Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A = KELLY WALKER: Let's just jump right in. My name is Kelly Walker, and I host the Hustle and Pro podcast, which is about 8 years old here in the Frisco area. And I talk to athletes and coaches and fans, mostly about sports in this. In this part of North Texas. So we definitely wanted to talk to you whenever the Dallas Pulse came on the scene. So you're our first Pulse player that we've had on the show. So welcome, Layne to Hustle and Pro. So, first, I want to just start with a little bit of your background.
Obviously, you play for the Dallas Pulse, which is professional women's volleyball playing in Frisco, Texas now. But. But give me a rundown on where you were before that. Like, right before that and then kind of before that. So what's your journey here? To get here?
[00:00:42] Speaker B = Layne Van Buskirk: Yeah, I played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. I did all four years there, and then I continued overseas. I played one year in France and two years in Germany professionally. And then once I heard there was a new league starting in the US I jumped on that and played the first two years with Las Vegas, and then now I'm with Dallas.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: Is this your first time in Texas or this part of the country then?
[00:01:13] Speaker B: I've played a tournament here before because I also play on the Canadian national team, and there's a big VNL tournament in Dallas that I've played in, but first time living in Texas, for sure.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: Hey, so, yeah, I want to talk about all those things. I want to talk about the Canadian National Team and your time overseas, but let's start with Canada. So where are you from? You're.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: I'm from Windsor, Ontario.
[00:01:34] Speaker A: Okay, so then what's your experience with the Canadian National Team? And can you tell me about the levels? I'm not super familiar with the different levels of play with national teams, like I am with some other sports, like soccer with the, like, U15, U17, U19 and then team. So how do you guys do that?
[00:01:52] Speaker B: Yeah, so I played on the Junior national team when I was 16 and 17, and then I made the Senior national team when I was 18. So I've been on it for 10 years now, which is kind of crazy.
We're just fighting for a spot at the Olympics, and I'm. I'm pretty determined to make it there. So I'm in it for another quad. We haven't qualified in a long, long time. Like, since I've. Since before I was born. So that's the goal.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: That's the goal, yeah.
[00:02:19] Speaker B: So 2028 LA is the the big goal, and we have a good shot this year. We can actually qualify this upcoming summer.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: So. Right.
The summer 26 qualifies you for summer 28. It starts the qualifying process.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: We can qualify. It's like a continental championship. And since the US Is hosting the Olympics, they don't count, which is very helpful for us.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: So 10 years on that national team, that's pretty.
That's a long time when you're as young as you are. So then. Correct me if I'm wrong, but then is your national team coach your current coach, or do you already knew your coach now here at the Dallas polls?
[00:02:54] Speaker B: She was my Team Canada coach since, I think, 2019. I started with her, and then this. We just started a new quad last summer. So she's not the head coach anymore, but she's still very involved in Team Canada. But. But, yeah, she was my coach for quite a bit then.
[00:03:13] Speaker A: So is it. That was probably good. Good karma or something that you're with her here?
[00:03:19] Speaker B: It really worked out. I honestly wanted to come to Dallas even before I knew that she was the coach. So it kind of was fate once I heard that she would be coming here as well.
[00:03:28] Speaker A: Why'd you want to come to Dallas?
[00:03:30] Speaker B: I just love the sun, and I just. I don't know, I feel like a Texas girl at heart, so I just really wanted to come here. Well, what are your.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: What are your thoughts as far as, like, what you thought about it or what's different that's surprising you about being here only these few months, though?
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I just love sports towns. Like, I went to the University of Pittsburgh, and it's a huge sports town. And it feels like the same kind of vibe here. Like, everyone loves their sports. There's so many major league teams here, but it was kind of surprising how big Dallas is. Like, it's crazy huge. That was by my big takeaway.
[00:04:06] Speaker A: There's always, always sports to be had. So did you grow up at the sports family?
[00:04:11] Speaker B: Sports family?
Yeah, my family, like, loves watching sports. Nobody ever played professionally or anything like that, but we're a big sports family. Yeah.
[00:04:19] Speaker A: Yeah. What was your growing up? You play other sports or just volleyball?
[00:04:24] Speaker B: Yes, I actually grew up playing tennis. Like, tennis was my main sport. I wanted to go pro in that. I wanted to go to school for that, but I kind of just got really tall really fast, and volleyball just happened.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: Yeah. I was gonna say you're pretty tall, but tall can work in tennis, right? Sometimes, yeah. Yeah.
