very first season. Uh we started during AAU nationals, and back then we were try we had four teams. We had a 16-1s, a 16-2s, um, no, we had three teams. We had 12s and a I think it was a 12s and a 13s. I can't remember. But anyway, we were looking for players for our 16-2s team, which oh no, it's a 17s, 17s, 16-1, 16-2, and a 12s. And Kylie, who was a 17, but she was young enough to play on the 16s, she was gonna help the 16-2s. It was just for the she was gonna because she could do both ways back then. So anyway, we had a so we just had a bunch of open gems. And I walked in, it was at New Life, which I don't know why we're doing open gym in New Life, but we were at New Life, and I remember walking through the door late, and then I s as I walk in, I see this girl on the other side of that just floating through the air and just slamming the ball. And I was like, Who is that? And I'm watching, and so then I was standing and I'm watching, and she does it again, she does it again, she does it again. So immediately, as if I'm some recruiter, I go up to Cottie, and before I could even say a word, Cottie's like, yeah, I know. We know who we know about her already. And so, so anyway, but then it was funny because she was like, um, she's gonna be on the she's gonna be on the 16-2s because the 16-1's roster was full. And in my head, I'm like, Cottie ain't playing that. Yeah, well, anyway, I'm like, oh, this is great because you know, the 16-2s was really just gonna be kind of a hodgepodge team, and you know, Cottie was gonna be kind of helping. Cottie was gonna have to probably play outside hitter because they didn't have anybody else. And I'm just like, oh man, this is gonna be really great. 30 minutes later, Cody's like, yeah, I'm taking it on the ones. I was like, yeah, I kind I kind of figured, and you know, um having having Mia as your setter was was definitely uh, I would imagine a selling point. Yeah, so it was it was a lot of fun. Um, and that was kind of our you know, getting to know the fur our first sight of Kennedy, and then you know, she was with us the rest of the way. So that was that was a lot of fun. Um Elise, when you coached, you got to coach Kennedy her 18th year. Yeah. Um that was fun. That was yeah, what was how was that like for you? One more thing about Kennedy. I don't obviously have to pay to go to tournaments to watch. She's one that I would pay to watch. Like she's worth the price of admission. Would you would you agree?

SPEAKER_03 11:03

Yeah. Oh my god, yeah. When I first saw this girl hit a ball, I was like, oh my god. Glad she's on our side. Yeah, seriously. I mean, your vertical already was just out the roof. And then you and Mia had a really good connection, I would say.

unknown 11:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

Um, but it was fun. I enjoyed it. She's, I mean, she's a great volleyball player, she's funny. Like, I would chest bump her, like when she would do something good. And like she was like one of the few players is like full send, like, yeah, coach, I'll chest bump you. And it's like her chest is like my like face is in her stomach. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Every single time I had to just get lower.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

Chest bump. Oh my gosh. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

That was fun.

SPEAKER_07 11:44

But yeah, it was.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

And I mean, you were just we knew she was gonna do great things in college. That was without a doubt. Um, and she's funny. She was a trip. It was funny.

SPEAKER_07 11:59

Like, it takes I didn't realize it at first when she first came to us because she is kind of like quiet, but like sneaky, not so quiet. Like once you get to know her.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

When you when you get her going, or you guys are like she's funny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

The moment I met Mia, first of all, like it was uh open gym, I think, and I was just watching at first. And Mia was probably the first setter I've ever, ever, ever, ever like. I was like looking at her and I was like, I need to be on her team. I need to be on her team. Like, need to be on her team. And the moment I seen her, I was like, I told Katy, I was like, Who is that? And she was like, That's actually my daughter. And I was like, We gotta, we gotta be on the same team. I need her as my setter. I need her as my setter.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

Oh yeah. I I I'd even have to say I'd be like, Mia. She's like, I know where it's going. I know who you want me to set. I already know what to do. I was like, you got it, you know. Like, we'll be in a like, I'm like, give her that ball, figure it out. I don't care if you have to set the ball 30 feet, like corner to corner. Give her the ball.

