Erin Sorensen
00:00
Welcome to the 6 Zone Duo podcast presented by Homefield. I'm Erin Sorensen.

Amie Just
00:04
And I'm Amie Just.

Erin Sorensen
00:05
How are you? We're back for another week.

Amie Just
00:08
Have a little bit of a headache today, but

Erin Sorensen
00:11
No,

Amie Just
00:12
no, yeah, I me. No, I'm okay. I just every time I come back from traveling, I just feel a little blah. And the weather outside is not helping.

Erin Sorensen
00:21
Yeah, you also came back to like the grayest, it's like very Big Ten feeling outside. Like, I don't know how else to explain this to people, other than the fact that Whenever it's fall and you're in a Big Ten town, it's just automatically gray outside.

Amie Just
00:33
Except in East Lansing this last weekend.

Erin Sorensen
00:35
Which was really strange.

Amie Just
00:36
It was beautiful

Erin Sorensen
00:37
It's just so strange. I'm just trying

Amie Just
00:38
to bring it back with me or stay there, either one.

Erin Sorensen
00:41
Nebraska has been so gray. So I don't know what where you're watching or listening to this from, but I hope it's I hope it's Maybe not if you're on the East Coast, because I know you've been dealing with Nor'easters, which are very serious. So I hope everyone is okay.

00:53
But yeah, it has been rainy and gray and kind of just raw. Which is very, somehow, very Big Ten at the same time. But yes, I'm with you.

01:03
It's been, it's, we 've just been kind of realizing, it's like been six weeks. Like, this is episode six of 6 Zone Duo. So Before we get into anything, because this is a great time to remind you of this, if you are watching this on YouTube, make sure you are subscribed.

01:18
And if you're listening wherever you get your podcasts Follow the show there too. It helps people find us, and we would really, really love to help more volleyball people find us. Like, we would love that.

01:31
You can also follow us on social at 6 Zone Duo, so the number 6 Zone Duo, which is where we post clips. Polls and everything else throughout the week. So, if you want to do listener questions, if you want to see just little different clips, maybe the games that we're watching, that is all on social.

01:48
But we have a lot to get to today. We really do. This first week of conference play gave us plenty to talk about.

01:55
And we do have a follow up to last week's Getting to Know the Game conversation about liberos. So justice for liberos. I'm trying really hard not to yell right now.

02:02
Because I know you have a headache. I just am like trying really, really hard. I'm like, oh , sorry.

02:08
And then we do have a really, really fun guest for the second half of the show.

Amie Just
02:13
It's going to be great, guys.

Erin Sorensen
02:14
Do you want to tell them who it is?

Amie Just
02:15
Yeah, I will. Sorry. Headache.

02:18
Headache. Headache not helping this one. ESPN's Madison Fitzpatrick is joining us.

02:23
She covers volleyball for ESPN, and this fall she's also working the sidelines for the ACC network primetime college football. Check her out. But the chat we will be having with her is going to be fun.

Erin Sorensen
02:36
It's so fun. We're going to talk to her about her path from playing at Florida State to broadcasting, what volleyball's growth actually looks like. And what she's learned from covering football and then what she sees when she looks at this 2026 volleyball season.

02:50
And she's going to stick around for our favorite things and what we're watching too, which I'm really excited about because those have definitely become One, a very favorite part for us, but some of you, whether it's on YouTube or Bluesky or wherever, have started chiming in about your favorite things or what you are watching. I really, really love that. So keep that coming.

03:09
But we have to, before we get to anything, really what a weekend.

Amie Just
03:13
What

Erin Sorensen
03:13
a weekend of volleyball. We have some pretty significant news. So we're going to start with the biggest news, at least in my opinion.

03:20
I know in yours too, of the weekend. came out of Pitt. Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless announced they're coming back for a fifth season in twenty twenty seven.

03:30
There are obviously a million volleyball implications to that, especially when we're talking about the two time National Player of the Year in Olivia Babcock. But what I really liked was what Olivia said after Pitt swept Stanford when she was asked about the decision. To come back, here is her quote.

03:45
This is just a great community filled with so much support. The opportunity to play in this new facility with this team, it obviously sounds like a dream. No one wants to stop.

03:53
Playing with their best friends, the fact that the NCAA gave everyone an opportunity to continue playing and having fun, that's something that everyone should capitalize on. I think that's such a special opportunity. I think when we hear this directly from the athlete, because we can talk endlessly about why and this and that, but You know, it's good to hear from her because, from her perspective, it basically came down to: I love this place, I love these people, I love to get to play volleyball, why should I leave?

04:17
And that makes a lot, a lot of sense to me. But, you know, we there's a lot there's a lot here. I think I like I was writing some questions and things for me to ponder, and the one part that I kept writing is Blaire matters here too, Amie.

Amie Just
04:30
Yes, it does. It does. She does.

Erin Sorensen
04:32
She does. And there's more to it than there's that.

Amie Just
04:35
Yes. I mean, some questions on this. Like, what does it mean for Pitt?

04:39
What does it mean for Other teams in the ACC? Is this going to become normal? What does the fifth year mean in regards of player development and recruiting?

04:53
I think Olivia and Blaire's decisions as well as Louisville's Chloe Chicoine, she also announced she was coming back, absolutely changes the game. And I think we'll see a trickle down effect from those choices. Like at the micro level, I'm I'd be curious to know how this changes Pitt and the local roster construction for next year.

05:16
Who's going to transfer out of those programs? Maybe when they thought they'd get playing time next year and now they probably won't. You know , do kids decommit? I don't know if their decisions will necessarily impact other players in similar situations.

05:34
These decisions are individual. Everyone has their own reasons for making their own choices. But I do think, though.

Erin Sorensen
05:42
going to say really quick. So what Amie was just saying for our inevitable Nebraska volleyball fans that are listening and going, what does this mean for our seniors? It is very true what she's saying about the it's individual.

05:52
Like it's it like Just be mindful of that, like the individual aspect of all of these decisions. Anyway, continue. Sorry.

Amie Just
05:58
At the macro level, you know, maybe Olivia and Blaire and Chloe and whoever else chooses to use their fifth year that has not announced that they are doing so yet. Maybe it gives permission for other people to do that too, like down the road, not necessarily just next year. Plus, again, as I talked about, how does this affect recruiting?

06:16
How does this like high school recruiting? How does this affect the transfer portal? Because it will.

Erin Sorensen
06:21
It will.

Amie Just
06:21
It absolutely will. And People are going to have to adjust, but I hope players don't feel pressure one way or another to make a decision from Well, the team that I play for already recruited. Like, I hope they just make the decisions for themselves and they're not influenced by anything else.

Erin Sorensen
06:43
Yeah. I mean, these are very personal decisions. They will be made based on personal goals.

