Volleyball’d - A Parent’s Podcast

It's tryout season in the state of Georgia and around the country!  That makes it also the most stressful time of year on the volleyball calendar.  This is year seven or eight of tryout season for the Medinas, so we decided to talk this thing out and give each other support during this insane time.  Also, don't be that parent.  The one Alison will tell you about.  A few times.  Because she can't handle it.

Not so fresh off of seven days in Minneapolis and Orlando combined, the Medinas prepare themselves for the trip to Indianapolis to finish off the season.  They discuss the emotional challenges of the end of the season and how sometimes the 'little guy' gets a big "W".  See y'all in Indy!

We wanted to get into a volleyball feel good story for this episode!  Cam Ennis had one of those volleyball careers that plays like a Hallmark movie.  Recruited early (back when the rules were insane) and injured early as well, Cam Ennis rehabbed her way back into a college opportunity that took her from San Antonio, TX to three major programs across America.  Her career came to a close with an opportunity that every aspiring college player dreams about.  Enjoy Cam Ennis!
 
https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/cam-ennis/12224
https://www.instagram.com/camenniss/
 

We are reaching the end of national qualifying season and now things are getting really weird around the gyms for many of the programs around the country.  As a family that is playing at two different programs, we discussed "gym hopping season" and how players and families are looking for their next opportunity.  It's about to get crazy around these parts again!

Did you happen to be one of those volleyball families that made the trip to MEQ (St. Louis) or the first weekend of Northern Lights (Minneapolis)?  YOU ARE NOW STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW.
The most miserable travel experience of our parent volleyball lives occurred to both ends of the traveling Medinas.  We used this podcast to recap the insanity that many of us went through as we attempted to escape from both of these cities and return to our regularly scheduled lives.  If you know, you know.

Today we covered how we are all neck-deep in qualifying season.  We discussed the pressure for parents to try and make sure their kids get on the radar for college recruitment and what our experience has been as the coaches have begun showing up to the courts for our older daughter's team.
 
We also brought up how for the second time, the police showed up to our court in Orlando.  

Are you into qualifier season?  Are you running all around the country and trying to get your kid to eat?  Have you ever wondered how the sneaky parents pull it off?  In this episode we cover what we have seen work (and not work at all) when it comes to handling the convention center, the hotel and the hotel room as we travel the country in 2026.  Enjoy!

We are dealing with a harsh reality.  We are missing the first day of a local volleyball tournament because we are trapped by weather that most of Atlanta, GA is not having to deal with.  So today we decided to review some harsh realities of volleyball and talk about whether or not there was merit to what parents have said about the sport.  Stay warm, get ready, because we don't have anywhere we can go for the next 24 hours!

This is the tech nerd episode of Volleyball'd, and you are welcome.  The Medinas have recorded or live streamed over 200 matches during the past two seasons.  This is the episode where we get into everything you wanted to know about recording or live streaming but might have been afraid to ask.  Sometimes there's even too much information out there.  Be brave, you can do it, we will help you.
 
 

Welcome to 2026!  It's a new season and we started the year off with one of the most successful coaches in the country.  
Paulo Coco is the reigning Coach of The Year with League One Volleyball as the head coach of LOVB Atlanta.  His international competition resume is incredible:
Assistant Coach of the Brazilian Women's National Team
Winner of Two Gold Medals (Beijing 2008, London 2012) and a Silver Medal in Tokyo Olympic Games.
Winner of Five Brazilian Superliga Titles and the 2023-24 Brazilian Cup.
Winner of Three Silver Medals and Two Bronze Medals at The FIVB World Championships.
 
Coach Coco joined us to talk about the importance of player mentality, being part of the growth of professional women's volleyball in the United States, and his love for the game that keeps him constantly teaching.  Hope you enjoy this one as we start off the 2026 season!
 
https://www.lovb.com/teams/lovb-atlanta-volleyball