SPEAKER_07 13:05

One of the I remember our first tournament was at a wire grass tournament. And I remember we were playing Kiwi, who Kiwi had an excellent um, I think it was six, it was the C out of a 16s team. And I remember um going on to Katia's bench for another court, and Cadi looked at me, she's like, Kennedy is on fire right now. Like that's and that's not very much Katia-like statement. You know what I mean? Katia's usually like focused, and and I mean, I get there and it was just like boom, every swing was a kill. It was just over.

SPEAKER_03 13:32

Yeah, when she hits a ball and the ball hits the ground and goes so loud, it's like I'm like, ooh. Yeah, like you're glad that's not a girl's face.

SPEAKER_07 13:42

Well, and there's also too, like I always say like there are certain people that just are different. Yeah, just an appearance. They just they jump different, like she jumps different than everybody else. Yeah, you know, and she hits the ball different. Like it's just different.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

You won't be able to tell where I'm going until she has a union.

SPEAKER_03 14:06

I mean, remember just college coaches coming by and just like she's a stud. And I'm like, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_07 14:12

We know, we know. I know. We that was it was definitely it was definitely fun. We definitely could use a few more of those. Um so when you came to us your sophomore year, um, you came from a different club, obviously. What was your you know, what was it like your first impressions of FIFA?

SPEAKER_02 14:31

I was like, oh, I need to be at that level. Like at first I was kinda at the lower level, so seeing this competition and seeing these players, like I was like, I need to be over there so I can get better. So I was either scared or then I was excited because I was like, I need I need this. This is I need this for college. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:53

Were you enjoying like the speed of the game?

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Yes, like I needed that though, because I was through I didn't realize how slow I was until I got to like that USA.

SPEAKER_07 15:01

Yeah, until you until you see that higher level play. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Once I got to practice and got faster, like Katya would be on me about uh blocking middles and stuff, and I would be so like every single time. So once I got that together, like just being faster, I was like, this is what I needed.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

You know, when Kennedy was playing, that's when we we would share the court with the boys, like not the same court, but the same gym time. And I remember when we used to be we used to beat the boys. I don't think they ever got a win off of us. And they were livid the 18th season, and I used to love it. I used to walk off and see what it's like. It would be coach Bree. Yeah, like these boys cannot stop her, and then she's blocking the boys and they're getting pissed. It was so funny. Yeah, that was. That was probably that's probably one of my favorite memories.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

That was good times. I loved going against the boys because they just they get so competitive. And I don't know if y'all remember Jonah. Yeah. Jonah, especially. He oh my gosh, he would get angry every single time, and it was just fun to watch.

SPEAKER_07 16:06

It is really fun to watch girls beat the boys. Oh, I love it. It really is fun. I love it. Yeah, it's the first year um when my daughter played in middle school, they had they just added a boys' team. And obviously they didn't know what the boys were terrible, but they would scrimmage the girls, and I snuck into one of the practices, and I mean they must have beat them 25 to nothing. And the boys were livid. Like they couldn't understand, like I can jump, I'm bigger than you, I can jump higher than you, I'm stronger than you. They're not technically sad. And they just didn't have the technique. Now, obviously, they weren't being coached either, and that was you know a long time ago, but still they were like that. They were our boys' team was pretty good. Yeah, they were and we'd still watch them. We still whooped up on them, so that's always good. Always good for women's sports to beat up on the beat up on the guys.

SPEAKER_04 16:48

Hey, we love that. We love that.

SPEAKER_07 16:50

Girl, so speaking of Katia, Kennedy, you play, you know, you played for Katia your 17th year and Elise your 18th year. Um, tell me a little bit about your experiences playing for those two. Um, I've always said, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, I've always said that Elise is like a a younger and slightly cooler Katya.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

Yeah, I I agree.