06:47
The one thing I will say, and I was talking to Amie about this before we started recording, is like there is a little bit of a level of surprise with any decision, including for Olivia Babcock for me, because I think about for example, her potential for the Olympic team and what that means. Would she get prof would she get pushed harder at the professional level versus the NCAA leading into Olympic decisions in Team USA? Do we see some decisions remain to depart college so that they can get pushed in certain ways and train in certain ways, leading into the Olympics, leading into Team USA decisions?

07:22
I don't know. But these are very personal decisions, and I do think that these are going to have an effect. We are probably going to start to see more and more decisions be made.

07:32
Some may wait until after the season, but we also know that the professional leagues are going to start building out their rosters for the next season. And so there's questions with that. The interesting thing is I brought up the Olympics, and speaking of Olympics and Team USA and the national team, we do have to give some love to the United States women's national team because apparently one gold medal in September was just not enough for this team.

07:55
They swept Mexico on Sunday to win the NORCECA Final Six, went 7-0 in that tournament, and that comes just nine days after winning the Pan American Cup. So two tournaments. Two gold medals, nine days.

08:08
And Rachel Fairbanks was named MVP of the Final Six. And there's a bunch of notable players that a number of you might be familiar with. Eva Hudson, Callie Schwarzenbach.

Amie Just
08:17
Elena Scott.

Erin Sorensen
08:18
Elena Scott. Yes, there's Fairbanks. There's a bunch of players on this roster. And like, you know, we do need to talk about Team USA more. Just Saying that.

Amie Just
08:30
Yeah, thank you for stealing my thunder.

Erin Sorensen
08:34
I didn't have a good transition.

Amie Just
08:36
So, you know.

Erin Sorensen
08:38
You have the better way of saying it, though.

Amie Just
08:40
You know what? I'm going to transition by saying what Amie was just about to say.

Erin Sorensen
08:46
We're fine. Everything's great. Everyone's going to think we're fighting. We can't. We're not fighting.

Amie Just
08:51
We're not fighting. We're not fighting. We might just lou Disagree, disagreeing.

08:56
Um I just, I don't think we, the collective we, not like us two, like, I don't think we talk about the senior national team as much as we should. There is this perception that, oh, it's just an Olympic thing. Nope.

09:10
I was a swimmer. People say that about swimming all the time. Oh, that's just an Olympic sport.

09:16
No. There are things in the three years, there's not the Olympics. They deserve a lot of credit for the competitions that they play in. They deserve a lot of credit for the work that they're doing and the medals that they're continuing to win.

09:33
Just if you're like, nothing's going on, it's super boring. Maybe check out that calendar too.

Erin Sorensen
09:39
And if you're wondering, like, how you can keep up with it, I'll be just completely honest: like, there's a ton of YouTube streams now. In the case of Sunday, Mexico, USA, a number of the streams that I did find and was able to watch a little bit of, yes, they were prominently in Spanish. But that is okay.

09:55
You can absolutely still follow along. It's a great way as somebody who is also trying to learn Spanish, great way to just be exposed to the language and listen, but you can absolutely still follow along. And they're all available on YouTube.

10:07
And so Tune in, watch them. They are very, very interesting. They're fun to watch.

10:12
It's a totally different level of competition. So Not stealing Amie's thunder aside. She's very right.

10:18
We do need to talk about this more. And I will say, I appreciated you saying the collective we, I agree, but also even we, as you and me, should probably talk about it more.

Amie Just
10:27
There's nothing wrong with watching podcasts in Spanish. Sometimes I think it's more.

Erin Sorensen
10:31
During the World Cup, it absolutely was.

Amie Just
10:33
Yes. I watched a lot of World Cup matches.

Erin Sorensen
10:35
On Telemundo? Yeah. Wow.

Amie Just
10:38
It was on the multiple streaming platforms that I subscribed to, and I am getting my money's worth.

Erin Sorensen
10:44
Exactly. You know, and It's been, there's just been a lot of news this weekend. Another piece of news that we definitely don't want to breeze past, that Longwood announced it is adding women's volleyball.

10:53
For they 're going to start competition in the fall of 2028. It'll be the school's 19th Division I sport, and Longwood will compete in the Big South Conference. I think this matters because We are going to talk to Madison Fitzpatrick here in just a little bit about the phrase that we like to use: the growth of volleyball.

11:12
We hear that a lot. And when it comes down to it, this is growth. A university has decided that women's volleyball is worth adding as a Division I varsity sport.

11:20
That's very tangible of what we are talking about. And there will eventually be a whole new roster of Division I volleyball players who have college opportunities because this program exists. And I think that's worth noting and talking about.

11:32
Good for them.

Amie Just
11:33
I love it.

Erin Sorensen
11:34
I'm very happy

Amie Just
11:35
there's another Division I university that I would love to add women's volleyball that doesn't offer it. Bonus points to the people who know which school I'm talking about.

Erin Sorensen
11:46
We won't say it. If you have a guess, leave it in the YouTube comments.

Amie Just
11:50
There is one very prominent, prominent Athletic program that does not offer it. It's a very good trivia question.

Erin Sorensen
11:59
Yeah.

Amie Just
12:00
Trivia question.

Erin Sorensen
12:01
We're going to leave this in there. And if you have the guess, leave it in the comments of YouTube and we'll talk about it next week, unless my brain forgets. I'm going to make a note of it, but just in case, just in case.

12:11
But yeah, good for good for Longwood. Very, very excited. The quote from their vice president of University Athletics was that they're committed to providing student opportunities and attracting talented individuals to Farmville.

12:27
Women's volleyball is thriving, and we're happy to be able to offer the competition at the highest level of collegiate athletics to that community. So fantastic. We love that.

12:36
Love to see more of it. The last thing, which you're welcome to steal my transition into this if you want to, but West Virginia did beat number nine Arizona State. Take me home.

Amie Just
12:50
Are we going to sing every week?

Erin Sorensen
12:51
Maybe. Maybe. And it's going to be great. We'll make a playlist on Apple Music and Spotify, and you can join in, and it'll be the random songs that we have sung for you in a week. Honestly, that could be fun.

Amie Just
13:05
Interesting start to that.

Erin Sorensen
13:07
You know, it's fine. West Virginia did beat number nine at the time, number nine Arizona State in five on Friday after trailing two to one. It was the highest ranked win in West Virginia volleyball history and the Mountaineers' first top ten win since 2020. Can we get some love for West Virginia?

Amie Just
13:25
Hell yeah, brother.

Erin Sorensen
13:26
Hell yeah, brother. We should. They opened Big 12 by Beating Arizona State, and that makes things really interesting as we're about to talk about. In fact, what did he do to the rankings?

Amie Just
13:34
Well, chaos.

Erin Sorensen
13:36
Let's look at the rankings. I need to actually pull them up on mic. computer and make sure that I have them.

13:43
But like just generally, as we're talking about it, Arizona State, like I said, was number nine with West when West Virginia played them, dropped to number twelve. That's not massively significant, but you know, They still did drop. And that is worth noting.

