VB Adrenaline Podcast

Darren Tipton Volleyball Recruiting

Welcome to the VBAdrenaline Podcast, your pulse-pounding source for all things volleyball! Hosted by Darren Tipton, we bring you the hottest topics, rising stars, and buzz in prep and college volleyball.

Tune in each week for exclusive player interviews, conversations with coaches, updates on rankings, and insights into the recruiting scene in our growing sport. Join us for a court-side experience that's fast, fun, and full of adrenaline.

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20 episodes
Updated Wednesday

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Episodes20

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Wednesday · 45 min
Episode 23 "Looking at IMG after Year 3" Gilad Doron stops by
IMG Volleyball Director Gilad Doron is the guest and we look at the growth of the academy after three years not only in #s, but in success on the court and with some very key athletes. Doron talks about the "prep school philosophy" and what IMG Academy offers and the strides the FL school has made since he has taken over. We also focus on their prize pubil, Olivia Henry (Penn State '27) , and the growth that I have seen in her game since attending IMG and Gilad talks of her case and how she specifically benefitted being at the Academy. Then we get into their education on recruiting and helping athletes transition to developing weaknesses and working on parts of their game that will need to be developed for the next level and how they are approaching "5 for 5 conversations and much more. From a man who deals in high-stakes recruiting conversations all the time a great conversation. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
July 10 · 59 min
It's Recruiting Everbody
We dive in and cover some sensitive topics that have come up since the "initial blast" of June 15th commits. Girls are panicking as to why they aren't committed yet and feeling like failures. Stories of horrible experiences at certain college select camps lead to us talking about how you can truly see what "program culture" looks like now and the programs always show their true colors eventually. We talk about sensitive topics in the world of volleyball recruiting for athletes to cope with and more. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
May 22 · 52 min
Season 2 Episode 22: The Reunion Kelly Sheffield Gets Back To Me
Nearly two years after we met (USA Nationals Las Vegas), great convo with Wisconsin HC Kelly Sheffield, sends me some random dm on X asking me to give him a call earlier this week, and at first it scared me a little bit, but when we finally connected, it led to a great 2+ hour conversation. This podcast is a recap of a good portion of the conversation because we just talked volleyball for 145 minutes, and for me, it was very, very cool. We agreed, disagreed, and respected each other's opinions on several topics. I appreciated Sheff because he was one of the few coaches with whom I could disagree, and he could keep talking with me and not get mad and instantly dislike me forever. We found that we agree on so many topics and ended up talking about rivalries, crowd involvement, building fan bases, pulling in outside viewership and revenue, and many other topics. In fact, many more than the few things like favorite players and colors that we disagreed on (he was very biased and was not being open-minded at all:) We talked about the future with this NIL and Portal Era and how much change there will be, and I point-blank asked him what he thought of some of the things that were being said about him or his program. Listen, I've had many coaches "be less than honest with me" in my time doing this, but I will say I haven't had many National Championship HC's take a couple hours out of their busy lives and genuinely take time and honestly show respect for my opinion and what I know and do in the world of recruiting. Coach Sheff and I talked about this.... his simply respecting my work as a recruiting evaluator and how well I understand the recruiting process meant a lot. **In year 1-2 Coaches used to call me like he did quite often and then when word got around that I asked real questions about real topics that most didn't want to address, well those phone calls stopped coming lol so I appreciated this and learned so much from one of the best. The pod probably didn't turn out that clean because the original was lost last night, trying to load it and record it the 2nd time, I didn't do as well in editing. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
May 13 · 59 min
The RIVALRY is BACK what a journey for VBAdrenaline...the next chapter is in VEGAS!
We talk about the upcoming Nebraska vs. Texas match set for Las Vegas in August and how great it is to have college volleyball's most heated rivalry back on again. I also tell you about my personal journey trying to bring the rivalry back to reality and how months of work and hundreds of hours ended up in an L, but it was a crazy story for this cookie-dough salesman, that's for sure. Then I break down the last matchup between the two teams and why things are pretty heated between the fanbases. Even more reason why you'd better be in Vegas on August 29th and 30th. There is no other ticket for a volleyball fan, sorry. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
May 4 · 53 min
Taking a look at "5 for 5" and what it does for immediate recruiting
In this episode we address the soon to be voted on "5 for 5" legislation and how it will change things recruits this class and going forward. We talk about what parents and athletes need to do in the next 6 weeks to prepare the best they can and how it may change strategies. We also address the Volleyball Recruiting Calendar and maybe this ruling will finally force a change in that timeline ASAP if the Coaches Association cares about the athlete's best interest at all. Finally the pod wraps up with a couple of '29 athletes doing it right and some other random thoughts on Programs with smoke heading to camp season and some fun news on our Summer. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
March 24 · 1 hr 19 min
Recruiting Tips and the Ultimate Setter Recruiting Storm Brewing
