This episode is about growth, both for a program and for the coach running it. Amanda and I talk about what it takes to manage a large roster, from keeping communication clear across dozens of players to making sure no one gets lost in the numbers. The conversation also turns to something harder to talk about: stepping outside your comfort zone as a coach. Amanda shares why reaching out to more coaches, asking questions, and trying ideas that felt unfamiliar at first ended up changing the way they lead. It's a practical, honest look at running a big program without losing the personal touch, and a reminder that the best coaches never stop learning from each other.

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Jason Leppo built one of the most respected programs in Pennsylvania high school volleyball at Delone Catholic, capturing the 2013 PIAA Class 2A state title, five District 3 championships, four York-Adams League playoff titles, and nine division crowns over roughly a decade. Then, in his mid 30s and at the peak of his field, he stepped away to find better balance between work, family, and the game he loves.

Now he is back on the bench, taking the reins at Dallastown. In this episode, we talk with Jason about what made those Delone teams special, why the relationships always mattered more than anything on the scoreboard, what he learned in his time away from the sidelines, and what drew him back to coaching high school volleyball. It is a conversation about building something lasting, walking away, and the pull that brings a coach back.

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After 32 seasons, Mark Pavlik has retired as the head coach of Penn State men's volleyball, finishing with 716 career wins, the third most in the history of college men's volleyball. In this episode he takes us back to the beginning: growing up in Derry, Pennsylvania, coaching in the state's high school and junior ranks, and rising through Penn State as a player, manager, and assistant before taking over the program in 1995. We dig into the 2008 national championship run, his eye-of-the-hurricane approach to coaching, the Olympians he developed, handing the program to longtime assistant Colin McMillan, and what he sees for the future of volleyball in Pennsylvania. A conversation about legacy, culture, and the relationships that outlast the wins.

Coach Tait would be very proud PAV!

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