February 24, 2025 • 37 mins
After recapping week seven of the League One Volleyball season – including plenty of focus on Khat’s 11-kill performance Thursday night against LOVB Salt Lake – both Khat and Tiffany talk with LOVB broadcaster Anne Marie Anderson. The trio talk about the LOVB season so far, the moment women’s sports is currently having, and being a woman in sports broadcasting in addition to lessons from her recent book, Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win.
Follow Anne Marie Anderson on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Follow Khat on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Host: Tiffany Oshinsky
Senior Producer: Anya Alvarez
Executive Producers: Carrie Stett, Tamara Deike, and Lindsay Hoffman
Theme Music: Pancakes by Eric W. Mast, Jr.
Sound Designer: Daniel Gonzalez
Serving Pancakes is an iHeart Women's Sports Production, in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi, I'm Tiffany Oshinski and I'm Kat Beoll, and this
is serving pancakes with League one Volleyball. The inaugural Love
season is finally here. Each episode will be going over
the matches from the week to keep you up to
date on.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Everything League one Volleyball.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Then stick around after the analysis for interviews with some
amazing people in and around the sport.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Today's episode features three.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Time Emmy Award winning broadcaster and one of the voices
of League one Volleyball in ESPN and Marie Anderson.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
But first, let's talk week seven. I'm sure you're feeling
good about this week, cant I'm.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Feeling so good, excited about sarking pics today. Let's jump
right in. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Okay, let's see this.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Let's start with your Wednesday night game or your team
Love Austin took down the Love Classic champs from the
previous week, Love Houston twenty five, twenty nineteen, twenty five,
twenty five, eighteen, twenty six, twenty four. Now, the biggest
news for you, ladies, besides the win, is that.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
You have an new coach. You have Chris McGown.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
He took over as interim head coach after your previous
head coach, Marco Benita left for personal reasons.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So what did Chris bring as.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
A coach to this game to help you beat the
second best team in the league.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Honestly, Chris came in just making things more simple, you know,
not too much of telling us what to do as
far as like you know, game preparation and scattering reports,
just keeping it simple, allowing us to be us and
being pro athletes and doing what we do now.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
He said that he met you guys just an hour
before the match, which is crazy. Yeah, talk about that
meet and greet and what he did before the match.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, coming in, you know, his bright eyes, great smile,
very very good sense of good energy, comes in and
just like hey, you know, I'm coming in just to
help you guys out and we have a quick two months,
a quick turn around in two months coming up for
the team and just you know, guys, go out there
and do you got to do and we'll as we
get back into practice and get star connections and we'll
see what we can do and go from here. So
it was it was really cool. He was great. He
was great.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well it worked out because you guys ended up winning
the match, like we said at the top, but I
want to talk about Maddie Skinner real quick because she
was named player of the match. She finished with a
season high twenty three kills in thirteen digs, along with
an ace two blocks in an assist.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Pick swing by Spinner Gosh making stuff up. Maddie's a
recent Texas grad.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
You know, she's young, but she's really shown that she
can handle the pros very well.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So as her teammate.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
What have you seen from her and her work ethic
that makes her such a force.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Honestly, I really enjoyed to get to know Mattie on
a personal level. Madison, she she wants to be called Madison,
you know. I love that she's being able to cultivate
her image as herself outside of the court, you know,
and her coming in and just diving, riding with the
group and having a great dynamic and just being a
great team player and wanted to learn and wanted to listen.
I think having you know, the switch of a coaching
(02:52):
staff and having able to get her in practice and
working the things she needs to work on is very
is very good for her, and I think it's very
good for young girls. As well. You know, I think
it's the very crucial development time for the younger girls
coming through our first two years or three years of
professional volleyball. And you know her, she's just handled so well.
I'm just so proud of her.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
That's great, all right, Well, let's move on to Thursday
nights doubleheader. Houston swept love Omaha twenty six, twenty four,
twenty five, twenty three, twenty five, sixteen. No surprise here,
Jordan Thompson dominated yet again. Girls got seventy eight kills
in her last four.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Matches, which is insane.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
No right now, jt rested Wednesday night against you guys,
but she continues to put up numbers when she is
on the court. Now, despite the slow start to the season,
she leads the league in points with one hundred and twenty.
Madison Skinner is actually second with one hundred nineteen. But
what is Jordan doing now that she wasn't doing earlier
(03:46):
this season?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I think again, it's just selling into that world. Jordan
is this person everywhere she goes. I was able to
watch her in Turkey obviously playing for the national team
and her selling to her role. Heber Houston is going
to be a great piece of the puzzle for their team,
and her just being consistent every single night and bringing
her best game is going to be a big piece
for Houston and just being who she is. So it's
very I'm admiring. I'm admiring her actually, so yeah, remarket.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I think we're all admiring her. Yeah, she's amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, I'm like, I'm like, she's my friend, but I'm
kind of fangirling, like she's she's amazing, Like I just
she's I had there's little things that she says that
I am staying in my head that dropt the damn,
just kind of like I have this girl's voice in
my head, like she's great, Like she is great, She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, we've talked about the importance of pushing through till
the end, not giving up. Houston had pretty decent LEAs
at the end of the first two sets it was
twenty four to nineteen, twenty three, nineteen respectively. Omaha came
back to make those close matches, but it was our girl,
Jordan Thompson who came to the rescue and both sets
to ultimately take their team to victory.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Now, if you are in Omaha's shoes. Two close sets
with two almost comebacks, how do you keep your head up?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I think, like any team, it's just getting back to
the drawing board and figuring out those pieces to what
she can do to make things work. You know, they
stuff so much time the season is we're right in
the middle of the season right now, we have two
months to go and just kind of get back to
the drawingboarding scene what they can do together and try
to get out this hole there in right now. I
think it's important to kind of find a quick turnaround
as much as they fast as they can, just like
they can figure out things in the long run.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Both you guys and Houston played five games in seven days,
so talk about the toll that that playing that much
has on your body and the importance of multiple days
off that you guys get to recover.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I mean, for me, like I'm on the bench right now.
Well I was on the bench, but I'm yelling a lot,
so my voice is trying to kind of recover. I
think as athletes, the recovery part is really important. It's hard,
you know, it's just like running a marathon. But the
positive impact of it is that like this league is
so incredible, and each team has so many different players,
and the bench is very very deep, so you get
to exceed the starting six, take a rest, and like
(05:43):
to the second string and third string. I hate to
say that, but like the next superstars are on the
bench to come in and show what they can do.
So you can see where I kind of play a
lot of good volleyball right now. So it's a good
thing and a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
You were on the bench because on Thursday night in
the nightcap, you kind of came out and dominated this one,
which is so fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So before we get into how awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You were in that match, let's let me just say that,
you know, Love Austin defeated Love Salt Lake and four
sets twenty five, twenty one, twenty five, twenty two, twenty one,
twenty five, twenty five, twenty one. You led the team
with eleven kills. You had some amazing highlights to watch.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
How did this like? How'd you feel this game? Where?
What was coursing through your veins that night?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I mean, honestly, I haven't had a lot a lot
of preparation because again, our bench is so deep, we
have four opposite so right now, Julian and Mattie and
I go to opposite so shout out to Collie de Hogue.
Like me and her on the on the silenes, eve
been at practice, so we don't get a lot of
repetition or anything. So Chris trusting me and knowing what's
been going on and letting me get into my thing
and being apple is what I do. So I was,
you know, some opportunity to go in and play some volleyball,
(06:49):
and I was just happy to gather and do and
I was very happy. My teammager was just as excited
as I was.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
H what was your favorite part of that match.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Besides getting tired? No, Maddie's young. So I was telling you,
you know, in the third said, I was like, I
do this little thing. I kind of like I have
an impaler. So I kind of pump a little bit. Okay, Chris,
and I'm like, hey, honestly, I'm tired, and uh, if
you want to sell me out right now, like I'd
be okay with that. He was like, what are you serious.
I was like, yeah, that's what it's all about, you know,
Like that's what it should be about. The teams. All
the teams are stacked you know we can keep up
(07:17):
the Hall of a bullyball girls are just like, hey,
you know, I'm tired. There's someone else that can come
in and make an impact. Let her come in, jump
in if you need to go back in great you know.
