Arkansas Volleyball head coach Jason Watson previews Woo Pig Invitational

all right hello everybody thank you for being here today with us um we are going to talk about the opening weekend for volleyball um with the w Pig Invitational but we will start um maybe coach just uh do a little synopsis of opening weekend uh little opening statement and then we'll open it up to questions so if you have questions use the race hand function and once he wraps up we will go around the horn yeah appreciate uh everyone's time today um and um excited to get uh get on the way uh in Bon Hill uh we had a nice weekend at at uh California uh went in and out way too many times had uh way too many chocolate shakes but uh you know got a couple of wins so that was nice I thought um I thought the crew got better as the weekend progressed um we started off I I think a little shaky uh I think we're a team that's still trying to find a little bit of our identity um which is understandable I think given uh the personalities that we lost and the experience that we lost but uh I think we're we're we're we're trying to find find ourselves I think uh took three pretty big steps forward uh on the weekend and uh and now we come home with the challenging schedule of four in a row and part of that I think is because we've got to get some matches I mean the these athletes have to get some on the job training if you will and um and so we're excited to be able to do that in in Bon Hill uh first off is rkz and um uh even though they went I think one and two on the weekend uh lost to a really good Miami of Florida team who we'll see later this year and um uh lost to a good Colorado team and beat a good North Texas team they're they're long and they're physical and um and so they're going to they're going to pose some trouble uh for us which is not unusual given that big 10 teams are long and physical and give lots of people trouble so um but um excited to be back home in Bono Dudley you can go ahead coach you talked a little about the challenge of playing how good is it to have these four at home so the fans can get a good look at what you've got yeah I think the the nice thing about it is that it's one a day you know uh when you open the season like we do um we have to open Friday and and so we we had those two on satday which are challenging you know sack State and calp are good um so it's nice to be in this kind of 7 o'clock 7 o'clock 7 o'clock routine um uh kids can go to school you know they should you know um and um but but it's good and it's good to get get home I think there's some excitement around our program and um I think you know you don't want to go too late in the season before you um uh before you get to be at home and um you know historically we've opened at home uh a number of years so um but uh yeah it's it's good to be home I mean it's I as you know if you've listened to me at all I love Bon Hill you know I love uh this Arena and I love the intimacy that we create here and fans can get pretty close and um and I I think we've done a pretty nice job promoting our our team over the last couple of years so uh so excited yeah excited for these fans to start uh you know you know creating relationships with with a series of of new and talented younger kids tell us a little bit about the other three teams as well yeah um so which to State plays tonight they play uh Kansas um and uh not too deep on my prep in there I was going to wait uh until that match was played tonight so so Kansas uh and Witchita go at it um but historically right a really good volleyball team uh Chris lamb is the coach there he's been there for a number of years and um uh and I think they go hard you know we play them every spring uh and they go they go hard they do some things a little differently than us they're a little faster than us so that's going to be this kind of contrasting style uh rutz is probably a little slower than us offensively uh and then witcha States a lot faster than us uh and then you get latch you know who uh is off to a good start uh they're trying to probably figure some stuff out here as they they move through some things and then um and then we get to to Little Rock who um Little Rock beat a really good Central Arkansas Team I think a really good Central Arkansas Team uh over the weekend to open their season uh and uh and so that's an emotional thing I think you know I don't know how many of their athletes have ties to the state of Arkansas but I think they they understand the significance of playing on campus and uh those matches have been uh yeah they beat us one year up here you know and so I didn't like that very much um and so um but that comes to the end I mean that's the fourth match in four days so um but yeah it's it's a some contrasting Styles and and that's that poses some trouble um for us I think as we you know prep for a new one and prep for a new one but I'm I'm incredibly thankful that we're only playing one a day um that helps us a lot thanks yeah cheers Anthony go ahead yeah Jason obviously one of the uh one of those faces that if people have gotten familiar with over the years Jill Gillan is now on the on the staff I I guess can you just speak to how much of an asset she's been early on and you know how is how is she I guess done in the coaching world so far yeah I mean and not surprising um she probably has incredibly high expectations of her ability as a coach just like she did as a player um and um and and because of that I think she's incredibly mindful about what she's doing and how she's doing it when she interacts with with the athletes but uh I think for me uh she's this wonderful conduit between myself and the athletes you know um I had the privilege to coach her for five years and now I get to hang out with her the first six and so that's like you know playing with house money there you know um and um but I I think you know I don't want to say that she commands respect because that's not how she does it you know but you have to be respectful for everything that she's done and and because of that um she has tremendous Insight in you know what it takes to do what I think a lot of our kids want to do they want to emulate what she's done you know and um and so it's nice have her in the gym to be able to to be that voice for them and to encourage them and to you know hey tell them yeah look I've been there and it's hot some days but you know we we'll make it through so I think she's done a remarkable job I really do in a tough spot I think I I don't want to minimize the fact that you know this time last year she was playing with them you know that's a tough spot to be in for for the athletes and for her and I think both parties have done a really nice job with it and then you spoke to to you know having you know a decent amount of newcomers on this team to you know having started the season with some wins how important is it for a team that is you know