Better Together

We asked, you answered. In this special three-part series, our directors respond to questions submitted by our club families—diving into the heart of what makes our community strong, connected, and always growing. In part one, we open the conversation with insights from the top—covering how we navigate challenging team dynamics, the rewards and realities of running a club, and more.

In this episode, we sit down with Peyten Young, United 16 Black coach. We explore how his love for the game led him to coaching - and the life lessons he’s picked up along the way. He opens up about navigating moments of self-doubt, learning to lead without always having all the answers, and how coaching continues to shape his identity off the court. We also dive into how he defines success in a culture often dominated by wins and losses.

In this episode, we continue our Birmingham launch series with a deeper look at what it really means to build something new - from the ground up. We sit down with Ryan, our Birmingham Director, to talk about the current volleyball landscape in the city, how United plans to contribute to its growth, and what it looks like to stay mission-aligned while creating something uniquely local.We also dive into the real work behind expansion: the challenges, the opportunities, and the heart behind it all. If you’ve been wondering what makes United different, or what’s coming next in Birmingham, this is the episode for you.We’re beyond grateful for Ryan - his leadership, heart, and belief in what we’re building together. This partnership means everything, and we can’t wait to grow with the Birmingham community.

Something special is unfolding - United is expanding, and we’re deeply excited to bring our mission and heart to Birmingham!As we grow, so does our commitment to doing things with purpose, and that’s exactly what this episode is about. We’re proud to introduce Ryan Freeburg, the new Director of our Birmingham location, and dive into how he plans to build something meaningful from the ground up.In Part 1, we explore what it means to lead a new location while staying true to the heart of United. From the intentional steps it takes to foster a club environment where athletes grow both on and off the court, to earning trust in a brand-new city, Ryan shares his vision for a club environment where character grows alongside skill - developing confident players and even better individuals.It’s a special week, so be sure to join us again for Part 2 this Friday!

We’re back with more heartfelt perspective from our volleyball moms! This week, they reflect on the balance between offering encouragement and knowing when to step back, allowing their athletes the space to grow through challenges. They also speak on how gratitude has shaped their journeys and the quiet—but powerful—role parents play in building a healthy, supportive team culture. We’re so grateful to Marianne and Melanie for their honesty and wisdom they brought to this conversation!

It’s time for the moms to take the mic! This week, we’re bringing you our second parent round table — this time featuring the voices and insights of two of our amazing volleyball moms. A special thanks to Scott Jones for joining us again and lending his voice to another meaningful round table conversation.We dig into the expectations these moms had when their families first entered the club volleyball world — and how those have shifted with experience. We also explore what “success” really looks like in club, the importance of clear communication, and offer advice for parents who may be struggling to understand or navigate their athlete’s role on the team.A heartfelt thank you to Melanie and Marianne for their time, transparency, and the valuable perspective they brought to the table. Part 2 is coming your way next week — stay tuned!

Everyone gets nervous—but what if nerves weren’t the enemy? In this solo episode, Korohen breaks down how to manage game-time jitters, shift your mindset, and show up confidently even when doubt creeps in. Whether you’re stepping onto the court, into a big moment, or just battling those inner voices, this episode will help you lean in, trust yourself, and do it scared. Let’s talk about turning nerves into your secret weapon.

This week, our liberos take over the pod—no coaches, no hosts, just them! Avery, Rylee Jo, and Kali are running the show as they dive into the toughest parts of being a libero, their go-to strategies for success, and what it really takes to thrive in the position. They’ll tackle hand-picked questions, swap stories, and even put each other on the spot with their own takes. Tune in for a candid, libero-led conversation you won’t want to miss!

This one’s for the defenders! This week, we sit down with three of our national team liberos—Avery Minskey, Rylee Jo Harbin, and Kalison Beigh. They share their experiences on skill development, team chemistry, and what separates good players from great ones when it comes to handling pressure.And the conversation doesn’t stop here—tune in next week as the girls take over for Part 2!