A deep dive into the complex and stressful topic that is College Select Camps. Which ones do you pick? How many do you attend? How do you know when to start deciding and more. Plus a guide for '29s and '30s how should you attack your Summer Camps this year? Then we take a look at what will be a June like no other in the world of D1 Setter recruiting and we can't wait. More top teams than ever needing a setter and more top talent than ever before means one crazy and historic battle of the big dogs come summer time. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Dec 2, 2025 · 58 min
Season 3 Ep.1: Injuries and Recruiting, Preparing for Social Media Negativity and What's your Worth in Recruiting
Season 3 starts with a three topic pod focusing on 1. How do injuries impact an athlete's recruiting journey? 2. Have a plan and be prepared for the negativity that is Social Media when entering the recruiting world. 3. How our PPV formula is meant to simply help show you an idea of your worth in the recruiting craziness to help you get an idea of where you might fit in. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Oct 31, 2025 · 1 hr
Remote from Austin: Catching Up on Recruiting, College Season and More
In town for Kentucky vs. Texas and decided to record at one of UT's biggest tailgate spots. It's been a while, so I'm just getting caught up on '27 recruiting topics, '28 Class Preview, and what we learned doing the America's 200 Project. Plus College Volleyball: what we learned. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Sep 12, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
Back to Recruiting: Learning from the Class of 2025
We talk about the basics of recruiting for future classes after watching some of the top recruits in the Class of 2025 start their college careers.....on the bench this past month. We reflect back on talking with them during their recruiting processes and their stories. 1. Did they take their time? 2. Did they do their research? 3. What can prospects start to learn when watching college vb now? 4. What questions should you be asking and what research should you be doing if you are a 27, 28 or a 29 prospect? 5. Why it isn't the coach's fault when you don't play early. 6. We tell some stories of some perfect culture fits that weren't highly ranked recruits and how they are thriving because they picked culture over anything else. 7. Plus our college thoughts and early POTY rankings. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Aug 29, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
Opening Week Thoughts and Recruiting Continues
Thoughts on First Serve in Lincoln and on to Nashville. Talk Vandy VB and more opening thoughts. Plus Class of 2027 recruiting notes and some recruiting prospect updates. On your radar, athletes, some staff shout and show shouts to some coaches, making some great presser comments, and more. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jul 28, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
What Makes College Sports Great, Staff Shouts, Camp Winners and Characters Wanted
I get back on my kick of trying to make college volleyball more exciting again. Pumping up the need for better rivalries and more exciting coaching characters in the sport. I point how colorful HC's in other revenue sports fuel rivalries and get "edge spectators" to tune in and spend $ on tickets, apparel and draw additional interest to a program or contest that normally they would not. Still going back to my main point that eventually volleyball is going to need to draw my "Buffalo Wild Wings Crowd" to truly grow and survive and thrive if they want to catch basketball as a revenue sport (at the college level). Also, it's just boring listening to the same old press conference where every coach and every athlete says the same boring rehearsed line time after time. Plus we get into staff shouts from the latest recruiting weeks and who has been crushing it at the end of the Select Camp Circuit before we head into Prep VB season. Lots of fun banter as the college "fan" in me comes out and I draw up some potential trash talking rivalries that might be fun to see for VB Fans:) Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jul 17, 2025 · 41 min
Todd Chamberlain: Building a Successful Career in the Louisville Family
I talk with Louisville Associate HC Todd Chamberlain about many topics in his career at Louisville from: Talent evaluating, to building their culture, treating people the right way, locking down hometown recruits from Day 1, all coaches having valuable say and knowing who they could get and who they couldn't. He talks about the early years of building to get a step better and how they struggled to fill their 1000 seat arena in the first year, but they invited anyone who wanted to be a Louisville fan to do so. One of the great guys in the sport who has been a part of the recruiting and talent evaluating for the past 8 years. One of the people I have been fortunate enough to meet and know in this sport. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jun 4, 2025 · 53 min
Episode 22: Recruitology "The study of Program Power Values" how colleges land on the pyramid
We explain the other half of the PPV Pyramid and how it came to be. There is the athlete PPV Chart and then the program PPV Chart. Recruitology is the study of volleyball recruiting and it's patterns and predictability. I break down who is rivals with who, what programs tend to recruit where and and why the actual athlete PPV score doesn't matter as much as the Level does. This is a generalized look at my study of program recruiting trends over the past 3 seasons and predicting this class from information gathered through our website and communication with prospects, etc. It may be interesting if you are a volleyball recruiting nerd and it may be extremely boring or useless who knows Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Apr 19, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Season 2 Episode 21 Recruiting Myths and Sensitive Topics
We dive deep into some sensitive subjects, dealing with hot topics in our world of recruiting and helping athletes and families have the experience that is best for them. We tackle topics like athletes being unable to attend Select Camps due to club practice, overpractice, and too long a season, as well as the insane month of June for 16s. Then we dive into our yearly topic of WHY would any club ever tell prospects that they ARE NOT ALLOWED to talk about camps they are going to or schools they are looking at ? We discuss why that benefits the athlete and the reasons why the clubs may be doing it in their best interest, not that of the athlete. Other topics covered...." Anytime a coach or club person tells you 'you are not allowed to... ' that should probably be a RED FLAG," and why athletes should and need to speak up about their experiences MORE in HS and College. This aligns with what we teach in our Str8 Talk Recruiting Series, which focuses on educating people on the process and asking why. This is an individual process that clubs shouldn't have blanket policies on. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Mar 26, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Talking Spring Ball with Vandy and Louisville
