Pro Volleyball: Symone Abbott

Symone Abbott grew up in Northville, Michigan, near-ish Detroit. Like her father, she went to Northwestern in Illinois, a fact I discussed with Symone during media sessions in the Athletes Unlimited 2021 season. Those media sessions can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited.

Symone had a stellar career at Northwestern. Following NU sports in general, I had heard of Symone, but I had nt seen her in action until Athletes Unlimited debuted its volleyball league earlier this year. I wish I would have attended some NU volleyball games though, because after watching AU, I really got into it. Symone, who also played for Karayolları Spor Kulübü in Turkey and for clubs in Italy and France, finished the AU season in 27th place (out of 46 players).

One of the fun topics I discussed with Symone was her love of Chicago. She ever stated she is living in Chicago this summer. She talked about loving the food and atmosphere here.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on all of the AU sports leagues. Follow Symone on  social media to get updates on her career, including her last few years playing in Italy.

Symone Abbott and me-March 2021.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: Lianna Sybeldon

As I have mentioned many times, most recently with Athletes Unlimited's Willow Johnson, I am always intrigued by multi-generational sports families, especially multi-sports and even more specifically multi-genders. Lianna Sybeldon fits all of those categories.

Lianna's father Steve was an offensive tackle at North Dakota State before being selected by the New York Jets in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL draft. Steve ended up playing a bit for the CFL British Columbia Lions, but didn't see any regular season NFL action. Steve's wife, Lianna's mom was a professional dancer.

Lianna starred at the University of Washington. She then played internationally in Puerto Rico and Romania. Like most other players, I did not have a chance to watch Lianna prior to the AU season, but I was very impressed with her on and off the court during this season. Of course, I had to ask her about her dad and she joked about not listening to any advice. She was really fun in those sessions, which can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball 2021.

Lianna finished in 11th place in the AU Volleyball season. While Jordan Larson dominated in winning the league championship, positions 2-11 were separated by only 900 points. It was extremely competitive and Lianna was right in the mix.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on all of the AU sports leagues. I couldn't find much more on Lianna's current life, but I have a feeling she is still connected to sports in some way..

Lianna Sybeldon and me-March 2021.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: Willow Johnson

 As regular readers know, I have always been fascinated by sports families, particularly multi-generations and multi-spots. Today's feature fits all of thos categories.

Willow Johnson is a star volleyball player and the daughter of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson. I had heard of Willow a while back, but being she plays for the University of Oregon, I didn't get any chances to watch her games. That changed earlier this year with Athletes Unlimited debuting a volleyball league.

Like her father Randy, Willow, at 6'3", is a tall lefty. At Oregon, she finished ninth in program history with a .272 hitting percentage. She had 1,011 kills and 1,165 career points. In AU competition, Willow was of to a solid start, but got injured.

On a selfish side, I was happy to have gotten a chance to speak to Willow prior to her injury. She had a great game and was part of the post-game media session. I asked Willow about advice from her famous father. Willow responded that her father has helped her with generalities, but his expertise isn't volleyball, so he didn't get into specific stuff. Willow's entire media session is at On the Beat With AU Volleyball 2021 Week 2.

I never had the chance to interview Randy, but I have added Willow to my list of interview subjects. I hope to talk to her sometime in the future..

For more info on all of AU sports, go to AUProSports.com. Follow Willow on social media to get updates on her career and life (and maybe Randy, too).

Willow Johnson and me-March 2021.

Friend Encounters: Abe Lincoln & Kayla Wood, Kylie Ohlmiller, Dempsey Arsenault and Ally Kennedy

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

In 2021, Athletes Unlimited exposed me to the fun world of pro lacrosse. I covered the league for the entire season, partaking in many Zoom interviews with the players. Based in Washington, D.C., the players took advantage of the area and visited many historic and fun places. One of those was a Washington National game. 

Kayla Wood, Kylie Ohlmiller, Dempsey Arsenault and Ally Kennedy attended a game and got a picture with the Abraham Lincoln mascot. Obviously, the lady athletes were trying to get featured here in the offseason and of course, I am always happy to feature fun "celebrity encounters."

For more info on AU and the great players, go to AUProSports.com. In addition to lacrosse, AU has leagues of softball, basketball and volleyball.

Kayla Wood, Kylie Ohlmiller, Abe Lincoln, Dempsey Arsenault and Ally Kennedy in Washington, D.C.-August 2021.

