Episode 68: TJ DeFalco (Long Beach St)/Dante Chakravorti (UCI), Big West MVB, 12-8-20

In this episode of the Viral Volley Podcast former Big West rivals put aside their differences to “colab” in the Italian professional league with Tonno Calippo Calabria Vibo-Valentia (yes, that is the FULL name of the team they’re on)!

4x AVCA All-American and 2x National Champion TJ DeFalco of Long Beach St. and All Big West honoree Dante Chakravorti of UCI share their current experience in Italy with competition during COVID times, their careers so far and their thoughts on the situation for all NCAA athletes, particularly their former teammates, coaches and programs.

We end the episode with the release of a special toy for the Christmas 2020 season behind the creative spark of TJ’s sister, Teagan DeFalco (Indoor/Beach Grand Canyon University).

iTunes: Coming soon…
Podbean: https://bit.ly/2VVAq2u
Pandora: https://bit.ly/36WdfLS
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2K0PPMu
Rob-on-the-Mic:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/R_WCVnE0E-o

Episode 67: Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth, LSU Beach

After the shortened 2020 Collegiate Beach Volleyball season an unexpected partnership formed between AVCA Beach and Indoor All-Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth. From it we saw 12 tournament finals with victories, with 2 of them being AVPNext tournaments with highly reputable names in the game.

In this episode Kristen and Taryn share about the 2020 season, how they came to play in tournaments during the pandemic, how they trained during this time and what to expect to see come the 2021 season in the CCSA and the LSU Sandy Tigers!

Episode 66: David Smith, ZAKSA, Poland and COVID

In this episode of the Viral Volley Podcast USA Men’s National Team Middle Blocker David Smith drops in to talk about his Zaksa team and how they are 8-0 to kick off the Plusliga season. With the team not having to go to a single 5th-set this season so far it would seem they are unstoppable, however living in pandemic times means that there is another opponent hovering about—COVID.

With leagues and sports teams attempting to maintain safety protocols worldwide nobody is invulnerable to the detrimental effects of an outbreak. David shares his experience with being the last team in Plusliga to experience a COVID outbreak with 10 of 14 teammates contracting the coronavirus.

iTunes: https://apple.co/3f6qbBs
Podbean: https://bit.ly/2UsESoT
Pandora: https://bit.ly/32Ngcf4
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/32MmoUR


Episode 65: The NVA Showcase, SLC, UT - Olivia Phelps & Nick England

Professional Men's Volleyball is planting seeds in the USA. The NVA, or National Volleyball League now fields 8 teams across the United States with former NCAA athletes that played in D1-2 to NAIA institutions, and American professionals and Olympians with a few international athletes from Puerto Rico and Canada in the mix.

This last weekend in Salt Lake City, UT, the NVA Showcase took place with all 8 teams combating in 20 matches over 4 days to win the NVA Showcase Cup. In this Episode 65 of The Viral Volley Podcast courtside reporter, Olivia Phelps and Play-by-Play Commentator and Las Vegas Rambler, Nick England took the time to discuss the competition, top teams and top performers of the NVA Showcase.

Nick shares the official All-Showcase team while both hand-pick their favorite athletes and stories of the weekend.

Episode 64: Bret Almazan-Cezar, Archbishop Mitty 11/10/20

Bret Almazan-Cezar had over 20 years of coaching high school and club volleyball. In that time he has amassed 7 National Championships, 6 California Teams of the Year, 11 California State Championships and almost 900 career wins. Even with this resume, he has decided to step away from the reigns.

Bret discusses why he decided to retire from coaching national high school volleyball powerhouse Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, CA) and what his future possibilities may hold in the game.

He then reflects on some of the standout players he has coached like 2-time Olympian, Nicole Davis, and current AVP athlete, Allie Wheeler, but he also discusses having to face Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn, and other opponents like April Ross, Jennifer Carey (Dorr) and Alex Klineman as memorable moments in his coaching career.

  • iTunes: Coming soon...

  • Rob-on-the-Mic:

  • Pandora: https://bit.ly/3eLjzbk

  • Podbean: https://bit.ly/38wAWvy

  • Spotify: https://spoti.fi/35gydEr

  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/AT7fvyk95vE

Episode 63: Megan & Nicole McNamara, UCLA/Volleyball Canada 11/4/20

On this episode of The Viral Volley Podcast, Rob Espero talks with AVCA All-Americans and 2-time Collegiate Beach All-Americans (although Canadians 😊 ) Megan and Nicole McNamara.

After graduating from UCLA with back-to-back Collegiate Beach National Championships Megan and Nicole are now professionally playing on the FIVB tour internationally as representatives of Volleyball Canada in Beach Volleyball. In our discussion we dive into how COVID had them adapt and adjust their plans for their rookie season, and playing in their pair of events in the Netherlands, the DELA Breda Open and the King of the Court in Utrecht.

Episode 62: Hailey Harward, USC Beach, 10/19/20

In this mini-pod episode, USC Beach graduate student Hailey Harward discusses her's and partner, Julia Scoles' success in a couple of big tournaments this last summer: Waupaca, and the AVP America in Myrtle Beach, SC. Their extremely "fresh" partnership has resulted in 2 tournament championships in 2 attempts.

Additionally, being back on campus means having roommates, one of them being summer-partner, Julia, but also having a 2021 Olympian for Latvia and international super star, Tina Graudina, who tested false-positive for COVID for the King of the Court Tournament in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Hailey gives us a little insight of what the 2021 Trojan Collegiate Beach team's potential given a vast array of talent. NOTE: I was asked to be interviewed for a "School Assignment" for Hailey and I turned it into an impromptu mini-interview.

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Episode 61: Micah Christenson, USA MNT/Modena Volley, 10-16-20

In Episode 61 The Viral Volley Podcast is honored to have 2016 Rio Olympics Bronze Medalist, former USC All-American Setter, USA Men’s National Team member and one of the top setters in the world, Micah Christenson on the show.

After the VollyeballMag.com segment, Micah talks about his current team Modena Volley, the Italian Superlega and connecting with fellow Americans in Italy, the extremely talented "Outrigger Canoe Club" crew that surrounded his early years, how his young family lives abroad and how his American teammates are in “… the same stage of life.”

In addition, he talks about his passion to let youth know that there can be a professional career in volleyball after college and how he finds his inspiration to play from the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold Medal Men’s National Team. All this and more on the Viral Volley Podcast!

iTunes: https://apple.co/3o9xlc7
Podbean: https://bit.ly/34cTyhB
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dGpptX

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