Ep 45: From Player to Coach: Emily Poole's Volleyball Journey

Hard work can be fun! In this episode of Bump, Set, Mic, Chuck and Brian are joined by Coach Emily Poole, head women's volleyball coach at Arcadia University and member of the TNT Volleyball coaching staff, as she shares her volleyball journey and blueprint for how very competitive teams can also have an enjoyable time as well at both the club and collegiate levels.

Chuck, Brian, and Emily cover her path from York, PA to Division I volleyball, navigating academics at Lehigh, and the moment she realized coaching—not the corporate world—was her future. Emily shares how she was thrown into college coaching during COVID, what it was like to take over the Arcadia program at 24, and how she builds competitive, academically driven teams that still have fun.

Specific to the club side, Emily reflects on last year's TNT 17 Platinum run to USAV Nationals, the culture that kept them locked in through a long season, and what she's looking for as she takes over 16 Platinum this coming season. The epiosde closes with practical perspective on TNT tryouts, recruiting realities, and how families can keep their sanity during one of the most stressful times of the year.

Segment 1 – Emily's Volleyball Journey and Development as a Player (0:00 - 17:58) Returning from nationals with club in full summer mode and a brief recap of the time in Florida Introducing Coach Emily Poole – Arcadia head coach, TNT coach, a Colts fan in Eagles country Emily's start in volleyball: late to the sport, middle school-only at first, invited as a guest player for nationals Her high school experience at Central York, the impact of strong coaches, and discovering grass volleyball Reaching D1 at Lehigh: the extra work put in and how Emily built full-skill IQ as a middle Reframing the middle position: not just "the tall kid," but a complete athlete who must learn all skills Balancing high academics with D1 volleyball, a sophomore slump, and how a new coach's academic standards reset Emily's approach Sharing that academic emphasis with her own college and club teams (team GPAs, study halls, support systems) Favorite memories at Lehigh When volleyball became more than "just playing" for Emily

Segment 2 – Building a College Program and Coaching Philosophy (17:58  - 44:14) Emily's graduate assistant experience at Lehigh Coaching through COVID, promotion by necessity, and how the COVID-era experience helpd shape Emily's readiness The Arcadia opportunity and Emily's coaching style Chuck's perspecitve b