Baylor volleyball assistant coach Joshua Walker was one of 45 coaches across the country to assist with USA Volleyball National Team's Open Program from Feb. 24-26 in Colorado Springs, Colo. BU's Averi Carlson, Allie Sczech and Riley Simpson all participated in the tryouts. Walker outlines the weekend and how the program worked for both the staff and participants:

By Joshua Walker

Thursday night, most of the coaches got together with [Women's National Team Head Coach] Karch Kiraly to talk about the goal of the tryouts and the timeline of the National Team in regard to these last 17 months before the Paris Olympics start. He talked about how the overall goal is to get in front of the top players in the nation more regularly throughout the year, so that the first time the work with USA coaches and are in the gym, there's not as much of a shock in regards to how they train. Also, it's an opportunity to evaluate players as they develop throughout their collegiate career. The top players from this tryout, in particular, could make a few different national teams for this upcoming summer and will get to train with the women that are currently on the National Team.

Friday morning, speakers from professional leagues had an opportunity to talk to the athletes. There were representatives from Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball (LOVB) and the Pro Volleyball Federation. Athletes Unlimited is a pro women's volleyball league that has already started in the U.S. By Fall 2024, there will be two additional pro leagues. They talked about their business models and why they feel their leagues will be successful. It's definitely exciting that there looks like there'll be options for a lot of these athletes to play pro volleyball domestically.

Friday afternoon, we started the tryout. The athletes got to train and live in the same area as current national teams and athletes for the weekend. It was that kind of energy in the gym. There were three waves of athletes, and the staffs were split up into three parts. There were court coaches like me, data analysts that were statting everything, and evaluators making notes on all the athletes. The athletes had three sessions to be ran through specific exercises before we exclusively competed on the last day. Averi , Allie and Riley did well considering they were among the youngest athletes there. They are waiting to find out if they'll be selected for additional training.

Overall, it was a great experience for our ladies and me. The food they provided was top-notch and are the same meals current National Team athletes have access to daily. The tryout was very organized, ran safely and efficiently, so athletes could showcase their talent without a lot of stress on their bodies. They got to work with and hear from the current National Team staff who were very active in the tryout. They weren't just there to show their faces, they were completely invested in the tryout. Personally, it was great working with some of the best coaches in the country, and I'm extremely blessed. God has continued to put me in rooms I couldn't fathom the opportunity to be in, and I just give glory to Him. I pray that I'm able to positively influence everyone involved at USA Volleyball and help make their experiences greater and more enjoyable.