Kayla Wedl From UIC to AU

Kayla Wedl was a softball pitcher in high school, but moved to the infield when she played at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to being a star player at UIC, she also earned a degree in Kinesiology and is working on a Master's degree in Marketing.

Ay UIC, she was the 2021 Horizon League Player of the Year. That was just one of many awards and accolades she earned in a stellar career at UIC.

In June, Athletes Unlimited held its first open tryouts and Kayla won a spot on the 2021 league roster. As I have previously documented several times, AU doesn't have set teams, but rather has weekly redrafts. That's why Kayla earned a league roster spot and not a specific team.

As is the case for all AU players, part of Kayla's earnings in the league go to the charity of her choosing. For Kayla, that is Players for Pits, an organization dedicated to saving pit bull type dogs in Chicago-area animal controls. The goal is to decrease the number of pit bull type dogs dying in shelters and to make the nation no kill.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kayla at the first set of games this season. As a local athlete, she was very busy with family and friends, but she was kind enough to give me a few moments.

Follow her at @kaylawedl on Instagram. Also, check AUProSports.com for more info on Kayla and the rest of the league.

Kayla Wedl and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Softball 2021 Week 1 Part 1

Less than a week after Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse ended, AU Softball started its second season. After a year away from live action, it was great to be back live "On the Beat" in Rosemont.

Opening Weekend for Athletes Unlimited Softball featured the first no-hitter in AU history, walk-off home runs and more all played in front of a packed stadium in Rosemont. Softball was back and fans couldn't have asked for more.

In addition to pitching a no-hitter, Cat Osterman led her Team Gold to a 3-0 record. Victoria Hayward's Team Blue was 2-1, Jessie Warren's Team Orange went 1-2 and Erika Piancatelli's Team Purple went 0-3. 

Despite her dominating performance, Osterman is in the unfamiliar second spot on the leaderboard with 490 points. Sahvanna Jaquish claimed the top spot with 498 points. Tori Vidales (468 points) and Lilli Piper (438 points) round out the top four spots. These four will be captains next week, drafting those teams later today. Just missing the top four were Odicci Alexander (428 points), Haylie McCleney (420 points) and Aliyah Andrews (418 points).

The individual game MVP's were:

Game 1-DJ Sanders, Aleshia Ocasio, Amanda Chidester

Game 2-Tori Vidales, Odicci Alexander, Sahvanna Jaquish

Game 3-Taylor McQuillin, Sashel Palacios, Carrie Eberle

Game 4-Cat Osterman, Tori Vidales, Aliyah Andrews

Game 5-Gwen Svekis, Aleshia Ocasio, Ali Aguilar

Game 6-Lilli Piper, Haylie McCleney, Sahvanna Jaquish

The Week Two Draft takes place at 5 PM CST today. Team captains are Jaquish (Gold), Osterman (Orange), Vidales (Blue) and Piper (Purple). Check back here tomorrow for the draft results.

The Ballpark in Rosemont never looked better. In the right field concourse, there is a batting cage and a pitching area. There is a merchandise truck out front, featuring a large line of cool AU apparel. In-game host Kacy Standohar is all over the place, interviewing players and having fun with fans. The Ballpark was alive.It was a fantastic Opening Weekend and it looks to continue all season.

The media session featured Gwen Svekis, DJ Sanders, Aleshia Ocasio, Cat Osterman, Odicci Alexander and Tori Vidales. That media session can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Softball 2021 Week 1. 

AU returns to the field Saturday, September 4 at 3 PM CST. Team Osterman battles Team Vidales. For the second game, Team Jaquish faces Team Piper at 6 PM CST. Check GWSR social media for updates and back here for the Week Two recap. Also, be sure to check out AU Softball coverage by Bruce Miles on AUProSports.com for more info on the league and players.

Morgan Zerkle Loves Johngy's Beat

With the Athletes Unlimited Softball season starting this Saturday, it is a great time to run this promo by outfielder Morgan Zerkle. Morgan recently sent a shout out to Johngy's Beat. 

Morgan was a star outfielder at Marshall University. After graduating with a degree in exercise science with a concentration in clinical exercise physiology, Morgan went on to play three seasons with the Scrap Yard Dawgs. She signed with the Chicago Bandits for the 2020 season, but that season was cancelled due to the pandemic. With Team USA, she is a 2017 World Cup of Softball and 2017 Japan Cup silver medalist. During the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited Softball, she finished sixth overall on the points leader board.

