Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 1: 1:01

Welcome to the bubble lounge. I'm mar Martha Jackson and today we have some very special guests for all of our sports enthusiasts and community supporters. I am thrilled to be joined by the captains of the Lady Scots volleyball team Caroline Cannon, alex Richter, talia Lardner and Bella Ocampo. These remarkable young athletes have been leading their team with passion, dedication and skill. Young athletes have been leading their team with passion, dedication and skill. In this episode, we will spotlight their journey, achievements and what makes them such incredible leaders both on and off the court. We'll also discuss the importance of community support and how much it means to the team to see familiar faces cheering them on. And don't miss their first home game on Tuesday, august 20th. Let's rally behind the Lady Scots and make this season unforgettable. Ladies, thank you so much for being here today. Let's start by going around and introducing yourselves, telling what position you play and how did you?

Speaker 1: 1:54

get into volleyball.

Speaker 2: 1:55

I'm Talia Lardner. I'm a middle blocker and I went through almost every single sport that you could possibly do as a kid, and volleyball is the only one that really stuck out, also because I am six foot tall.

Speaker 3: 2:10

I'm Caroline Cannon. I'm also a middle blocker and I kind of started playing at the YMCA in the third grade and just really loved it. My mom was also my coach when I started playing, so that made it super fun for me and just kind of continued to love it and kept playing and stuck with it.

Speaker 4: 2:27

I'm Alex Richter. I'm an outside hitter and, as the same as Caroline and Talia, I started playing in third grade at the YMCA, and I just fell in love with the sport and kept playing.

Speaker 5: 2:38

I'm Bella Ocampo. I'm also an outside hitter. I started a little differently. It's a family sport, so I started really early and ever since I was little, I played volleyball. Like what age did you start? I started when I was five.

Speaker 1: 2:52

Oh my gosh, that is extremely young, wow. Well, you guys are all the captains this year. Congratulations. By the way, tell me about the process. How did you find out the news and what was your reaction?

Speaker 2: 3:05

We had to do captain candidate videos. So it's where you make like a two-minute video about why you should be captain, what you would give to the program, and then we had to do voting. And then we found out one day after off season and I think everyone's reaction was really different I think tell you might have shed a tear too, but we were all super excited yeah, so yeah, it was definitely a fun, like exciting experience to like do it with all the girls, like we had a group hug, took a photo.

Speaker 4: 3:36

That was pretty much it but it was like fun.

Speaker 5: 3:40

Yeah, when they announced it everyone was kind of like obviously really happy but kind of like relieved because we were so nervous like the entire day we kept like texting each other like I can't wait anymore, like to find out, yeah.

Speaker 4: 3:54

Yeah, I think it was like a one month long process, like we had to watch the videos like a week before we found out who got it and then we had to do a vote like a few days after we watched all the videos. So it was just definitely like a long, stressful process.

Speaker 1: 4:08

So, as leaders, you guys play a huge role in just motivating the whole team. How do you plan about going about getting everyone ready for the season?

Speaker 5: 4:17

I think one of our biggest goals for the season is to obviously unite the whole program and to make sure that everyone feels included. This season is to obviously unite the whole program and to make sure that everyone feels included. So, obviously, starting with the program party, like getting everyone involved with each other and making sure we're cheering on each other at the games. And for the pre-varsity teams, like making sure we're showing out and we're cheering and making cheers so that way they can also support us during our games.

Speaker 3: 4:44

We also really enjoy having fans in the stands. It just makes it so much more exciting for us as players to kind of feed off of that energy and the support is just super helpful to feel like. You know, we all are kind of united as a team and also our fans are there to support us.

Speaker 2: 5:03

Also, for the first 30 people who show up to our games on any night is getting a free Canes box. That's what I added. If that doesn't give you motivation, I don't know what does.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Well, one of the questions I always ask our student-athletes is because I personally struggle with balancing everything and getting everything done. How do you balance something like being a team captain along with academics and all the practices and all the pressures you all have as teenagers?

Speaker 4: 5:33

Honestly, I would just say, communicating with your teachers. It gets easier, like definitely as we get older, like knowing how to talk to our teachers and everything. But teachers work with their students, so we're missing a few days of school this season, so we just have to communicate with our teachers. It's going to be hard to start off talking with them if we won't even be there for the first day, but most teachers have good relationships with their student athletes and they just work with each other.

