BEYOND THE COURT PODCAST

BEYOND THE COURT is all about things within and beyond the court through coaching, playing, and being fans of the game of all ages and levels of competition. Episodes will include different coaches, players and fans giving insight of sports related topics, experiences, and stories!

SEASON TWO EPISODES

Episode 1: UNION VOLLEYBALL ACADEMY

• Welcome to Season 2! In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Lynda dive into the story behind the rebrand to UNION VOLLEYBALL ACADEMY (UVA). They answer some of the most frequently asked questions, including why the change was made, how the new name was chosen, and debunk a few misconceptions along the way. Tune in to hear how this shift will shape the future of the club and what it means for the club moving forward.

Episode 2: Check-In with Coach Vivian

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Lynda check in with Coach Vivian about her teams and the upcoming season. Coach Vivian also shares with listeners her playing experience and how certain moments helped shape her coaching philosophy, style, and what she wants to achieve with all the athlete she coaches.

Episode 3: Randell Manzon

• In this episode, Coach Matt shares the mic with Coach Randell Manzon. Many listeners may not know, but Coach Randell was here since the beginning of UC ELITE Volleyball Club, now UNION VOLLEYBALL ACADEMY. During the episode, he shares stories and experiences from his coaching journey-- both club and high school. Make sure to listen to hear more about Coach Randell!

Episode 4: Check-In with Coach Joe

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Lynda sit down with Coach Joe to talk a little bit about various topics including: current team performances, coaching scenarios, coaching advice, and more. Listen to get up to date about some of our teams and hear what we would do as coaches in certain scenarios.

Episode 5: Adversity (On The Road)

• In this episode, Coach Lynda and Coach Matt take the podcast mobile! Joined by Coach Vivian, they define adversity, share their own volleyball experiences with it, give listeners advice on how to overcome these challenges, and how these bumps in the road helps in the long run.

Episode 6: Lexi Pagani & Alex Gloria

• In this episode, Coach Lynda is joined by guest speakers, Coach Lexi and Coach Alex. During this podcast, they inform listeners about their history with the sport, share past experiences during their high school career, special memories shared during their college careers, life now as retired athletes, and what's in store next for them.

Episode 7: PNQ & Summer Camps

• In this episode, Coach Lynda and Coach Matt recap their time at the Pacific Northwest National Qualifier in Spokane, WA. Coach Matt shares with listeners on how his team battled all weekend long to become the 2025 PNQ 17 USA Champions! They also share exciting details about what is to come this summer with UVA Summer Camps.

SEASON ONE EPISODES

Episode 1: Welcome to the Podcast with Coach Matt & Coach Stacey

• Welcome to Beyond the Court with UC ELITE Episode 1 with Matt Guzman and Stacey Sarmiento. Matt and Stacey talk about their journeys becoming coaches, their experiences, stories and highlights coaching at James Logan High School (Union City, CA), how UC ELITE (Union City/Hayward, CA) started and the growth of the programs they coach

Episode 2: Lynda Nguyen

• Coach Matt and Coach Stacey hosts their first guest Coach Lynda Nguyen! Coach Lynda is one of the directors and she shares how she started playing volleyball, her journey through high school and college, and what she does now for UC ELITE.

Episode 3: Conan True

• Our guest this week is Conan True! Conan is currently the assistant coach at Dominican University and head coach of our girls 13s & 18s national team. He shares his volleyball journey especially his experience playing in high school, club and at Holy Names University. This episodes dives into the topics of what the ideal student athlete should be, the mentality and grind of what it takes to get to the next level, and the coach's perspective on developing athletes.

Episode 4: Finding Your Role

• Coach Matt, Coach Stacey and Coach Lynda share their opinions on what it means to find your role on a team, experiences and advice on how to handle situations when you might not understand your role, and ways to better understand the coach's and player's perspective of the topic.

Episode 5: Dealing with Toxic Teammates

• Coach Matt and Coach Stacey go over signs of a toxic teammate and experiences on how to deal with a toxic teammates as they reflect on their past teams.

Episode 6: Andrew Nguyen

• Our guest this week is Andrew Nguyen! Andrew coaches one of our 12u & 18u team and coaches along with Coach Matt and Coach Stacey at James Logan High School. He shares how his volleyball journey began, his experiences playing in high school and club, and his coaching career and experiences. This episode also talks about having passion for the game, ways to help separate you from the competition, and fun stories as Coach Matt, Coach Stacey and Coach Andrew reflect on pass teams they coached together.

Episode 7: Oliver Dofiles

• On this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Stacey have Coach Oliver as a guest. Coach Oliver is one of our 14u & 15u national coaches. We talk about his passion for training and developing players, balancing time with coaching and family, and how important it is to keep learning and growing as a coach and player.

Episode 8: What Does It Mean To Be Coachable?

• On this episode, Coach Matt, Coach Stacey, and Coach Andrew discuss what it means to be coachable. They look up the differences between being coachable and un coachable, how parents contribute to how coachable their athlete is, and experiences of dealing with players who are coachable and un coachable. Hopefully this episode helps our listeners get insight on ways to be coachable and be better athletes to make successful teams.