14:01
So, oh, it would be helpful if I just Scroll down. All right. So let's look at our top 15, Amie.

14:10
And then I'm going to ask you for what jumps out, but let's give the top 15. Number one, Nebraska. Number two, Pitt.

14:18
Not surprising across the board, those two have really solidified themselves as one and two. Some people feel like they could should be switched. Number three, Kentucky.

14:27
Four, Louisville, five, SMU, six, Wisconsin, seven, Florida, eight, Texas. nine TCU, ten, Purdue, eleven Tennessee, twelve Arizona State, thirteen Stanford, fourteen Texas A&M, and fifteen Indiana. Just looking at that top fifteen, Amie, what jumps out to you?

Amie Just
14:48
There's a lot. Number one, the top five are the same from last week. Top six, actually.

14:54
Florida and Texas flip flopped. With each other. TCU rose a little bit.

14:59
Purdue stayed the same. Tennessee rose a little bit. Arizona dropped several spots.

15:05
Stanford dropped one spot. A&M rose two. Indiana rose three.

15:09
So just some shuffling. It's actually the back half of the rankings that are MS because so many teams went 0 and 2 to start off conference play. Some upsets, some just general chaos.

15:30
We have two new teams In the top 25 this week. So shout out to Washington and Utah. The two teams that fell out were Creighton and USC.

Erin Sorensen
15:40
So just to give you that those next ten, sixteen Penn State, seventeen Oregon, eighteen BYU, nineteen Kansas, twenty Minnesota, twenty one Baylor, as Amie just said. The addition of 22 Washington, 23 Utah, then 24 Colorado, and 25 North Carolina. We talked about this last week.

16:00
The highest, the next highest receiving, and honestly, not too far behind. So North Carolina is at 25 with 165 votes. Michigan State is not far behind with 139.

16:11
We talked about you need to take Michigan State seriously. you know keep an eye keep an eye on the Spartans here uh Creighton did you know drop down uh drop down and drop out that doesn't mean you know they're We talked about that. Creighton needs to find some footing.

16:30
We'll continue to find some footing in the Big East. That is definitely the hope. But Amie, I was looking to see while we were sitting here, I was like, I wonder if TCU has responded yet to their rankings.

16:41
They have not. TCU has been particularly clever with its responses on the AVCA rankings the last couple of weeks.

Amie Just
16:50
Well, they're top ten now.

Erin Sorensen
16:51
They are top ten, but I do wonder if they are still annoyed that they are behind teams that they have defeated. Penn State, you had brought up, did fall two spots on this one, fell from number fourteen to number sixteen leading into this. When we look at, I have a whole bunch of questions.

17:10
I wrote these down last week, but you have been a poll voter, not specifically for volleyball, but you have been a poll voter. Like these are questions that I wrote that if we were ranking, like if we were ranking our own things. So I'm like using a lot of we 's and things, but it's more like, okay, if we were treating this like What is the hardest thing to account for in a poll when you are ranking?

Amie Just
17:34
Especially once you get into the later parts of the season, like head to head should matter. But what happens if you split against teams. What happens if there's some, you know, how does the Psycho committee, Psycho's committee phrase it?

17:56
The it's like the I can't remember, but it's when one team beats one team and they beat another team, and then like there's the circle of death or something like that. The circle of pain. I don't remember what they call it.

18:10
Hard to account for that as well.

Erin Sorensen
18:11
Yeah.

Amie Just
18:12
So, like, if yeah, so that's always really tricky when you get further into the season and some of the results don't make sense. That's tough. And then sometimes you look at, well, how did a team win?

18:28
How did they lose? Who did they have? Who did they not have?

18:33
You know, that's tough to account for too, especially when you're trying to keep track of 50-plus teams. That you know could make a case for at least getting one vote. So, yeah.

Erin Sorensen
18:46
I do have to ask, I feel like I know the answer, but when we look outside the top twenty five, is there anybody and it's okay if you just say Michigan State, but is there anybody else that like you would say? looks increasingly dangerous, like maybe in addition to Michigan State?

Amie Just
19:02
They are my pick.

Erin Sorensen
19:03
Okay.

Amie Just
19:03
I do still really like Georgia Tech, though.

Erin Sorensen
19:06
Yeah. Georgia Tech is a really interesting team.

Amie Just
19:08
I believe in them.

Erin Sorensen
19:10
I believe that. No. Yes, I the batten pat half of this poor this week has been really, really fascinating. So good good shout out to Washington and Utah for finding their way into the top twenty five.

19:23
It's going to be interesting because it was a it was a fascinating we we we know there's a lot of upsets. In fact, I do within the conversation of the Poll, want to bring up something that this is incredible. We had a listener point out last week just how brutal, for instance, the Pitt SMU travel weekend can be.

19:40
This is what John on YouTube said. This season, the teams with the hardest schedule are usually the two ACC teams that have to play Pitt and SMU in the same weekend. This weekend, and this being last weekend, the weekend prior to when you were listening to this.

19:54
Cal and Stanford get to run the gauntlet. This is the third season of teams playing Pitt and SMU, usually on Friday, Sunday, and no one has beaten Pitt or SMU on a Sunday yet. So, as it turns out, John.

20:06
Yes, Cal and Stanford went 0 and 2 this weekend. Cal lost at Pitt on Friday and SMU on Sunday, while Stanford lost at SMU on Friday and Pitt on Sunday. So your point Is well taken.

20:19
I had said on YouTube in response, what a fun fact, and then proceeded through the weekend to be like, Oh my. Indeed, what a fun fact. This isn't really even a correction.

20:30
This is just more for like extreme ball knowers. If you're somebody who's like, hold on a second. Yes, Louisville, led by one Dani Busboom Kelly, did survive the gauntlet.

20:39
Sort of in 2024. Still lost to Pitt on Friday, but did beat SMU on Sunday, but still very, very difficult weekend. That is a massively fun fact that I want to follow now until the end of time.

20:50
Thank you, John. on YouTube for just sharing that because that was an insane stat and so fun to follow through this weekend. I was telling Amie, and she's like, hold on a second What?

Amie Just
21:01
Yeah.

Erin Sorensen
21:01
I was like, yeah, John on YouTube. Shout out. That's wild. So this just goes to show. We are in silly season now, officially. I mean, we were already, but like, we're going to see a lot more of like kind of probably, I suspect, chaos

Amie Just
21:21
What's the theme of our show?

Erin Sorensen
21:23
Chaos.

Amie Just
21:24
Yep.

Erin Sorensen
21:24
Yep. That is the theme. And we will have plenty more to argue about as conference play continues. And if you ever want to tell us any of our opinions are wrong, respectfully, preferably, find us.

Amie Just
21:34
What do you mean?

Erin Sorensen
21:36
Except

Amie Just
21:36
when I am.

