#6 Louisville Volleyball Coach Dani Busboom Kelly Previews #3 Wisconsin

um really looking forward to starting the season tomorrow against Wisconsin uh nothing like starting the season with the bang the rankings came out and you know Wisconsin's ranked third and arguably could be higher um but you know we've had an amazing preseason know two and a half weeks with this team and just really proud of where we're at and I was telling our team going into this year we've been asked a million times is there more pressure with the final four in Louisville and of course there there is but I feel pretty calm because we've done what we can up to this point we have a great team of returners we added some players that will fill key roles and like we've done what we can to put a great team on the court um so we've done what we can control up to this point now the rest is to come so we'll see we I told him we might we might get killed I don't know but I feel good about where we're at today right now just looked at uh Wisconsin's roster they have 69 67 very similar to the final four a few years ago how do you counteract that is there a strategic way to deal with with extreme height there's not really a strategic way to deal like you hope that you can play fast and get them moving um you know and and slow them down somewhat but there's going to be things that we can't do um but you know we can still control the ball on our side of the net and score points it's going to be more like taking advantage of when they can't get the ball to those players and when we get them out of system and they have to um set somebody else so it'll be interesting you know they also returned the national Player of the Year from last year so uh very good good team uh coach feels like year and year out we're starting to see this sport continue to grow and grow and grow and feels like opening this year with the four teams that are coming here to Louisville is a great way to continue that growth first off how does it feel to know that Louisville is a part of some of these big hitters and what it means for the sport that you guys are included in such a national scale to open up the year I mean it it's huge for our sport this is an event that you know they had going about 10 15 years ago that they decided to bring back and they've spent a lot of money so fans are going to get a glimpse of uh what international volleyball is like there's not going to be line judges they're bringing the equipment from that they use in the Olympics um for replays and just trying to showcase the that we can be a revenue generating Sport and there's a lot of ways to do that so I think the court setup and the the way the match flows will be new but that's it's huge and where this sport is headed and for us to be included in that is a big Testament to not only our team but the investment the university has put into volleyball and we've proven ourselves to be a you know top 10 program every single year so it was a big deal to be invited to this and to be able to host it hey Danny right over here yet you mentioned the history of this event like do you personally have any memories of it from from your playing days or early coaching days or anything like that that that you could share I I don't really remember like an specific games I do remember like wanting to know every year as a player like who's getting invited to the ABCA showcase cuz you got a little bit of Advantage cuz you got to start a little bit earlier but also is like a kind of the the preseason potential final four teams so to be included was like a big deal um so I just remember being excited to know who was going to be playing in it Danny going going back to like the the Showcase what what kind of is the expectation do you feel like tomorrow night both games top 10 teams but what do you think as far as you know the crowd and the atmosphere will be like you know in it's different in August as it is down the road and it might actually be better tomorrow to draw people there's not much going on I feel like they've sold a good amount of tickets I know that with our game being the second game where it's going to be a late start on a school night on a Tuesday um but I still expect the crowd to be super into it and the Diehard volleyball fans are going to like have best night ever you get to watch four great teams compete um you get a sneak peek of these four teams in person um that'll you know you'll get to watch throughout the year and um I'm hoping that the cards fans are there Rowdy and I'm ready to cheer us on but all these teams travel well so I think you'll see a lot of fans from you know the other teams as well Danny is uh Anna De beard the best player to ever play at Louisville of course I think that you know I don't know the history books um there's been some really really good players but Anna and we I've coached some really good players but I think when it comes to the best player ever it's got to be somebody with the total package and Anna deir has that you know the intensity the the teammate the competitiveness and then skill-wise you know she she really is that type of player that you know you coaches trust from day one just cu way she approaches her her daily routine um and how she always strives to be great but she really wants to make her teammates better and she's she's one of a kind um you don't think you find players or athletes like her very often Danny uh you have made a a much bigger uh Niche at the Yum Center this year than than maybe in the last few years do you see that as a trend or is this a a one-year thing because the final fours here I I it's a trend you know we're going to continue to play as many games as we can down there um that makes sense you know obviously with this being the final four year we wanted to Showcase some really big matches down there um to get the the city really excited to see some awesome volleyball but talking with Josh it's you we want to continue to grow the sport nationally but here in the city and we are outgrowing lnn um so we'd love to move more more games down there I think when you get late in the volleyball season then you start competing with basketball and um finding the right way so we can all use the facility and make it make sense Danny with Wisconsin what do you think has sustained them to kind of keep them in this upper echelon and obviously you saw them a few years ago and have you guys met since since that meeting no we haven't played them since final four you know they're they got a great coaching staff um they have great support you know they sell out their Arena um I think it holds almost 8,000 six to eight so they sell that out um it's a great school so I think recruiting for them is is going really well um and then their coach is known to develop winners so I think people want to go there and play um but it's a really great program and it's exciting to say like we can compete with them again we're seeing with this sport a lot more opportunities brought into it like what we're going to see tomorrow but but also kind of now after college with the growth of the pro volleyball Federation how have you maybe had to change what you do when it comes to coaching or even recruiting knowing that that this is a lot more viable of an option to go pro right after school I don't really know if it's changed our recruiting much um I think it's just given our players more hope that they can continue to play the sport they love and make money doing it um so you have the pro volleyball Federation League one is starting this year so that's two professional leagues in the US and then you still have the professional leagues overseas that some players are making um good chunk of money so I think it's just the more the the will to really improve in your college Years and I think transfers you approach them a little bit differently like I feel like transfers come here to raise their Pro Stock because they know they're going to be on a great team and get trained really well so they want to come here and get exposure and improve what they already have um so they can make more money or get in a a league in the US I think that's always the hope you know with so many things changing with nil and um just College athletics I don't think that's coming in anytime soon but I know that' be a goal for this Administration and myself to have our own facility somewhere thank you all hope to see you on Tuesday