So Maddie was. I was like, Maddie, you young, like,
get in there and get it in. The after She's like,
it's okay, I can do. It's like, yeah, I know
you can't you Yeah, young Gene, you got young knees. Girl,
you're young. And also Koto, like Koto is a force
to be reckoned with. She is amazing. Coacho is amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Well, speaking of Koto, I want to give a little
bit of libero love. As someone who was a libero,
I'm all about the Libero.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yet out to the bros.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Shout out to the bros. Exactly, well, you're bro kotoe
in Ay. The ladies like to call her Kotol. She
earned Player of the Match on hers the twenty digs
for Sis and although it's not recorded as a kill,
she had a.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Bump kill, which to me is one of my favorite
things to happen. All the prediction.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Oh wow about the kill for Koto Andoay are.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You joking me?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
It was an overpass her dig, but she had a
sick dig and it happened to land on salt Lake's
court in the deep corner for a point.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Absolutely amazing. Do you guys get excited like I get
excited for the sing?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, we get electrified like anything that Koto does. Though.
The bench is just everyone everyone's just going crazy. You know, Koto,
she's such a great athlete. I'm as libero. She's able
to play literally all three parts. She swings. She's had
a few times, so she's swung this past week, and
you know she's playing and middle back and scooping everything,
and left back is where she's made to be obviously,
scooping everything. So her being player of the matches will deserve.
(08:51):
And I've watched her interview at least like three times,
Like she is the cutest thing. Sometimes I remind myself that,
like Koto was older than I am, you know, but
I'm just like, you're my little baby. Just want to
like what you know.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So tam match is so amazing organized, it's so nice.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I'm so enjoyed.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Nah, we were all so excited for her, so excited.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
She's so adorable.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I completely agree, and I love that she's on your team,
that you get to be a part of her team.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I live vicariously through you on that one.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I'm always like taking hear things like dance moves are
like honestly bad words and stuff. So there's one of
videos going around. I was like, we do a thing
to say, what the F? And she's like, Kat, what
the F? Because she got player in the match and
I was like.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What, That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
She's so cute. All right.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Well, for the last match of the weekend, we had
a hard fought five set match between Love Madison and
Love Atlanta, with Atlanta pulling out the w twenty five fifteen,
twenty five, twenty one, twenty three, twenty five, twenty three,
twenty five fifteen seven. Now Madison almost pulled off a
reverse suite but couldn't finish it in the fifth What
did they do to lose in that fifth setter?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Or what did Atlanta do to win in that fifth set?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
You know, I think it's all about being consistent. You know,
going to f s set is like taking your last
breath and being able to hold it, you know what
I'm saying. And if you can't hold that last breath
before you're gonna drown, you know. And Danielle Katina, she's
just a rocket, you know. And Danielle does what she
does all the time. I think again she said, link
to her role just like JT is and having daniel
on the team is also something to have very important
and it's going to be a great leadership role, a
(10:23):
great roll of points, and Danielle did a great match
that night.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Speaking of Danielle, a triple double for her. She finished
with twenty four points thanks to twenty one kills and
three blocks, while also racking up ten digs in two assists.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Katito, it's all power.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
She's put up numbers throughout the season, but this match
was a season high for her in all categories.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So what was different this time?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I think for her, it's just no a mindset, you know,
she's bouting different things, you know, trying to step into
leadership role since they have now jess is out from
her NCAL injuries, so Danielle was definitely have to kind
step into that leadership role for the opportunity, so she
has an oput comunity. She's ready to compete and show
everyone what she can do and just believing herself and
trusting herself and knowing that she's a great athlete. So
she's Daniel's gonna is a dog like she's a dog,
(11:09):
And I'm really excited to see the games coming forward
when her competing. This is coming out week now.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Madison is sitting in the basement of the standings at
one and seven, but they have multiple players in the
top five of different statistical categories. For example, outside Sarah
Franklin is fifth in points and fourth and kills, Taylor
Sambothy is fourth and aces sedor Lauren Carlini is second
in assists.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
As just naming a few of them.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So what do they need to do to turn their
season around, because clearly they have the makeup there.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, for sure. I think Madison is dealing with a
few injuries and stuff with players, and I think player
management on and off the court mentally and physically is
going to be the biggest thing. Again, just getting back
to the drawing board and trying to figure out what
they can do moving forward and trusting themselves and trying
to see those pieces with the new players come into
the court and trying to find that rhythm so they
have some time again and that's just the biggest thing
I think part of the game they have to kind
(11:59):
of develop.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Now, there's definitely more time, like you said, two more
months left of the season to go, but we're going
to continue this podcast because when we come back, you
and I are going to sit down with three time
Emmy winning broadcaster and one of the voices of League
One Volleyball, A Marie Anderson. We talk about the differences
in women's volleyball and women's sports throughout the years and
(12:20):
the world, her broadcast career, as well as her book
Cultivating Audacity and How to Reach Your Goals.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So make sure you stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
We are back with Emmy winning broadcaster Anne Marie Anderson.
Ann Marie has spent more than three decades in sports television,
having covered six Olympic Games, heavyweight title fights, golf majors,
NBA and MLB playoffs, and the Super Bowl, among countless
other marquee events. She's also a highly sought after speaker
(13:04):
in MC and has written the book Cultivating Audacity, Dismantled
Doubt and Let Yourself Win, which is a step by
step guide to help people discover what has been holding
them back from doing.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
The thing that they have wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Anne Marie's volleyball roots date back to when she was
in college at Hostra, where she helped lead the team
to an East Coast Conference Championship title, and for the
past several years, she's traveled internationally calling the national men's
and women's volleyball teams in Volleyball Nations League for Volleyball World.
Now she's our lead play by play for League one Volleyball,
and she's here on the podcast. Ann Marie, Welcome to
(13:39):
Serving Pancakes.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I'm ready.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Let's serve.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Let's serve. Anri.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You've been traveling now for League one Volleyball for ESPN.
What have you noticed so far about this league versus
other volleyball leagues that you've covered.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
There is no other league that can match in terms
of the talent of this league. I think, you know,
we were looking at it and we're like, oh, there's
all these Olympians, all these national champions. But I think
the American audiences don't know these international players the way
that some of us do. You mentioned I've been traveling overseas.
I mean when I saw Kojima, I was like, oh,
(14:15):
my gosh, they've got Kojima, you.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Know stand I'm a coach, yeah, all that.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
So I just think the level is something that has
never been seen in this country.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Before, with the level of play in the level that
you've seen in the stands and everything. Because you've witnessed
fans in other countries witnessing them cheering on other international teams.
What have you noticed about the fans in these games?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I think the fans are a little stunned at first,
right because they're so used to seeing college volleyball, which
was incredibly high level here. But there's something about the
what do I want to say? Violence? All that just
electricized people and seeing the eyes open on the American
(15:02):
audiences being like, dang, that is a hot ball. So
it's really fun.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That's amazing. We'll go back to the days when you
used to play. What's the biggest difference versus when you
played back in the day and today?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Oh my god, cat Bell please, it wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
It was just like five years. Don't worry.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, And we're also talking about Texas and Hostra. Let's
just do it's a different game. The biggest difference we
didn't have libros I think I would have liked to
have been a Libro. I just feel like, you know,
identifying where people are going. Plus at five eleven, I'm
not tall enough anymore to be a hitter, no jump.
So I think we're seeing the way that librats have
(15:42):
changed the game and extended rallies and it's just made
it so much fun.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
So let's see, Rodriguez just made her debut the other
week and in the back row for Omaha it was
Lexi Jessin, Wong Morante is Jordan Larson. So talking about
just like that force and like having those girls back
there who dig everything, I mean that is a game
changer for sure.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yeah, and I think also the American fans, Now, this
is what's the timing of this league is so great
because we have stars, we have stars and the fans
are able to attach. Is just the access I mean,
certainly the club athletes and the way that they're able
to see these pros. But I would have gone crazy
to see Flo Hymen or Rita Crockett or Debbie Green.
(16:22):
You know, it's it makes it attainable and reachable. I maan'
pat you know this. The eyes get so big because
I think maybe I can.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I think so many players even
right now abroad that I think about retiring. I want
to come back and be a part of this. So
that's the biggest thing that's really cool about being a
part of love. Honestly, that's really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, Well is there anything that you learn from your
playing days that you still carry with you today as
a former setter?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You know what's really funny is like all broadcasters are setters,
by the way, if you haven't noticed that, Like Hollywood
peak and Salima's my partner because we're used to like
driving the bus. I think, I think really excites me
about being in volleyball for this long I started playing,
I don't know, seventh grade or something. Is just seeing
(17:07):
how it's developed and advancing the athletes are bigger and
stronger and more exciting. But also all the lessons that
you learn as an athlete and how it serves you
in every other place in life. I just love how
everybody's owning their space now in women's sports and how
yeah people do watch women's sports.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And we know that. Now, what does that mean, Like
you being a part of women's in sports today compared
to when you played before. How important is it today?