Erin Sorensen
21:37
You can find us at 6 Zone Duo on Instagram, TikTok. Bluesky, Twitter, you name your social media pick. We're probably there.

21:46
That said, we'd like to take a quick timeout for our presenting sponsor, Homefield. I feel like this is the easiest time of the year to understand why we love Homefield so much because college sports are fully taking over the calendar right now. You're watching volleyball during the week, football all day on Saturday, maybe even volleyball on Saturday, volleyball again all day on Su Now you've developed opinions about six different teams you did not care about a month ago.

22:07
So yes, this is the time of year when having good college gear matters, Amie. Homefield does all of the old school stuff. Really, really well.

22:15
They have the vintage logos, the throwback mascots, weird little pieces of school history. But the bigger thing is that it's stuff that you actually want to wear all the time. It's not game day only gear, at least in my opinion.

22:26
It becomes your favorite sweatshirt, your favorite t-shirt, the shirt that you grab when you're running out the door, the jacket. They don't have Jean jackets I saw the other day. They have literally everything for every kind of moment that you might want.

22:39
And because they have officially licensed gear for more than one hundred fifty schools, there's a very good chance they have something for yours or one of those sixteens you've recently adopted as your new favorite. So they have truly something for everything. Amie's even worn one of the shirts on the show to date.

Amie Just
22:55
Once the weather gets a little colder, I will pull out my favorite Homefield hoodie.

Erin Sorensen
22:59
Maybe we need to do a Homefield week and we're all Homefield. Stay tuned for that. But if you

Amie Just
23:04
down to the socks, their socks are so great.

Erin Sorensen
23:06
Their socks are really great. In fact, my husband stole my last pair of socks. The both of them, I know. So not

Amie Just
23:12
understandable though. They're great socks.

Erin Sorensen
23:13
So alongside me, Go to homefieldapparel.com and take a look, especially if you need to get a new pair of socks because people keep stealing them from you. And thanks again to Homefield for presenting 6 Zone Duo.

23:23
This week, we're going to skip over our regular listener question segment because we have Madison Fitzpatrick joining us shortly. But we did have a really good follow-up to last week's Getting to Know the Game. But that said.

23:35
If you do ever have a listener question, I'm keeping a running list. I just want you to know they're out there. We are not, like, a lot of them have been very lovely in the sense that they're evergreen.

23:46
So if you have a question, whether you leave it on YouTube or you email us, at podcast@6zoneduo.com. We would love to hear from you.

23:54
But after we explained why you sometimes see seven players introduced as starters, even though there are actually only six in the court, Eric on YouTube actually followed up with Is a defensive specialist essentially someone with a libero skill set who just counts as a substitution and is one usually better at serve, receive, passing? or some other specific skill? And the answer is kind of, but there's definitely more of an important distinction here because a defensive specialist often does have a very similar skill set to a libero They're generally strong passers, defenders in service, servers, but a defensive specialist.

24:25
Amie is still a regular player under the substitution rules.

Amie Just
24:28
Yes. So this is kind of a hot button topic with people in the volleyball community. So some people may some people may disagree with me.

Erin Sorensen
24:44
Sorry.

Amie Just
24:45
But as a resident 5-foot-4, 5-foot-3, depending on the day, person [uncertain transcription]

Amie Just
24:51
this is how I look at it. Defensive specialist is a position, and libero is a role that somebody plays. So.

25:02
As I mentioned this last week, the libero, the back row player who wears a different color jersey, it's a new position -ish in the grand landscape of things. It was 1998. For international play, 2002 for the NCAA, and then in the years following for high school.

25:17
Different leagues have different rules for liberos. Like internationally , liberos can't serve. In the NCAA, they can only serve in one specific rotation for one specific person.

25:34
And then there can also technically be two liberos dressed out for a game, but only one can be on the court at a time. Teams don't have to do that if they don't want to. Some do, some don't. That's really getting into the weeds.

25:45
But to come back to the bigger picture on liberos,

Erin Sorensen
25:47
why did this happen?

Amie Just
25:48
Once again, Halloween!

Erin Sorensen
25:50
Why is this happening?

Amie Just
25:52
Again! Again! Make sure that it's focused on us again.

Erin Sorensen
25:57
It is. For anyone who's watching. No, if you're watching on YouTube, you know what happened.

26:02
If you're listening on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I regret to inform you the lighter turned off to him. And it's happened, like, I think every single time around this part, what is happening?

26:15
We've not been in this room for the same set amount of time each time. Is it when we talk about liberos? Are we being haunted by a libero?

Amie Just
26:21
We are being haunted by a libero. That's what's happening. You're like, Amie, no.

Erin Sorensen
26:26
Yes.

Amie Just
26:27
You're wrong.

Erin Sorensen
26:28
Wow.

Amie Just
26:28
I'm not wrong.

Erin Sorensen
26:29
You're not wrong. We're never wrong.

Amie Just
26:31
So. liberos , gosh, I lost where I was. That's okay. We're going to roll right here.

Erin Sorensen
26:39
But what's a defensive specialist?

Amie Just
26:41
Okay, so liberos usually play For a middle blocker in the back row, and it doesn't count as a substitution. Defensive specialist, to me, liberos versus defensive specialists are like squares and rectangles. And you're like, Amie, what are you talking about? All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. So, liberos are technically defensive specialists, but not all defensive specialists are liberos.

Erin Sorensen
27:07
What an anecdote-that was great!

Amie Just
27:08
Thanks. A defensive specialist dressed out in the same jerseys the rest of the team goes through the regular substitution procedures and usually subs in for an opposite hitter or an outside who's not a sixth rotation player. It doesn't happen very often, but it can, where a DS can rotate into the front row.

27:28
You usually only see that, though, when a team runs out of subs. I've seen it twice. And the NCAA are limited to fifteen.

27:37
So super simple. libero, specialized back row player with its own replacement rules. Defensive specialist, a regular player Who is usually being used for their skills in the back row?

27:52
There's a lot more weeds that we can get into. Like how the libero is usually your second option as a setter. If your setter makes first contact.

27:59
liberos can't set for players in front of the ten foot line. They're not allowed to attempt to block at the net. They can't swing at the ball if the ball is higher than the top of the net when making contact.

28:11
There's a lot more weeds that we can get into. And we can if you want to.

Erin Sorensen
28:16
We can.

Amie Just
28:17
But that's the gist.

Erin Sorensen
28:19
And there was a part of the question that you said, and this might not have been intentional. And so I'm not like I'm just more saying for somebody else who might be listening who doesn't know. because you had said is like serve, serve, receive and passing as a part of that.

28:31
And the thing is, is like is one is one better at serve, receive versus passing? And the answer is Like it's a kind of a little bit of an annoying way to say this, but serve receive is passing. Serve receive is specifically passing the opponent's serve, but when we talk about someone as a great passer, we may not be We may also be talking more broadly about their ability to control first contact.