I always appreciate the support of the folks I cover. In turn, I encourage everyone to check out Morgan at AUProSports.com and tune into AU Softball starting Saturday.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 5

Today, Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse ends their inaugural season. It has been a great 5 weeks (30 games) of lacrosse.

I went into the season with very little knowledge of lacrosse. Having covered AU softball and volleyball, I know how the league works. Teams are redrafted and there is a single champ. The players run the league with no coaches, managers or owners.

I admit, I am still not an expert on lacrosse. I have gained a lot of insight into the sport though and I love what I have seen.

Of course, these women are elite athletes, the best in the country and beyond. The AU league has to be one of the biggest stages for lacrosse. These women athletes got exposed to a large new audience. I saw the viewership numbers and social media interaction increase every week. I'm not going to say I absolutely love lacrosse, but I want to see more. I'll definitely follow college lacrosse. I will also be looking forward to AU Lacrosse Season Two.

Yesterday, AU held their last regular season big media session. Kayla Treanor, Mollie Stevens, Sam Apuzzo, Emily Parros, Katrina Dowd and Kenzie Kent talked about the specific games, the season and more. I was particularly interested in their bonds they made and the takeaways they had from the season.

The media session can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 5. Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the AU leagues. Also, AU Softball starts next weekend.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 4

The Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse Week Four started on a rough note as Friday's games were washed out. The league rebounded with three days of exciting games, ending earlier today. 

In Week Four, Taylor Cummings (Team Blue) and Kady Glynn (Team Purple) went 2-1, while Dempsey Arsenault (Team Gold) and Kayla Wood (Team Orange) went 1-2. Team Gold was hurt by the absence of Arsenault on the playing field due to an undisclosed illness, although she led on the sidelines.

Because of not playing, Arsenault tumbled to sixth in the overall individual standings. The new leader is Taylor Cummings. Caylee Waters, Kady Glynn and Kylie Ohlmiller occupy spots No. 2-4. Week 5 captains are Taylor Cummings (Team Gold), Caylee Waters (Team Orange), Kady Glynn (Team Blue) and Kylie Ohlmiller (Team Purple).

Kayla Treanor was the MVP of two games. Sam Apuzzo, Mira Shane and Taylor Cummings all appeared twice in the MVP Top Three for each game. 

MVP's

Game 17-Kayla Treanor, Mira Shane, Britt Read

Game 18-Michelle Tumolo, Taylor Cummings, Sam Apuzzo

Game 19-Emily Parros, Taylor Cummings, Kenzie Kent

Game 20-Kayla Treanor, Alyssa Parrella, Mira Shane

Game 21-Izzy McMahon, Britt Brown, Sam Apuzzo

Game 22-Taylor VanThof, Caylee Waters, Becca Block

Week 5 captains are Taylor Cummings (Team Gold), Caylee Waters (Team Orange), Kady Glynn (Team Blue) and Kylie Ohlmiller (Team Purple). The Week 5 Draft will be held later today.

The Media sessions featured Britt Read, Grace Gabriel, Mira Shane, Nicole Levy, Michelle Tumolo and Haley Hicklen. The players discussed "Pride Weekend," coaching, their biggest takeaways from the season and more. That media session can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 4. Check AUProSports.com for more info and scheduling and check back here for my recurring coverage.

The final weekend of games begins on Friday at 5 PM EST when Ohlmiller's Team Purple faces Team Gold captained by Cummings. The night cap pits Glynn's Team Blue battling Team Orange led by Caylee Waters at 8 PM EST. The season finale is Sunday at 6 PM EST.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited 2021 Week 3 Part 2

Yesterday, I featured Part 1 of the Athletes Unlimited Week 3 media session. Today I am featuring Part 2 of that session.

I split the sessions into two features for two reasons. First and most important, hopefully it gives a little more exposure to the great causes they women athletes are promoting and helping.

As I wrote yesterday, the players get paid based on team and individual performance. Part of that unique setup has a set [percentage going to the charity of each payer's choosing. This is unprecedented. An entire league giving to various causes from money in the league pool is such a beautiful thing. These causes aren't arbitrary either. As you can see in the media sessions, these players have passion and involvement in the causes.

Secondly, I want to thank the folks at AU for asking this question in my absence while I was on a different assignment. Essentially they did my job for me, but more importantly, they continued the mission to raise awareness to the causes and what player's are doing.

The AU Pro Sports leagues are unique in many ways. This is a special thing just in its infancy. I have been on the bandwagon from day one and I hope to encourage others to get on board! There really is nothing like it.

