IBSports Volleyball Magazine – November 2025

A comprehensive breakdown of all content, featuring the cover story on Sydney Hilley, fitness tips, and professional volleyball schedules.

Table of Contents and Contact Information

In This Issue (Page 2)

• Cover Story - Sydney Hilley (Pages 3-6)
• San Diego Risin' Volleyball (Page 7)
• 3Q Fitness Information (Pages 8-9)
• Player Feature Spotlight (Pages 10-12)
• Major League Volleyball (Page 13)
• Impact Award Nominee (Pages 14-15)
• Star Gym Kid Fitness (Page 16)
• Shawnee Harle - Winning Matters! (Page 17)
• Sports Marketing Help (Page 18)
• Ruth Nelson Special Information (Pages 19, 25)
• Ashley McDonough Article (Pages 20-21)
• BYOP Volleyball - Ruth Nelson (Page 22)
• IBSPORTS Magazine Ad Rates (Page 23)
• Customized Molten Volleyballs (Page 24)
• Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Schedule (Pages 26-27)

Contact Information: To share a volleyball story, list a showcase, write for the magazine, or become a sponsor, you can contact the team at ibelievesports1@gmail.com .

Cover Story: Sydney Hilley – Grit, Gratitude & Growth (Pages 3-6)

The cover story, written by Charmaine Pitt, profiles professional volleyball setter Sydney Hilley .

Early Life and Volleyball Journey

• Hilley began playing volleyball and chasing "big dreams" by the age of eight .
• Her connection to the sport was natural, as her mother played at North Dakota State and her older brother also competed .
• She started around age seven, joining a coed team with her brother, and was "hooked" after her parents promised her a desired pair of shoes when she signed up for her first club team .
• In high school at Champlin Park, she was one of the state's premier players, leading the program to three consecutive Minnesota state tournament appearances .
• She also won national titles with Minnesota Select, sharpening her skills as both a setter and a hitter . Hilley enjoyed being an outside hitter, noting that it helped her become a better setter by understanding what hitters needed—their tempo and rhythm .
• By age 13, she was playing up in club and competing against college-bound athletes . It was at this age that she started getting interest from colleges, including Nebraska's John Cook, which is when she realized she might be able to play at a high level .

Challenges and Support

• Hilley found the path challenging, admitting that being the youngest on her team and the setter (the supposed leader) was difficult .
• She wanted to quit at one point because she felt a setter from Oklahoma was so much better than her, but her mother encouraged her to keep going .
• She acknowledges not making every team she wanted and being benched sometimes, but stated she "learned so much from that" .
• Her mother was her constant supporter, once driving five hours to a game and then going straight to work at 6 a.m. the next day .
• Recruiting was overwhelming, as she was 15 and making life-determining decisions . She chose Wisconsin after realizing she was "devastated" at the thought of losing the opportunity with them, confirming it was the right place .

College and Professional Career

• At the University of Wisconsin, she developed into one of the country's best setters and a key emotional leader .
• Her approach to communication was shaped by team personality assessments taken at Wisconsin, which helped them understand how each person communicates . The takeaway was sometimes to "just have to take in the information, not the tone," and that remembering the common goal helps you "work through anything" .
• In 2021 (her fifth "COVID year"), Hilley and her teammates captured the program's first-ever NCAA national championship, calling it the "perfect ending" .
• After college, she joined Athletes Unlimited (AU), a league known for its player-driven structure . Her time with AU, currently her third year, is highlighted by the people, whom she describes as "incredibly talented and just genuinely great" .
• In 2024, she helped the Omaha Supernovas win the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) championship, a defining professional moment that felt like everything she had worked for "came full circle" .
• She is continuing her professional journey with Indy Ignite .

Life Off the Court and Future Plans

• Hilley keeps her life grounded in family and perspective . She is a "big family person," has two nieces, and enjoys being an aunt .
• She has been with her boyfriend, a professional football player, for eight years, and they support each other in their careers .
• Her hobbies include hiking, Pilates, long walks, and reading .
• She holds a master's degree in biotechnology and eventually wants to contribute to cancer research . For now, she is focused on playing as long as she loves it .
• Her advice to young athletes is to:
  • Watch a lot of film, especially of yourself .
  • Break down your technique and learn from high-level players in your position .
  • Ensure your actions align with what you say you want .
  • Work every single day .
  • Praise progress, not perfection .
• Hilley expressed gratitude for her professional career in the U.S., something she "never thought I'd do," and wants to "keep winning, keep learning, and enjoy every second of it" .

Impact Award Nominee: Sydney Hilley (Pages 14-15)

Sydney Hilley is also an Impact Award Nominee, highlighting her commitment to a cause .