28:49
So a coach might use a defensive specialist because she's especially good. She's an especially good server because they want another strong passer in a certain rotation. If she's an elite defender or some combination of the three, it's just like Amie said, we could get really, really far into the weeds, but it's a great question.

29:05
And I honestly love that you asked for the follow-up because it can get a little bit complicated if you're not If you're new to watching this sport,

Amie Just
29:16
insummation, similar toolbox, sometimes the same toolbox, sometimes different energy, sometimes Your libero and your DS bring different energy, different job description, different rules, different roles. But yeah, if you continue to have questions like this or about other things, keep sending them. We love them. Email us at podcast@6zoneduo.com.

Erin Sorensen
29:41
All right, we are so excited to be joined by Madison Fitzpatrick of ESPN. Madison, I have to just tell our viewers and our listeners a little bit about you first. Madison, join ESPN.

29:52
Plan in 2023 as a volleyball analyst and sideline reporter after a standout career at Florida State. She captured the Seminoles Beach volleyball team, twice finished as an NCAA national championship runner-up, and finished her career with 90 total wins. This fall, she added something new to the resume.

30:08
College football working the sidelines for ACC Network primetime. Madison, welcome to 6 Zone Duo.

Madison Fitzpatrick
30:15
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. What a great intro.

30:17
Don't make my head too big. I appreciate you guys. Thanks for having me.

Erin Sorensen
30:21
Of course. I mean, I have to just say, for anyone listening to, we are thrilled to have you. But like, I could have made, we could have just spent the entire interview, me, just talking about your Your entire bio. It is so impressive. So I just want you to know that, like, I will totally build up your ego because you deserve it.

Madison Fitzpatrick
30:39
Thank you.

Erin Sorensen
30:40
You are incredible.

Madison Fitzpatrick
30:41
Thank you.

Erin Sorensen
30:42
So, how are you? How has the fall been for you so far?

Madison Fitzpatrick
30:46
Oh my gosh, it has been so much fun. I don't sleep that much. I fly more than I drive at this point.

30:53
So, I don't have to spend money on gas, which is awesome. And I just have absolutely loved it. Like it's been such a season filled of hard work, but I get to see so many teams, talk to so many athletes.

31:04
And it's, it's really, it's like a dream fall for me for sure.

Erin Sorensen
31:08
That, you know, we're, we're with you, we're in the like team, no sleep right now.

Madison Fitzpatrick
31:13
Yeah,

Erin Sorensen
31:14
I made the joke about there's This lady gaga meme or she meme where she's talking about like bus, no sleep, you know, another club, this. And I'm like, that's kind of all of our lives right now. It's just like, we are. So I have to start by asking you because you grew up playing both indoor and beach, and then you have this incredible career at Florida State. When you watch volleyball now, do you still watch it first like a player, or has your brain started to shift into broadcaster mode full time?

Madison Fitzpatrick
31:42
Yeah, I love that question. I think like many former athletes would say the same thing that I am, player. I watch it as a player.

31:50
I don't know if I will ever get out of that. Like, I still find myself jumping in my seat, like with a good dig. Like, I just want to get under there and scoop it up myself.

31:59
And I do think it's an advantage because One, like we've played the game. So technically, I know what those girls are doing and all of that. And then also, like, I've been in their shoes.

32:08
Like, I know what it feels like to shank a pass and then get targeted and serve received. So I think, like, from an intrinsic Mindset, or just like internally, I know what they're going through, and I definitely feel everything that they're feeling while they're feeling it. It makes it really fun.

32:25
And super intense to call volleyball because I want to be out there still, you know?

Amie Just
32:29
I love that. Yeah, I do too. When you were in college at Florida State, was broadcasting always the plan for you? Or when did you realize that this is how you wanted to remain connected to volleyball?

Madison Fitzpatrick
32:41
Yeah. Broadcasting has been the plan since like I could speak. Like, you know, back in the day with like the old camcorder things that our parents would have, like, they would bust out the little cam recorder and I would just want to get In front of it and speak.

32:55
Like, I would run out if there was rain. I would run out and I would want them to film me like reporting on the weather. So it's just been something that's been inside me my whole life.

33:04
Always knew this was the plan. I've never had a plan B, which is a little scary. Thank goodness it's working out.

33:09
I'm very grateful for it. But yeah, this has always been one-track mine broadcasting after college.

Erin Sorensen
33:15
I kind of love it because I feel like to a certain degree, like there's a level of like for any of us, like I'm not saying like, it's like the people always say like a little bit of delusion is a good thing. Like if you just are going to say what's going to happen, like Why not? Why can't it happen for me?

Madison Fitzpatrick
33:32
I've heard a lot of people say that. Like, it's good to be a little bit crazy. We're all a little bit crazy in this industry. Because our goals are just high.

Erin Sorensen
33:39
Yeah, especially like, especially when people want to doubt women's sports and like what we're capable of, like, we have to, we just keep, we just keep pro showing up and proving them. Proving them wrong.

Madison Fitzpatrick
33:49
Yeah.

Erin Sorensen
33:50
I do want to know that being a high-level athlete, when you started broadcasting, was there ever like You know, did you ever have to learn about when you're explaining it? Did that that did that shift at all with like thinking of like, okay, this is how I would say it as a player, but now I'm having to think about the audience listening to me?

Madison Fitzpatrick
34:08
100%. That was something that ESPN talked with me right when I got here. It's like, you have to act like the viewer has never seen volleyball before.

34:16
So really take it down. Like even describing. The rotations, the subs in and out.

34:21
Why the libero is not going to the front row? Like, like all of the rules, you just have to dumb it down and make it simple. And I think volleyball's done a really good job with that.

34:30
I mean, i. e. our numbers have just. Continually increased. So now it's not just the volleyball fan, it's like random sports lovers now love watching the game.

34:39
And yeah, you have to kind of speak to those people too with the big-time volleyball listeners.

Erin Sorensen
34:45
I do have to say really quick, I'm really glad that you said libero because over the last two weeks, we take listener questions and that includes like just getting to know the game a little bit better. In the last two weeks, people have been specifically asking about libero and trying to understand that position and the nuance. Of it, so like we have some people who really want to be ball knowers specifically with the liberos.

Madison Fitzpatrick
35:04
Love it, yes, I love it.

Amie Just
35:07
Yeah, curiosity, I think, is a good thing. Title is to that for sure, especially if you are just getting into it. But you joined ESPN at such a fascinating time for volleyball. Just even in the few years that you've been doing this, like what do you think has changed the most?

Madison Fitzpatrick
35:24
I would say my first year, I remember everyone was really excited because we had our first like regular season game on ABC and we had one and everyone was super pumped about it. And since then, I mean, like, we've had. Multiple on ABC.

35:39
I don't know what the number is, but it's way more than, I think it's more than 15 on ESPN. And like this past season, Broadway Block Party, or this past Like a couple months ago, time flies. We had 809,000 viewers.