Speaker 3: 6:02

I would say also, I found that going into tutorials whether it's in the morning or if we don't have a practice on like a Friday or a Tuesday, when we have game days to really go in and communicate with your teachers about you know curriculum that you might have missed and just to help encouraging your learning in a different way. I think sometimes it can be hard when you're missing school for tournaments or games. It gets hard, you know, with the homework load if you have game night, if you have a test the next day, but just really trying to stay on top of it and working ahead of time to ensure that you can be successful at both aspects of your life.

Speaker 5: 6:40

Obviously, communicating with teachers is going to be very important for us in college, because managing social life as well as school and projects will kind of help us to have a successful college school career. And also, if we're playing sports in college, starting communicating with teachers now will obviously help us be more successful in college.

Speaker 2: 7:03

Also having each other on the bus rides to our games, because certain people take higher level classes, so it's easy for us to like ask them for help, and they're always so willing to help the people who don't understand a certain thing.

Speaker 4: 7:15

And our coaches are different subject teachers too, so we also have that help when, if we need extra help on certain subjects.

Speaker 1: 7:22

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Speaker 1: 8:17

Well, this is really good advice, because in general, we talk about this a lot on the podcast is just how you're so encouraged to advocate for yourself when you get to high school and we've talked about you know how to encourage those students that are a little bit more shy and don't want to draw attention to her, to themselves, and I think everything you're saying is just like spot on and applies to, you know, all kids across the board, not just the athletes. One of the biggest changes this year with Highland Park is that we are going from 6A back to 5A. Talk to us about how that's going to affect volleyball.

Speaker 4: 8:50

We're really excited. 5a's actually been split into two divisions a bigger division for the bigger 5A schools and another division for the smaller 5A schools, and we're in the division with the bigger 5A schools. We're super excited to move down. Two years ago we were also in 5A but we moved up to 6A for two years and now we're back down and we just think we have a better shot at state with our playing with teams that are more similar in skill-wise than us than competing with schools that are super big in 6A.

Speaker 3: 9:21

I think it will be a really exciting opportunity to have a completely new season this year, playing schools that we haven't played much in previous years and kind of seeing our new rivals and just experiencing a whole new level of talent in 5A.

Speaker 2: 9:38

Even though we're moving down from 6A to 5A, it's not going to change anything on how we play on the court. We're still going to give everything we have onto the court In order to win state.

Speaker 4: 9:48

We're also shooting for an undefeated district season, like we have the past seven seasons.

Speaker 1: 9:54

So your season is about to start and I want to know about the preparation. How's the preparation going? How do you feel about the season coming up?

Speaker 3: 10:04

We are so excited for this season. We actually start our preseason camp before tryouts August 1st, which is coming up in about a week, and then after tryouts happen. It's really just kind of kick-starting our season all the way until November when playoffs end. And we actually are super excited to be invited to an tournament in Hawaii August 15th through 17th. So we'll be missing the first part of school, but it's going to be a great opportunity for our team.

Speaker 1: 10:36

So let me get this straight You're going to miss the beginning of school because you're going to be in Hawaii.

Speaker 3: 10:42

That is correct. That is pretty amazing.

Speaker 1: 10:44

Well, I know that you guys are doing a lot of amazing things in Hawaii. You have the tournament, which I want to hear a little bit more about, but you're also like doing some good over there. You're doing some volunteering, you're doing some skills preparations. I am so fascinated by all the things you guys are doing over there.

Speaker 4: 11:01

Yeah, we are actually doing a practice. A few days before the tournament we hosted a team from Hawaii. Back in March, maybe in our gym. So when we're in Hawaii hawaii back in march, maybe in our gym. So when we're in hawaii, they're hosting us in theirs to get some practice. We're also going to pearl harbor to get some education in, while just to like honor it I've been there before.

Speaker 1: 11:26

It is really amazing. Totally worth it.

Speaker 4: 11:28

Definitely that's awesome we're also going to a food bank to serve some food in the mornings and we're also going to a hospital to give some kids coloring books and just give them some things that they have while they're having fun.

Speaker 1: 11:43

Well, you all are going to be so busy. I love that you're doing all the things while you're over there. You're giving back, you're doing a tournament, you're working on your skills. It looks like you have some interesting ways that you're going to be working on your skills through surfing.