Does yelling actually make you play better? In this episode, Korohen breaks down why the best coaches in the world take a different approach, what truly drives motivation, and how you can push yourself to compete at your best - without needing a coach to raise their voice.

This week we have the pleasure of sitting down with current United coach and Bethel grad Sami Parker. We hear about her experience with recruitment during COVID, strategies she used to balance athletics and academics, how the idea of perfection can actually stunt your growth as a player, and how coaches should constantly be in a state of learning.

This week we have United 12 Black coach and former alum Anna Mitchell join us! We hear about what surprised her in transitioning from being a player to taking on a coaching role, skills that translate between teaching and coaching, and her thoughts on holding space for your players - allowing them to make mistakes while falling in love with the game.

In the second half of our chat with Coach Heather we dive right in and hear about what excites her the most when it comes to the future of our beach program, strength and conditioning exercises for beach athletes, how beach athletes can showcase their skills for college coaches, and upcoming happenings at The U- teams, sprouts, co-ed 4's, and more!

In the first part of our conversation with United beach director Heather Sodade, we discuss key differences between training for beach volleyball vs. indoor, how playing beach improves an athlete's overall game. and we hear her perspective on necessary mental shifts that indoor players need to make when competing in beach volleyball. Join us back next week for Part 2!

This week we chat with United 11 Black coach Alison Nagel about the overlooked skill of emotional management, fostering a positive team culture, balancing individual skill development with team cohesion, and more.

This week we sit down with former United coach and current area official Melissa Reis and hear from the other side of the ref stand! We cover common misconceptions, frequent misunderstandings, how parents or spectators can contribute to a positive playing environment, and the process that referees go through to ensure consistency and fairness.

Join us this week for Part 2 as we continue the conversation with our United dads! We discuss topics such as player development - how we can best support our athletes, guiding them through motivational slumps, creating opportunities for athletes to be in environments where others are striving for excellence, mental preparation during tournament travel, and more.

We’ve been so ready for this one! This week, we're dropping our first parent round table (shoutout to Scott Jones for coming to hang with us) and we sit down with some of our volleyball dads! We discuss everything from advice for new volleyball parents, club-wide communication, and more.We are grateful for the opportunity and conversation. Big thanks to Andy, Lawrence, and Ethan for joining us. This one will be split into two episodes - join us next week to hear part two!

This week we welcome the new year and start off our season sitting down with United alum and D1 college athlete Jasmine Brooks. We chat about her recruitment experience, major differences in club ball vs. a D1 athletic program, maintaining awareness while taking care of your mindset, keeping realistic expectations for yourself, and the importance of support.

This week we sat down with former United athlete and UAB commit Riley Lovell. We hear about how she has managed the challenges of recovering from shoulder surgery and her advice for pushing through the stresses that arise during recruitment - such as maintaining confidence, overcoming self doubt, doing your research, and keeping your options open.

KJ goes solo this week and focuses on attacking, specifically common issues that hitters face. She discusses adjustments that can be made to fix these - such as the four step approach in relation to timing and why your ball may be taping the net.

We are back this week after a Thanksgiving break and sat down with United Boys 18 Black athlete and Indiana Tech commit Taiki Peterson. We hear about his recruitment process, his thoughts on what needs to happen to bring more growth and attention to boys volleyball, and the most rewarding part of his volleyball journey so far.

This week we sat down with United 18 National and UTA commit Sophie Krichev. Join us as we talk about her recruitment experience and hear a few tips she offers fellow athletes as they navigate that process. We also cover how self worth is not found in your performance, her proudest moment as a volleyball athlete, strategies for maintaining focus during a match, and more. You don't want to miss this one!

This week we sat down with United Coach Alex Owen - and thoroughly enjoyed this conversation! We cover the importance of communication, holding yourself and your teammates accountable, and how harmony on the courts starts with harmony in the stands.

This week we sat down with Positional Coach Alicia Krichev and talk all things college recruitment - how to best support your athlete, the impact of game statistics versus other factors in the eyes of recruiters, when players should begin thinking about recruitment, and more. Most importantly, how to appreciate uniqueness in your own journey and not compare to others.