Hilley's Cause: The Sideout Foundation

• She states that representing and playing for a cause is one of her favorite parts of Athletes Unlimited, as it raises both money and awareness .
• Her cause is The Sideout Foundation, which is important to her because her grandmother passed away from breast cancer when she was young .
• She loves that The SideOut Foundation combines science with volleyball, with fundraising powering research for metastatic breast cancer .
• Hilley was fortunate to do her Master’s degree project with the foundation, studying the difference in tumor biology in patients of different races . Specifically, she looked at the mutation frequency of various genes between white and non-white populations due to the underrepresentation of black and hispanic breast cancer patients in clinical trials .

Player Feature Spotlight: Rachel Nemee (Pages 10-12)

Background & Beginnings

• Rachel Nemee started playing club volleyball in her 13u season, moving from competitive swimming, which felt lonely . She was drawn to volleyball by the bonds, friendships, and support her friends talked about .
• Her first memory of volleyball was in first grade during a PE unit with her teacher, Molly Hummel . Miss Molly, who is the head volleyball coach at San Joquin Delta Junior College, suggested buying Rachel a volleyball for Christmas, noting she was a natural .
• She was also inspired by her grade school teacher, Jayne Gibson McHugh, who played on the 1988 USA Olympic Volleyball Team and shared her Olympic memorabilia and stories .
• Other family friends who inspired her were Angela Gotelli McShane and Danielle Shin Hardcastle (whose daughter, Shea, Nemee plays with) . These four women all played for or coached with the legendary coach John Dunning at UoP .
• Nemee started as a Defensive Specialist (DS), often coming in as a serving specialist or for three rotations .
• Noting the libero's need to be a vocal leader, she started working with Garren Allala to improve her technique and develop her leadership, which came naturally . Allala's mindset that "defense wins" drives her, regardless of her role as DS or libero .
• In her 15u season, she was the team captain, loving the role of hyping up teammates and keeping them calm in stressful moments .

High School Experience

• Her proudest high school moments were making the St. Mary's High School varsity team as a freshman (the only one in the 2024-2025 season) and winning their section championship .
• Her captains, Kenzie Dobbins and Bella Guittierez, guided her, and they captained the team to a back-to-back California D1 Sac Joaquin Section Championship .
• The winning kill by McKenna McIntosh that secured the championship is a moment she will "never forget" .
• Kenzie Dobbins (setter) taught her the "out team" mindset—that they could beat anyone by believing in each other, even if not physically better . Bella Guittierez (libero) taught her to stay calm, think "next ball," and provide total support for the team .
• Her most challenging match was a loss against St. Francis in the California state playoffs, which ended their season . The captains helped put the loss into perspective, reminding them of the lessons, memories, and bond from the season .
• As a sophomore, she is in the early stages of recruiting, sending monthly updates to coaches and attending college camps .

Training & Mindset

• She has high school practice five to six days a week, plus 2-3 games and weekend tournaments during the season .
• She also trains locally twice a month on defensive skills and travels monthly to work with Chris Austen at Libero College . Austen has helped her tremendously with her mindset of "controlling the controllables" .
• Her motivation comes from her coach's philosophy of getting "1% better each day," which helps her focus on three things she did well even in tough practices .
• She journals after each match to clear her head, stay focused on goals, and keep learning .
• Nemee values balance in academics, athletics, and social life, choosing to stay with her local club, Rage Volleyball, to avoid 10-12 hours of weekly commute time to nationally ranked clubs . Loyalty is important to her, and she wanted to stay with the club that trained and is invested in her success .

Team & Leadership

• As a libero and leader, she values being calm, confident, and motivational . Remaining calm helps steady teammates during momentum shifts .
• She brings confidence to the court, believing she can get every ball and ensuring her teammates know she has their back .
• She has learned that teammates are motivated differently and adapts her communication (e.g., reminding some to breathe, giving others a hype speech) .
• The qualities she values most in a teammate are a **team-first approach** and a **never-quit attitude** . A team-first mindset makes the goal bigger than individual honors , and a never-quit attitude makes comebacks possible .

Off the Court

• She loves to dance, trained through the COVID shutdown, and is on her high school's varsity drill team . Her dance training is sometimes visible in how she moves to save a ball .
• Other hobbies are flower arranging and baking, which bring her peace and joy and help bring balance to her life .
• As a sophomore, she is open to future possibilities and finds pressure on kids to plan their career early . History is her favorite subject, so potential paths include teaching or law school .
• Her greatest grounding factor is her Catholic faith in God and family . She prays daily, setting her intentions, and finds that her faith and family support put even the toughest days on the court into perspective .

Fitness and Training Information

3Q Fitness – Elite Volleyball Performance (Pages 8-9)

3Q Fitness focuses on preparing athletes for their upcoming season through specific performance goals:

• Improve Vertical & Velocity
• Increase Work Capacity
• Move Better - Injury Prevention
• Develop a Winning Mindset

The program includes assessments to identify areas for improvement and combines:

• Plyometrics
• Strength training
• Aerobic interval training
• Movement/mobility work
• On-court skill sessions

Athletes reportedly see significant increases in standing vertical, approach, hitting velocity, and endurance, along with fewer injuries and better movement quality .