Episode 9: Mafa Tuinauvai

• Our guest this week is Mafa Tuinauvai! Mafa coaches one of our 13u and 15u team and is currently playing on Cal State East Bay's Women's Volleyball team! Mafa shares her experiences from high school playing at James Logan High School, her experience playing D1 at San Jose State and the recruiting process. This episodes has great insight and tips for athletes pursuing the next level.

Episode 10: Coaches Talk Series

• Coach Matt, Coach Stacey and Coach Conan start of a new series called "Coaches Talk" where as coaches we discuss topics and go with the flow conversations. In this episode, we recap a little on Far Westerns with our 15u and under teams, talk about sacrifice and what it takes to commit to getting better, and a surprise announcement at the end about future projects in the club.

Episode 11: Anuj Dharmendran & Jonah Laguio

• On this episode, Anuj Dharmendran and Jonah Laguio are our guests. They are James Logan High School Alumni (2022) who played on the boys volleyball team and are now coaching with UC ELITE. In their first year of coaching this past season, their boys team earned bids to nationals and are currently finishing up the girls season. They talk about their experience playing, experiences this past season, and what it's like to be a young coach.

Episode 12: What is Off-Season Training?

• On this episode, Coach Stacey and Coach Lynda talk about what off-season training is, the importance of off-season training, and what UC ELITE offers this upcoming summer for athletes to get better in the off-season.

Episode 13: Mental Health Awareness with Kaitlyn Anderson, McKenzie Anderson & Dylan Gutierrez

• In this episode, Coach Stacey is joined by UC ELITE & James Logan HS Varsity Girls Volleyball athletes Kaitlyn Anderson (17 Matt), McKenzie Anderson (15 Oliver), and Dylan Gutierrez (16 Vivian). With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we wanted to use this platform to share experiences of the mental aspect of being a student athlete, tips on how to manage your mental health, and normalizing the topic and conversation of mental health.

Episode 14: Alex Gloria & Lina Estrada

• On this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Stacey are joined by Alex Gloria and Lina Estrada who are class of 2021 James Logan High School and UC ELITE alumni. They were a part of Logan's state finalist, NorCal & NCS championship team and UC ELITE's first team to win a bid to GJNC. They talk about their experiences being on a very competitive team for school and club, the grind mentality and sacrifice to be the best, and what coaching has been for them.

Episode 15: Joe Guzman

• In this episode, Coach Stacey is joined by Coach Joe Guzman. They talk about how Coach Joe got started in volleyball, his playing experience, and touch base on their mental health experiences while they were younger and being adults.

Episode 16: Chloe Ortega & Fina Tuinauvai

• In this episode, Coach Stacey is joined by Coach Chloe Ortega and Coach Fina Tuinauvai. They talk about how they got started playing volleyball, what their recruiting process and playing experience was like at Cal State Eastbay and advise on recruiting. They also share how they came about their decision to stop playing at the college level and how they got into coaching.

Episode 17: Nellie Stevenson

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Stacey is joined by Nellie Stevenson. Nellie is UC ELITE, San Leandro, and Feather River College alum who is committed to play D1 volleyball in the fall at Montana State University. They talk about her volleyball journey with high school, club, and college. They also dive in with what it was like for Nellie playing at Feather River College including the grind and commitment it took to play there, how having a role model impacted the goals she set for herself, and what recruiting was like for her. This is great listen to get perspective on how hard work pays off and making the best out of opportunities and trusting the process.

Episode 18: How to Handle Pressure

• In this episode, with their experience in playing in the CIF State Championship Game to NCS Championship Games and National Qualifiers, Coach Matt, Coach Stacey, Coach Alex, and Coach Lina talk about how to handle pressure in big moments in games and tryouts. They also talk about how to help teammates and players they coach through pressure moments and how to be mentally tough.

Episode 19: Donnnie Evans

• In this episode, Coach Stacey is joined by friend and colleague Donnie Evans. Donnie is the currently coaching with James Logan Girls Basketball, IVCMS Boys & Girls Basketball and has experience coaching CYO and AAU basketball. They talk about player development, the different levels of playing experience through CYO, club/AAU, and school seasons, and their experiences in coaching over the years.

Episode 20: Jel Buell & Abbi Sanchez

• In this episode, Coach Stacey is joined by Jel Buell & Abbi Sanchez. Jel & Abbi are sisters. They are Moreau Catholic High School alumni and played volleyball all 4 years. Jel also coached Abbi at UC ELITE from 14s-18s. They talk about their playing experience over the years, how their relationship as sisters impacted their player/coach dynamic, and what they look forward to coaching together this upcoming girls season

Episode 21: Club Season 101 with Coach Lynda & Coach Stacey

• In this episode, Coach Lynda and Coach Stacey discuss all about club season & club volleyball. They go in depth with what a season looks like from tryouts to the different levels, boys season, other options besides club season, and advice for athletes and parents who are interested in playing club. This is a great way to get a better understanding of what club volleyball is all about

Episode 22: Qualities of Great Coaches

• In this episode, Coach Matt, Coach Stacey and Coach Joe discuss qualities of great coaches at the professional and collegiate level, coaches they admire, and what made successful teams from a coaching stand point. They also talk about high school and club seasons and what to look for in a coach to help you develop as an athlete.