SPEAKER_07 17:10

Because although the cooler part, because she's in her 30s now, it's not quite the same distance.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Don't listen. It's not true. Same true. I agree. I feel like for Coach Katya, she's I feel like a lot of people are a little scared of her. Just a little bit, just a little bit. But once you get to know her, she's just real she just cares for you. So that's how she loves, that's how she cares. And for you, you're really passionate and you love everybody on the team. So the moment someone, you know, anybody that messes with us, oh, it's a I'm like a mama bear. Literally. She's like, she does not take no crap from anybody, and I love that. I think that's what we're both of y'all. Y'all are both passionate and love volleyball and love your players and love everything. I love that answer. Thank you. I think they're both very similar. And watching y'all play yesterday was funny as well.

SPEAKER_07 18:04

Yeah, we had a um, we had a coach, uh we don't have clips of that. We had a coach meetingslash party yesterday. Um, and so of course you can't have a party with Cottie without going out on the beach courts. And so, and it and then she's always like, Oh, we're not gonna be, it's not gonna be competitive. It always ends up being competitive.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Hey, I love playing with her. And I looked at her and I was like, I know that was bad. That was I said I pulled it together though for that one. So you did yet.

SPEAKER_07 18:28

Yep, yeah, I did it. Yeah. So um, as far as the recruiting process, you know, going on from FIVA to division one, and the biggest reason I want to have you on, because you are obviously a div we're division one player. Um, what was the recruiting process? What did it look like for you? You know, like how many schools were contacting you, um and that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

It was difficult at first, but then once I got a recruiter from Katio told me about Gabby, and he helped me a lot. Like he was so like concentrated on me going to D one. Same way like I feel like everybody at FIBO was like, she needs to go. Like there's no other she has to go to Division One. So um once he figured out that yes, this is the player that needs to go to Vision One, he made sure to gather all the tools, email them, everything, and it was he really made it easier for me. Like I I talked to a lot of coaches and I think the talking part was is a little nerve-wracking, but once you like continue to talk to them, like it it gets better. Yeah, like yeah, so the nerves go away. It does. I I think a lot of athletes get scared when they watch when like the college coaches are watching them. But I don't know, I love it. It was real satisfying.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

That's the competitor, yeah. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 19:51

She's a beast. Yeah. Well, I remember I remember her first your first AU nationals already having some D1 coaches like reach like emailing us. You know, I don't think they could talk to you at that point. I think it was it was too soon. Yeah but they were already like that it I mean, we knew when you when she came to us, she was still a little bit raw again because you weren't used to that speed and that kind of thing, and you just never had a setter like Mia, never um, that kind of thing. So, but it didn't take long. I mean, it wasn't it was we talk about this process, it wasn't like a six-month or a year-long process. I mean, I'm sure you obviously you got better, but it was pretty quick, like in the first couple practices. Okay, this is not gonna take that long. And like I said, that first tournament at Wiregrass against an awesome Kiwi team, um, it was like, yeah, they they can't they can't stop her. If they can't stop her, you know, nobody can stop her. I remember we were in the the last tournament of her 18th year, we were in New Orleans, and you had already signed with Texas Southern. Um, but I don't think that was fun. Yeah, that was fun. I I guess it wasn't marked on your um sheet or whatever that you were signed. So I was having coaches, I had probably four or five coaches come up to me in that tournament. Yeah, she committed, she committed, and I'm like, I'm in a t-shirt with a camera in my hand. I'm not even a coach, I'm not on the bench. Why are you asking me? So I can only imagine like they were everybody was in a feeding frenzy because one of them was like, I still got spots, I got spots for a hitter like that. Like they all wanted her.

SPEAKER_03 21:14

I think even Cray Cow got a a new offer. Delaware.

SPEAKER_07 21:19

Yeah, we had a yeah, yeah. It was at the I think it was at that tournament.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

Yeah, and then Delaware came out.

