Kentucky Volleyball's Resilience, Recruitment, and Fan Engagement Success - Episode Hero Image

Kentucky Volleyball's Resilience, Recruitment, and Fan Engagement Success

KSR · · Listen to Original Episode →
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TL;DR

  • The Kentucky Volleyball team's ability to overcome early deficits, exemplified by an eight-and-one record after losing the first set, demonstrates significant resilience and a capacity for dramatic comebacks.
  • The volleyball team's success is indirectly linked to Andrew Carr's decision to play basketball, as his sister Lizzie then joined the volleyball team, highlighting interconnectedness in athletic recruitment.
  • A key insight into the volleyball team's performance is the "weight off their shoulders" observed in the fifth set huddle, suggesting that overcoming early nerves is crucial for peak performance.
  • The podcast hosts express confusion regarding volleyball rotations and substitutions, indicating a common knowledge gap that could hinder broader fan engagement with the sport's intricacies.
  • The team's marketing and fan engagement efforts are praised as exemplary, offering valuable lessons for other UK Athletics programs on how to build excitement and connect with supporters.
  • The volleyball team's performance is seen as a positive distraction from apathy in football and basketball, underscoring the impact of consistent success on overall fan morale.
  • The podcast highlights the strategic advantage of the volleyball team's "dump" (formerly "pew") plays, demonstrating how specific offensive maneuvers can be effective in scoring.

Deep Dive

The Kentucky Wildcats women's volleyball team has secured a spot in the NCAA Championship game, showcasing remarkable resilience and clutch performance in their Final Four victory over Wisconsin. This win, however, highlights a broader trend of the SEC's growing dominance in collegiate sports and provides a much-needed morale boost for the UK athletics program, particularly amidst perceived apathy in football and basketball.

The path to the championship was marked by intense, back-and-forth rallies, demonstrating the exceptional athleticism and mental fortitude of the Wildcats. Despite early struggles and losing the first set, the team consistently battled back, a testament to their heart and their coach's ability to foster a strong team chemistry. This resilience is not unique to this match; it mirrors the team's overall performance, suggesting a deep well of competitive spirit that has captured the attention of the fanbase. The engagement strategies employed by the UK athletics department, particularly in volleyball, are serving as a model for other sports within the program, proving that success and effective marketing can revitalize fan enthusiasm. This timely success offers a stark contrast to the recent performance in other major sports, underscoring the desire for competitive excellence across all UK athletic endeavors.

The implications of this volleyball success extend beyond the current season. The team's performance, coupled with effective fan engagement, provides a blueprint for building and sustaining athletic program excitement. For Kentucky fans, this championship run offers a tangible source of pride and a demonstration of what consistent success looks like. As the Wildcats prepare for the national championship match, the focus remains on their ability to maintain this high level of play and secure a title that would further solidify the SEC's athletic prowess and provide a significant win for the Kentucky program.

Action Items

  • Audit volleyball rotation and substitution rules: Document current practices and identify areas for clarification to prevent confusion for new fans.
  • Track 3-5 key volleyball performance metrics (e.g., digs per set, hitting efficiency) during the championship match to assess team resilience under pressure.
  • Analyze the impact of Andrew Carr's recruitment on the volleyball team's success by mapping player connections and transfer decisions.
  • Measure fan engagement with volleyball by tracking social media mentions and bar attendance for 2-3 key matches.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the volleyball team's marketing and fan engagement strategies against those of other UK sports programs.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"I did a rare pacing around my house you pace I paced I had to have a meeting at 10:30 via phone so I went to the bar and watched the first two sets into the third set then I went home had the meeting virtually and then watched the end of the fourth and the start of the fifth or all the fifth that's just I don't know how a person's supposed to have their heart work after watching that I can't imagine like being a family member it's so tense and everybody's spiking and they're digging and they're setting and I am an expert by the end and I'm like set better you know and then Eva Hudson gets the great play at the end the delay car it was so exciting to get the win and now they play Texas A&M for a title."

Matt Jones describes the intense emotional experience of watching the Kentucky Volleyball team's NCAA championship match. He highlights the back-and-forth nature of the game and the incredible athleticism displayed by the players, emphasizing the difficulty of enduring such a high-stakes competition.