maybe still in that jelling stage to start start off well like you guys have yeah I mean I think it's it's you know it validates some things I think you know I think that's important I think winning validates some things um and probably too much some days you know and it hides some things on some other aspects um but what was nice for us is that we got better as the weekend got going and uh especially when they came to the outside hitters uh three of them sold time and three of them uh were were able to have some success in that space and that success didn't threaten the relationships and that's what's important for me like uh hey I'm not you know three and two days is fatiguing and so we made some decisions on our stas and bringing people off the bench because of fatigue uh more so than a you're not getting it done it was like yeah you're tired you know it's hard to do what it is you're doing and so we're a little bit more strategic in that space than we've had to be in the past and um and they rolled with it you know they rolled with it and they understood and you know there's some disappointment right if you're the one coming out but uh but that didn't um temper their um commitment to team and so I I thought lots of positives not just winning volleyball matches which which you know doesn't suck you know winning doesn't suck you know that's kind of nice too Daniel you can go ahead hi coach I was just wondering kind of I guess having played three matches now is the communication kind of maybe where you want it to be with with the new group and kind of how yall are able to run your offense well first uh I just want to say that we got the Wi-Fi fixed here Daniel so we're we're all good here you know I know you had some concerns about that on the last goal and I just wanted to ease your mind there in that space but um um I think the communication po I appreciate that question actually is is ongoing um uh I think it's now a matter of hey how do we communicate in the match environment when things aren't particularly going well or how do we communicate in the match envir when things are going well so it's that on the job kind of training there that I think you know we we've talked about a lot in practice but now we have to see it come to fruition in in matches and that's a really uncomfortable space you know there's lots of things going on in the match so I thought and I don't want to keep going back to it but I thought that communication Po got much much better as the weekend progressed and um I mean I think it's there for Hannah and courton siia and zo but um I I think you know someone like Romani Thurman and ni mkin and Jada and uh Liv hoie who are seeing some time I think they're realizing just why we made it such a big deal in uh the training camp before season season opened and so um so now it's a matter of hey we got to remind them that they've got to do that all the time and I guess you mentioned in your open I guess Little Rock and then Central as well I guess just how's the sport maybe grown across the state and maybe helped you in your recruiting at all yeah I mean I think a couple things uh you know Arkansas state had a nice start to their weekend too um you know Little Rock had a nice start the central Arkansas Team I think is is is pretty good and last spring we played uh Arkansas Fort Smith and they gave us everything we wanted um uh not that we asked for it but they just gotta kept coming at us and so so I think the sport in the state of Arkansas is growing um and um and and it's growing because there are passionate coaches and passionate uh people who are engaged in the sport trying to grow it you know and and and look we've got a little bit ways to go before we we we catch up with the Metroplex or we catch up with Kansas City or we can't in in those type of things but but it's not because people aren't trying it's not because people aren't effting and they aren't enthused about the about the sport and um and so the entire sport I think in general is on this really nice upswing and um and as we've seen around the country you know there's lots of parody right now there's lots of good volleyball being played you know SMU beats Nebraska and Penn State beats Louisville and and um I I think there's lots of teams early that um you know we're all just trying to figure it out you know and um I'm just glad that today we're three and0 still trying to figure it out rather than 0 and three because I've being there that's not as much fun yeah last Quick One in in or out on animal style coach uh I'm going to abstain okay fair enough thanks yeah I don't like it when that happens at SEC meetings when coaches abstain but on this one I think it's uh I'm I'm gonna play that card I've never played that card before so I'm kind of excited to do it with you thanks yeah yeah all good had enough visits you should have an opinion on that yeah You' think right Ian can go ahead yeah hey coach can you hear me yep all good cool sweet sorry um curious for you um tomorrow night honoring the Elite 8 team what are kind of the emotions that you know maybe you're G you think you're G to you know Embrace tomorrow and and all the memories from last season and what does it mean to you that they're honoring this team on the first on the home game yeah well you know it's it's nice that we've had a team worthy of honoring you know um that's that's sort of nice um uh I haven't really given it much thought you know I think it's just been prepped we've had uh another incident that occurred last weekend that that was kind of has been at the Forefront of my mind for for a while now with the death of pal Victoria um and and so I I think it'll be nice to I hope and Hope's not a plan right we've said that before but um uh what I'm hoping is that we just can kind of close that season out you know I it was great I know and I don't want to minimize it but uh uh you know we're we're we're starting again you know the next chapter is being written but uh but I think it's nice for everybody the fans um certainly those athletes that uh contributed to that season uh that that hey we acknowledge them uh we acknowledge them at home in front of just the fabulous fan base last year that helped us get there and then once we've done that right hey let's let's go see if we can beat Rodz you know and um but um but yeah when I when I you know if you're forcing me to answer that question so I don't abstain you know um fair enough um uh I I think it's a cool thing to do I think it's a really cool thing to do and um and uh I'm uh you know I like that there's a couple of bannas that I'm helped put up in in Bon Hill that's that's kind of nice you know thanks coach yeah cheers any more questions for coach all right well thank you everyone for being here we're going to turn it over to our broadcast crew so we will have them stay on but everybody else um thank you for being here I hope to see you this weekend