Volley Talk with Sarah Pavan

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about the NCAA Regional Semifinal and Final matches. It was a wild week of volleyball with a few very surprising results, including Texas A&M's victory over Nebraska. The Four 4 is set, with Wisconsin taking on Kentucky and Texas A&M facing off against Pitt. Matches start Thursday! If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore,...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about some of the highlights (and low points) from rounds 1 and 2 of the 2025 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. The fact that there are zero perfect brackets anywhere goes to show just how unpredictable some of the results were. We also discuss the conference awards given out by the Power 4 conferences. While we agreed with most of them, there were a cou...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about the NCAA Tournament bracket and share our initial impressions of interesting matchups and who we think will make it to the Final Four in Kansas City! We also go over some of the top NCAA matches from last week, and talk about what went down in the MLV Draft! If you want to participate in the Volley Talk Bracket Challenge, created by Adam, please sign u...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go over the stats that are posted during broadcasts and the numbers teams looks at when they are preparing for games. With the NCAA tournament selection upon us, we also throw out our predictions for First-Team All-Americans and major AVCA award winners. There were a lot of happenings to discuss this week as well, including the MLV Draft and Izzy Starck's transfe...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about a couple noteworthy matches from last week, namely UCLA vs Nebraska and Pitt vs Stanford. Pitt was up 14-11 in the 5th and managed to lose 14-16! There is now a 3-way tie for first in the ACC with some huge matches happening in the next couple of weeks. UCLA took a set off of Nebraska to snap the Huskers' 48-set winning streak, and we talk about what i...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go through a whole bunch of listener questions. You know we have a massive backlog to get through, so since it was a bit of a slower week on the NCAA side, we decided to dive in and tackle a whole bunch of them. Enjoy! If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop us a line on Instagram or email us at info@sarahpavan.com! Instagram: ht...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about the two teams who were unbeaten going into this past week of play- Nebraska and Texas. Texas took a tumble this week, losing to both Texas A&M and Kentucky, though, leaving Nebraska alone at the top. What is going well for these teams, and what are their weaknesses? Following up from last week's offense discussion, we go over defensive systems and...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about the Big XII, in particular the handful of teams that are making a push for the conference title. Who do we think really has a chance to win it all? What are the strengths and shortcomings of those teams? By popular demand, we also break down offensive strategy. What makes a good set, what are the goals when running an offense, and how do teams accompli...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about Louisville- the good, the bad, and the ugly. The No. 4 team in the country dropped 2 conference matches last week to SMU and ACC rivals Pitt. Are they as good as they're cracked up to be, and what do they need to do to make a push for the Final Four? We also had the opportunity to sit down with AVCA legend and current chairperson of the LOVB Foundation...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we break down the biggest NCAA upsets of the week. A struggling Penn State dominated Wisconsin 3-0, and Flormarie Heredia Colon put Miami on her back and recorded 38 kills on the way to getting the reverse sweep on Pitt. It was a surprising week for sure! NCAA rankings are staying relatively steady, with a few jumps here and there every week, but it seems like the s...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go through the Power 4 conferences and talk about our contenders for conference championships based on what we saw during the preseason and early conference play. Listener questions were really good this week, and there were several interesting matches that were worth a closer examination. If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we talk about the men's world championship playoffs, in particular the semifinals and medal matches. Italy put on a serving clinic against Poland and Bulgaria on their way to repeating as world champions in dominant fashion. Poland defeated Czechia for bronze with a very strong performance by Wilfredo Leon, although the result definitely falls short of their expecta...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go over the wild ride that has been the men's world championship so far. Our predictions from last episode could not have been more wrong, so it's time to go back to the drawing board and try again. Conference play starts up this week in the NCAA, and a world champion will be named. If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop us a li...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we share our predictions for how the men's world championship is going to play out. With all the parity in men's volleyball, this is a tough task! We also take a look at the key NCAA matchups from last week, discuss the biggest surprises for the season so far, and Pavan's Percentages makes a long-awaited comeback! If you have questions for us or topics you would lik...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go over the absolutely incredible medal matches from the 2025 Women's World Championship. This was some of the best volleyball we have seen in a very long time, if not ever, on the women's side. Italy extended their world-record winning streak to 36 matches en route to winning gold at Worlds, becoming the first team to hold the Olympic, VNL, and World Championshi...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we give the rundown of the 2025 Women's World Championships so far. Pool play is finished, the round of 16 is almost complete, and our quarterfinal predictions from last episode did not hold true! NCAA volleyball preseason is also underway, and there have been some outstanding matches so far. We give our way-too-early thoughts on teams' performances, what they need...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we do some digging into what to expect from the upcoming women's world championships and NCAA season. Both competitions start up this weekend, so there is going to be a lot of volleyball to watch!! If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop us a line on Instagram or email us at info@sarahpavan.com! Instagram: http://instagram.com/volle...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we discuss some big updates and roster changes coming out of LOVB and the PVF (yes, I'm still calling it the PVF for now) this week. We also try to tackle a question that we have been avoiding for quite some time... we were intimidated to take it on. If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop us a line on Instagram or email us at info@...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go over the matches from the Men's VNL Final 8. Poland was absolutely dominant, winning all 3 matches 3-0 and relying on different players throughout the week. Brazil and France didn't look as sharp as was expected, and surprisingly, not one match went to 5 sets. We have a lot of listener questions again this week, and this time they're (mostly) all about the men...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we go over the matches from the Women's VNL Final 8. Italy was dominant as usual, beating Brazil 3-1 in the final. There were a couple blow-outs, but overall it was a great week of volleyball. We have a lot of listener questions this week, so get ready for a lot of discussion! If you have questions for us or topics you would like us to explore, drop us a line on Ins...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we discuss what went on during Week 3 of the Men's VNL competition. Brazil finished at the top of the rankings at 11-1, with Italy in second at 10-2. Serbia saved themselves from relegation by going 2-2 this week, and the bubble teams kept things exciting until the very last moment. Netherlands will not be returning to VNL in 2026, and there were several entertainin...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we discuss what went on during Week 3 of the Women's VNL competition. Italy finished the preliminary round with a perfect 12-0 record, followed closely by Brazil at 11-1. Serbia pulled themselves out of the relegation spot by winning 3 of 4 matches in Apeldoorn, but the battle for relegation lasted until the very end. A couple teams really elevated their performance...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we discuss what went on during Week 2 of the Men's VNL competition. Brazil is in the lead with 7 wins, followed closely by Poland and Italy. Serbia and Netherlands are facing relegation and will be fighting for their VNL lives in Week 3. There were lots of injuries sustained during play this week, some teams made big pushes to climb the ranks, and Week 3 is going to...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we discuss what went on during Week 2 of the Women's VNL competition. Some distinct groups have emerged, with 5 teams looking safe to make the Final 8, 4-5 teams fighting for the last 3 spots, and a couple teams battling to avoid relegation. There were some teams that made big improvements from week 1 and teams that took a bit of a plummet. This week's listener ques...

In this episode of Volley Talk, we take a look at Week 1 of the 2025 Men's Volleyball Nations League. Poland is the only undefeated team, but teams are all very close and competitive, making things very interesting and exciting. We saw a variety of strategies in Week 1 roster construction, with different combinations of youth and experience. It's fair to say, however, that a lot of very young athl...