"The two things that I just fascinate me about volleyball a every team has like not every team but some teams have like one or two girls who can just hit the beep out of it like they come in there and they're like oh my goodness like a cannon and the taller they are it's like whoa and then the second thing is how do they dig those how do they even see it you know like I mean it's I am amazed by by watching that it's it's actually so impressive they were two really really good teams last night and for the first couple games Wisconsin had the best player on the floor that Carter Booth she was killing it."

Matt Jones expresses his admiration for specific aspects of volleyball, focusing on the power of hitters and the defensive prowess of players who can "dig" hard-hit balls. He notes that Wisconsin's Carter Booth was a standout player in the early stages of the match, demonstrating the high level of competition.

"Well Andrew Carr a lot of gratitude for setting and sending those two girls our way because they were awesome we could use him on the basketball team too he can make a shot three you know if we don't have Mark Pope we don't have Andrew Carr and we don't have Mark Pope without losing to Oakland so in some ways losing to Oakland is going to lead to our volleyball national championship."

Matt Jones connects the success of the volleyball team to the basketball program, suggesting that Andrew Carr's decision to come to UK for basketball indirectly led to the recruitment of key volleyball players Eva Hudson and Lizzie Carr. He humorously posits that even a loss in basketball could be a catalyst for volleyball's national championship success.

"Well it was exciting to watch it last night this group of girls they can keep falling behind in these big matches but you can't give up on them because man they've got some heart coming back but battle back they were eight and one after losing the first set which is amazing I think that's a pretty amazing statistic."

Matt Jones praises the Kentucky Volleyball team's resilience and "heart" in their ability to come back from deficits during crucial matches. He points to their impressive 8-1 record after losing the first set as evidence of their tenacity and fighting spirit.

"So apparently they're not called pews pew uh they're called dumps so we were taking a lot of dumps last night and scoring points pews much better is it really called the dump according to a couple of messages we received from ball knowers I mean come on that's a horrible name we had seven dumps."

Matt Jones discusses a new term he learned for a volleyball move, referred to as a "dump" rather than a "pew." He finds the name "dump" to be unappealing, despite its apparent accuracy according to volleyball enthusiasts, and notes that the team executed this move seven times during the game.

"I love how fast paced it is yeah I love how happy everyone is I love that they seem like they're fun young women on there and they're really really good and they're good and there's a lot you can feel the athleticism because these girls jump so high in the air so yeah I love it I'm I am a fan."

Matt Jones expresses his growing fandom for the Kentucky Volleyball team, appreciating the sport's fast pace, the players' apparent happiness and camaraderie, and their exceptional athleticism. He finds the team's performance and the overall experience of watching them enjoyable.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "The Little Drummer Boy" - Mentioned as a favorite Christmas carol.

Articles & Papers

  • "The Journey" (Twitter) - Mentioned as a behind-the-scenes video of UK games.