Speaker 2: 11:58

Tell me about that. We're all doing as varsity, a surfing lesson. So 16 girls on boards in the water in Hawaii, so that will be a very fun thing to experience.

Speaker 3: 12:13

Oh my gosh, I think it will also be helpful, yeah, like team bonding experience for sure in a completely different way that I don't know that many of us have done before. But also, you know, it could help working on balance and kind of super intense focus on like training different muscles. So there are two sides of that surfing lesson that'll benefit us for sure.

Speaker 1: 12:33

No, absolutely. I love that you're going to do this. Please send me some photos of that because I would love to share.

Speaker 1: 12:38

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Speaker 5: 13:47

I think what's important for this year's team is that a lot of juniors and obviously us seniors are returning, so we already have kind of previous team chemistry and what our team really has is that we have great camaraderie and we really trust each other on and off the court. So having that sort of like relationship will help us like succeed this season and I'm excited.

Speaker 1: 14:14

Well, you know, there's so many things that play into that team camaraderie and it's so important when you're on a team. But one of the things that I think plays a big role is kind of funny experience, funny stories. I understand you guys have kind of a funny situation. That happened last season.

Speaker 2: 14:30

We were playing against one of our biggest rivals, which was Pierce, and their student section was like packed to the max, and so it got pretty hot in there. And then, after our game ended, we had this shark named Bruce because we would have like shark and we would call shark when we got a free ball, because it was like an easy attack, okay, and they stole Bruce.

Speaker 1: 14:56

No, so that was a pretty sentimental moment in our year.

Speaker 2: 15:00

It was very heartbreaking and I assume you didn't get Bruce back. We had to get a new one.

Speaker 4: 15:04

We bought a new Bruce. We renamed him.

Speaker 2: 15:06

Bruce Alina, I don't remember his name, I think it was Bruce Salina, because we had a guy and then we were like, okay, it's time to switch it up.

Speaker 4: 15:12

It's not the same though. No, if anyone has Bruce, please bring him back.

Speaker 2: 15:18

He's a dear friend of ours and we really miss him.

Speaker 1: 15:20

Are you willing to give a reward for it?

Speaker 2: 15:22

Yes, there you have it, you get Bruce. Salina, if you give us Bruce, you get a Spanish lesson.

Speaker 1: 15:29

So Coach Pressler, the Highland Park lacrosse coach, does not like to mention his rivals by name. He'll say those guys or the other guys for the second one.

Speaker 2: 15:39

We're pretty open.

Speaker 1: 15:40

You don't have to say their name if you don't want to. We're pretty open. Well, so tell me we were talking earlier about the community and you love to see people in the stands and just that energy and I experienced it a lot with Look what my Son Plays Across. There was one parent that was rather enthusiastic at the state championship. All of the parents seemed to be kind of tired and the stands were quiet and one particular parent got the crowd like really revved up and he feels responsible for the win. Tell me about anything like that that you've experienced like one fan in the stand that really got things going.

Speaker 3: 16:21

Yes, for sure. We really enjoy our support from our fans and I know we have one particular fan I think his name is Leonard and he comes to almost all of our home games and loves to get the crowd going wild. But we've also enjoyed having select groups or teams come out to support us. I know I was in AP Chemistry last year and one night my teacher, mr Chuang, decided to give extra credit on one of our tests if the whole class came to one of our games to support. So we were super excited to have them there and really enjoyed their support. And I know, as well as other sports teams like, I think, basketball and lads and lassies, our varsity choir comes and sings the national anthem for us for one of our home games and they stay in support and cheer us on, which is just really exciting and it means a lot to have them up there supporting us.

Speaker 1: 17:17

I love that. I just think that it just means so much to you all. I we've talked to so many student athletes and they all say the same thing they just want the fans in the stand. They want to feel that energy. It just helps them so much. Well, I know volleyball is a huge part of all of your lives, obviously. But above and beyond volleyball, where do you see yourself going?

Speaker 5: 17:40

Okay, so I'm committed to Loyola Marymount for volleyball as well as school, so I'll be attending next year and studying there as well.

Speaker 4: 17:54

I'm committed to Georgia for volleyball and next year I'll be going, but I also plan on studying business and going down the business path.

Speaker 3: 18:03

I am still currently in the recruiting process for college volleyball, but I plan on studying environmental sciences, which I found to be super interesting in the past few years, and so I continue to look forward to pursuing that passion of mine.