That media session is at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited 2021 Week 3 Part 2. Also, go to AUProSports.com for more info on the players, their causes and the league.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited 2021 Week 3 Part 1

The inaugural Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse season wrapped up Week Three with another round of exciting games. This weekend had a special focus as "Causes Weekend."

One of the unique features of AU Sports is the players get paid based on team and individual performance. A percentage of that money pool goes directly to causes individually selected by each player.

In the media sessions, I talked to several players about their causes. Their passion for the causes was evident as they all spoke, but none more than Dempsey Arsenault, who literally broke down as she talked about End 68 Hours of Hunger.

Players causes is such a great concept. Not only does it raise money for local and national charities, it raises awareness to them, as well. All season, but especially on Causes Week, the various causes were featured and promoted by the players, the league, broadcasters, fans and media. All across social media, players promoted their causes. That translates to millions of eyes on these posts and therefore the causes.

Out of respect to the players and general curiosity, I took the time to look up each charity to learn more about it. Since the players are donating a set percentage of their bonuses to the charities, I figure it is the least I can do to learn more about each. Researching the charities makes you realize the needs of others, the important work people are doing and how fortunate you are. I am pretty sure everyone knows someone affected by the various causes.

AU lists each player's cause on their individual page on the AU website. I have condensed all of them into one list below for ease in research. I highly encourage all to check out the causes. Help out if you can, but at least learn about them.

Dempsey Arsenault, Angie Benson-End 68 Hours of Hunger

Kayla Wood, Caylee Waters, Britt Read, Sammy Jo Tracy, Marie McCool, Halle Majorana, Becca Brown, Grace Gabriel-Harlem Lacrosse

Taylor Cummings, Kristen Carr, Molly Little, Mary Kate Bonanni-One Love Foundation

Kady Glynn, Taryn VanThof, Shayna Pirreca, Hayey Hicklen, Sydney Pirreca-Friends of Jaclyn

Kylie Ohlmiller, Ally Kennedy, Nicole Levy, Sam Apuzzo, Alyssa Parrella, Emily Parros-HEADstrong Foundation

Kayla Treanor-Unity House of Troy, NY

Kenzie Kent, Ella Simkins-Team IMPACT

Alex Aust-The Sports Bra Project

Caroline Wakefield-Preston's League

Haley Warden-Women in Sports Tech

Kyra Pelton-The Out Foundation

Cortney Fortunato-We Fight Like Girls

Kelly McPartland, Taylor Hensh-Zaching Against Cancer Foundation

Amber Hill-Rising Hearts

Kathy Rudkin-GiGi's Playhouse - Annapolis

Megan Douty-Play 4

Taylor VanThof-One Love Foundation

Sarah Brown-NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Holly McGarvie Reilly-Argentina Lacrosse

Amber McKenzie-The Arc of Carroll County

Molly Garrett, Tianna Wallpher-American Cancer Society

Katie O'Donnell-Play Like a Girl!

Izzy McMahon, Katie Hertsch-The Surfrider Foundation

Michelle Tumolo, Britt Brown, Mollie Stevens-CityLax

Lindsey McKone, Katrina Geiger-Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

MC Byrne, Amanda Johansen, Lindsey Ronbeck-Morgan's Message

Katrina Dowd-The Trevor Project

Mira Shane-Black Heart Association

The first media session can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited 2021 Week 3 Part 1. Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the players and their causes.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 2

Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse completed another weekend of games. Week Two ended with Kayla Wood still topping the leaderboard.

Kayla Wood's Team Gold led the pack, going 3-0.Dempsey Arsenault's Team Blue was 2-1. Kayla Treanor's Team Orange was 1-2. Haley Warden's Team Purple went winless at 0-3.

Their were six different MVP's in the six games. The races featured 16 different players in the top three spots.

MVP's

Game 7-Alex Aust, Kenzie Kent, Taylor Cummings

Game 8-Kylie Ohlmiller, Caylee Waters, Meg Douty

Game 9-Sam Apuzzo, Kenzie Kent, Alyssa Parella

Game 10-Shayna Pirreca, Meg Douty, Caylee Waters

Game 11-Cortney Fortunato, Ella Simkins, Lindsey McKone

Game 12-Britt Reed, Nicole Levy, Sam Apuzzo

Individually, Wood stayed in first place with 812 points. Dempsey Arsenault moved up one spot into second place. Britt Reed and Kylie Ohlmiller jumped into the to[p four spots, while Kayla Treanor and Hayley Warden dropped out of the top four.