35:53
So I think what has changed the most is One, how much we're getting on the big airways to how many people are buying in and watching and like the fan base and the support. It's volleyball is like a rocket ship. It has just been soaring ever since I got here in such a short amount of time.

36:09
It's only been three years, and we're seeing such massive numbers of growth.

Erin Sorensen
36:13
Yeah, you just said it. Like we keep we've talked a lot about the growth of volleyball, but sometimes it's like this giant phrase that feels like can mean both everything and nothing at the same time. What does growth, like in your opinion, what does this growth actually look like?

Madison Fitzpatrick
36:30
I think it looks like this is a funny anecdote, but my husband doesn't really care about volleyball. And then he started watching volleyball. And now he's talking about volleyball with his friends, like random, random, like barstool podcasts.

36:43
Random, there's this thing called Bob Does Sports. Is this Golfer guy that has a podcast, he's talking about Nebraska. Yeah, he's talking about Harper Murray and Nebraska volleyball.

36:52
So I just think, like, The average just sports lover now loves volleyball, and we're seeing it grow like that. So, that's just a very tangible way to see how much the sport is growing. The girls, the players are in commercials.

37:06
I mean, it just their names and like their faces, they deserve everything that's coming to them. But it just continues to skyrocket with average viewers.

Erin Sorensen
37:15
It's so funny that you say that, though, because that was the same thing. My husband actually sent me those clips. He's like, hey, like, you guys are talking about volleyball. I'm like, ah, I love it.

Madison Fitzpatrick
37:24
I love it. As they should.

Amie Just
37:26
Like, actually, she commented on the thought of the sports one too.

Erin Sorensen
37:30
She did, she did, yes, as she should. She's yeah, she's like, um. Very chronically online to the point where like you no one's gonna no one's gonna get away from a Harper Murray. Like if you're gonna be talking about Nebraska volleyball on the internet, she's gonna see it.

Madison Fitzpatrick
37:48
Yes, a hundred percent.

Amie Just
37:51
Is there something about the growth of volleyball that you still think people outside the sport don't completely understand just yet?

Madison Fitzpatrick
38:02
I think maybe new like listeners and viewers think that this just happened like that, but when really we've had so many women And players and coaches and role models like paving the way for such a long time. This has been a long time coming, and it's skyrocketed because now we're on ABC and we're on ESPN more. But I just think Like the average viewer doesn't probably know how much women have worked for this day to happen.

38:27
And like, we just had our first female head coach win a national championship with Penn State a few years back. And that's just something that everyone's been working towards for so long. So it's just really cool to see.

38:37
That it's all finally coming to fruition.

Erin Sorensen
38:40
You know, and I do want to say, because you were talking about just how busy you are right now, you've done something really unique and interesting. Fall because you're bouncing between both volleyball and college football, and you join the ACC network prime time, like we talked about. And has working football changed anything about the way that you approach a volleyball broadcast?

Madison Fitzpatrick
39:00
As weird as it is, the sports are obviously two completely different sports, like different language, different terminology, all of that. But the prep and the approach For a broadcast, for me, it is the exact same. Like, I know with volleyball, I'm going to talk to three players beforehand and I'm going to build out my storylines.

39:16
With football, I do the exact same thing: one guy on defense, one guy on offense, and then someone else mixed in and there. Always talk to the coaches. I always prep the same way.

39:25
Eyes and ears are a big thing with sideline. I focus on that with volleyball and with football. It's a little bit harder with football, obviously, because it's Such a huge field, and you're constantly moving volleyball.

39:35
It's a little easier to have eyes and ears in the huddle. So, different challenges for both, but the way I approach both is the exact same.

Amie Just
39:45
Is there something since you're involved with both now, is there something that college football coverage does really well that you'd love to see volleyball? like adopt as the sport continues to grow?

Madison Fitzpatrick
39:55
I've got to brag on my volleyball people. Like production kills it with volleyball. I would almost say like with volleyball, we We can mic up coaches and like listen to what they're telling players in the huddle.

40:08
That is so cool. They're obviously not doing that in football. I think volleyball has done such a good job at like Setting the pace and just continuing to like amplify themselves from a production and broadcast standpoint.

40:20
I think they're right up there with football. It's been really impressive to watch and be a part of just like How hard everyone on the production side and the broadcast side of all of all works to like get the sport up to where it needs to be to be on ABC, and they've done a great job with it.

Erin Sorensen
40:35
Yeah, because I was going to ask you if there's anything that volleyball does really well on the reverse side that football. So it kind of sounds like maybe like what you're saying, like football could actually Maybe even learn a little bit from the volleyball side of broadcasting.

Madison Fitzpatrick
40:47
Yeah. And I know those football coaches are not going to want to be mic'd up, which makes sense. You know, they're calling plays.

40:52
It's very intense. It's a whole different beast. But yeah, volleyball does a really good job with that.

40:56
We even had Craig Skinner at one point. One point wear a ref cam like on his chest so we could see what the players look like in the huddle while he was talking and sync it with his voice. I also think that that's just like It's such a good representation of the buy-in from everyone in volleyball, the coaches, everyone.

41:13
Like, they're so bought in to make it what it should be and a good show. And they've done a really good job with it. One thing I will say is: football, obviously, like.

41:21
They do hits on SportsCenter. Like, I'll do a talk back to promote the upcoming game with football. I think volleyball, maybe that's the next step for us.

41:29
Just more access into SportsCenter hits, like promoting games. And that's going to come, obviously, because it's on such a fast track.

Erin Sorensen
41:37
I love that.

Amie Just
41:39
Yeah, absolutely. You've seen a ton of teams up close already. What is something from this season that you don't think is getting enough love?

Madison Fitzpatrick
41:49
I think, I mean, kind of going back to bragging on my volleyball people, I think they do a great job at giving love where love needs to be given. I think. Obviously, I think that the setters always deserve a whole lot of love, and I think they do a good job.

42:04
But this year, like specifically, the amount of stud setters that we have, I think we can always just continue to talk about them more and amplify them more. But ESPN does an amazing job at that. So there's really not even like something that I feel like we're not talking about that needs to be talked about because it is the coverage is so incredible from ESPN's side.

Erin Sorensen
42:25
stepping outside, having been a player and now being on the broadcast side, from the broadcasting perspective, what makes a match especially fun to call?

Madison Fitzpatrick
42:35
Two things. We love a good reverse sweep. I know it sucks for the team that lost, but like an intense back and forth, even if it's not a reverse sweep, if it goes to five sets.

42:45
I mean, that's just like broadcast gold because you just feel everything that the players are feeling. It's so intense. And each game is so important with volleyball, especially now that we're in conference.

42:55
And then I would say another thing that makes it fun to call. Is parody and history between the two teams. Like Kentucky, Texas A&M, they play in a national championship last year.

43:05
Like them playing again this year, that history and that parody, that also makes it really fun because the storylines coming into it are so good.

