Triple Block Heads

Author: Triple Block Heads

Welcome to Triple Block Heads; the podcast for all things volleyball. Each episode, the trio of Block Heads will discuss topics that will hit home for a variety of volleyball enthusiasts, from beginners to collegiate athletes and volley nerds in between. The Block Heads bring a combined 50 years of coaching experience ranging from club to the highest levels of Division 1. 
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en-us

Genres: News, Sports, Sports News, Volleyball

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

TBH Episode 38: Volleyball Unplugged: High Performance Memories and Evolution
Episode 38
Thursday, 23 April, 2026

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Triple Block Heads volleyball podcast, Makani, Marc, and Frank discuss the USA Volleyball High Performance Tournament (later the All-Star Tournament) and how it evolved, emphasizing its unique features: regional pride, USA development camp ties, international teams, a combined boys/girls event, and international rules with limited subs and best-of-five formats. They describe how the event challenges coaches to rapidly evaluate players, build cohesive teams, and install systems in just a few practices, while offering major networking and learning through open information-sharing among coaches. From a player perspective, they highlight independence from dorm living, exposure to college coaches, distinct atmosphere, and lasting relationships. They compare the old USA-team format to the current regional-only model, note recruiting and timing conflicts, share memorable stories (Tucson, Tulsa, Fort Lauderdale water outage, Des Moines hosting), and close by crediting Iowa director Kurt Trout’s leadership.Instagram - @tripleblockheadsX - @tripleblockheadThreads - tripleblockheadsFacebook - Triple Block HeadsYoutube - @TripleBlockHeads