The Week Three Draft will be later today. Team captains are Kayla Wood (Team Gold), Dempsey Arsenault (Team Orange), Britt Read (Team Blue) and Kylie Ohlmiller (Team Purple). Week Three action starts 5 PM EST, Friday, August 6 as Arsenault's Team Orange battles Wood's Team Gold. Game Two follows at 8 PM EST with Reed's Team Blue facing Ohlmiller's Team Purple.

I attended one media session featuring Alex Aust, Cortney Fortunato and Emily Parros. That session can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse 2021 Week 2.

AU Volleyball: Aury Cruz

The inaugural Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season ended in March with Jordan Larson being crowned the first champion. I came to really enjoy the league and the players much more than I expected. Learning about the players and getting to know them through the press sessions was one of the fun parts.

One of the top players for the first season was Aury Cruz. Born in Puerto Rico, Área Esther "Aury" Cruz Dalmau competed for the Puerto Rico national team at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan, where she was named Best Server at the event. She attended the University of Florida, where she was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2014.

During one of the press sessions, I asked Cruz about that honor. She talked about it being a great feeling. She never imagined she would be among the greatest athletes from that school. It's always great to hear a player appreciate those such honors that way.

Players like Cruz accumulate many awards and honors during their careers. I always wonder if they start to become immune to the specialness of such things. It's not that the players don't care, but after so many awards, does it become routine to them? Cruz was genuinely proud and happy with her place in that HOF. 

During the AU season, Cruz finished in fourth place with 3,582 points. That's only 108 points behind second place. While it is 987 points behind first, champion Larson dominated the league. I am judging Cruz on the rest of the league.

Finishing in fourth, Cruz was a regular presence in the post-match media sessions. She was always a good interview.

There will be a second season of AU Volleyball, although dates and location have not been announced. Go to AUProSports.com for more info and updates. I'll also provide recurring coverage here, as always.

Aury Cruz and me-March 2021.

AU Volleyball: Jordan Larson

The inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited volleyball ended with Jordan Larson being crowned the first champion. You can get more info on the season from older posts here and on GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com.

One of the fun parts for me was learning about players like Larson. Prior to the AU Volleyball season, my knowledge of volleyball and the playrs was pretty limited. Because of the broadcasts and the post-match press sessions, I got to know a lot more about all things volleyball.

Born in Nebraska, Larson is a member of the United States women's national volleyball team and Turkey club Eczacıbaşı VitrA. She was a silver medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games, a bronze medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games and a gold medalist of the 2014 World Championship. She was a two-time AVCA First Team All-American while playing college volleyball at Nebraska. At Nebraska, she became the first player ever to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year and the league's defensive player of the year in the same year.

In the AU Volleyball season, Larson was a captain for four of the five weeks, meaning she was in the top four in points for four weeks. For the season, she finished with 4,569 points, 879 points ahead of second. To put that in perspective, 865 points seperated second place from tenth place. That means Larson was dominant

Larson was a delight in press sessions. She analyzed the games, her play and the season in general. She also talked about the sport and other off-topic bits about her life. She was humble, while still being grateful in victory. In other words, she was everything you would want in a player and a champ!

I don't know if Larson will return for a second season. She'll only be 35. She certainly has game left in her, if she wants to play. My guess is she will return to defend her title.

AU announced there will be a second season, although time and place details were not announced. Next up though for AU is the lacrosse league and I will be "On the Beat" for that. Check AUProSports.com for more info on all AU leagues and check her for my recurring coverage.

Jordan Larson and me-March 2021.

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 5

After five weeks and 30 exciting matches, the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season ended with Jordan Larson as the Champion. Rounding out the top four are Bethania de la Cruz, Brie King and Aury Cruz.

Larson finished with 4,569 points. Only 108 points separated second place from fourth and Karsta Lowe in fifth place was only 16 points behind fourth.

Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Deja McClendon, Bethania DeLaCruz, Sheilla Castro, Morgan, Aury Cruz, Brie King, Lauren Gibbemeyer and Alex Holston were in the photo session that can be found at On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 5.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the league and players. Also, check here, GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com for my recurring coverage.

Jordan Larson and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball 2021 Week 4 Part 2

Yesterday, I featured Part One of the press sessions from Week 4 of the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season. Today, I feature Part Two of the press sessions. Players in these pressers are Sheilla Castro, Cassidy Lichtman, Valerie Nichol, Deja McClendon, Brie King, Symone Abbott, Jordan Larson, Kaylee Manns and Tiffany Clark. Go to On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 4 Part 2 for the press sessions.