People

  • Michelle Branstine - Award-winning chef, restaurant tour guide, and mom, prescribed Cosentyx for psoriatic arthritis.
  • Carter Booth - Wisconsin player, described as having the best player on the floor in the first two sets.
  • Andrew Carr - Mentioned as coming to UK to play basketball, and his sister Lizzie also decided to play volleyball.
  • Lizzie Carr - Andrew Carr's sister, who decided to play volleyball at UK.
  • Jack Galki - Mentioned as setting up volleyball.
  • Katie George - Fellow Louisvillian and sports person of the year, mentioned in relation to a potential broadcast.
  • American Pharaoh - Mentioned as a co-recipient of a sports person of the year award.
  • Russ Rigby - Mentioned in relation to not being allowed to do a specific move in Transylvania intramural volleyball.
  • Rick Pitino - Mentioned in relation to the Kentucky vs. Saint John's game and the denim uniform.
  • Bruce Pearl - Mentioned as calling the Kentucky vs. Saint John's game and as someone who loves Kentucky.
  • Bill Raftery - Mentioned as calling the Kentucky vs. Saint John's game.
  • Dick Vitale - Mentioned in relation to announcers and talking about games.
  • Charles Barkley - Mentioned in relation to announcers and talking about games.
  • Jaylen Lowe - Mentioned as being on the bench during the Indiana game and expressing love for his teammates.
  • Mark Pope - Mentioned in relation to the Kentucky vs. Saint John's game and as a coach who nearly cursed in the locker room.
  • Ian Fitz Simmons - Mentioned as a coach to be met with.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Cosentyx (secukinumab) - Prescribed for active psoriatic arthritis.
  • Healthy Choice Simply Steamers - Mentioned for grilled chicken and broccoli alfredo, with 28 grams of protein and nothing artificial.
  • United Healthcare - Offers Tri Term Medical Plans underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company.
  • Shell V-Power Nitro+ - Premium gasoline mentioned for removing performance-robbing deposits.
  • Comedy Off Broadway - Venue welcoming Joe List, Grace O'Malley, and Sean Patton.
  • Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) - Podcast name.
  • Stockton Mortgage - Sponsor of Kentucky Sports Radio.
  • Don Franklin Hyundai - Sponsor of Kentucky Sports Radio's Somerset Virtual Takeover.
  • NCAA - Mentioned in relation to a potential player suspension.
  • SEC (Southeastern Conference) - Mentioned as the only SEC team to ever win a volleyball title.
  • Texas A&M - Opponent for the volleyball championship game.
  • iFit - Contract for $250,000 mentioned in relation to a fitness competition.
  • Trainer Games - Show on Prime Video.
  • Odoo - All-in-one business software platform.
  • Coca-Cola - Mentioned for its seasonal offerings.
  • Ruby Studio - Mentioned in relation to Mind the Business small business success stories.
  • Into It Quickbooks - Mentioned in relation to Mind the Business small business success stories.
  • Liberty Mutual - Offers customizable car insurance.
  • CVS - Mentioned for community presence and services.
  • Tuck Tuck's Snack Shop - Restaurant mentioned as requiring orders a week in advance.
  • Jason's Deli - Located near Tuck Tuck's Snack Shop.
  • Los Doble B Podcast - Podcast featuring Angel, Diego, and Jason, discussing regional Mexican music and gossip.
  • Sprite Winter Spice Cranberry - Seasonal drink.
  • Western Kentucky - Mentioned in relation to head coaches.
  • Southern Miss - Mentioned in relation to their punter.
  • Saint John's - Opponent for Kentucky Basketball.
  • Indiana - Mentioned in relation to a past game and a "Journey" video.
  • Auburn - Mentioned as beating St. John's.
  • Alabama - Mentioned as playing a great game against St. John's.
  • Iowa State - Mentioned as beating St. John's by one point.
  • North Carolina - Mentioned in relation to a basketball game and fans.
  • Houston - Mentioned in relation to a basketball game.
  • Arkansas - Mentioned in relation to a basketball game.
  • Duke - Mentioned in relation to a basketball game.
  • Texas Tech - Mentioned in relation to a basketball game.
  • Oregon - Mentioned in relation to a college football game.
  • James Madison - Mentioned in relation to a college football game.
  • Frederick Douglass High School - Mentioned in relation to girls' basketball games.
  • Club Blue Bourbon - Bourbon supporting NIL, with white and blue labels winning gold medals.
  • Bespoken Spirits - Maker of Club Blue Bourbon.

Tools & Software

  • Omnystudio.com/listener - Mentioned for privacy information.

Websites & Online Resources

  • 1844cosentyx.com - Website for Cosentyx.
  • cosentyx.com - Website for Cosentyx.
  • uh1.com - Website for United Healthcare.
  • comedyoffbroadway.com - Website for Comedy Off Broadway.
  • trainergames.com - Website to watch the trailer for Trainer Games.
  • odoo.com - Website to try Odoo for free.
  • bespoken.com - Website for Bespoken Spirits.

Podcasts & Audio

  • Disgraceful - Podcast hosted by Grace O'Malley.
  • Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories - Podcast on iheartradio, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Other Resources

  • Pancake (volleyball term) - A defensive move where a player gets their hand between the floor and the ball.
  • Dumps (volleyball term) - A move where a player acts like they are going to spike but gives a soft touch over the net.
  • Pew (volleyball term) - A move where a player acts like they are going to spike but gives a soft touch over the net.
  • Pavy Rule - Mentioned in relation to potential extra years of eligibility.
  • Denim Uniforms - Mentioned in relation to Kentucky basketball.
  • College World Series - Mentioned in relation to UK's run.
  • College Football Playoff - Mentioned as having three games on Saturday.
  • NFL - Mentioned in relation to the Bears vs. Packers game.

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