NXTVB

How much should parents actually be involved in their daughter’s volleyball recruiting process? What does it actually take to become a Division I volleyball player, and is D1 always the right goal? In this special episode, Susan shares a preview of her conversation with her friend Desi McPhail on Your Mental Weight Room . Desi works with athletes on the mindset and mental side of performance, and...

How much should parents actually be involved in their daughter’s volleyball recruiting process? In Part 2 of Susan’s conversation with three dads of 2028 Division I commits, the conversation shifts from what happened during recruiting to what it was really like to navigate the process as a parent. The dads share the roles they took on behind the scenes, from managing spreadsheets, emails, film, tr...

What was it actually like to be inside Wrigley Field for one of the most talked-about volleyball events of the year? In this bonus episode, Susan takes you behind the scenes of her experience at the Wrigley Field volleyball matches in Chicago. From attending Mizzou’s practice and getting media access to watching the matches from field level, Susan shares what she saw firsthand and what the experie...

What does the volleyball recruiting process actually look like from the parent side? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Susan sits down with three volleyball dads whose daughters recently committed to Division I programs in the class of 2028. Each came into volleyball with experience in other sports, and each quickly discovered that college volleyball recruiting operates very differently. Th...

What does an SEC head coach really look for when evaluating recruits? In this episode, Susan sits down with University of Missouri head coach Dawn Sullivan to talk about recruiting, culture, and what she’s building at Mizzou. Dawn shares why talent is only one piece of the evaluation process and what she notices about an athlete’s competitiveness, resilience, communication, coachability, and how t...

What if volleyball could help you build opportunities that last long after your playing career ends? In Part 2 of Susan’s conversation with professional volleyball player Bella Bergmark, they shift the conversation off the court and into NIL, social media, personal branding, and what athletes can start building while they’re still playing. Bella shares how she went from being skeptical of social m...

Bella Bergmark’s volleyball journey is proof that being overlooked early does not mean you are behind. In Part 1 of this conversation, Susan sits down with Bella to talk about the path that took her from being a developing recruit in the Bay Area to UC Berkeley, the University of Texas, two national championships, and eventually a professional volleyball career. Bella opens up about changing posit...

Most volleyball families spend hours researching schools, tracking coaches, copying emails, and trying to stay organized throughout the recruiting process. But what if there was a better way? In this episode, Susan sits down with Mike, founder of RallySend, to talk about how a simple goal of helping his own daughter navigate recruiting turned into one of the most innovative tools available for vol...

What if practice was something your daughter actually wanted to show up for? In Part 2 of her sit-down with University of Nevada head coach Jason Borchin, Susan goes deep into the coaching philosophy and practice model Jason has spent years refining, first at Cal Poly and now at Nevada. This one is a masterclass in what a healthy, high-performing college volleyball environment can actually look li...

What actually separates the athletes who get offered from the ones who don't? For the 50th episode of the podcast, Susan sits down with a good friend and one of the most talked-about names in college volleyball right now: Coach Jason Borchin. Jason was the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal Poly during their Cinderella Sweet 16 run in 2025, and just weeks later, he was nam...

What's the first thing you should say when your daughter comes home from a camp, tryout, or tournament totally deflated? In this episode, Susan shares a simple but powerful tool she learned in her life coaching certification called the Ratings Game. It's a set of scaled questions parents and coaches can use to help an athlete process a tough day without spiraling into "I'm not...

Are you actively choosing your recruiting process, or quietly letting it happen to you? In this episode, Susan builds on the last two conversations and gets into one of the biggest reasons recruiting timelines look so different from athlete to athlete: different goals create different timelines. She walks through a spectrum she sees almost every athlete fall somewhere on, from the very specific at...

What if your recruiting journey was never supposed to look like anyone else's? In this episode, Susan continues the post-June 15th conversation with one of her favorite analogies for recruiting: the road trip. She walks through what would happen if 100 families started in San Francisco with the same goal of getting to New York City, and why none of them would arrive in the same way, on the sa...

