Better Together

A United podcast centered around athlete development, coaching philosophies, the college recruitment process, and more! Hosted by Korohen Jones, Director of Player and Coach Development. Each week we showcase different athletes, alumni, and coaches that all help us become #bettertogether.

Maintaining Persistence During Recruitment, Leaving Behind Fragile Confidence, And The Impact Of Selflessness With Sophie Krichev

This week we sat down with United 18 National and UTA commit Sophie Krichev. Join us as we talk about her recruitment experience and hear a few tips she offers fellow athletes as they navigate that process. We also cover how self worth is not found in your performance, her proudest moment as a volleyball athlete, strategies for maintaining focus during a match, and more. You don't want to miss this one!

11-20
25:16

Celebrating The Little Wins And How Communication Overcomes Confusion With Alex Owen

This week we sat down with United Coach Alex Owen - and thoroughly enjoyed this conversation! We cover the importance of communication, holding yourself and your teammates accountable, and how harmony on the courts starts with harmony in the stands.

11-13
22:01

Supporting Athletes While Navigating the College Recruitment Process With Alicia Krichev

This week we sat down with Positional Coach Alicia Krichev and talk all things college recruitment - how to best support your athlete, the impact of game statistics versus other factors in the eyes of recruiters, when players should begin thinking about recruitment, and more. Most importantly, how to appreciate uniqueness in your own journey and not compare to others.

11-06
34:41

Developing Athletes Out Of Love And The Importance Of Fostering Open Communication With Macy Phillips

We've been excited about this chat for a long time! This week we sat down with United coach and former UF athlete Macy Phillips. We talk about everything from her recruitment experience, core philosophies she applies when creating an environment of growth for her players, and trying out for a spot on a semi-pro team in Nashville.

10-30
34:25

Coaching With Intentionality And How Discipline Leads to Consistent Growth With Cameryn Bucknor

This week we sat down with United Coach and Oakwood VB player Cameryn Bucknor. We hear about her journey to becoming a student athlete, how discipline instills continuous growth as an athlete, and what led her to pursue coaching.

10-23
22:33

Serve Receive Mastery With Korohen Jones

In our second solo episode, Korohen dives into the topic of serve receive - one of the most critical skills in volleyball. We cover five key elements that may help to improve your serve receive so that your team becomes an effective competitor.

10-16
07:08

Growing The Game Of Boys Volleyball With Coach Aaryn Lee

We enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with United Boys Head Coach Aaryn Lee and discuss our boys volleyball program - which is going into its third year! We cover common misconceptions, challenges, increasing interest, and how we hope to help it continue to grow. 

10-09
26:26

The Impact Of Determination, Perspective, And Overcoming Adversity After Injury With Mary Ceil McClung

This week we sit down with HHS VB and United 15 National athlete Mary Ceil McClung. We discuss her significant ankle injury as well as how she relied on determination, passion, and her love for the game to push through that process and get back on the court.

10-02
19:46

Achieving Your Best Focused State, Pre-Game Rituals, And Team Effort With Caitlin Torok: Part 2

In the second half of our discussion with Caitlin we cover the challenging transition from being an athlete to coaching, the benefits of trial and error, and what she believes are attributes that a good teammate possesses.

09-25
17:06

Staying Open To Opportunity, Maintaining A Willingness To Learn, And Failing Forward With Caitlin Torok: Part 1

On this week's episode we sit down with United alum and current coach Caitlin Torok. In Part 1 of our discussion, we learn about her recruitment journey that led to her experience at Belhaven University, and how she kept herself open to opportunity while being willing to make mistakes. Part 2 drops next week!

09-18
21:09

Mastering The Mindset Behind Effective Serves In Competitive Matches With Korohen Jones

This week, we are doing things a little differently! In our first solo episode, our host Korohen will be discussing serving - everything from fundamentals of the serve to the importance of mental training and overcoming pressure while building confidence.

09-11
12:14

The Energy That You Create And What It Means To Be A Great Teammate With Lydia Hitchcock: Part 2

In the second part of our conversation with Lydia, we talk about how important discipline is when motivation comes and goes, some personal sacrifices she has made to pursue her volleyball journey, and the impact energy has when striving to be a good teammate.

09-04
21:45

A Unique Recruitment Journey And How Playing Both Beach And Indoor Can Be Mutually Beneficial With Lydia Hitchcock: Part 1

We recently sat down with United alum and current Huntingdon player Lydia Hitchcock - and it's a good one. So good that we've split it into two parts! This week, we discussed her unique recruiting experience, the benefits that come from utilizing time management, and the physicality/mentality differences in playing both beach and indoor. Join us next week for Part 2!

08-28
19:05

The Importance Of Coachability, Team Bonding, And Building Trust With Lydia Compton

This week we sat down with 15 National coach Lydia Compton and discuss what it means to be a coach and the impactful role it plays in athlete's experiences, building chemistry and trust with your players, and teaching valuable lessons through losses.

08-21
30:37

Overcoming Challenges As A College Athlete And Being Grounded In Who You Are With Gracie Lynn Butler: Part 2

We enjoyed chatting with GL so much that we split it into two episodes! In the second part of our discussion we talk about reflection exercises, knowing where your personal value comes from, her biggest challenge as an athlete, and being your own advocate when it comes to your wellbeing.

08-14
22:46

Having a Learner's Mindset And Managing Your Emotions With Gracie Lynn Butler: Part 1

Today we sit down and chat with United alumni and Samford VB athlete Gracie Lynn Butler. We touch on the differences between playing at a club vs. college level, and the meaningful impact that takes place when coaches believe in their players. We also discuss how emotion makes competition electric, yet not every emotion belongs in every moment. Oh and a word of advice from GL... watch your film!

08-09
30:11

Maintaining Discipline, Emotional Engagement, And Letting Mistakes Go With Kennedy Vaughn

United 18 National athlete and UAB commit Kennedy Vaughn joins us today! We discuss confidence, hyper-focusing on mistakes - and treating those mistakes as simply a bad moment rather than a bad day.

08-01
26:34

What To Expect On Signing Day, Uniform Orders, And Program Offerings With Michelle Mitchell

Amidst our 2025 club season evaluations, Coach Korohen sits down with United VB Registrar Michelle Mitchell. We discuss lots of FAQs - our upcoming Signing Day, fall and winter offerings at United, our UU membership, and SRVA Registration. A summarized PDF of this episode is also available for reference on our website!

07-25
31:49

Intentionality, Tournament Preparation, And Playing For The Love Of The Game With Eevy Bellar

Earlier this month before our teams took off to Vegas, we sat down with United 17 National and CIU commit Eevy Bellar. We chat about upcoming USAV Nationals, properly fueling your body, and as coaches - the importance of learning your players. It's not about winning or losing, just simply playing for the love of the game.

07-17
28:29

The Challenges And Pressures Of Being A College Athlete And Giving Yourself Grace With Lauren Burrell

This week we sat down with United alum and Union grad student Lauren Burrell. We cover topics such as being adaptable, the major role coaches played in her journey, the challenges of a college athlete, and giving yourself grace - also her impressive sneaker tying ability (we may or may not still be trying to do it like LB).

07-10
33:59

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