Program Schedule & Features

Weekly Schedule:

• 4 Lifting/Conditioning Sessions at 3Q Fitness
• 1 Speed Session
• 1 On-Court Skill Session
• 1 Mindset Session
• Bi-Weekly Nutrition Check-Ins

Features:

• Movement Assessment, Jump & Performance Assessment
• Individual Workout Tracking in their App
• InBody tracking every 3 weeks
• Weekly Performance Testing and Tracking

Proven Success

• Over 20 D1, 25 D2 & D3 athletes.
• 23 All-Conference Players.
• 8 All-Conference Freshman of the Year.
• 2 First-Team All-American.
• 2 National Championship Tournaments (and 1 Runner Up).

Recent Pro Alumni include: Mary-Kate Marshall (Oregon State, played in France, Finland, Sweden), Jamie Stivers (Duke/Cal Poly, played in Austria, Sweden, Greece), and Lizzie Stephens (Ohio, played in Spain) .

Star Gym Kids Fitness (Page 16)

A fitness program for **Ages 5-12** designed to use physical activities to teach sportsmanship, goal setting, meeting challenges, teamwork, and the value of practice.

• Focuses on footwork skills, running mechanics, communication, and fair play.
• Utilizes agility ladders, hurdles, cones, and more.

Contact: maksvolleytf@gmail.com or 208-971-9503.

Professional Volleyball and Other Features

Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship Schedule (Pages 26-27)

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship features games in Omaha, Nebraska (Liberty First Credit Union Arena) and Madison, Wisconsin (Alliant Energy Center).

The schedule is broken down by date, teams, time (CT), and broadcast channel (ESPNU or ESPN+):

Date	Teams	Time (CT)	Broadcast
Oct. 3	Team Blue vs Team Orange	5:30 PM CT	ESPN+
Oct. 5	Team Purple vs Team Orange	5:30 PM CT	ESPNU
Oct. 26 (Wisconsin)	Team Purple vs Team Blue	5:30 PM CT	ESPNU
Nov. 1	Team Purple vs Team Orange	4:00 PM CT	ESPN+

San Diego Risin' Volleyball (Page 7)

An advertisement for Major League Volleyball's San Diego Risin' team, announcing they are "back" in **January 2026** for action, excitement, and fun .

Shawnee Harle - Winning Matters! (Page 17)

Shawnee Harle, a mental performance coach, helps athletes navigate "emotional storms" by providing tools to understand what is happening in their head and heart. Her message is that regardless of money, training, or time invested, **managing emotions** is the only way through the storms, and these are skills for life.

Ashley McDonough Article - Four Friends & A Roof (Pages 20-21)

Written by Ashley McDonough, MBA, NCSA Volleyball Recruiting Coach, this article draws a lesson from a Biblical story: Four friends carry a paralyzed man to Jesus, but because the house is crowded, they boldly carry him to the roof, dig through the thatch, and lower him down .

The story teaches about the power of having **teammates** who are determined, creative, and selfless, and who are willing to go to great lengths to support you . The key message is to love and appreciate teammates who lift you up and believe in you, so that together you can achieve the impossible and make a positive impact .

Contact: coachmcdonough@ncsasports.org or coachedbychrist@gmail.com.

Ruth Nelson Special Information (Pages 19, 25)

Ruth Nelson offers a **BYOP (Bring Your Own Parent) Elementary Skills + Home Training Program Series** to develop young volleyball players using over 40 years of experience .

The **GoKids Youth Sports™ Skills Trainer Certification** offers VIP Benefits, including:

• 5-6 hours of practical and classroom training
• 8-week GKYS™ training plan
• One 60-min Zoom Conversation and 5-year Certification
• Discounts on Baden Products and GKYS™ online courses

Individuals can host an in-person certification course, with Nelson bringing the course to their location . More information is available at www.GOKIDS-YOUTHSPORTS.COM and www.THEARTOFCOACHINGVOLLEYBALL.COM.

IBSPORTS Magazine Ad Rates (Page 23)

The magazine reaches more than 40,000 active, engaged readers monthly, plus over 40,000+ social media users. Ad rates include:

Ad Size	1x Rate	6 Months (5% Discount)	12 Months (10% Discount)
Full Page	$250	$1425	$2250
1/2 Page Vertical/Horizontal	$150	$855	$1620
1/4 Page	$100	$570	$1080
1/8 Page	$50	$285	$540

Contact: 252-955-7408 or IBELIEVESPORTS1@GMAIL.COM.

This content summary is based entirely on the IBSports Volleyball Magazine – November 2025 PDF.