I wrote more game- and season-specific bits at Athletes Unlimited Week Four Recap for Global Women's Sports Radio. Included are the leader board, the results, the captains for next week and more.

AU Volleyball returns to action this Saturday for the final week of the season. Go to AUProSports.com for more info on all of Athletes Unlimited leagues. Also, check here, GlobalTravelerUSA.com, GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com and Patch.com for my recurring coverage of AU.

Tiffany Clark and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 4 Part 1

Week Four of the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Season is in the books and it featured another great bunch of games. I wrote more about the results at Athletes Unlimited Week Four Recap for Global Women's Sports Radio.

The post game press sessions featured players Jordan Larson, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Tiffany Clark, Bethania DeLaCruz, Karsta Lowe, Molly McCage, Ebony Nwanebu, Aury Cruz and Taylor Sandbothe. They all spoke to the press and answered questions about Week 4 games and the season in general. Of course, they also answered my questions which tend to veer off into general interest topics from their lives. Go to On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 4 Part 1 for the press sessions.

This set of pressers was a bit different than the previous weeks. On one hand, the players were very loose and engaged in some fun interplay. You can tell they are more comfortable with each other, the moderators and even the press.

On the flip side, the players realize the season is nearing the end. They have had a tremendous experience and it will be sad for everyone when it ends.

Much like the players from the AU inaugural season, these players are part of something very unique. The league setup is unique and is changing the way everyone looks at the sport. Changing teams, one champion, money allocated to player causes and more make this different from all other leagues.

Additionally, being secluded together for all of these weeks creates bonds that could not be replicated elsewhere. During no other season or series would this many elite players be together so much. I can't imagine how close these players get, but I feel like I have created bonds with the players. It's simply an incredible time.

The players return to action for the final weekend of the season on Saturday. I'll be watching and I encourage all to give this a look. It's a special thing worth checking out.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on all of Athletes Unlimited leagues. Also, check here, GlobalTravelerUSA.com, GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com and Patch.com for my recurring coverage of AU.

Brie King and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 2

Yesterday, I featured the first three media sessions from Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week Three. Today, I feature the second set of three media sessions.

These pressers feature Jordan Larson, Kelly Hunter, Nomaris Velez-Agosto, Deja McClendon, Ebony Nwanebu, Aury Cruz, Sherridan Atkinson and Symone Abbott. Once again, the athletes discuss specific game and season details and general topics about their life with and away from volleyball. For the press sessions, go to On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 2.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the players and the league. Also, check here for my recurring coverage, as well as GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com.

Sherridan Atkinson and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 1

Week Three is in the books for Athletes Unlimited Volleyball. I have to admit, I am enjoying watching volleyball much more than anticipated.

These women athletes are the best volleyball players in the world and they aren't playing for millions of dollars. Of course they are being paid, but the unique structure of the league is basically a pay for performance system. Additionally, there is a built-in donation to the charity of the player's choosing.

The games are played Saturday through Monday, with two matches each day. All of the games are followed by media sessions. I'll also admit, although I heard of most of these players, I knew very little about any of them. Through the broadcasts and the media sessions, I am learning a lot and enjoying the journey with them.

Today, I am featuring the first three media sessions from Week Three. Bethania DeLaCruz, Lianna Sybeldon, Nia Grant, Sheilla Castro, Molly McCage, Brie King and Karsta Lowe and Kelly Hunter all took turns answering questions and giving their thoughts. Topics range from specific game details to very general interest stuff. You can pretty much know which area was my focus. Check the sessions at On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 1.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the players and the league. Check my recurring coverage here and on GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com.

Kelly Hunter and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 2

Week Two of the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season is in the books. I must admit, I wasn't a huge fan of volleyball heading into this season, but I am enjoying the action I have seen and I am becoming a big fan.

Jordan Larson, Brie King,Ebony Nwanebu, Leah Edmond, Taylor Sandbothe, Karsta Lowe, Bethania delaCruz, Willow Johnson, and Kristen Tupac took part in post-game press sessions. Along with specific game topics, they discussed the unique scoring system, appearing on Topps Volleyball cards, adjusting to new teams weekly and more. Those sessions can be found at On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 2.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season and their other sports. Also check here, GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com for my recurring coverage of all Athletes Unlimited sports.

Leah Edmond and me-March 2021.