Erin Sorensen
43:13
Yeah, we were just talking about even like this upcoming weekend, some of the matches and the like just the familiarity between some of these teams is going to be really, really fun to watch.

Madison Fitzpatrick
43:22
Yes.

Amie Just
43:26
I'm just so obsessed with all of this. But with broadcasts, there's only so much time that you can talk, right? So, is there a storyline or a position or a strategy or really anything about volleyball that you wish you? Had more opportunities to explain on broadcasts?

Madison Fitzpatrick
43:44
With Sideline, it is hard because The game of volleyball moves so quickly. I mean, you only have a certain number of seconds once the play ends for them to go back to serve. And in sideline, you're not supposed to talk over the play, so getting in stories is hard.

43:57
But I have an amazing producer, James Davidson, and we get all the stories in that we can. And there isn't really anything that I wish we could do more because We're doing as much as we can and the time that's allotted to us. But really important for me to tell the stories of the girls like off the court And I think we do a good job at highlighting that.

44:17
We try really hard because that's also another thing that grows fan bases is when the audience gets to know. A Harper Murray and Izzy Starck and like what they've been through and what they've gone through to get here. So we try really hard to tell those stories.

Erin Sorensen
44:31
Madison, we did say we wanted to keep you around for a couple of really fun parts of the show. We have just by the nature of having been doing this now, just a little bit like You know, six weeks or however long, we've created like the favorite, our favorite thing of the week. And I we would love to have you pick your favorite thing of the week in volleyball.

44:52
And it can be as serious or as ridiculous as you want. Mine have been like, Traditionally, all like TikTok focused the last couple of weeks. It's not this week, funny enough.

45:01
But if you are up for it, we would love to hear what your favorite thing from the last week of volleyball is.

Madison Fitzpatrick
45:07
Mmm, that's a good one. Um I would say Okay, so this is this is super general and fraud.

Erin Sorensen
45:18
That's okay.

Madison Fitzpatrick
45:19
But I would just say the amount of like Upsets. And I could probably say that every week because it's so nuanced and so competitive. But like Kentucky losing to SMU.

45:31
And then this past week or the past couple of days beating Louisville and then Texas in a sweep, like just those things reoccurring or happening. This past week, they're probably going to happen next week. And then SMU, like with their sneaky wins that they've been doing on the road, I just think like the wins like that, that that's always going to stand out to me week to week is my favorite thing.

Erin Sorensen
45:53
Yeah, we were like just talking about so many of these upsets. I mean, this last weekend was bonkers, and I feel like it's only going to keep getting more bonkers. So that's always like a good plug for anybody who's like not actively watching volleyball. You should be because it is No week. No, there's no off week in the world of volleyball.

Madison Fitzpatrick
46:11
So true.

Erin Sorensen
46:12
I will say my favorite thing, and I would love to hear both of your perspectives on this. Mine is actually related to Laney Choboy, Nebraska's Laney Choboy, and specifically about the way she handled a question that she received on. Friday, about her playing time and her role.

46:25
I think it's one of those things that it's really easy for us to talk about from the outside. So, Madison, like, please, like, also, as I walk through this, like, please chime in in from like a player perspective because we know everybody wants to play. Everybody wants the, you know, every like she wants the libero jersey, especially when you're a senior.

46:41
You've been a significant part of the program. Laney has gone back and forth between libero and defensive specialists over the last couple of seasons. And on Friday, she had a season high of 15 digs against Rutgers.

46:51
Serve has also helped Nebraska go on outstanding runs. But when she was asked about the playing time piece afterward, I really liked the way she handled it. There was a sense of, there was not a sense of, I deserve more.

47:03
or making the conversation about what she isn't getting instead it was much more about the role she has, being ready for that role and helping the team when she is on the floor. And I think That can be a really hard thing to do for a player. So, like Dani Busboom Kelly actually said afterward that Laney is playing the best of her career, regardless of whether she's wearing the libero jersey or is a defensive specialist.

47:23
And I just thought it was a really good reminder, at least for myself, that playing well and having the exact role you imagine for yourself isn't necessarily the same thing. And Laney has continued to affect matches like in a very, very significant way. So, you know, thinking about that, Madison, I would love your perspective because that was my favorite thing of the week to hear that from her.

47:41
But as a former player, What is maybe your perspective too for these athletes who maybe are stepping into roles that wasn't what they expected and now they're doing something different or it's transitioned through their four years in college?

Madison Fitzpatrick
47:55
Yeah, I would say that like when things aren't going like 100%, yes, you want to be on the court all the time. And when that's not happening, I feel like you see the true version of someone. We see the true version of Laney Choboy completely selfless, an incredible leader.

48:10
Leader, like willing to do whatever she needs to do for her team. And I think that just speaks volumes of who she is as a person. I got injured my junior year.

48:20
I didn't play in a national championship. I got beat out and I. Could have either pouted or I could have been the loudest cheerleader on the sideline, gave everything I had to my team, and then the next year, like work my way back in and have my best season yet. And I think just the way that athletes respond, it's so important because it's not always going to be easy.

48:40
But it just revealed so much about her character and an athlete's character, whenever they can grind through something like that, still like keep. Their head held high and represent themselves in a great way. Also, Nebraska is super deep.

48:52
Like, it is so hard to play on that team. And I think it's a very like Team-first mentality that Nebraska has, and obviously, Coach Dani Busboom Kelly has done a phenomenal job making sure everyone feels loved and appreciated in their roles because, man, they're so good, you guys. This could be the year.

49:12
We'll see.

Erin Sorensen
49:13
It could be.

Amie Just
49:14
It could be.

Erin Sorensen
49:15
I keep saying, I'm like, this Nebraska and Pitt teams, I'm like, who beat them? Who beats them? The big question none of us have the answer to as of now.

Madison Fitzpatrick
49:25
Nami, up there, up here.

Erin Sorensen
49:27
Yes. What is your favorite thing?

Amie Just
49:29
So, as a Kansas alumna, this one's pretty obvious for me, but Kansas unveiled that it named the court after legendary coach Ray Bechard. Through this cute little video that had his grandkids revealing the new addition to the Taraflex in like a private, like family-only moment. And it was like you could tell how much that meant to him.

49:47
Like, there were a lot of tears. He seemed to be genuinely surprised. Like the team helped surprise him with it too.

49:55
Like they had a little reception it looked like for him just with the team and everything. And I don't know. If you haven't watched the video yet, it's pretty special.

Madison Fitzpatrick
50:04
I love that.

Erin Sorensen
50:05
I love honoring, especially like the more we're seeing that, especially. I feel like we're starting to see that more in volleyball, where like legendary coaches are being honored and just given the flowers. that they deserve.

Amie Just
50:18
Ray deserves it. Ray absolutely deserves it. He was so kind to me and very gracious with me when I was the only one covering Kansas volleyball that year that they made the final four after upsetting USC. So I was the only one there all season, and he was awesome to work with.

