The Side Out Society Podcast

It was an exciting week in women’s college volleyball! We’re down to just two undefeated teams — Nebraska and Texas — but the weekend was full of upsets and statement wins. We dive into Penn State’s rollercoaster weekend against USC and UCLA, Illinois’ surprise win over Purdue, and Baylor’s five-set stunner over TCU. Then we shift to the pro side: AU Pro Volleyball announced its Week One captains — Brittany Abercrombie, Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía, Madi Kingdon Rishel, and Morgan Hentz — and we share quick bios on each of them. Plus, Team USA announced its first-ever U17 National Team, an exciting step for the future of the program. Whether you’re following the chaos in the Big Ten or tracking the growth of the pro game, we’ve got you covered.

This week’s episode has it all—major upsets that shook up the AVCA Coaches Poll, our newest additions to the Side Out Society position clubs, and big news from the pros with AU naming its coaching roster and LOVB landing a new TV deal. We wrap things up with Team USA: their title run at the NORCECA Final Six and what their bid for the 2027 World Championships could mean for the program.

This week it’s a one-woman show as Tiff holds down the Side Out Society mic while Lindsay vacations overseas. From Pitt’s statement sweep over Kentucky at the Shriners Showdown to TCU’s fifth (!) top-25 win behind Evan Hendrix’s monster performance, Tiff recaps all the action, drops a black-tie Baylor-Florida story from the weekend, and rants about why ranked matchups like Kentucky–SMU and Purdue–SMU deserve better broadcasts. Plus: The latest shakeups in the Top 25 rankings This week’s new inductees into the Position Clubs (outside, middle, opposite, setter, libero) AU Pro Volleyball’s newly released schedule (Volleypalooza is almost here!) Team USA’s U23 roster kicking off the NORCECA Pan American Cup in Mexico. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@mexvolleyofficial Subscribe, follow along on IG and TikTok @SideOutSociety, and join the conversation as we celebrate the culture, stories, and community around women’s volleyball.

We're breaking down a wild week in women's volleyball. Izzy Starck's decision to step away raises big questions for Penn State, Purdue and TCU shake up the Top 25, and Texas vs. Stanford lives up to the hype. We also reveal our newest "club" members, look at AU's latest pro signings, and ask if Team USA has what it takes to battle the world's best.

College volleyball brought the chaos in Week 2—and we’re here for all of it. From Penn State’s double-upset weekend to Nebraska’s reverse sweep thriller, plus Kansas playing tougher than their record shows, and Wisconsin’s rollercoaster with a win over the Jayhawks and a straight-set loss to Texas. We also lock in our latest “club” members by position—only two overlaps this week!—before jumping to the pros with LOVB’s new adidas shoe collab. Finally, we close with Team USA’s 3–1 win over Canada in the Round of 16 at the FIVB World Championships.

Episode 2 dives into a wild opening weekend at AVCA First Serve. We break down standout players, the shocking Florida upset over Pitt, and reveal our Players of the Week—inducted into the Libero, Setter, Outside Hitter, Middle Blocker, and Opposite Clubs of the Society. Plus, we talk Columbus’ bold push to be the “women’s sports capital” and Team USA’s hot start at the World Championships.

We’re kicking things off with the start of the college volleyball season, diving into the AVCA First Serve slate, the NCAA preseason coaches poll, and the transfers reshaping the Top 25. We break down the Nebraska alumni match, share early NCAA title predictions, and then shift to the pro game with roster moves across LOVB and MLV—including what MLV’s expansion means for the sport. Finally, we wrap with a quick look at Team USA as they begin their run at the 2025 FIVB World Championships.