TCU Volleyball's setter Riley Buckley talked to the media on Thursday about the start of the upcoming season, specifically hitting the road to take on top-ten Minnesota and Wisconsin teams.
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00:00 So Riley, it's been a couple weeks since we talked.
00:05 Yes sir.
00:06 What's changed?
00:07 Nothing has changed.
00:08 I mean, I think same motivation, same goal here.
00:12 We're about to play Minnesota and Wisconsin.
00:13 So, great start to our season from a competition standpoint.
00:18 And so I think we're just, yeah, like jumping into that with excitement.
00:22 I think just our anticipation and excitement has maybe like changed
00:27 because we're just ready.
00:28 We're ready to go, ready to get the season started.
00:30 And yeah, excited for a great game ahead of us.
00:34 So you've had a couple more weeks of practice since we last talked.
00:36 Right.
00:37 What have you seen that you really like?
00:39 Yeah, I think, you know, now preparing for the match,
00:42 we're definitely more strategically focusing on, you know,
00:46 different lineups and plays against Minnesota to help us better
00:51 just to be equipped for the game and whatever's thrown at us.
00:54 So, I think that's kind of another thing that we've implemented
00:58 in order to help us like in preparation for the match.
01:01 But yeah, like I said, same focus, one way, TCU volleyball.
01:06 So, last year you started the season kind of a little deja vu, same two teams.
01:12 Right.
01:13 0-3 I think was the score on both of those matches?
01:16 Yeah.
01:17 What are your thoughts?
01:19 How's that going to be different this year?
01:20 For sure, yeah.
01:21 I think just the team dynamic, team chemistry is completely different.
01:25 I'm really, honestly like so proud to be a part of just like the culture
01:28 that's been created here by every single teammate,
01:32 but also the coaches as well.
01:33 And so I'm having just a lot of confidence like going into these games.
01:38 You know, the bar is set pretty low.
01:39 So we are just like going out there like walls to the wall,
01:42 trying to compete, give it our all, be a light, just encourage each other
01:46 and you know, take TCU to places it's never been before.
01:49 Do you have any extra motivation specifically with Wisconsin
01:54 since they were the team that ended your season last year?
01:56 For sure, I think we definitely have a bittersweet taste in our mouth from that.
02:00 So, just again, learning from our experiences last year
02:04 and then just using that to excel us forward in the matches to come.
02:09 I know Madison, I'm sure Minnesota is the same,
02:12 going to be a difficult place to play.
02:14 They like their volleyball up there.
02:15 For sure, yeah.
02:16 Are you prepared for that?
02:17 Yeah, I think, you know, we talked about being in the flow state
02:20 as like a volleyball player on the court, really just honing in on our court,
02:25 like what we're doing on our side, not focusing on any external factors,
02:29 but just playing the way we know how to play and controlling the controllables.
02:34 So obviously a success road trip would be two ways.
02:37 Right.
02:38 One would be okay.
02:40 If neither of those come away with a victory,
02:43 how would you – what would still be successful on the trip?
02:45 Yeah, I think honestly going into the trip knowing that we've worked
02:49 and we're equipped for this and, you know,
02:52 we're ready for anything that's been thrown our way,
02:54 but really just like continuing to not be so like narrow-minded,
03:00 but also just like keeping in the whole big season that's ahead of us in mind
03:06 and just like using the good and the bad from any match
03:10 and not dwelling on it for too long, but using the good and propelling forward
03:14 and then also using the bad propelling forward.
03:17 So yeah.
03:20 Awesome. Thank you so much.