Speaker 2: 18:18

I'm still also in the volleyball recruiting process, but I really want to focus on health, whether it's mental health or gut health or like something in like the psychology or like athletic health, stuff like that well, congratulations to all of you.

Speaker 1: 18:32

That must feel so good, like as a mom of a daughter that just graduated from Highland Park. In 2023, I would feel like that. Just you know, having your ducks in a row and kind of knowing what you're doing next or being in the process, must feel so good, because it was kind of down to the wire for us the decisions and everything. So let's go back for a bit when you guys were a little bit younger. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Speaker 2: 18:59

I would say that having a lot of struggles is completely normal. I always thought I was the only one who ever struggled in school, but then like you look around and talk to your teachers and like you get help and you realize that it's completely normal, and so I think that's one thing that I struggled with is like even in volleyball I would struggle, but I would tell myself that it's completely normal and that you have to have struggle to succeed.

Speaker 1: 19:21

That is so true and so many teenagers don't understand that. So many people are going through the same thing that you're thinking as well.

Speaker 3: 19:29

I'd say if you love something, stick with it, because I know it's super important to continue pursuing your passion, especially if you come across bumps or obstacles in the road. That's natural, as what Talia was saying, that will happen, but kind of continuing to pursue what you love. For me was volleyball, as it turns out, and I just am so happy that I did continue to grow my skill level.

Speaker 4: 19:59

I would just say don't be afraid to make mistakes and take chances. Switching club teams can be stressful at times. Or jumping like from like club levels to like a higher team, or just even in school, like tryouts, if you like, hit a ball out like. Don't like let that get into your head and just keep playing because, like, the more, volleyball is a game of mental like, so once you start getting in your head, it's not going to get any better, it's just going to get worse. Better, it's just going to get worse. So the more you try to block out the bad thoughts and keep on the good ones, the better it will be.

Speaker 5: 20:38

I would tell my younger self that to never give up and to trust yourself and to trust God as well, because I believe heavily in that everything happens for a reason. And to never give up because obviously there's tough events in your, in your path, but in the end you'll end up where you need to be all excellent advice.

Speaker 1: 20:56

That was so wonderful. So I know that you guys have an upcoming camp at the middle school and a lot of people that are listening are probably wondering how they can get their kids involved into volleyball. Tell us about the camp.

Speaker 5: 21:10

Yes, we have a middle school camp August 6th through 7th and you can sign up on our volleyball website and we also have a link on our Instagram. But the middle schoolers will be able to work with the high schoolers as well as the high school coaches, so that's a great opportunity to get to know us and to come and improve volleyball.

Speaker 1: 21:28

Perfect. Well, so I know that you guys have some fundraisers coming up. Every team always needs to raise funds to make the year happen, so tell us what you have coming up.

Speaker 3: 21:39

We actually, in May, had a fundraiser for Hawaii at the Sandy Pickle. It was just a beach tournament, beach volleyball tournament that we organized with our friends from other teams or just friends that have never even touched a volleyball before. It was just a great experience to get out there, have fun and fundraise money, and I think we're probably planning on continuing it in the upcoming years. So that's something to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 22:03

Yeah, that sounds like a really fun event. So I know that most teams are always looking for sponsors. You've got quite an impressive list here that I see, but I understand you're still looking for a few more.

Speaker 4: 22:15

We really appreciate our sponsors that we have now Marlin Landscaping Origin Bank and Allie Beth Allman.

Speaker 3: 22:22

Realtors, specifically Ashley Rasmussen and Chris Pyle as well as Edinburgh Custom Homes.

Speaker 2: 22:28

But we can always use more.

Speaker 1: 22:31

I hear that Well, so how can listeners find out more about Highland Park?

Speaker 5: 22:35

Volleyball. Well, you can always search up on Safari Highland Park Volleyball and go to our website, as well as follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and we have links on our Instagram that lead you to our current events. And if you are a sponsor, you can email us at hbvbscotts at gmailcom.

Speaker 1: 22:56

And, as always, I will include links, so you don't have to remember this. Well, ladies, thank you so much for being here today.

Speaker 3: 23:04

Thank you so much for having us. This was so fun.

Speaker 1: 23:07

That's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and I'll see you next time.

Speaker 2: 23:11

Go Scots.