SPEAKER_07 21:24

Yeah, so we had a you know that that team, um, we had uh you know, obviously Kennedy signed Division I and I say Kennedy was the first because she actually put pen to paper before Emma Craykow. Yeah, so she's technically the first, but Emma Kraykow was an amazing libero that ended up signed with uh Delaware State and she played there, she played there for I guess three or four years as well. She just graduated.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

She just graduated, she's gonna go play uh beach volleyball now.

SPEAKER_07 21:47

Yeah, and then of course Mia could have gone division one if she really wanted to, but she went to high division two. So that that team was that team was not bad. Oh, yeah. That team was not bad, but you know, that was that was really, really fun. So what made You decide on Texas Southern?

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Well, so my mom always told me, like, if you weren't playing volleyball, would you go here? Like, without volleyball, would you stay at this school? So when I went to visit, so Texas Southern wasn't my first visit, it was Sanford with an amp. Sanford and in Alabama, um, Birmingham, Alabama. And when I was at that visit, it wasn't I don't know, it just didn't feel like the place.

SPEAKER_03 22:28

Like the place.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Like it's a huge school. It was offering Apple, MacBook, everything, but like all like other than that, like I wasn't I don't know, I didn't feel at home. And then so when I went to Texas Southern's uh visit on that visit, the moment I was we we went out to eat, I forgot it was like a breakfast place. The moment I was there, I was like, Oh, I'm already part of the team. And they already f like made me feel like I was like a part of the team. So and then I wanted to be in the city. So I wanted to stay okay.

SPEAKER_05 23:00

Where's Texas Southern?

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Houston.

SPEAKER_05 23:03

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

Yeah. In Houston, but it's like I didn't want to be like I like the city life, but I just I don't like to be out and it's like in the middle of nowhere. So like and then I know this has nothing to do with the program, but like if the weather isn't good, I will be the first actually. Like if it's always gloomy or if it's always raining or if it's always cold, I need all at least all for the season. Yeah, at least like so Texas was just the perfect place, and then I already I have family there as well.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

In Houston, you got a lot of good food options. A lot, yeah. The cool thing too is like if you live outside the city, it's not hard to get into the city. It's not at all.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

It's it has a good lot of good areas, like a lot of good areas. So it was good. I like that.

SPEAKER_07 23:48

So, you know, talking again about again being division one athlete, um, that's pretty much the ultimate goal for you know volleyball players and and really athletes in general. Everybody wants to be division one, they think. Um but I don't think a lot of people understand the level and how talented Division I athletes are. Um yeah, you know, they have they have they have a great size and athleticism that just isn't what your normal, yeah, your normal player is. Um talk to me a little bit about about that and like the type of players you played with and against in Division I.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

So you would think I was the tallest person on the team. And you're what, six foot, six foot? Six foot, six foot. Once I got there, I was literally looking up at majority of the hitters, the middles. The of obviously liberos wasn't, you know, or the beros are like what, like five nine? Actually, no, yeah, because one one of the girls, Angelica, shout out to Angelica. She was right at my shoulder. That's crazy. She was amazing. But um it's just like uh all of them were really competitive. So like I felt like everybody had one goal, and that was obviously we want to win, but we want to achieve stuff like we they didn't achieve like before the season, like before we got there. So a lot of us, you know, we wanted to win we wanted the swag championship, and I don't I don't that school had it like I don't think they had uh won the championship in a while. So we that's what we did.

SPEAKER_07 25:18

We wanted that so yeah, what was so what would you say in the front row, what was the average height?

SPEAKER_02 25:25

Six three.

SPEAKER_07 25:26

That's wild. And so what it was everybody touching ten feet pretty much?

SPEAKER_03 25:31

Oh yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Maybe me in the middle. You know, and another outside. Yeah. But like a majority, yeah, the majority.