We've been excited about this chat for a long time! This week we sat down with United coach and former UF athlete Macy Phillips. We talk about everything from her recruitment experience, core philosophies she applies when creating an environment of growth for her players, and trying out for a spot on a semi-pro team in Nashville.

This week we sat down with United Coach and Oakwood VB player Cameryn Bucknor. We hear about her journey to becoming a student athlete, how discipline instills continuous growth as an athlete, and what led her to pursue coaching.

In our second solo episode, Korohen dives into the topic of serve receive - one of the most critical skills in volleyball. We cover five key elements that may help to improve your serve receive so that your team becomes an effective competitor.

We enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with United Boys Head Coach Aaryn Lee and discuss our boys volleyball program - which is going into its third year! We cover common misconceptions, challenges, increasing interest, and how we hope to help it continue to grow.

This week we sit down with HHS VB and United 15 National athlete Mary Ceil McClung. We discuss her significant ankle injury as well as how she relied on determination, passion, and her love for the game to push through that process and get back on the court.

In the second half of our discussion with Caitlin we cover the challenging transition from being an athlete to coaching, the benefits of trial and error, and what she believes are attributes that a good teammate possesses.

On this week's episode we sit down with United alum and current coach Caitlin Torok. In Part 1 of our discussion, we learn about her recruitment journey that led to her experience at Belhaven University, and how she kept herself open to opportunity while being willing to make mistakes. Part 2 drops next week!

This week, we are doing things a little differently! In our first solo episode, our host Korohen will be discussing serving - everything from fundamentals of the serve to the importance of mental training and overcoming pressure while building confidence.

In the second part of our conversation with Lydia, we talk about how important discipline is when motivation comes and goes, some personal sacrifices she has made to pursue her volleyball journey, and the impact energy has when striving to be a good teammate.

We recently sat down with United alum and current Huntingdon player Lydia Hitchcock - and it's a good one. So good that we've split it into two parts! This week, we discussed her unique recruiting experience, the benefits that come from utilizing time management, and the physicality/mentality differences in playing both beach and indoor. Join us next week for Part 2!

This week we sat down with 15 National coach Lydia Compton and discuss what it means to be a coach and the impactful role it plays in athlete's experiences, building chemistry and trust with your players, and teaching valuable lessons through losses.

We enjoyed chatting with GL so much that we split it into two episodes! In the second part of our discussion we talk about reflection exercises, knowing where your personal value comes from, her biggest challenge as an athlete, and being your own advocate when it comes to your wellbeing.

Today we sit down and chat with United alumni and Samford VB athlete Gracie Lynn Butler. We touch on the differences between playing at a club vs. college level, and the meaningful impact that takes place when coaches believe in their players. We also discuss how emotion makes competition electric, yet not every emotion belongs in every moment. Oh and a word of advice from GL... watch your film!

United 18 National athlete and UAB commit Kennedy Vaughn joins us today! We discuss confidence, hyper-focusing on mistakes - and treating those mistakes as simply a bad moment rather than a bad day.

Amidst our 2025 club season evaluations, Coach Korohen sits down with United VB Registrar Michelle Mitchell. We discuss lots of FAQs - our upcoming Signing Day, fall and winter offerings at United, our UU membership, and SRVA Registration. A summarized PDF of this episode is also available for reference on our website!

Earlier this month before our teams took off to Vegas, we sat down with United 17 National and CIU commit Eevy Bellar. We chat about upcoming USAV Nationals, properly fueling your body, and as coaches - the importance of learning your players. It's not about winning or losing, just simply playing for the love of the game.

This week we sat down with United alum and Union grad student Lauren Burrell. We cover topics such as being adaptable, the major role coaches played in her journey, the challenges of a college athlete, and giving yourself grace - also her impressive sneaker tying ability (we may or may not still be trying to do it like LB).

For our very first episode, we have the pleasure of speaking to KeAra Bowen. She is currently prepping for USAV Nationals next week with United 17 National and has committed to Winthrop University. We talk about her recruitment process, the importance of chemistry and connection within a team.... and chicken nuggets.