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Well, it's just it changed my life. I can't imagine.
You know I benefited from Title nine. I guess I
was one of the early ones benefiting from Title nine.
I was a little bit unaware. The only fan letter
I have ever written was to Billy Jean King for
what she did for Title nine. Because what would I
be doing if my life weren't about sports. I've spent
(17:55):
my entire career in sports broadcasting. I have three kids
who play sports. I believe in competing in very competitive
business and television. I cannot there was no plan be
you guys. It was all about sports.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Actually, it's really interesting because you I mean, I know
that you played after Title nine existed, but you know,
you've kind of seen this crazy evolution of sports, women
in sports when it comes to the beginning of Title
nine and then where it was during that period of
time before NIL began and now it's the NIL era,
and as we now know, women's sports has exploded. There's
(18:31):
bars that are just showing women's sports. Right, what do
you think is still to come when it comes to
women's sports in general?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I think when we stop calling it women's when it's
just sports, right, I mean, when it is just basketball
and it is just volleyball. That's what I'm looking forward
to is when we get there and we can drop
the qualifier locket.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I love that locket.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
When you were playing volleyball, was there any thought in
your mind about going professional or trying to play professional
or was your mind kind of set on going the
TV career out because you started in TV like in college.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
I started, yeah, working in college, So yes, there was
a discussion about going and playing overseas. Of course this
didn't exist until this year, this you know, super high
level Olympic lead. Not that I would have made it
by any means, but no, I knew I had to
go really for my television career, because going overseas and
(19:32):
playing it just wasn't a sustainable option.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Really, I have a question for that because I'm someone
that's also done with that kind of situation, that pivot, Like,
what is it? How do you let go of being
that phenomenal athlete the sports that you love and taking
that next step going into your career that you're kind
of almost leaving volleyball behind for a little bit. Yeah,
are you leaving volleyball behind kat possibly I'm trying to
get some reps right now. Give yeah the podcast where
(19:57):
I was where I want to go for sure, but
you know, going to br casting.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
So I started ESPN at twenty one years old. I
just got really lucky with a six month temporary job and.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I just never let go.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
And it's been thirty five years now. But there's a
lot that you used from sports into a broadcasting career
or any career. And the first thing is competition and
healthy competition and competing. I remember that Jim McLoughlin, when
he was coaching at the University of Washington, said the
first thing I have to do is teach these women
to compete. This is, of course, fifteen years ago, because
(20:29):
there was still that stigma of like, we send our
boys out to playing with say fight hard, go win,
and then they'd send their girls out and be like
be nice, make friends, and I was like, yeah, no, no,
go out there and kill them kind of thing. So
I think that same killer instinct comes into the boardroom
of wherever you are working and you're c suite whatever
(20:50):
it is, And the big thing for me is collaboration
to work. I've had many different broadcast partners. A couple
have not been a part of a team, they don't
understand and how to collaborate.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
You know, I've actually had this question asked me a
bunch of times throughout my career, because I've been in
the sports media industry now for almost twenty years myself,
and you always get that question.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Was it hard? Did the men treat you differently?
Speaker 3 (21:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
What was it like trying to make your way up
the ladder in this very male dominated industry. Do you
have any anecdotes or any stories that you went through
that you had to sort of persevere or you had
to overcome to get to where you are, or did
you get treated respectfully and fairly?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Oh my goodness, what a question, right, because girls, how
much time do we have?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I'm like, speil the tea, speiled the tea.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I'll give you one. I'll give you one.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
When I was a producer at ESPN before I went
on air, I was covering Mike Tyson fight in Vegas.
So I was a producer. I had an all male
crew that was we were working together at male reporter, photographer,
audio sound people as well and a runner. And as
we're setting up to interview Mike Tyson. A guy comes over.
He's irritated about something I don't know, and he goes,
(22:07):
I want to speak to the guy in charge. I
want to speak to the guy in charge. So the
men I work with always were really respectful, and they
were like, you know, here she is. And I walked
over and I said, hey, how can I help you?
And he said I want to talk to the guy
in charge. And I said, well, I'm in charge. How
can I help you? And he goes, I want to
talk to your boss. And I said, oh, my boss okay.
(22:30):
And meanwhile, my boss is in Connecticut. I'm in Vegas.
I'm working. So I said, Jeff, who's our photographer and
a good friend, Jeff, can you get a chair for
this guy? And so he did, and I said, just
have a seat here, and I went back to setting up,
because what do you want me to do? I'm still
sitting up a thing. After about five minutes, the guy's
super hot and he said, hey, is this guy ever
(22:50):
going to show up? And I said what guy? And
he said the guy in charge? And I said, oh no,
I already told you that I was in charge. I
got the chair so you could take a moment to
your head around it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I'm just saying, my gosh, I'm just saying, do you
know what you do?
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Don't don't come for me unless I send for you.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Is that right? That's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Good for you.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
That was my biggest thing I think I worry about
is just like transitioning, I don't want to lose the
personality who I am. You know what I'm saying, And
I love that. Like interviewing you right now, I'm like,
she is herself, she says what she wants and she's
like sitting tin toes down, Like that's something I want
to keep doing for myself as well. That's this is amazing.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
You can't lose who you are. I mean, that's the
whole point is you know, everybody bringing themselves. Who do
you want to watch? You want to watch an AI
cut out? Or do you want to watch somebody with
some personality?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
We'll be back with more from our interview with Anne
Marie Anderson. Actually that kind of is a perfect segue
(24:05):
to your book because I feel like, Okay, so your
book title is called Cultivating Audacity, Dismantled Doubt and let
yourself win and I feel like finding your true self,
finding who you are and taking that step to be
the person that you want to be and show the
personality that of who you are.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Right like that.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Seems like that's what you're trying to say. But what
made you eventually write this book? Because it just came
out in January? So this is, you know, thirty five
years in sports media broadcast career and all of a
sudden you write this amazing book.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
What was the impetus behind it?
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Thank you? I just get super bummed when I hear
somebody say I don't want to go to work. I've
literally never had a day in my life that I
haven't wanted to go to work because I have such
a great job. And if you're not happy with something
in your life, and it can be anything, you could
be in a relationship that's rough, for your health, whatever
it is, it's time maybe to evaluate it and take
(24:56):
some risks. And audacity is a willingness to take bold risks.
And my entire career has been built on risk taking,
worth it versus reckless and it's led me to a
life I'm super excited about. And I wanted to actually
teach other people to do that. It isn't just a
book saying go for it, you can do it. It's
a book saying, Okay, here's the barriers there commonly in place.
(25:19):
Which one of these things to you the most? Let's
dig into it, break it down, and set up the
systems so you can wake up to a life you're
excited about every day.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah. I think the biggest thing about that is people
have a lot of self doubt. Like you know, you
talk about dismantling doubt. What is something in your life
you think you're able to dismantle that part about yourself
to be able to take that first leap forward, Like
if there was one thing in you're writing the book
or part of your career. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
No, but I was, as I said, a producer, and
I wanted to go on air For ten full years.
I didn't even tell anybody at ESPN that I wanted
to go on air. My friends, nobody, And it's because
I was afraid they would say, like, who does.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
She think she is right?
Speaker 4 (25:56):
That's the audacity kind of thing or what makes her
so special? Terrified that I was going to be bad
or embarrassed, judged, And you know what happened cat When
I went on air, I was bad, embarrassed and judged,
and I still survived it anyway.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Yeah, it's gonna happen anyways.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So that's where I learned with audacity that the win
in audacity and taking that bold risk is in the
action and not in the outcome. I was afraid i'd
be bad. I was. It was no big deal. I
went back the second time. I was just as bad. Frankly,
it just wasn't the first time.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
How did you overcome that, though, Because I feel like
a lot of people get nervous and all of a
sudden they get in their heads like I'm not good
at this. I don't think I'm going to be good
at this. I'm too afraid to go back and try
it again. How did you get over that?
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Well, first of all, I had a contract, so I
had to go back next week. No, but I had
all those things. I mean, I was crying outside the
stadium to my then husband. Just what you want in
your sideline reporter, like sobbing outside of stadium saying I'm
going to be so terrible it's going to ruin you know,
my entire career. Okay, you let that sit there. Here's
(27:03):
the key, you guys. You make friends with fear. We've
been told to push fear away, conquer your fears, overcome
your fears that can't happen. I don't buy it at all.
Make friends with fear, hold it close, and acknowledge what
it is you're afraid of, and then have the faith
that you're going to survive the outcome, no matter what
it is. I traveled with fear as a passenger all
(27:25):
the time. It just doesn't get to drive.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
That's amazing. I like, can I hear this kind of stuff?
