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What has the return of many veteran players done for the training environment here?

It’s been fantastic in the sense that we get guys who are experienced in the level that we are trying to attain in our gym and they bring that kind of passion and leadership on a daily basis to our overall gym environment. It’s a great atmosphere to not only train in, but also to catch the younger guys up to that level we expect in a USA volleyball gym.

Who of the young players have impressed you so far?

We have quite a good crop of young players. We have Max Holt in the middle, Matt Anderson and Paul Lotmon on the outside. I hate to forget guys, but those three in particular have done a fantastic job for us in this training block and we will see what happens during this World League.

Describe year two of Alan Knipe.

Its still early of year two and were just about to start our first competition. I think already he has become acclimatized to us and vice versa so in general our working relationship as players and our coaching staff is improving and it will hopefully yield us some good success.

Where does the team need to improve in order to advance in this years World League?

I would probably say our general consistency in all of the skills. Because we have a little bit of youth and some of our older players are continuing to get older we have to find that balance between energetic play and controlled enthusiasm. We need to be at the highest level we can possible be at with making the least mistakes we can possible make.

What are your expectations for World League?

We always expect to win our pool and make it to the playoffs. This year we are gong to have a very difficult group with Russia, Egypt and Finland. But we would like to keep our goal the same and make it out of the group and get to Argentina for the playoff round.

Have you been called upon this year to take more of a leadership role?

I think my leadership role is always pretty similar in the aspect that I’m in charge of what goes on in the backcourt. With the nature of the young guys playing back there with me I have a little bit more leadership responsibility, but it hasn’t dramatically changed.

Compare and contrast Hugh McCutcheon’s coaching style to that of Alan Knipe.

How much time you got? Hugh is a very analytical guy I suppose and I would say Alans more of a set up a system and let it play out. That may be grossly over simplifying both of there coaching styles and abilities. But then again it’s early year two of Alan’s coaching reign and I’ve personally played for Hugh for almost ten years and I have a little bit more of a grasp of what hes like. Maybe its remains to be seen still.

Tell us about your new workout philosophy you and Setter Donald Suxho are following.
Its not necessarily a philosophy. I just happened to accidentally join Donald one weekend before we started our training block. I was practically dragged into it in a sense that I called Donald up one morning and said “What are you doing”, and he said “I’m going down to the beach to work out with this guy”. Which I mean that sounds attractive to me already. He kinda down played the extent to this workout and said it was some ab planks and some pushups and I get there and its a 6 minute ab plank and 100 pushups and a whole bunch of other things. We work with a guy whose name is Tom Vachet. who has worked with a lot of NBA athletes and kinda operates under the philosophy that functional strength is most important, it’s not sport specific. Its applicable to anything volleyball, basketball whatever sport you want to play because it strengthens your core, legs everything that we need in our sport. Theres not a lot of heavy weight, in the past we’ve been involved with a lot of olympic lifts like cleans and dead lifting and it takes a toll on you. I feel like this workout strengthens us and allowed us to be energetic enough to apply the strength we have gained.

What is the best part about playing a professional volleyball?

Coming to a gym everyday, exercising and playing a sport that you love and not sitting behind a desk all day.

Thanks for spending time with us Rich!