What really happens behind the highlight reels when a D1 libero enters the transfer portal and has three weeks to save her career?
Episode Summary
College volleyball looks a lot different when you strip away the graphics, gear, and commitment posts. Hannah Langton walks through exactly what it took to go from grinding at VC United to earning MAC all-freshman honors at Central Michigan, then getting knocked sideways by a coaching change and jumping into the transfer portal with no guarantees.
Adam and Hannah get into the real side of the process: the three-week pressure cooker of the portal, coaches who talk one way on the phone and act another way on game day, what it’s like to not play after starting, and how she ended up at Colgate on a gut call. It’s straight talk on recruiting, strength training, and doing hard things, the way Oak Performance Radio actually sounds in the room
You'll Learn:
- Why loving the idea of college volleyball isn’t enough and what it actually demands day-to-day.
- How a coaching change can completely flip your role, culture, and experience overnight.
- What the transfer portal really looks like for a libero, including the risk that nobody picks you up.
- The specific “hard questions” recruits should be asking coaches before committing.
- Why watching coaches during games matters more than what they say on recruiting calls.
- How to balance coaches vs. teammates when choosing a school and why both can make or break your experience.
- The difference between productive strength training and just lifting like a bodybuilder.
- How to use summers to actually get more athletic instead of just playing more tournaments.
- The right role for parents in recruiting: support, logistics, and honest feedback without running the process.
- Why ownership, no-excuses mentality, and doing hard things on purpose separate successful college athletes from everyone else.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Intro & Hannah’s path from VC United to D1
03:42 Central Michigan, MAC honors, and culture that worked
08:15 Coaching change, conflict, and losing her role
12:40 Deciding to enter the transfer portal as a libero
18:05 Three-week scramble, no calls, and portal reality check
22:48 Finding Colgate, gut feel, and choosing the right staff
28:10 Teammate fit, FaceTime calls, and building new relationships
33:20 Parents’ role, spreadsheets, and athlete ownership
38:05 Strength training, summer work, and doing hard things
44:30 Advice to recruits, parents, and club coaches; closing thoughts
Memorable Quotes
“If you don’t absolutely love what you’re doing, don’t play college, because it’s going to test you.”
“When you enter the portal, there’s a chance you won’t play college volleyball again—and you have to be okay looking that in the eye.”
“Don’t blame the coaches. Even with a mediocre coach, take it on yourself to get better. If it’s anyone’s fault, start with you.”
Resources Mentioned
Books
- The Comfort Crisis – Michael Easter
- The Coddling of the American Mind (referenced conceptually)
- VC United Volleyball
- Central Michigan Volleyball
- Colgate Volleyball – Patriot League
- Grand Rapids Rise (pro team coached by former CMU coach Mike Gawlik)
- Tommy Hanson – strength coach
- Fred VanVleet – referenced for training/season structure
Connect with the Guest
Hannah Langton – Colgate Volleyball Libero
Instagram: @hannah.langton_
Colgate Volleyball: @colgate_vb
About the Podcast
Oak Performance Radio, hosted by Adam Lane, digs into what it actually takes to perform at a high level. Training, preparation, and decision-making are explored through real athletes, coaches, and experiences—on the field, in the weight room, and in day-to-day life.
Listen & Subscribe
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Instagram: @oakperformance