Like I feel like, Okay, I'm on the right track
because like for me, if I have any kind of
like let's say, for example, when I first started playing
players anxiety, and you know, you try so hard just
to try to like push off those feelings and those
emotions and talk like those healthy like talk words to
yourself like you got this, you can do it. But
sometimes it's a war, and it's so much more energy
to take on that like trying to push yourself up
(27:50):
yourself to be positive then rather just like sinking into it,
letting it ride out and then overcoming it. And that's
something I've learned throughout my career is that like, Okay,
this is how I'm feeling. We've ball like, let's just
be in this and eventually you'll fall off, you know so,
and it's helped me. Honestly, that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
That's a real that's You're inner critic, right that we
all have in all aspects of our life, is telling
you stuff. The easiest thing I did was separate that
inner critic from myself. And it happened with my daughter
when she's in sixth grade. I picked her up from school, Hey,
how is school? And she's like, I'm dumb, i can't
do math, and oh, by the way, I'm fat, And
I'm like, yo, there's a lot to unpack there, right,
(28:26):
that middle school angst. And so once we talked about it,
we decided to give that voice the name Jerry. Because
there's no way my daughter would say that to anybody else.
So I told her there's no way that voice is yours,
so separate it. And then I said, well, what would
you say to Jerry if he said that to you?
You know, you're stupid and you can't do math and
you're fat, And she goes, I'd say, shut up. Jerry,
(28:47):
and I said, well, so then that's what you're going
to say. This is not helpful to me right now.
And when I hear my owner critics say something that's
you know, really seeding down, I'm like, I'm doing it anyway,
So you are not being helpful right now.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
A great tactic, and I am totally going to use that,
especially with my daughter when she starts to get that
middle school angst, because I'm gonna use that for myself.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I'm gonna have to use that with her too.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Now, what about like the support system? Because I feel
like there's always a group of people that need to
kind of help you, inspire you, motivate you besides just yourself.
You know, you need people around you who are willing
to either help you when you fail or keep pushing
you along when things are going great. But what happens
when you're around people who aren't supporting you? How do
(29:30):
you get around that to keep succeeding? Like this guy
who you know kept asking for for the guy who
was in charge, right, you know, someone who's kind of
stepping in your way because they don't think that you
should be in charge, or that they don't think that
you should be where you are.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
He doesn't get a vote. And that's the thing. My
friend Laura Gastner Otting wrote a book called Limitless, and
she says, don't give a voice to anybody who shouldn't
have a vote. And what I believe is that you
curate your own front w You pick certain people to
be in your front row, and those are the people
that you would respect their advice, that they pick you up,
(30:09):
and they encourage you, and they redirect you, and they
tell you the truth. And I'll tell you who's not
in your front row. Probably not your mom, probably not
your best friend, because they want you to be safe.
They don't want to see you get hurt. Your front
row needs to be people that are doing big things
on their own who are going to push you. Maybe
(30:29):
it's somebody in the same area that you're interested in professionally,
Maybe it's not. And I have I have a fitness
front row. I have a personal front row who I
told first about my divorce kind of I have my
professional front row. You guys should know the name Holly McPeak.
She's a three time Olympian and NCAA champion. She's in
my fitness front row along with Nicole Brand who's another Olympian.
If I don't show up for Orange Theory, they're calling,
(30:52):
they're texting, you know, and I'm like, I need new
friends that aren't Olympians because I don't want to work
out that hardy being like, so somebody who's going to
hold you accountable, they hold me accountable for fitness. You
need those people and then everybody else no vote and
don't get a vote.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
That's great when you're feeling stuck. How do you kind
of get out of those moments in those modes? Like,
what's something that you use to drive yourself when you're
having a bad day or just kind of low and energy.
What do you use to kind of get you to
spice up a little bit?
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Yeah, or find your thing right, because I have that
one thing that we'd like to do but don't necessarily
know how to get there. But then for other people,
and I think this is what you're alluding to, Kat,
You just know it isn't this. Yeah, Like, whatever I
want to do, I'm not sure what it is, but
it isn't this. And I give a couple of tools
in the book. It's based on the word ikey guy,
a Japanese concept which a lot of you may be
(31:41):
familiar with. Ikey guy is a Japanese word that loosely
translated means your reason for being, and it's often depicted
in Western culture in event diagram, which is what are
you good at? What do you love? What is the
world need? And what can I be paid for for me?
I introduced it in the book Cultivating Audacity as a
(32:02):
funnel because I don't think you're just one thing, and
so at the top of my funnel it would be
you know, what do you enjoy? There's all kinds of
things I enjoy, you know, sports, gardening, international travel, whatever,
What are you good at? Well? I kill every plant
I've ever had, so that doesn't even make it through
(32:22):
the first thing. Kids are still alive, though, so I
feel good about that, But plants no, So like, nobody's
gonna pay me to garden. And if you get the idea,
it keeps coming down. What does the world need? So
for me, I felt like the world needs sports as entertainment.
The world needs somebody who wants to lift others up,
and that's what I want to do with this book.
And the world needs people that are good mothers and
(32:44):
that's what I try to be for my kids. So
when it filters all the way down at the end,
that's your audacious goal. And so what we're talking about.
I love to travel internationally, so I do that for VNL,
talk about sports, volleyball and parent They let me bring
my kids. So like my daughter's company stumble with me
this summer. You know, she's been to the Netherlands, in
(33:06):
Spain and pol And my sons to see all this.
So when you create the life, the entire life that
you're excited about, not just one piece, not just.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Your job speaking of volleyball and broadcasting for volleyball.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Did you want to broadcast volleyball or is this just
one of those happy, full circle moments that brought you back.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
I didn't think it could be a career because you know,
there wasn't any volleyball on TV then. And you know
when I first started, you already talked about how I
was producing Super Bowl coverage or Olympic coverage. And when
it was about two thousand and three, when there was
a new network called College Sports Television, it was a
CBS network that started televising all sports. And so that's
(33:51):
when I started with volleyball wanted to work year round,
so became a play by play announcer. And I've been
played by play for basketball, softball, soccer, water polo, but
you know, volleyball's always had a little special place in
my heart.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Of course. Well, people worked like so many amazing events,
Like is there any events that you could pinch yourself
and say, hey, you know what, I can't believe I'm here,
Like how did I get in this moment right now?
What's your favorite, you know, broadcasting.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Moment covering the Dream Team at the nineteen ninety two Olympics.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
That is insane. Yeah, that is insane.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Wow, it was wild. It was so crazy trying to
even get in to do our job because they were
global superstars global. And you know what's so funny. You
had asked me earlier, Tiffany, I have three kids. They
had no idea until COVID. You know, We're clipped in
the house for watching the Last Dance seeing Michael Jordan
and I was like, oh, yeah, I did this, and
(34:41):
they were like, mom, seriously, I mean, I don't know,
I just shopped at Target all day or but I
was like, yeah, I had life before you guys. But
the dream Team was super cool.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
That's really amazing, legendary.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Yeah, like I said to you before we started recording,
we could talk to for hours and we'd love to,
but sadly we do need to start to wrap up
the interview. But before we do, we did have two
fun questions, one each from us that we wanted to
ask you.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
So is kat do you want to start?
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Yeah? If you could interview anyone in sports history, who
would it be? And why?
Speaker 4 (35:14):
It would be Billy Jean King only because I haven't
had the opportunity to. And the first thing I would
say to her is thank you from all of us
for creating a world in which we can compete and
grind and swim, be disappointed, and be resilient. All of
that came out of her efforts.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I think love had like an interaction thing with her.
I think like last week, yeah, it was pretty cool,
or two weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Yeah, I was going to say, Billy Jean's an investor.
So Billy Jean, you hear this.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Now?
Speaker 1 (35:43):
In similar veinsence, you were a volleyball player, if you
could pepper with anyone an athlete, celebrity, dead or alive,
who would you want to play with?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
I oh, say, cat Bell, can't.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
I yeah, my ball control is just good.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
I'll be okay, we'll do it, you know, coming out
at one of these matches. But just don't hurt me, baby.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Okay, we should I got you, I got you, We.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Should well, Ann Marie, it's been a pleasure speaking with you.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
We're super excited about your book, about everything that you're
doing for women's sports, for volleyball, for love.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
We really appreciate everything you're doing. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
It's great talking to you guys.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Serving Pancakes is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Production by League One Volleyball. I'm your host
Tiffany Oshinsky. My co host is kat Bell. Anya Alvarez
(36:44):
is our senior producer. Our executive producers are Carrie Stett, Tamaradike,
and Lindsay Hoffman. Our marketing lead is Juwara Parker. Sound
editing and mixing by Daniel Gonzalez. Our theme music is
Pancakes by Eric W. Mass Here special thanks to Anne
Marie Anderson. Next week we'll recap Week eight and talk
(37:06):
to Love Salt Lakes, Sophie Fisher, and Skylar Fields.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Thanks for listening.