Erin Sorensen
50:36
That's awesome. Madison, before we let you go, we have one other thing that we do regularly on 6 Zone Duo. It's a bit of a tradition.

50:43
It's what are you watching this week? So, a match, a team, storyline, anything that might be of interest. What is on your radar this week?

Madison Fitzpatrick
50:52
Okay, I wrote it down. Kentucky plays Florida, and that's a really interesting matchup because. Florida's been really good.

51:02
I have their record. Yeah, 10 and one. So only one loss.

51:05
And then Kentucky, they're on a little bit of like a push here. They've done a really good job. I mean, they just swept Texas.

51:12
So I think that matchup is going to be really fun to watch. SEC conference and Kentucky, whenever they swept Texas, they didn't have Morgan Gaerte, who's one of their star players. So they're looking really good.

51:25
May get her back up for this one, but I'm looking for that matchup. And then on October 7th, so next week, SMU plays Pitt. And Pitt, we talked about it.

51:35
They're up here. They do not have a loss. Izzy Starck, I mean.

51:39
Olivia Babcock, can she go three times AVCA National Player of the Year? We will see, but they're going to be tested big time by SMU because they're having a really great season. So, those two I am looking out for.

Erin Sorensen
51:51
How about you?

Amie Just
51:53
It's this weekend. It's Florida, Kentucky. I just to me, that feels like a precursor to We might get this match, what, four times?

Madison Fitzpatrick
52:04
Yeah.

Amie Just
52:05
Like, we easily could get this match four times. It wouldn't surprise me if we do.

Erin Sorensen
52:09
Yeah. I was like suspecting. I'm like, okay, I'm going to take something other than Florida, Kentucky.

52:14
That was going to be my pick, but I'm like, I'll pick something else. And so we Amie and I are both based in Nebraska. And so we've been kind of joking that this is not a Nebraska volleyball podcast, but like you can't talk about women's volleyball without talking about Nebraska.

52:29
So this is a lot of Nebraska. For me, this week, but I am saying I'm going to watch Nebraska at Penn State on Thursday night.

Amie Just
52:34
I mean, I'll be there too.

Erin Sorensen
52:36
You will be there, I will be at my home watching it. But this isn't just because for everyone listening, it's not just because I cover Nebraska. But it's also because I do think that like Nebraska's spent a lot of time at home recently.

52:48
Now they get a a stretch of three straight conference road matches. Starting with Penn State, I recall. I don't think you can look at Penn State's three losses.

52:56
I had to confirm with you because I was like, Did it do that?

Amie Just
52:59
That is on the road this week. Gosh, I don't even know where I am right now.

Erin Sorensen
53:02
I thought you were gonna be there. That just wouldn't surprise me. We were talking about looking dogs in there. I was gonna be there. I'm

Amie Just
53:06
losing my mind.

Madison Fitzpatrick
53:08
It's okay.

Erin Sorensen
53:09
I even had to ask her because I don't believe in my head that Penn State has three losses. I was like, do they have three losses? Confirm it for me because I'm like, at the end of the day, it's Penn State, it's Rec Hall.

53:18
Uh, there are certain road environments where I think any team has to be ready. This is one of them. I do want to see how Nebraska responds in an environment I do believe will make this team uncomfortable.

53:28
Nebraska has answered everything that's been thrown at it so far. I think this week is an opportunity to really be tested. And that's what I'm going to be watching, which for anybody, Thursday night, 6 p. Central, Big Ten Network.

53:41
But Madison, I do have one last question for you, because you have been so gracious with your time. So, so kind. Is there anything on your upcoming broadcast schedule that you're particularly excited about or that you would like to make sure our listeners are able to tune in?

53:56
And You know, check out what you're up to.

Madison Fitzpatrick
53:59
Fun, good question. You know what? I mean, we have, I mean, for football, I'm going to Raleigh this next weekend.

54:08
We have NC State and Louisville. Both teams are two and two. If you're an ACC fan, that's a big ACC matchup.

54:14
So I would say tune into that. And then volleyball, next up for me right now is the SEC Championship. So that's a little ways away.

54:22
So that's also why I'm tracking Florida, Kentucky, like the end. SEC is so strong. Will Texas make a push?

54:28
Like, will Texas kind of get back? They've had a lot of adversity this season, but they look really good in stretches. So I would definitely say SEC championships in a while, look for that too.

Erin Sorensen
54:38
And we will make sure it's also in the show notes. But if anyone would like to follow you on social, what would be the best way for them to do that?

Madison Fitzpatrick
54:45
Great. Instagram Mads underscore Fitzpatrick. Follow me.

Erin Sorensen
54:50
Yes. I love the fact that one, I love what you're doing this fall on the football beat. Really excited for your volleyball coverage to continue.

55:00
I really have had such a, like I said, we could have spent This entire time with you, just talking about your bio. It's so impressive. So anyone listening, please go follow Madison.

55:11
She is fantastic. And yeah, you answered my question about where should people keep up with you this fall. I just.

55:18
Thank you so much for your time. We just cannot say thank you enough.

Amie Just
55:21
Yes. Thank you

Madison Fitzpatrick
55:22
guys for everything you're doing for volleyball. I love it. I appreciate you. And thank you for having me on.

Erin Sorensen
55:27
Well, hey, we might have to just touch base with you later in the season, especially heading into those SEC championships and see.

Madison Fitzpatrick
55:33
Holys, yes.

Erin Sorensen
55:35
Well, thank you everyone again. Please go follow Madison wherever, primarily on Instagram, but make sure you're following her across ACC Network and ESPN through football and volleyball. Madison, one last time. Thank you so much.

Madison Fitzpatrick
55:50
Thank you guys.

Erin Sorensen
55:51
And that'll do it for this week's 6 Zone Duo. A huge thank you again to Madison Fitzpatrick for joining us and to Homefield for presenting the show as always.

Amie Just
55:59
We have a great, great week of volleyball coming up, you guys. If you have time on Thursday or Friday or Saturday or Sunday, like there's going to be a really good match on. Stay tuned for our releases about what we will be watching. Not just the segment of what we will be watching, but we'll put out some six or so matches that we'll be watching, and hopefully, you will watch them Along with us.

Erin Sorensen
56:26
Yes, and if you're enjoying the show, the easiest way that you can help us is to subscribe. If you're watching on YouTube, go ahead and hit the subscribe button right there right now. If you listen on the Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.

56:38
Follow 6 Zone Duo. So every new episode shows up when it drops. And come hang out with us between episodes.

56:43
Like Amie said, we're on Six, the number 6 Zone Duo, on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Bluesky. YouTube, which hopefully you're just here now. Questions, getting to know the game ideas, complaints about the top twenty five, send them all to us, podcast@6zoneduo.com.

56:59
Thank you again for being here. We will see you next week.