Episode 23: Vivian Noka

• In this episode, Coach Stacey & Coach Lynda are joined by Coach Vivian. Coach Vivian shares what her volleyball journey has been, what her experience was like for high school and club, and things she's learned throughout her career, balancing, and learning from set backs.

Episode 24: Things We Wish We Knew When We Were Younger

• In this episode, Coach Stacey, Coach Chloe, Coach Fina and Coach Mafa have a round table discussion about things they wish they knew when they were younger. They touch base about the recruiting the process, their experience transitioning into high school, club experience and other topics. A great listen for insight and tips throughout your career.

Episode 25: Player Self-Confidence Awareness

• In this episode, Coach Lynda & Coach Stacey discuss player confidence, player self-reflection, and things that go into a player's mentality. They also share experiences as a player and coach on these topics.

Episode 26: Ela & Andrei Gloria

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Stacey are joined by Ela & Andrei Gloria, who have been club members since 2017 and are our first parents as guests. Their kids, Alex (James Logan Class of 2021) and Isaac (James Logan Class of 2027) have been a part of teams at UC ELITE who have won bids to Nationals. They talk about their experience playing sports, their roles and impact in their kids' athletic journey, and advice for parents and athletes they've learned over the years.

Episode 27: Tips on Club and High School Tryouts

• In this episode, Coach Stacey, Coach Matt, Coach Joe, and Coach Conan take the podcast on the road to SoCal and recap our 15-18u tryouts and share tips and stories on high school tryouts. They also talk about their own experiences as a coach and a player on tryouts they've had and how they handled being cut from a team

Episode 28: Mamba Day

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Stacey do a tribute episode on Kobe Bryant to celebrate his birthday and Mamba Day. They share about the impact Kobe made in their lives, share some of his interviews, stories, and quotes. They also talk about what Mamba Mentality is all about and how it's not just applied to sports but to anything you do to become the best version of one's self. We hope the Kobe stories inspires all our listeners to channel their inner Mamba and motivates them to go out and compete just like Kobe

Episode 29: Breanna Evans

• In this episode, Coach Lynda and Coach Stacey are joined by Coach Breanna. Coach Breanna shares how she started her volleyball journey, the relationships she has built along the way, her experiences from beginning to present, and shares how big of an impact her club, high school, and college career has had on her life.

Episode 30: We're Back with Updates!

• We're back! In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Lynda share updates about clinics, teams, events coming up, and tips to prepare athletes for college recruiting ! It's an exciting and busy time here at UC ELITE, so get up to date on what's to come...

Episode 31: Check-In with Nellie Stevenson

• In this episode, Coach Matt, Coach Lynda, and Coach Joe are joined by UC ELITE Alum, Nellie Stevenson, to check-in about her first season playing Division 1 Volleyball at Montana State University! She shares her experience living/playing for Montana State and provides listeners with insight and advice on what it takes to get to that next level!

Episode 32: Inside The Mind of Coaches

• In this episode, Coach Matt and Coach Lynda talk about strategies and what goes on inside their minds during matches. They talk about their experiences on how they sub players, strategize for third set matches, and the advantages of training athletes to be multi-positional. This topic is useful for players, parents, and other coaches to gain more knowledge and understanding!

Episode 33: Update on Girls Club

• In this episode, Coach Conan and Coach Lynda provides the audience with an update on the girls club season. As the regular club season is coming to an end in 1.5 months, they share the highlights of recent successes and progress of our teams - in addition to what they're hoping to accomplish in the final tournaments of the season.

Episode 34: Lexi Pagani

• In this episode, Coach Conan is joined by Coach Lexi Pagani. This is Coach Lexi's first year coaching at UC ELITE and she is currently a member of the CSUEB Women's Indoor Volleyball Team. During this podcast, she shares her journey as a long-time player and a young coach.

Episode 35: Type of Passers

• In this episode, Coach Conan is joined with Coach Lynda and Coach Lina to talk about the different type of passers. During this podcast, they discuss the "hustler", "reader", "reactor", "calm and focused", and "hands only" passer - while also sharing memories of amazing plays been apart or have seen executed by their own teams.

Episode 36: D1 Off-Season with Coach Nellie

• In this episode, Coach Conan is joined with Coach Matt and Coach Nellie to discuss what the off-season looks like for a D1 college athlete. Coach Nellie shares with listeners her experiences from her first spring season as a Division 1 athlete.

Episode 37: Untold Stories

• In this episode, Coach Conan is joined with Coach Nellie and Coach Matt to share untold stories from their coaching and playing career. Each story is unique and provides listeners with more insight on the path of each coach.