Hi, I'm Tiffany Oshinski and I'm Kat Beoll, and this
is serving pancakes with League one Volleyball. The inaugural Love
season is finally here. Each episode will be going over
the matches from the week to keep you up to
date on.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Everything League one Volleyball.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Then stick around after the analysis for interviews with some
amazing people in and around the sport.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Today's episode features three.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Time Emmy Award winning broadcaster and one of the voices
of League one Volleyball in ESPN and Marie Anderson.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
But first, let's talk week seven. I'm sure you're feeling
good about this week, cant I'm.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Feeling so good, excited about sarking pics today. Let's jump
right in. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Okay, let's see this.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Let's start with your Wednesday night game or your team
Love Austin took down the Love Classic champs from the
previous week, Love Houston twenty five, twenty nineteen, twenty five,
twenty five, eighteen, twenty six, twenty four. Now, the biggest
news for you, ladies, besides the win, is that.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
You have an new coach. You have Chris McGown.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
He took over as interim head coach after your previous
head coach, Marco Benita left for personal reasons.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So what did Chris bring as.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
A coach to this game to help you beat the
second best team in the league.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Honestly, Chris came in just making things more simple, you know,
not too much of telling us what to do as
far as like you know, game preparation and scattering reports,
just keeping it simple, allowing us to be us and
being pro athletes and doing what we do now.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
He said that he met you guys just an hour
before the match, which is crazy. Yeah, talk about that
meet and greet and what he did before the match.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, coming in, you know, his bright eyes, great smile,
very very good sense of good energy, comes in and
just like hey, you know, I'm coming in just to
help you guys out and we have a quick two months,
a quick turn around in two months coming up for
the team and just you know, guys, go out there
and do you got to do and we'll as we
get back into practice and get star connections and we'll
see what we can do and go from here. So
it was it was really cool. He was great. He
was great.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well it worked out because you guys ended up winning
the match, like we said at the top, but I
want to talk about Maddie Skinner real quick because she
was named player of the match. She finished with a
season high twenty three kills in thirteen digs, along with
an ace two blocks in an assist.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Pick swing by Spinner Gosh making stuff up. Maddie's a
recent Texas grad.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
You know, she's young, but she's really shown that she
can handle the pros very well.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So as her teammate.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
What have you seen from her and her work ethic
that makes her such a force.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Honestly, I really enjoyed to get to know Mattie on
a personal level. Madison, she she wants to be called Madison,
you know. I love that she's being able to cultivate
her image as herself outside of the court, you know,
and her coming in and just diving, riding with the
group and having a great dynamic and just being a
great team player and wanted to learn and wanted to listen.
I think having you know, the switch of a coaching
(02:52):
staff and having able to get her in practice and
working the things she needs to work on is very
is very good for her, and I think it's very
good for young girls. As well. You know, I think
it's the very crucial development time for the younger girls
coming through our first two years or three years of
professional volleyball. And you know her, she's just handled so well.
I'm just so proud of her.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
That's great, all right, Well, let's move on to Thursday
nights doubleheader. Houston swept love Omaha twenty six, twenty four,
twenty five, twenty three, twenty five, sixteen. No surprise here,
Jordan Thompson dominated yet again. Girls got seventy eight kills
in her last four.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Matches, which is insane.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
No right now, jt rested Wednesday night against you guys,
but she continues to put up numbers when she is
on the court. Now, despite the slow start to the season,
she leads the league in points with one hundred and twenty.
Madison Skinner is actually second with one hundred nineteen. But
what is Jordan doing now that she wasn't doing earlier
(03:46):
this season?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I think again, it's just selling into that world. Jordan
is this person everywhere she goes. I was able to
watch her in Turkey obviously playing for the national team
and her selling to her role. Heber Houston is going
to be a great piece of the puzzle for their team,
and her just being consistent every single night and bringing
her best game is going to be a big piece
for Houston and just being who she is. So it's
very I'm admiring. I'm admiring her actually, so yeah, remarket.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I think we're all admiring her. Yeah, she's amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, I'm like, I'm like, she's my friend, but I'm
kind of fangirling, like she's she's amazing, Like I just
she's I had there's little things that she says that
I am staying in my head that dropt the damn,
just kind of like I have this girl's voice in
my head, like she's great, Like she is great, She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, we've talked about the importance of pushing through till
the end, not giving up. Houston had pretty decent LEAs
at the end of the first two sets it was
twenty four to nineteen, twenty three, nineteen respectively. Omaha came
back to make those close matches, but it was our girl,
Jordan Thompson who came to the rescue and both sets
to ultimately take their team to victory.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Now, if you are in Omaha's shoes. Two close sets
with two almost comebacks, how do you keep your head up?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I think, like any team, it's just getting back to
the drawing board and figuring out those pieces to what
she can do to make things work. You know, they
stuff so much time the season is we're right in
the middle of the season right now, we have two
months to go and just kind of get back to
the drawingboarding scene what they can do together and try
to get out this hole there in right now. I
think it's important to kind of find a quick turnaround
as much as they fast as they can, just like
they can figure out things in the long run.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Both you guys and Houston played five games in seven days,
so talk about the toll that that playing that much
has on your body and the importance of multiple days
off that you guys get to recover.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I mean, for me, like I'm on the bench right now.
Well I was on the bench, but I'm yelling a lot,
so my voice is trying to kind of recover. I
think as athletes, the recovery part is really important. It's hard,
you know, it's just like running a marathon. But the
positive impact of it is that like this league is
so incredible, and each team has so many different players,
and the bench is very very deep, so you get
to exceed the starting six, take a rest, and like
(05:43):
to the second string and third string. I hate to
say that, but like the next superstars are on the
bench to come in and show what they can do.
So you can see where I kind of play a
lot of good volleyball right now. So it's a good
thing and a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
You were on the bench because on Thursday night in
the nightcap, you kind of came out and dominated this one,
which is so fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So before we get into how awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You were in that match, let's let me just say that,
you know, Love Austin defeated Love Salt Lake and four
sets twenty five, twenty one, twenty five, twenty two, twenty one,
twenty five, twenty five, twenty one. You led the team
with eleven kills. You had some amazing highlights to watch.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
How did this like? How'd you feel this game? Where?
What was coursing through your veins that night?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I mean, honestly, I haven't had a lot a lot
of preparation because again, our bench is so deep, we
have four opposite so right now, Julian and Mattie and
I go to opposite so shout out to Collie de Hogue.
Like me and her on the on the silenes, eve
been at practice, so we don't get a lot of
repetition or anything. So Chris trusting me and knowing what's
been going on and letting me get into my thing
and being apple is what I do. So I was,
you know, some opportunity to go in and play some volleyball,
(06:49):
and I was just happy to gather and do and
I was very happy. My teammager was just as excited
as I was.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
H what was your favorite part of that match.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Besides getting tired? No, Maddie's young. So I was telling you,
you know, in the third said, I was like, I
do this little thing. I kind of like I have
an impaler. So I kind of pump a little bit. Okay, Chris,
and I'm like, hey, honestly, I'm tired, and uh, if
you want to sell me out right now, like I'd
be okay with that. He was like, what are you serious.
I was like, yeah, that's what it's all about, you know,
Like that's what it should be about. The teams. All
the teams are stacked you know we can keep up
(07:17):
the Hall of a bullyball girls are just like, hey,
you know, I'm tired. There's someone else that can come
in and make an impact. Let her come in, jump
in if you need to go back in great you know.
So Maddie was. I was like, Maddie, you young, like,
get in there and get it in. The after She's like,
it's okay, I can do. It's like, yeah, I know
you can't you Yeah, young Gene, you got young knees. Girl,
you're young. And also Koto, like Koto is a force
to be reckoned with. She is amazing. Coacho is amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Well, speaking of Koto, I want to give a little
bit of libero love. As someone who was a libero,
I'm all about the Libero.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yet out to the bros.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Shout out to the bros. Exactly, well, you're bro kotoe
in Ay. The ladies like to call her Kotol. She
earned Player of the Match on hers the twenty digs
for Sis and although it's not recorded as a kill,
she had a.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Bump kill, which to me is one of my favorite
things to happen. All the prediction.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Oh wow about the kill for Koto Andoay are.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You joking me?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
It was an overpass her dig, but she had a
sick dig and it happened to land on salt Lake's
court in the deep corner for a point.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Absolutely amazing. Do you guys get excited like I get
excited for the sing?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, we get electrified like anything that Koto does. Though.