SPEAKER_07 25:42

Yeah, you were touching what about 10? I think you touch 10 2 with us when you play with us. Did you get up higher? No?

SPEAKER_02 25:50

I thought I I thought well. No, I didn't. It was either 10 3 or 10 2. 10 2 if I remember right.

SPEAKER_07 26:00

Yeah. But yeah, like like that, oh, only 10 feet.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

I mean like 10 feet in a pool.

SPEAKER_07 26:07

I mean, that's I just don't think people I don't think people realize, I mean, how elite of an athlete Division I players are. I mean, it's just not the same. You can usually like you, like when you walk to our court, you can see Kennedy was just a little bit different. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like she was just we had other great players too, but a D1 player, they just different. They just they just look different. They walk different, they eat their food differently.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

They're just different. They're a whole different what I say, they're a whole different breed.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Yeah, like even the teams we went against. Oh my goodness. We went against uh Texas State. Um oh man. Listen, any team like if it's like a Texas State or Arizona, we went against Arizona. I love to s play against those type of teams because I just want to see how I play against them. Like we we we played against Baylor at a tournament. But listen, it it's just good to see w how you like how you can per perform with that different because we're all in like different conferences.

SPEAKER_03 27:21

Yeah, so how are those girls like that competitiveness during like during a game? Like, is it a lot of like yeah, like just or they get that kill that like, yeah, I knew I could do that.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

The the other team? Yeah. Oh my gosh, yeah. It's exactly like that, yeah. Yeah, yeah. They is there trash talk? Yes, and our coach didn't want us to, so it didn't feel good because we couldn't do it back.

SPEAKER_03 27:44

So they were they were trash talking, you're just like, okay, we we we I wish I could trash talk you back, but coach won't let me.

unknown 27:51

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

If I could, I would have. Yeah, did you see that guy? Yeah, I just sold you. Oh my gosh, yeah. There was one, oh, it was really bad. One girl, she one of the girls got subbed out, and she was like, Oh yeah, I'm glad you're gone. You didn't do nothing anyways, on the other side of the net. And I'm looking at the coach like, Come on, coach, please let me say something. I can't get my girls back. Right. Like we can't say nothing, but yeah, it was it was good competition though. So we I got to see Texas play too. Like, I love to watch those teams, like even though I'm a Nebraska fan, I'm sorry. I'm Nebraska, but seeing Texas, we seen Baylor, it was just a lot, a lot of those like high level, you know, teams. So it was good to play against them as well. That's awesome. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 28:47

So um how demanding of your time is it to be a division one athlete? Kind of walk me through like your average day and that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

So I think spring, so during the spring time in the spring season, I think that was the hardest because we had to wake up super early, and I'm not a morning person. I realized I'm not a morning person at all. So we would wake up at 5 a.m. and then it was like a six to seven, I did not mean to do that. Six to seven six to seven um practice, and then right after we would have weights, and then we had ne treatment was oh I missed part. We had to get taped and then practice and then weights, and then after weights, we it was mandatory mandatory treatment, so we had to make sure we get some type of like uh cupping or I used to get stem on my knee or like ice baths and we everyone had to do ice baths. If you didn't have consequences if you it was a lot of consequences. So after after that we would go to the calf and the calf was our favorite spot right after after practice or after weights, we would go to calf and yeah, and then if you have class, you gotta go to class right after. Now, if uh class is like between weights, we just could skip that. Not not skip weights, but we either reschedule it or leave earlier. So yeah, so so you're there all night. I'll literally like eight six five a.m. to I'll say like twelve.

SPEAKER_07 30:35

Yeah, so there's not a whole lot of nightlife, probably in that case.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Yeah, she's like, yeah, my pillow. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_07 30:42

Well that and that's and that's another thing. I don't think people, a lot of people realize how hard it is, how much work like you don't, it's not just glitzing. Everything says glitz and glamour, and you're in these big arenas and getting the best of everything, but you work. No, yeah, it's a job, it is a job.

