As parents around the country are getting used to their new clubs/teams for the 2026 season, we discussed the Pros and Cons of "playing up". As we have heard and experienced the good situations and the horror stories over what playing with an older team might mean for your child's season. And we have walls now.

Have you ever heard of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome? It's also called POTS! We tell the story of how we discovered that one of our athletes deals with this syndrome and what we have done to deal with it during the highly demanding club volleyball season. This IS the hydration episode. Also, Alison almost lost a finger one time.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots

We headed to the beach, sorta. We caught up with Georgia Beach Volleyball Director & Master Coach - Taylor Snipes - and discussed her vision for the beach game and how indoor players benefit from the experience of training in the sand. We got into how the game is growing and what college coaches are looking for when it comes to finding the right player and the right personality fit for their beach programs.

https://georgiabeachvolleyball.com

Instagram: @gabeachvb

Chapter 7 features Mark Prater - Indoor Officials Chair for SRVA and College Volleyball Referee. Mark can be seen working the biggest matches across the nation every week, including the SEC and ACC conferences. We discussed his background and just how rule changes come about at the college and club levels... including the four rule changes coming to USAV matches for the 2025-2026 season. Setters and Liberos celebrate this one.

We sat down with AJ Jones, known to the volleyball world as "AJ, the person you want to stop by your court". AJ is a professional photographer and videographer who works with young athletes to document their careers and also provide marketable moments. She talks about how she went from disposable cameras to shooting professional teams and everything in between. And the role social media plays for young athletes.

wyldphotofilm.com

Instagram: @wyldfilm

We got a chance to interview Mackenzie Tichenor, former University of Florida volleyball star and now working in the family business. What business you may ask? VOLLEYBALL. She's the head of social media, public relations and marketing for The Nike Big South National Qualifier. She tells the story of how her family founded the tournament and how it's grown from small beginnings to a massive national event.

And yes, we asked about parking.

We caught up with A5 and National Championship winning coach Erin Flynn, whose daughter experienced the entire recruiting process and found herself a home in collegiate volleyball. All the ups and downs of the recruiting process are part of this one!

We talk with NASM Certified Personal Trainer Thomas Jenei (CPT, PES, CES, PN 1 Nutrition Certified) on his work with young athletes and the coaching and education he provides to help them reach their health and fitness goals. He's the current GOAT, he holds all of the belts. We also talk about the dangers of the volleyball tournament smoothie stand.

Follow Thomas Jenei on Instagram @tjenei22