Do you know who John Isner is?
[00:04:43] Speaker B: Yes. And now he's here. And he plays pickleball.
[00:04:45] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:45] Speaker B: I love John Isner.
[00:04:46] Speaker A: And then he's really tall. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When I see him play, I've seen him in person a few times, and I'm just like, how are. Like, I get that he's covering a lot of space. That's all good. But I'm like, how are you moving, you know, so quickly?
[00:05:01] Speaker B: I don't know. Yeah, I went to the. There was just a big tennis tournament at the Star, actually. I just went.
[00:05:07] Speaker A: I was there. The Dallas Open.
Did you love it?
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:05:13] Speaker A: But then how late into your life were you playing tennis competitively?
[00:05:16] Speaker B: Till I was 18, so up until college.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: You played a little in college or just volleyball?
[00:05:22] Speaker B: No, just volleyball.
[00:05:24] Speaker A: That would have been an interesting dual sport combo.
[00:05:27] Speaker B: No, I actually planned on playing my fifth year tennis at Pitt, but they cut the program, so I was like, all right, this is.
I should just go play pro overseas.
[00:05:36] Speaker A: Okay, then tell me about that. So where old did you say you were overseas?
[00:05:40] Speaker B: I was in France for one year and two different German teams, so Germany for two years.
[00:05:44] Speaker A: Wow. And so you're pretty young then, when you did that just out of school?
[00:05:48] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. It was a very good experience, but I wouldn't do it again after being in this league. It's just so much more comfortable here. There's no time change. Everyone speaks English. I have a social life outside of volleyball.
It was. It was definitely a good experience. But, yeah, it was a hard lifestyle, I'm sure.
[00:06:07] Speaker A: Especially, like, if you don't know, you know, where you are and how to move about and you're just trying to play like you. Yeah, you probably. It was probably hard to build a social life outside in a new. In a new spot.
[00:06:17] Speaker B: Right. Like, my first year in France, I was the only one whose first language was English.
[00:06:23] Speaker A: Oh, no.
[00:06:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:06:24] Speaker A: Were they all, like, local, Like, French
[00:06:26] Speaker B: girls, A lot of Spanish, French, like, all over the place. Even my coach didn't speak English, so it's kind of just. I mean, I. I managed, but it was a little lonely and it was during COVID so. Extra lonely?
[00:06:38] Speaker A: No.
Oh, that's rough. And then Germany. How did you like being there?
[00:06:43] Speaker B: It was a much more professional league, so that was awesome. The level's great, but once again, it's just like, dark and gloomy all the time. The people are. Can be a little scary.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: Yeah. Not the sunshine you were looking for, right? Yeah, Right.
[00:06:58] Speaker B: But I also got to see a lot of the world and got. Got paid to do so. So I really can't complain.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Yeah. And then MLV came about and so are you basically like the veteran because you've been here all three years that the league has been in place?
[00:07:14] Speaker B: I guess so. Yeah.
[00:07:15] Speaker A: Yeah. You are, you're like the, the og, I guess, here. And then. So then tell me about this team, but tell me in your words, like, if somebody hasn't been yet, what, what may surprise them or what, like, what are your thoughts on the experience of watching you guys?
[00:07:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I think they just be surprised how like fast paced it is. And you really don't have to know volleyball at all to have fun at a game. And there's just so many big moments, big blocks, big swings. And it's just impressive to see, I don't know, athletes moving in the air like that.
And just the environment's pretty electric. We have some, some great fans and they get into it and are loud and supportive.
[00:07:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: And just so many points, right? Like a point is scored every like 30 seconds.
[00:08:00] Speaker A: It moves pretty fast. Cause like you're, you're scoring a lot and the momentum shifts like before you know it. Right. And there's some timeouts that stop for a second, but in general it's pretty like constant action, right?
[00:08:14] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: Start to finish. And yeah, some of those, like you said, big swings, big hits, um, I'm like watching it like move, moving and like, oh, you know, ducking. And sometimes you guys really put your bodies on the line and get down on the ground and make some really incredible digs, saves, whatever those are called.
Tell me your position and what that looks like on the court.
[00:08:38] Speaker B: I'm a middle blocker, so I'm pretty much in charge of taking over the net, like defensive wise, blocking.