SPEAKER_03 30:56

Yeah, it's not it's you know, it's the sport you love, but it ends up being a job. Yeah, yeah. I remember did you guys ever have like two a days?

SPEAKER_02 31:04

We yeah, we did, we did. So same time we would have actually uh positionals like in the morning and then team practice after. Oh wow. So like that it just depends on if it's like spring season, but there was multiple teams that had to practice in that gym, so like we couldn't go anywhere else. So if there was uh basketball that had to practice, we would just have to leave early.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

But yeah, it would it would be so and then I I'm assuming that's like a end day of like five or six o'clock at night. Yeah, how long? Yeah, that's insane. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 31:38

Tell you people just they just don't really they they want the glitz and glamour, but they just don't quite realize that it is it's a lot, it's a lot, and you have to truly love it because I mean, am I correct? There's not a whole lot of life outside of volleyball.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

There isn't it's not, but that's the thing with the school I picked. I feel like there's life, there was life there. So like I was able to still go to events like that's uh out at the school, we had hump nights um on Wednesdays, and that was a lot of fun. It was on campus, and we everybody, you know, any chance we got to like have free time, we we tried our best to not just be volleyball, volleyball, volleyball. Yeah, so that's cool. We it was a lot it was.

SPEAKER_07 32:20

Yeah, I remember I remember we had a um we had an athlete that went to University of Tampa, and one of the things they told her in the recruiting meeting, they had the the players come in and talk to her, and they were like, you know, look, we all chose to be here. We all all my club teammates, they all played division one, yeah, but most of them are they were saying like they're most of them are miserable. Yeah, you know, because they're because of the kind of thing you just described. Yeah, whereas division two is a little more laid back. So I think a lot of parents that you know don't really under a lot of kids and parents don't really understand that it's it's a lot. Yeah, yeah, it's cool, it's cool to play against Texas and all that, but you know, you better be able to put in really be put in the work. Yeah. Um so when you started as a freshman, you were a six rotation starter. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Pretty rare, I would say. I mean, you don't usually see that.

SPEAKER_03 33:07

Rare, really rare. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 33:08

How how physically demanding was it to do that?

SPEAKER_02 33:12

It was a lot, but like at for club, I was six rotational uh outside usually, some most of the time. So when I got club to college, I was able to kind of adjust quick. So yes, it was a it took a toll on my whole entire body, but I feel like as an outside hitter, like it helps me hit better if I'm staying in. Yeah, like if I'm in on the court the whole entire time, and I love service passing. I love and she was good at all. Oh my gosh, yes. So anytime I could just pass back row or any type of defense while I'm back row or back row attacks, it was just something I love to do regardless. So it did take a toll on my like my knees, poor knees, poor knees, but yeah, you know, and my shoulder. But it wasn't like it wasn't too bad, but it was it was it was a lot, but at the same time I was prepared for it.

SPEAKER_07 34:15

So yeah. So as far as other girls that are you know who are looking to play division one, do you have any advice for them?

SPEAKER_02 34:23

Yeah, so if you are trying to play D one, first of all, you have to be coachable. I've realized that as a coach that a coach's dream is for a coachable player. So if you're able to coach your players or if you're able to listen to your coach and you know perform how they want you to perform, coaches will love that. And if especially if you're a good teammate, you just need to be a good teammate, you need to be consistent and you need to be able to handle pressure well as well. Like if you're not able to do something if it's like 25-25 and you know, execute what you need to do, then I don't I don't know what to tell you, but you're probably not making it division one. But like and like it is time consuming, so you just gotta be able to adjust to any and everything. So yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:18

Yeah, I I I'm glad you brought that up because one of the things that you know we well going back to you when you played, I you know, you had Cottie and Elise, who I would say, in my opinion, what I saw, they both coached you hard.

