Beyond the Court: A LOVB Podcast

USC Associate Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand has coached a lot of volleyball and a lot of different types of volleyball. One thing that’s followed him at each stop is the leadership and vision he brings to each position. Women or men, indoor or beach, the technical skills aren’t nearly as important as the vision he helps athletes apply to their practice. With all of his athletes, Tyler stresses the actions that have deeper meanings behind them and that reach across broad subjects. Technical aspects are important, but not as important as the lessons that athletes can apply after volleyball, like perseverance or pushing oneself out of their comfort zone. Good friends, Tyler and host Courtney Thompson cover the importance of leadership and vision, how to test new strategies properly, and other topics during the latest episode of Beyond the Court.

Suzie Fritz has been around coaches her entire life. Her mother was a coach, as were her father and brother. She even married a coach. It should be no surprise that she herself went into the family business and has spent 30 years coaching volleyball. During her illustrious career, Suzie has developed a mantra: do less, and do it better. One cannot coach everything at once – she’ll be the first to say that – so by narrowing her focus on one topic at a time, she’s been able to concentrate on one aspect of her team’s play and get stronger results. She’ll bring that mantra to the pros as head coach at LOVB Omaha Volleyball, something that she and host Courtney Thompson discuss during the latest episode of Beyond the Court.

As a long-time athletic trainer, Katherine Henry knows the importance of taking proper care of athletes’ bodies and minds. Whether it’s proper warmups and cooldowns, entering a certain mindset for matches and tournaments, or staying involved with a team while injured – safely, of course – there are countless ways proper health and wellness habits impact an athlete’s on-court performance and enjoyment of the sport. Now, as Head of Health and Wellness at League One Volleyball, Katherine is able to help LOVB Clubs create healthy, positive and educational environments for young athletes. She and Courtney discuss these topics and more in the latest episode of Beyond the Court.

Newly returned from Paris, two-time Olympic medalist and LOVB Salt Lake setter Jordyn Poulter rehashes her experiences at the 2024 Olympic Games. Jordyn set Team USA to second place, earning an unexpected medal after a shortened quad full of injuries and tough matches. If there’s one thing to take away from Team USA’s silver medal, it's the importance of team roles and cohesiveness. Whether they started or entered as a substitute, each player on the roster played an important part during the U.S.’ run to the podium. Jordyn and host Courtney Thompson discuss the importance of roster construction and cohesiveness, the emotional aspect of big tournaments and more in the latest episode of Beyond the Court.

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Three-time Olympic medalist April Ross is coming to the end of her storied volleyball career, but the mental acumen and internal processes that drove her to excel on the court are still as sharp as ever. She talks about how these developed throughout her career, how she found joy on and off the court, and how her priorities have changed from when she just started as a professional athlete.