Korey Schroeder on the mic, Long Beach week, and what's next for Cougar volleyball

Korey Schroeder does not get enough credit for the work he does with Cougar volleyball, and this piece reminds us why he's one of the best voices covering the program right now. Between his time on the mic and the team's upcoming trip to Long Beach, there is a lot to track for a program that has quietly built a standard of play worth paying attention to. If you are a Coug who still checks scores but hasn't watched a full match in a while, this is the season to fix that.

The article walks through Schroeder's role calling the action and what the Long Beach week means for the team's schedule and momentum. That is the kind of detail that matters more than a final record. We have seen this before with other Cougar programs: the people behind the broadcast often tell you as much about the culture as the athletes do. It is the same reason we paid attention when BECU's Cougar pod brings Josh Graetz and Wayne Phipps to the mic dropped, because those conversations give you a feel for how the department thinks. And when Citowicki and Dvorak break down a Cougar win over Seattle U, you get the tactical side that a box score never shows. Schroeder fits right into that tradition. He knows the game, he knows the program, and he treats every broadcast like the match matters. That is not as common as it should be.

The Long Beach trip is the real story here. That is a measuring-stick weekend. Long Beach State has been a consistent national contender, and going there means the Cougs are not ducking anyone. This is not a soft schedule built for a highlight reel. It is the kind of test that tells you whether the work in practice is translating. We saw the same approach when Cougs clean up the pitch in a Seattle U tune-up, where the soccer team took care of business but also showed they were ready for tougher competition. Volleyball is doing the same thing. They are not hiding. That is the kind of program you stay up late to watch.

Here is the specific takeaway: pay attention to how the Cougs handle the first set in Long Beach. That will tell you more about this team than any preseason ranking. If they come out sharp and let Schroeder call a competitive match from the start, you are looking at a group that can make noise in the conference. If they get rattled early, it is a sign they are still figuring out how to win on the road against elite teams. Either way, you know where to find the broadcast. And you know who will be on the mic.