SPEAKER_04 35:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:32

I mean, and and a lot of our what we have now um is we have so many kids that they say I want to be coached hard, but then the second they're coached hard, they there's issues. Whether it whether whether the parents complain or they complain or they shut down, and I don't think people realize that you have to be able to handle that. So you were always really good. And I used to um I love your mom, and so I used to sit with your mom a lot, and I would be there would be several times I can remember where I would be sitting with your mom, and you know, Elise or Cottie would just be, you know, just be getting on your case, and your mom was just like, Well, she should she should be she should have listened on her. Like your mom was never the type of though, they why they yell at my daughter too much, or you know, where they would, you know, you didn't get pulled out too much. When you got pulled out, yeah, she never complained at all. Yeah, and so I think that was I think that's people don't understand that one of the things that we get too and out a lot is um we have parents that the biggest thing we've been getting, I would say this year is you pulled out my daughter, but you didn't give her an explan explanation as to why.

SPEAKER_04 36:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 36:37

And I always say to that, well, I wasn't even there, but I can tell you why they pulled you out because you didn't do something right. Right. You didn't, you know, you you made an error, you you know weren't listening, this, that, or the other. But a lot of people think they they have to have that explanation every single time. Yeah, but I mean I just I just think that people have to understand that the coaches don't always have to give you an explanation. Yeah. You know, because it does take away, let's say, you know, you pull a player out and you talk to them for 30 seconds, the next play is already going on. So the coach is already distracted from there. Yeah. And I don't, and I could be mistaken, but I don't think in college when you get pulled out, you're gonna get that explanation.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

Oh no, there's you don't have no time to realize what you did, but you already should know why.

SPEAKER_07 37:18

And that's the thing, and and that's another thing I think is like, you know, people say, I want my kid to play division one, I want to play my kid to play division two, I want to play in college, and but they're not really letting willing to let them be prepared for college. Because in college, you don't get an explanation, you're gonna get pulled out, you're gonna get chewed out, and if you can't handle it in club, what makes you think that you're gonna go to college and all of a sudden without mom and dad there, you're gonna be able to handle that situation? Yeah, right? There's just no way. I mean, you're not you're not gonna be prepared for that if you've never been yelled at. And I look, I go back and I look at, you know, we probably have an average of eight to ten girls sign every year. The girls who it's not exclusive, but a lot of the girls who don't make it are those same girls that really couldn't handle criticism, or their parents didn't like when they would get, you know, criticized criticized. And I think that's one of the things that probably helped you and other players like you, like a Mia, for example. Mia Mia was, I mean, you know, Mia's been chewed out her whole life. You know, she was able to handle it, but you have to be able to deal with some adversity on your own without complaining or quitting the team or going to a new club because they were too hard on me. Because the reality is if a coach is hard on you, they're trying to make you better.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

Yeah, yeah. And I and like I I think that's where most coaches are. Like, you're in a game, right? You're doing what's best for the team. You're gonna coach your kids hard because you want them to be successful. Yeah, you know what they need to do. Those girls probably already know what they need to fix, right? Because it's not I always tell people you don't hear the first some of these things first at a tournament. You hear it in practice first. Yeah, it's something that they're probably already hearing, it's probably something they already know. And you're just reiterating. It's like it's a tournament's not to fix it, yeah. It's to perform and do that. That's what practice is for. And if you're not showing that right in practice that you can do it, how's a coach gonna trust you to be able to go out there and do that in the game? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You know, and that's at all levels. Yeah, it's every level, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 39:18

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and so now that you have um transitioned into coaching, yeah, which by the way, I was so excited to hear. I love it. You know, um, it's funny because Kyle didn't even tell me. She just put on the group chat. She was like, we have our coach Kennedy Reed, and I was like, wait a minute, is that the same coach Kennedy Reed? I think I was like the Kennedy. I think either me or you put the job. Is this the Kennedy Reed? Um, so yeah, you're coaching one of our four teens down team now. What has that transition to coaching been like for you?