The bench is just everyone everyone's just going crazy. You know, Koto,
she's such a great athlete. I'm as libero. She's able
to play literally all three parts. She swings. She's had
a few times, so she's swung this past week, and
you know she's playing and middle back and scooping everything,
and left back is where she's made to be obviously,
scooping everything. So her being player of the matches will deserve.
(08:51):
And I've watched her interview at least like three times,
Like she is the cutest thing. Sometimes I remind myself that,
like Koto was older than I am, you know, but
I'm just like, you're my little baby. Just want to
like what you know.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So tam match is so amazing organized, it's so nice.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I'm so enjoyed.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Nah, we were all so excited for her, so excited.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
She's so adorable.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I completely agree, and I love that she's on your team,
that you get to be a part of her team.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I live vicariously through you on that one.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I'm always like taking hear things like dance moves are
like honestly bad words and stuff. So there's one of
videos going around. I was like, we do a thing
to say, what the F? And she's like, Kat, what
the F? Because she got player in the match and
I was like.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What, That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
She's so cute. All right.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Well, for the last match of the weekend, we had
a hard fought five set match between Love Madison and
Love Atlanta, with Atlanta pulling out the w twenty five fifteen,
twenty five, twenty one, twenty three, twenty five, twenty three,
twenty five fifteen seven. Now Madison almost pulled off a
reverse suite but couldn't finish it in the fifth What
did they do to lose in that fifth setter?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Or what did Atlanta do to win in that fifth set?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
You know, I think it's all about being consistent. You know,
going to f s set is like taking your last
breath and being able to hold it, you know what
I'm saying. And if you can't hold that last breath
before you're gonna drown, you know. And Danielle Katina, she's
just a rocket, you know. And Danielle does what she
does all the time. I think again she said, link
to her role just like JT is and having daniel
on the team is also something to have very important
and it's going to be a great leadership role, a
(10:23):
great roll of points, and Danielle did a great match
that night.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Speaking of Danielle, a triple double for her. She finished
with twenty four points thanks to twenty one kills and
three blocks, while also racking up ten digs in two assists.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Katito, it's all power.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
She's put up numbers throughout the season, but this match
was a season high for her in all categories.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So what was different this time?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I think for her, it's just no a mindset, you know,
she's bouting different things, you know, trying to step into
leadership role since they have now jess is out from
her NCAL injuries, so Danielle was definitely have to kind
step into that leadership role for the opportunity, so she
has an oput comunity. She's ready to compete and show
everyone what she can do and just believing herself and
trusting herself and knowing that she's a great athlete. So
she's Daniel's gonna is a dog like she's a dog,
(11:09):
And I'm really excited to see the games coming forward
when her competing. This is coming out week now.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Madison is sitting in the basement of the standings at
one and seven, but they have multiple players in the
top five of different statistical categories. For example, outside Sarah
Franklin is fifth in points and fourth and kills, Taylor
Sambothy is fourth and aces sedor Lauren Carlini is second
in assists.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
As just naming a few of them.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So what do they need to do to turn their
season around, because clearly they have the makeup there.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, for sure. I think Madison is dealing with a
few injuries and stuff with players, and I think player
management on and off the court mentally and physically is
going to be the biggest thing. Again, just getting back
to the drawing board and trying to figure out what
they can do moving forward and trusting themselves and trying
to see those pieces with the new players come into
the court and trying to find that rhythm so they
have some time again and that's just the biggest thing
I think part of the game they have to kind
(11:59):
of develop.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Now, there's definitely more time, like you said, two more
months left of the season to go, but we're going
to continue this podcast because when we come back, you
and I are going to sit down with three time
Emmy winning broadcaster and one of the voices of League
One Volleyball, A Marie Anderson. We talk about the differences
in women's volleyball and women's sports throughout the years and
(12:20):
the world, her broadcast career, as well as her book
Cultivating Audacity and How to Reach Your Goals.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So make sure you stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
We are back with Emmy winning broadcaster Anne Marie Anderson.
Ann Marie has spent more than three decades in sports television,
having covered six Olympic Games, heavyweight title fights, golf majors,
NBA and MLB playoffs, and the Super Bowl, among countless
other marquee events. She's also a highly sought after speaker
(13:04):
in MC and has written the book Cultivating Audacity, Dismantled
Doubt and Let Yourself Win, which is a step by
step guide to help people discover what has been holding
them back from doing.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
The thing that they have wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Anne Marie's volleyball roots date back to when she was
in college at Hostra, where she helped lead the team
to an East Coast Conference Championship title, and for the
past several years, she's traveled internationally calling the national men's
and women's volleyball teams in Volleyball Nations League for Volleyball World.
Now she's our lead play by play for League one Volleyball,
and she's here on the podcast. Ann Marie, Welcome to
(13:39):
Serving Pancakes.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I'm ready.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Let's serve.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Let's serve. Anri.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You've been traveling now for League one Volleyball for ESPN.
What have you noticed so far about this league versus
other volleyball leagues that you've covered.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
There is no other league that can match in terms
of the talent of this league. I think, you know,
we were looking at it and we're like, oh, there's
all these Olympians, all these national champions. But I think
the American audiences don't know these international players the way
that some of us do. You mentioned I've been traveling overseas.
I mean when I saw Kojima, I was like, oh,
(14:15):
my gosh, they've got Kojima, you.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Know stand I'm a coach, yeah, all that.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
So I just think the level is something that has
never been seen in this country.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Before, with the level of play in the level that
you've seen in the stands and everything. Because you've witnessed
fans in other countries witnessing them cheering on other international teams.
What have you noticed about the fans in these games?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I think the fans are a little stunned at first,
right because they're so used to seeing college volleyball, which
was incredibly high level here. But there's something about the
what do I want to say? Violence? All that just
electricized people and seeing the eyes open on the American
(15:02):
audiences being like, dang, that is a hot ball. So
it's really fun.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That's amazing. We'll go back to the days when you
used to play. What's the biggest difference versus when you
played back in the day and today?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Oh my god, cat Bell please, it wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
It was just like five years. Don't worry.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, And we're also talking about Texas and Hostra. Let's
just do it's a different game. The biggest difference we
didn't have libros I think I would have liked to
have been a Libro. I just feel like, you know,
identifying where people are going. Plus at five eleven, I'm
not tall enough anymore to be a hitter, no jump.
So I think we're seeing the way that librats have
(15:42):
changed the game and extended rallies and it's just made
it so much fun.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
So let's see, Rodriguez just made her debut the other
week and in the back row for Omaha it was
Lexi Jessin, Wong Morante is Jordan Larson. So talking about
just like that force and like having those girls back
there who dig everything, I mean that is a game
changer for sure.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yeah, and I think also the American fans, Now, this
is what's the timing of this league is so great
because we have stars, we have stars and the fans
are able to attach. Is just the access I mean,
certainly the club athletes and the way that they're able
to see these pros. But I would have gone crazy
to see Flo Hymen or Rita Crockett or Debbie Green.
(16:22):
You know, it's it makes it attainable and reachable. I maan'
pat you know this. The eyes get so big because
I think maybe I can.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I think so many players even
right now abroad that I think about retiring. I want
to come back and be a part of this. So
that's the biggest thing that's really cool about being a
part of love. Honestly, that's really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, Well is there anything that you learn from your
playing days that you still carry with you today as
a former setter?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You know what's really funny is like all broadcasters are setters,
by the way, if you haven't noticed that, Like Hollywood
peak and Salima's my partner because we're used to like
driving the bus. I think, I think really excites me
about being in volleyball for this long I started playing,
I don't know, seventh grade or something. Is just seeing
(17:07):
how it's developed and advancing the athletes are bigger and
stronger and more exciting. But also all the lessons that
you learn as an athlete and how it serves you
in every other place in life. I just love how
everybody's owning their space now in women's sports and how
yeah people do watch women's sports.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And we know that. Now, what does that mean, Like
you being a part of women's in sports today compared
to when you played before. How important is it today?
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Well, it's just it changed my life. I can't imagine.
You know I benefited from Title nine. I guess I
was one of the early ones benefiting from Title nine.
