Noah Dyer, a senior outside hitter on the men's volleyball team, talks about his expectations and preparation for the upcoming season, and last year's team run at the NCAA Championships:
 
Q: Can you talk about the transition from having a very senior-heavy team last year to this upcoming season, which has you and maybe one more senior?
 
A: I think that some of us guys who were there last year and who were taking some time on the court need to step up and lead some of these newer guys because we have a lot of young talent. It's going to come down to how well they can adjust to the college game and how well we as older guys can help them to get adjusted.
 
Q: You mentioned the transition from high school to college, what are some of the distinct differences between these two stages?
 
A: Between the high school game and the college game, it's just more physical and much quicker; all the guys are just so much bigger. It can be a shock really, coming from high school and playing boys, and now you're playing against men.
 
Q: What do your fall preparations look like for the upcoming season?
 
A: We've been lifting a good amount each week. Right now, the older guys have been lifting for a while and we're trying to get the younger guys used to the lifting regimens along with our practice. So we're only at eight hours a week of training right now, but we all need to prepare for that jump to 20 hours a week during the season.
 
Q: What is the role of the younger guys this year, and what expectations do you have for them?
 
A: The younger guys are going to have a lot bigger role than they have in the past, just because of how young our team is. They are going to have to step up and take on some leadership roles in their position; in some of our positions, we have freshmen and sophomores holding starting spots right now, so they need to step up leadership-wise.
 
Q: What do you think contributed to the team's success last year?
 
A: Last year, really what it came down to was a group of guys you had on the court and the bench; our depth last year was a massive thing for us because it felt like the guys off the court were pushing the guys on the court every day in practice. It was constant competition in practice last year, and everyone was fighting for a spot.
 
Q: Last year, you had the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Tournament. Can you talk about that experience and what it meant for the volleyball program and Pepperdine?
 
A: It was a cool thing for all of the seniors; it meant a lot to us because it was all of our work coming to fruition. But it was also giving us a taste of what it's like, so while we made it farther than we had in the past, it just made us more hungry to go for that tournament.
 
Q: Coming from a family of volleyball players and athletes, can you talk about their support and how they have impacted your life?
 
A: I think it's been cool because I've had an older sister and younger sister here at Pepperdine all at once. As siblings, we're close, and so it's cool having your support system who understands the game of volleyball and all the nuances and all the trials that you're going through. It's also pretty neat to have your cheer squad at every home game.
 
Q: What are some personal and team goals for the upcoming season?
 
A: Team goals, starting, I think this year we're going to be surprising people, and that has a lot to do with losing a lot of guys, so people are not going to be expecting much from us. But, the guys that we brought in and all our returners are very talented, and I think we can go far in the tournament. Individually, as much as I want to lead the guys on the court and from a volleyball standpoint, I want to lead them from a personal standpoint and how to approach college, and how to approach the classroom, and how to approach your faith. Building them and helping them become better people and then better volleyball players is my goal.
 
Q: How do you manage the classroom along with your team responsibilities, especially in season?
 
A: It comes down to managing sleep, especially for me. I tell the guys, if you are staying up late and procrastinating and jamming work in the last second, you won't be successful in the classroom, and you definitely won't be successful on the court.