Try to get my hands on as many balls as possible to make some defensive stops or just good touches.
And then I be available as much as I can on offense. It's pretty hard to run the middle on offense just because it has to be kind of a perfect situation.
But I'm always available and ready to do so when I can.
[00:09:06] Speaker A: So mostly you're just going up, not by yourself. You usually have two girls, right, to make like a walk, right.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: There's three of us in the front row and I block along the whole net. The other two just block in there little areas.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: So that's what your mindset is. The whole time is blocking and defense. But then it switches so fast. Like you go from offense within seconds. So then, so you're available, but like the setter's not passing to you. To hit unless something they will.
[00:09:32] Speaker B: It has to be a good situation, but they will. It's. It's pretty hard to block a middle attack just because that's the fastest attack there is because I'm the closest to the setter, and just the tempo you run it is faster, so they want to send me when they can. It just. We have to get a dig, a good dig in order to set me, you know?
[00:09:50] Speaker A: Okay. Are you ever doing the ones where you just, like. Like, poop over the. Slightly over, like, not a big hit, but just, like, a tip?
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Yep, I'll tip it sometimes, but I swing whenever I can. For sure.
[00:10:03] Speaker A: Yeah. So obvious. Dumb question, but I'm sure you hate this, but how many, like, broken fingers, broken bones do you have from in your hand over your cross?
[00:10:15] Speaker B: I don't know if I've broken any fingers. I have a couple fat fingers for sure.
[00:10:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: Just jams, but. Yeah, Anything too bad.
[00:10:23] Speaker A: When I see y' all go up. I always am worried about your. Your fingers, but, yeah, you know how to do it and the. The tactics to use.
[00:10:29] Speaker B: That usually happens with shorter blockers, because if the hitter's coming, like, over top of you, it's easy to jam the top. But I'm. I'm quite tall, so it doesn't happen.
[00:10:37] Speaker A: How tall are you?
[00:10:39] Speaker B: I'm six. Four.
[00:10:40] Speaker A: Six, four. Okay. You said that was a late growth spurt.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: Yes. I grew in, like, my.
Probably my junior year of high school. I grew a bunch.
[00:10:49] Speaker A: But, I mean, you had. You played volleyball your whole life, though, also?
[00:10:53] Speaker B: No, I tried it in grade eight, and I. I honestly didn't love it. I'm not. I just, like, was so set on tennis, and then. And then I got really tall, so I tried it again, and it just had a whole different experience, and I kind of, like, fell in love with the team aspect because I've been alone in tennis my whole life.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: Yeah, the individual.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: That's cool.
[00:11:12] Speaker A: I just assumed you had always played, you know.
That's awesome that you learned it a little bit later. Like, there's probably lots of girls I don't know. At least in Canada, where you grew up, were there. Is it common to, like, start volleyball as a little. Little bitty girl?
[00:11:28] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's pretty common to, like, specialize pretty early, but I've. I'm definitely a different case of that, and I think it really helps me, actually. Like, I'm pretty much just playing tennis on the volleyball court, and it translates
[00:11:39] Speaker A: very well the way, like, what, like, anticipation and angles or What?
[00:11:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I think I understand angles a lot better. And even my arm swing, honestly, is pretty Tennessee.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: Okay, so then, speaking of, like, young girls that play, this area is known now for the growth of volleyball, especially women's volleyball, and a lot of little girls playing. So have you noticed your seeing that in the arena, that a lot of little girls are coming out to watch you guys?
[00:12:08] Speaker B: Yeah, and that's, like, why we play. That's the best part is seeing all the little girls and like, showing them that they can play pro in the US like, it's.
I mean, I got lucky and they're really lucky that they can have, I guess, idols to look up to and like, aspirations.
[00:12:25] Speaker A: For sure. Because when they see it in front of them.
[00:12:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:12:28] Speaker A: Literally in their town, they can go watch.
They really probably believe in themselves a little more, that it's a possibility for them.
[00:12:36] Speaker B: Yeah, a lot more real. And they probably want to do this a lot more now because the latter, as I was saying, is overseas and it's not so glamorous.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's a nice big step forward for women's volleyball to have all the extra leagues, the extra teams now, the expansions, just the continued growth.
So then what's your.