What if June 15th wasn't a verdict, but a flashlight? In this follow-up to last week's episode, Susan goes deeper on what June 15th actually reveals and how athletes and families can make sense of what they saw (or didn't see) once the day passed. Through two memorable analogies, a tunnel and a big box with multiple doors, she paints a clear picture of what's actually happening...

What if June 15th wasn't a verdict on your future, but just one date on a much longer calendar? With June 15th approaching, Susan goes solo to reframe how athletes and families are thinking about the most hyped-up day in volleyball recruiting. She breaks down what June 15th actually is (and isn't), why most athletes won't have a dramatic recruiting breakthrough on that single day, a...

What separates a recruiting call that lands an offer from one that gets quietly forgotten? In this episode, Susan welcomes back Ben and Nancy Somera, the married coaching duo leading programs at Wesleyan University (Division III) and Fairfield University (Division I). This time, they go deeper into what's actually happening behind the scenes of the recruiting process, from the chase for the &...

What if everything you've been told about the gap between D1 and D3 volleyball is missing the bigger picture? In this episode, Susan sits down with Ben and Nancy Somera, a married coaching duo leading programs at two different division levels. Ben is the head coach at Wesleyan University (Division III), and Nancy is the head coach at Fairfield University (Division I). Together, they offer a r...

What if the “best” recruiting path isn’t the one everyone else is chasing? In this episode, Susan sits down with professional volleyball player Kenzie Foley to talk about her journey from Division II volleyball to playing professionally overseas in Germany. Kenzie shares why she chose the Division II route over lower-level Division I opportunities, how she found the right fit during recruiting, an...

What could happen to volleyball recruiting if college athletes are given five full years of eligibility? In this episode, Susan breaks down the NCAA’s proposed “5 years to play 5” rule and shares seven major ripple effects she believes could reshape the future of volleyball recruiting. From fewer roster spots at top programs to the growing importance of Division III and junior college opportunitie...

June 15th is a major milestone in volleyball recruiting, but most athletes spend years preparing physically without ever learning how to confidently handle conversations with college coaches. In this bonus episode, Susan gives families a behind-the-scenes look inside her June 15th Prep Club, a guided experience designed to help athletes feel calm, prepared, and confident going into recruiting conv...

What does recruiting actually look like from the moment a coach sees your name to a final decision? In Part 2, Susan continues her conversation with Chad Koenegstein and Andrew Brown, breaking down how the Division III recruiting process works behind the scenes. They walk through the recruiting funnel, from crowded inboxes to narrowing down a class, and explain how coaches evaluate athletes, the r...

What does the recruiting process actually look like from a Division III coach’s perspective? In Part 1 of this conversation, Susan sits down with Chad Koenegstein, Head Coach (UC Santa Cruz), and Andrew Brown, Head Coach (NYU), to talk about their journeys into coaching and what makes the Division III experience unique. They share how recruiting has evolved, including the impact of technology and...

If you’ve been trying to approach recruiting like a step-by-step checklist, this episode will challenge the way you think about the process. In this episode, Susan shares a powerful analogy that reframes recruiting as a road trip instead of a fixed plan. Athletes and families often want the exact steps and a guaranteed path, but in reality, recruiting is about direction, not perfection. Susan brea...

What if waiting in the recruiting process could actually create more opportunities? In Part 2 of this conversation, Susan continues her discussion with Keegan Cook, head coach at the University of Minnesota, to break down how timing impacts recruiting opportunities for the class of 2028 and rising prospects. Keegan explains why recruiting can feel inconsistent and how factors like the transfer por...

If you’ve ever felt like the recruiting process suddenly speeds up and everything happens at once, this episode will help you understand why. In Part 1 of this conversation, Susan sits down with Keegan Cook, head coach at the University of Minnesota, to talk through how the current recruiting timeline actually works and what’s changed over the years. They break down the June 15th rule, why communi...