I was a little bit unaware. The only fan letter
I have ever written was to Billy Jean King for
what she did for Title nine. Because what would I
be doing if my life weren't about sports. I've spent
(17:55):
my entire career in sports broadcasting. I have three kids
who play sports. I believe in competing in very competitive
business and television. I cannot there was no plan be
you guys. It was all about sports.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Actually, it's really interesting because you I mean, I know
that you played after Title nine existed, but you know,
you've kind of seen this crazy evolution of sports, women
in sports when it comes to the beginning of Title
nine and then where it was during that period of
time before NIL began and now it's the NIL era,
and as we now know, women's sports has exploded. There's
(18:31):
bars that are just showing women's sports. Right, what do
you think is still to come when it comes to
women's sports in general?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I think when we stop calling it women's when it's
just sports, right, I mean, when it is just basketball
and it is just volleyball. That's what I'm looking forward
to is when we get there and we can drop
the qualifier locket.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I love that locket.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
When you were playing volleyball, was there any thought in
your mind about going professional or trying to play professional
or was your mind kind of set on going the
TV career out because you started in TV like in college.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
I started, yeah, working in college, So yes, there was
a discussion about going and playing overseas. Of course this
didn't exist until this year, this you know, super high
level Olympic lead. Not that I would have made it
by any means, but no, I knew I had to
go really for my television career, because going overseas and
(19:32):
playing it just wasn't a sustainable option.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Really, I have a question for that because I'm someone
that's also done with that kind of situation, that pivot, Like,
what is it? How do you let go of being
that phenomenal athlete the sports that you love and taking
that next step going into your career that you're kind
of almost leaving volleyball behind for a little bit. Yeah,
are you leaving volleyball behind kat possibly I'm trying to
get some reps right now. Give yeah the podcast where
(19:57):
I was where I want to go for sure, but
you know, going to br casting.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
So I started ESPN at twenty one years old. I
just got really lucky with a six month temporary job and.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I just never let go.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
And it's been thirty five years now. But there's a
lot that you used from sports into a broadcasting career
or any career. And the first thing is competition and
healthy competition and competing. I remember that Jim McLoughlin, when
he was coaching at the University of Washington, said the
first thing I have to do is teach these women
to compete. This is, of course, fifteen years ago, because
(20:29):
there was still that stigma of like, we send our
boys out to playing with say fight hard, go win,
and then they'd send their girls out and be like
be nice, make friends, and I was like, yeah, no, no,
go out there and kill them kind of thing. So
I think that same killer instinct comes into the boardroom
of wherever you are working and you're c suite whatever
(20:50):
it is, And the big thing for me is collaboration
to work. I've had many different broadcast partners. A couple
have not been a part of a team, they don't
understand and how to collaborate.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
You know, I've actually had this question asked me a
bunch of times throughout my career, because I've been in
the sports media industry now for almost twenty years myself,
and you always get that question.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Was it hard? Did the men treat you differently?
Speaker 3 (21:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
What was it like trying to make your way up
the ladder in this very male dominated industry. Do you
have any anecdotes or any stories that you went through
that you had to sort of persevere or you had
to overcome to get to where you are, or did
you get treated respectfully and fairly?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Oh my goodness, what a question, right, because girls, how
much time do we have?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I'm like, speil the tea, speiled the tea.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
I'll give you one. I'll give you one.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
When I was a producer at ESPN before I went
on air, I was covering Mike Tyson fight in Vegas.
So I was a producer. I had an all male
crew that was we were working together at male reporter, photographer,
audio sound people as well and a runner. And as
we're setting up to interview Mike Tyson. A guy comes over.
He's irritated about something I don't know, and he goes,
(22:07):
I want to speak to the guy in charge. I
want to speak to the guy in charge. So the
men I work with always were really respectful, and they
were like, you know, here she is. And I walked
over and I said, hey, how can I help you?
And he said I want to talk to the guy
in charge. And I said, well, I'm in charge. How
can I help you? And he goes, I want to
talk to your boss. And I said, oh, my boss okay.
(22:30):
And meanwhile, my boss is in Connecticut. I'm in Vegas.
I'm working. So I said, Jeff, who's our photographer and
a good friend, Jeff, can you get a chair for
this guy? And so he did, and I said, just
have a seat here, and I went back to setting up,
because what do you want me to do? I'm still
sitting up a thing. After about five minutes, the guy's
super hot and he said, hey, is this guy ever
(22:50):
going to show up? And I said what guy? And
he said the guy in charge? And I said, oh no,
I already told you that I was in charge. I
got the chair so you could take a moment to
your head around it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I'm just saying, my gosh, I'm just saying, do you
know what you do?
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Don't don't come for me unless I send for you.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Is that right? That's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Good for you.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
That was my biggest thing I think I worry about
is just like transitioning, I don't want to lose the
personality who I am. You know what I'm saying, And
I love that. Like interviewing you right now, I'm like,
she is herself, she says what she wants and she's
like sitting tin toes down, Like that's something I want
to keep doing for myself as well. That's this is amazing.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
You can't lose who you are. I mean, that's the
whole point is you know, everybody bringing themselves. Who do
you want to watch? You want to watch an AI
cut out? Or do you want to watch somebody with
some personality?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
We'll be back with more from our interview with Anne
Marie Anderson. Actually that kind of is a perfect segue
(24:05):
to your book because I feel like, Okay, so your
book title is called Cultivating Audacity, Dismantled Doubt and let
yourself win and I feel like finding your true self,
finding who you are and taking that step to be
the person that you want to be and show the
personality that of who you are.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Right like that.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Seems like that's what you're trying to say. But what
made you eventually write this book? Because it just came
out in January? So this is, you know, thirty five
years in sports media broadcast career and all of a
sudden you write this amazing book.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
What was the impetus behind it?
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Thank you? I just get super bummed when I hear
somebody say I don't want to go to work. I've
literally never had a day in my life that I
haven't wanted to go to work because I have such
a great job. And if you're not happy with something
in your life, and it can be anything, you could
be in a relationship that's rough, for your health, whatever
it is, it's time maybe to evaluate it and take
(24:56):
some risks. And audacity is a willingness to take bold risks.
And my entire career has been built on risk taking,
worth it versus reckless and it's led me to a
life I'm super excited about. And I wanted to actually
teach other people to do that. It isn't just a
book saying go for it, you can do it. It's
a book saying, Okay, here's the barriers there commonly in place.
(25:19):
Which one of these things to you the most? Let's
dig into it, break it down, and set up the
systems so you can wake up to a life you're
excited about every day.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah. I think the biggest thing about that is people
have a lot of self doubt. Like you know, you
talk about dismantling doubt. What is something in your life
you think you're able to dismantle that part about yourself
to be able to take that first leap forward, Like
if there was one thing in you're writing the book
or part of your career. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
No, but I was, as I said, a producer, and
I wanted to go on air For ten full years.
I didn't even tell anybody at ESPN that I wanted
to go on air. My friends, nobody, And it's because
I was afraid they would say, like, who does.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
She think she is right?
Speaker 4 (25:56):
That's the audacity kind of thing or what makes her
so special? Terrified that I was going to be bad
or embarrassed, judged, And you know what happened cat When
I went on air, I was bad, embarrassed and judged,
and I still survived it anyway.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Yeah, it's gonna happen anyways.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So that's where I learned with audacity that the win
in audacity and taking that bold risk is in the
action and not in the outcome. I was afraid i'd
be bad. I was. It was no big deal. I
went back the second time. I was just as bad. Frankly,
it just wasn't the first time.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
How did you overcome that, though, Because I feel like
a lot of people get nervous and all of a
sudden they get in their heads like I'm not good
at this. I don't think I'm going to be good
at this. I'm too afraid to go back and try
it again. How did you get over that?
Speaker 4 (26:41):
Well, first of all, I had a contract, so I
had to go back next week. No, but I had
all those things. I mean, I was crying outside the
stadium to my then husband. Just what you want in
your sideline reporter, like sobbing outside of stadium saying I'm
going to be so terrible it's going to ruin you know,
my entire career. Okay, you let that sit there. Here's
(27:03):
the key, you guys. You make friends with fear. We've
been told to push fear away, conquer your fears, overcome
your fears that can't happen. I don't buy it at all.
Make friends with fear, hold it close, and acknowledge what
it is you're afraid of, and then have the faith
that you're going to survive the outcome, no matter what
it is. I traveled with fear as a passenger all
(27:25):
the time. It just doesn't get to drive.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
That's amazing. I like, can I hear this kind of stuff?