SPEAKER_02 39:48

First of all, just being at FIVA is just y'all have a y'all in my heart for real. Like, I don't I don't know if y'all understand that, but y'all really did a lot for me. So I just being here, I understand y'all. I really understand y'all, and I apologize to you and Coach Katia for how like you y'all need to know y'all's potential, and y'all don't see what we like what y'all, you and on that side of the show. So now that I'm behind the scenes and I see it, I'm like, I'm I really understand it. But I I really like it though. So I I understand y'all now, and I feel like as a coach, I'm very patient, and I feel like they almost have me, almost had me. But I just I like it. I I highly recommend anybody who's you know played volleyball or you know, you know, any type of experience with volleyball to coach because it's it's real healing. Like I I miss playing now. And I I went back to like club videos, our our tournaments to watch it, and I'm like, wow, like we we were that team. Yeah, we were that team. Those are some fun days. Oh, yeah. Great days, and there would be tournaments where we didn't realize how good of a team we were. And I'm like, wow, we we really I know we stressed y'all out. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Now you get it, now you get it as a coach, right? I get it.

SPEAKER_07 41:17

Yeah, no, it that's what Cadi always says. She's like, it's so now it's so different now that I'm like, you know, when she helps coach, she's like, now I'm seeing, I'm like hanging out with Elise now, and now I'm like hanging out with Cottie. It's like it's so weird.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Yes, it's really different. It's fun though. Yeah, it is fun. I love it. And y'all are a big family, and it just feels so y'all were always a family when I was playing anyways. So just to be in that, it's just it's a great, it's great.

SPEAKER_07 41:43

Well, I mean, from this is being honest, from day one, everyone you know fell in love with you as a coach. Um, you're definitely a natural at it. Um, oh, one more little story. When we had a we got a um a new coach, we had a like our coach's party yesterday. One of the one of the coaches came in, the new coach, and he was talking, you know, he was from another club, and I was like, he's like, Yeah, I remember I've coached against her and I've coached against Fernando, and I've coached with him. And he goes, but I remember playing against her. You don't forget, yeah. You don't you don't forget.

SPEAKER_03 42:13

I almost feel like I've I've seen that level, like you know what I mean? Like I've seen him on the same court as Kennedy that makes sense. No, yeah, like like I've seen it before, but I was cracking up.

SPEAKER_07 42:22

Yeah, I tell you, you don't forget Kennedy.

SPEAKER_02 42:24

No, God, no, no, I had to tell him. I'm like, I don't know if you remember me. He's like, I remember you. But I was like, we we played you guys, I just can't remember like where he came from the night he told me. So yeah, I remember him.

SPEAKER_07 42:39

Yeah, that's funny. So so that is Kennedy Reed. Yeah, thank you so much for joining us, Kennedy. Um, so next week, just to let you guys know, we are I am working on trying to get our our boys' coaches here because we have never we have only talked about our girls' team, so you know boys gotta get a little love too. So um it's been there's a little bit of difficulty working out their schedule because they all work all over the place. And again, Elise is up here in Tennessee, so it's a little difficult to get here, but um, we're gonna work to make that happen. Hopefully, we'll have it next week. Um, once again, if you have any questions, you can send it to Fiva Podcast at gmail.com. Thank you guys for joining us, and we will see you guys next week.

SPEAKER_06 44:04

Every set, every side out. We talk it all on the pine, no doubt. How about the shape can hold us? Happy voices in the chorus. Both say, love this game. Sing it loud, remember the name. How about the shape?

SPEAKER_00 44:25

How about the tape? Whistle blows, we're all new up, we press play. Parents in the parking lot, kids dreaming on the way. Laughing through the bloopers, crying when we fall short. Then we're back in the gym. Turn the plane in the sport. Culture leaves with the wisdom.