We talk about the happenings of Spring around volleyball, and that definitely includes college volleyball. We bring in Anders Nelson, head coach of Vandy Volleyball, to talk about Year 1, how things are going with his new program, and everything exciting leading up to their August start date. What an exciting time in Nashville. Then we bring on C.C. McGraw of Louisville to talk about everything new and old in The 'Ville as the Cards go through Spring under Dan Meske. She talks about the program in great detail and everything that makes it one of the best. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jan 24, 2025 · 30 min
Kansas' New Captain: Matt Ulmer takes time to talk
Matt Ulmer sure has had a busy week. The former Head Coach of Oregon gave college volleyball plenty to talk about last week when he took the Head Coaching position at the University of Kansas. The last week has been slightly hectic, but the new leader of the Jayhawks is taking it all in stride and he took a few minutes to talk this morning. He describes the process, WHY KANSAS, his immediate goals and long term plan. Plus why this seems like such a great fit. Then we talk about what all goes into taking a new job, from moving your family, to assembling a staff and then recruiting. You will hear how busy Coach Ulmer is and why it's even more classy of him to take the time to talk with us. This seems like a Home Run in Lawrence and a move that could put #RockChalk on the verge of being the "Next Big Thing" in college volleyball. Then we conclude filling you in on a couple of new projects coming for our fanbase on the site. Thanks for following. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jan 18, 2025 · 33 min
Nayellis Cabello just doing her thing Winning with Positive Energy
We sat down with Louisville Sophomore Setter Nayellis Cabello who was named ACC Freshman of the Year and also helped guide the Cardinals to the NCAA National Championship Match in December. She has also been horribly overlooked by the national volleyball media during her prep and young college career, but that doesn't phase the energetic Floridian one bit. Her upbeat, care-free attitude is evident on and off the court and it was just what the doctor ordered this season for the Cards as she fit in perfectly with their veteran lineup. Listen to her talk about recruiting, leadership and how she opens up and is COMPLETELY REAL talking about nerves and true emotions during some of the biggest matches of last year's season. These are the athletes that are so easy to cheer for and really should get so much more positive press in the game. Don't kid yourself she's one hell of a volleyball player as well. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jan 10, 2025 · 51 min
Genevieve Harris: The Mindset of a Champion. How She Dealt w/ Criticism and It Set Her Apart
Texas commit Genevieve Harris talks with VBAdrenaline about her early years of volleyball and her extremely competitive nature. She talks about how she was misjudged by some as a bad teammate, but rather than getting upset or angry she used that to see things from others point of view and become a better leader, player and friend. It also helped grabbed the attention of some of the top programs in the country and set her apart from others in the country when it came to recruiting. Harris talks more about training, competing and attitude when it comes to college, Texas and what it takes to succeed and how her ability to accept criticism and thrive from it and not pout or get angry about it and how that has truly helped her achieve so much. This is a great episode as this is a problem we see all the time with athletes and parents who get upset all the time with little things like rankings or offers or our PPV scores and college coaches truly do look for things like that when weeding through recruiting stacks or final lists for scholarship offers. Harris is a great example of how to elevate your status with a Champions Attitude Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Jan 3, 2025 · 36 min
Averi Bridges: You never know when you may get shot!
VCN 2028 Libero Averi Bridges had a memorable USA Nationals last July. In particular, on amazing match vs. WAVE Volleyball. The standing room only crowd may not have come to watch her play, but when they left and following a social media post a short while later, the trajectory of her volleyball career was drastically different. Learn the story of how the Nebraska 'bro used the match of her life to launch her career and hasn't slowed down since. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
Dec 8, 2024 · 55 min
Recapping Mac's article, Previewing the Portal and Whats Ahead for Early Club Season
Mac and Darren dive into an intense episode. They recap the reaction to Mac's terrific article on athletes dealing with negative posters on social media. This leads to an emotional discussion on fans lack of reaction to a serious reaction and also a talk about "chat boards" and more. Then they dive into talk about the upcoming Transfer Portal and VBAdrenaline's coverage of the portal and player PPV evals. Finally we talk about site updates and how you can find Class Player Evals and Team Signing Classes on our Site updated 24/7 and they are FREE. Finally the hosts touch on early season stops during the club season. Very passionate and intense episode that deals with athlete mental health and wellness. Support the show Connect with VB Adrenaline: Check out the website Connect with Darren on Instagram @vbadrenaline.com PS- Do you love this podcast? We would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review for the show. This will help us continue to grow and spread the word about all the amazing things that are happening in the world of college volleyball. Don't forget to FOLLOW the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.