Like I feel like, Okay, I'm on the right track
because like for me, if I have any kind of
like let's say, for example, when I first started playing
players anxiety, and you know, you try so hard just
to try to like push off those feelings and those
emotions and talk like those healthy like talk words to
yourself like you got this, you can do it. But
sometimes it's a war, and it's so much more energy
to take on that like trying to push yourself up
(27:50):
yourself to be positive then rather just like sinking into it,
letting it ride out and then overcoming it. And that's
something I've learned throughout my career is that like, Okay,
this is how I'm feeling. We've ball like, let's just
be in this and eventually you'll fall off, you know so,
and it's helped me. Honestly, that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
That's a real that's You're inner critic, right that we
all have in all aspects of our life, is telling
you stuff. The easiest thing I did was separate that
inner critic from myself. And it happened with my daughter
when she's in sixth grade. I picked her up from school, Hey,
how is school? And she's like, I'm dumb, i can't
do math, and oh, by the way, I'm fat, And
I'm like, yo, there's a lot to unpack there, right,
(28:26):
that middle school angst. And so once we talked about it,
we decided to give that voice the name Jerry. Because
there's no way my daughter would say that to anybody else.
So I told her there's no way that voice is yours,
so separate it. And then I said, well, what would
you say to Jerry if he said that to you?
You know, you're stupid and you can't do math and
you're fat, And she goes, I'd say, shut up. Jerry,
(28:47):
and I said, well, so then that's what you're going
to say. This is not helpful to me right now.
And when I hear my owner critics say something that's
you know, really seeding down, I'm like, I'm doing it anyway,
So you are not being helpful right now.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
A great tactic, and I am totally going to use that,
especially with my daughter when she starts to get that
middle school angst, because I'm gonna use that for myself.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I'm gonna have to use that with her too.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Now, what about like the support system? Because I feel
like there's always a group of people that need to
kind of help you, inspire you, motivate you besides just yourself.
You know, you need people around you who are willing
to either help you when you fail or keep pushing
you along when things are going great. But what happens
when you're around people who aren't supporting you? How do
(29:30):
you get around that to keep succeeding? Like this guy
who you know kept asking for for the guy who
was in charge, right, you know, someone who's kind of
stepping in your way because they don't think that you
should be in charge, or that they don't think that
you should be where you are.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
He doesn't get a vote. And that's the thing. My
friend Laura Gastner Otting wrote a book called Limitless, and
she says, don't give a voice to anybody who shouldn't
have a vote. And what I believe is that you
curate your own front w You pick certain people to
be in your front row, and those are the people
that you would respect their advice, that they pick you up,
(30:09):
and they encourage you, and they redirect you, and they
tell you the truth. And I'll tell you who's not
in your front row. Probably not your mom, probably not
your best friend, because they want you to be safe.
They don't want to see you get hurt. Your front
row needs to be people that are doing big things
on their own who are going to push you. Maybe
(30:29):
it's somebody in the same area that you're interested in professionally,
Maybe it's not. And I have I have a fitness
front row. I have a personal front row who I
told first about my divorce kind of I have my
professional front row. You guys should know the name Holly McPeak.
She's a three time Olympian and NCAA champion. She's in
my fitness front row along with Nicole Brand who's another Olympian.
If I don't show up for Orange Theory, they're calling,
(30:52):
they're texting, you know, and I'm like, I need new
friends that aren't Olympians because I don't want to work
out that hardy being like, so somebody who's going to
hold you accountable, they hold me accountable for fitness. You
need those people and then everybody else no vote and
don't get a vote.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
That's great when you're feeling stuck. How do you kind
of get out of those moments in those modes? Like,
what's something that you use to drive yourself when you're
having a bad day or just kind of low and energy.
What do you use to kind of get you to
spice up a little bit?
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Yeah, or find your thing right, because I have that
one thing that we'd like to do but don't necessarily
know how to get there. But then for other people,
and I think this is what you're alluding to, Kat,
You just know it isn't this. Yeah, Like, whatever I
want to do, I'm not sure what it is, but
it isn't this. And I give a couple of tools
in the book. It's based on the word ikey guy,
a Japanese concept which a lot of you may be
(31:41):
familiar with. Ikey guy is a Japanese word that loosely
translated means your reason for being, and it's often depicted
in Western culture in event diagram, which is what are
you good at? What do you love? What is the
world need? And what can I be paid for for me?
I introduced it in the book Cultivating Audacity as a
(32:02):
funnel because I don't think you're just one thing, and
so at the top of my funnel it would be
you know, what do you enjoy? There's all kinds of
things I enjoy, you know, sports, gardening, international travel, whatever,
What are you good at? Well? I kill every plant
I've ever had, so that doesn't even make it through
(32:22):
the first thing. Kids are still alive, though, so I
feel good about that, But plants no, So like, nobody's
gonna pay me to garden. And if you get the idea,
it keeps coming down. What does the world need? So
for me, I felt like the world needs sports as entertainment.
The world needs somebody who wants to lift others up,
and that's what I want to do with this book.
And the world needs people that are good mothers and
(32:44):
that's what I try to be for my kids. So
when it filters all the way down at the end,
that's your audacious goal. And so what we're talking about.
I love to travel internationally, so I do that for VNL,
talk about sports, volleyball and parent They let me bring
my kids. So like my daughter's company stumble with me
this summer. You know, she's been to the Netherlands, in
(33:06):
Spain and pol And my sons to see all this.
So when you create the life, the entire life that
you're excited about, not just one piece, not just.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Your job speaking of volleyball and broadcasting for volleyball.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Did you want to broadcast volleyball or is this just
one of those happy, full circle moments that brought you back.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
I didn't think it could be a career because you know,
there wasn't any volleyball on TV then. And you know
when I first started, you already talked about how I
was producing Super Bowl coverage or Olympic coverage. And when
it was about two thousand and three, when there was
a new network called College Sports Television, it was a
CBS network that started televising all sports. And so that's
(33:51):
when I started with volleyball wanted to work year round,
so became a play by play announcer. And I've been
played by play for basketball, softball, soccer, water polo, but
you know, volleyball's always had a little special place in
my heart.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Of course. Well, people worked like so many amazing events,
Like is there any events that you could pinch yourself
and say, hey, you know what, I can't believe I'm here,
Like how did I get in this moment right now?
What's your favorite, you know, broadcasting.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Moment covering the Dream Team at the nineteen ninety two Olympics.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
That is insane. Yeah, that is insane.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Wow, it was wild. It was so crazy trying to
even get in to do our job because they were
global superstars global. And you know what's so funny. You
had asked me earlier, Tiffany, I have three kids. They
had no idea until COVID. You know, We're clipped in
the house for watching the Last Dance seeing Michael Jordan
and I was like, oh, yeah, I did this, and
(34:41):
they were like, mom, seriously, I mean, I don't know,
I just shopped at Target all day or but I
was like, yeah, I had life before you guys. But
the dream Team was super cool.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
That's really amazing, legendary.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Yeah, like I said to you before we started recording,
we could talk to for hours and we'd love to,
but sadly we do need to start to wrap up
the interview. But before we do, we did have two
fun questions, one each from us that we wanted to
ask you.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
So is kat do you want to start?
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Yeah? If you could interview anyone in sports history, who
would it be? And why?
Speaker 4 (35:14):
It would be Billy Jean King only because I haven't
had the opportunity to. And the first thing I would
say to her is thank you from all of us
for creating a world in which we can compete and
grind and swim, be disappointed, and be resilient. All of
that came out of her efforts.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I think love had like an interaction thing with her.
I think like last week, yeah, it was pretty cool,
or two weeks ago.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Yeah, I was going to say, Billy Jean's an investor.
So Billy Jean, you hear this.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Now?
Speaker 1 (35:43):
In similar veinsence, you were a volleyball player, if you
could pepper with anyone an athlete, celebrity, dead or alive,
who would you want to play with?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
I oh, say, cat Bell, can't.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
I yeah, my ball control is just good.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
I'll be okay, we'll do it, you know, coming out
at one of these matches. But just don't hurt me, baby.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Okay, we should I got you, I got you, We.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Should well, Ann Marie, it's been a pleasure speaking with you.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
We're super excited about your book, about everything that you're
doing for women's sports, for volleyball, for love.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
We really appreciate everything you're doing. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
It's great talking to you guys.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Serving Pancakes is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Production by League One Volleyball. I'm your host
Tiffany Oshinsky. My co host is kat Bell. Anya Alvarez
(36:44):
is our senior producer. Our executive producers are Carrie Stett, Tamaradike,
and Lindsay Hoffman. Our marketing lead is Juwara Parker. Sound
editing and mixing by Daniel Gonzalez. Our theme music is
Pancakes by Eric W. Mass Here special thanks to Anne
Marie Anderson. Next week we'll recap Week eight and talk
(37:06):
to Love Salt Lakes, Sophie Fisher, and Skylar Fields.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Thanks for listening.
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