What's your kind of long term look at volleyball? I don't know how long volleyball players play. I don't know how, like, long careers are and they want to stay in the game or have what you went to school for. If, like, what. What do you see your, you know, long term looking like?
[00:13:12] Speaker B: I've always said I'll play as long as my body lets me because this is such a unique opportunity. And I mean, I literally stay fit and play a game for a living, so I'll do it as long as I can.
But my ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics. So once that happens, then I'll think about it. But until then, I'm cruising.
[00:13:33] Speaker A: Okay. The Olympics, we just finished winter, so I know that's not your jam, but did you watch?
[00:13:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I watched.
[00:13:40] Speaker A: What were you watching in the winter?
[00:13:42] Speaker B: I'm Canadian, so I'm watching the hockey.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: Hockey, yeah, of course. I mean, I feel like for winter they're all Canadian adjacent. Like, you guys at least have more knowledge of them than a lot of us do. So what are some of your favorite stuff, Summer Olympic sports to watch?
[00:13:58] Speaker B: I just, I have to say tennis, like, any chance I can get to watch tennis is great.
[00:14:05] Speaker A: I love it.
What are, like, winter or summer? What are some of your. Or who are some of your, like, Olympic icons? Or iconic, like, memories and moments, because, like, I'm a Simone Biles brand. Like, everything. I watch all her performances, love them. But then also, like, obviously, the big names, but, like, well, they're big to us, like, Michael Phelps and swimming, some of those kind of things.
[00:14:28] Speaker B: But.
[00:14:29] Speaker A: So from your perspective growing up, what were. Who were you cheering on?
[00:14:34] Speaker B: I'm not even sure if I cheer him on, but Novak Djokovic just has such pride for his country, so it's so fun to watch him play for Serbia and then Team Canada. Hockey is just, like, giving it their all always. I know we fell short this year, but they're just so fun to watch.
So much fire.
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Right. Okay. So going back to the tennis thing, that made me think of something. You weren't here last year, but last year's Dallas Open. That was at the Star in Frisco. The winner was Canadian.
[00:15:06] Speaker B: Yeah. Dennis Shapalov. Yep. How do you say. Actually
[00:15:12] Speaker A: get it right? Yeah. Yeah.
[00:15:14] Speaker B: I actually.
I grew up playing with him. We trained together.
What? Yeah. I was, like, a big tennis girl.
Yeah. And he actually gave me tickets for this year's tournament. That's why I went.
[00:15:25] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Okay. Did you get to watch him this year? Awesome.
He was really fun to watch. Last year, I.
I had never been that serious of a tennis watcher. Like, and I'd never been to, like, professional tennis in person. I'd only seen on TV and things. And so going last year was a really big deal. I. I went, um, because a part of my job. I can go. I went, like, almost every day, all the nine days. And then this year, I went to several of them. Um, I just. I'm just in awe watching, like, the fitness level, the stamina, the long, like, how long and obviously how hard they hit the ball and the strategy. So. Yeah. But tennis moves along really fast, too, which is fun when you're there, because you don't even have time in between games to, like, move around. Really?
[00:16:12] Speaker B: Yeah. That's.
That's kind of why, like, tennis and volleyball are the most exciting sports to me, I think. To watch, at least.
[00:16:17] Speaker A: Okay. One last thing. Just to get to know you a little better. When. When people see you and hear your volleyball player and see that you're tall, that's probably, like, the first thing they notice about you. Um, but what is something.
Once people get to know you, what's the surprise or something about you that we wouldn't know?
[00:16:35] Speaker B: That's a tough question.
[00:16:36] Speaker A: Like, are you a foodie? Are you super funny? Are you. Do you. Are you like reality tv, girl? Like, what are some of your personality parts?
[00:16:45] Speaker B: I do love reality tv. I love all those Netflix, like, too Hot to Handle, Love is Blind, all that stuff.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: Love
[00:16:56] Speaker B: my free time. I'm either I have a toy poodle named her name is Wimbledon.
So I do a lot of stuff with her. We're constantly going on walks, finding new trails. And then I'm also very into pickleball right now, so I play that a lot.
[00:17:13] Speaker A: The natural tennis.
[00:17:15] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:17:16] Speaker A: Yes. Awesome. Well, nice to meet you. Thank you so much for your time. See you in the game. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Hustle and Pro. Subscribe on YouTube and check us out on Instagram and we'll see you next episode.
