Coaches in Action: Scott Mooney

In 2002, Penn Volleyball finished 5th at club nationals (video below).  CHVBC Director Scott Mooney (#1) and two of his teammates, Seneca Kern (#20) and Dean Tallant (#3), made the All-Tournament team.  Here are some of Scott’s thoughts:

On the Team:
“We really got lucky with that group of guys.  I came in as a sophomore and the majority of the team at the time were freshmen coming in from California.  We were together for three years. Then, we added Brent Wagner (Los Angeles) as our libero, Ryan Mckenna (Los Angeles) as an outside and Sam Fort (Texas) as a middle hitter.  I loved that team and those guys remain my close friends to this day.”

On Their Court Presence:
“I completely forgot how animated we were on the court.  We would be yelling at the other team, yelling at the fans and yelling in eachother’s faces to get fired up.  The intensity on the court was through the roof.  Everyone was always talking, playing hard and supporting each other.  I love that I considered myself the ‘calm’ one on the court.”

On His Setter, Jordan Wadsworth (#9):
“He made the game so easy for me.  Every single ball was on the money so I could start looking not only at the block, but the defense behind the block.  The game really started to slow down for me.  You can never overestimate the influence of a good setter.”

On His Game:
“My game is a lot more refined now than it was at the time.  I was always a smart player, but I used to be much more physical in college.  Now I try to open up the court by hitting hard cross early and mixing in tips.  Back then, I worked hard in the weight room to increase my strength and vertical jump.  I put on 20 lbs of muscle and could touch 11’3″.  Now I’m probably almost a foot lower.  Man that’s depressing…wish I could still go out and crush balls and jump over people.”

Where Are They Now:
“I think everyone moved back to the West Coast except Seneca (#20) who is out in Chicago working on sustainable urban farming at WeFarmAmerica.  Even Chad Sarver (originally from York, PA) moved out there.  Makes me think I am missing out on something.  Not too many guys are playing regularly, but we still get together every couple of years for the Manhattan 6-Man tournament in LA.”

On His Hair:
“Haha! Yeah, I was keeping it tight back then. All business.”

Extras:
“See if you can find a young Carolyn Mooney on the sidelines.  She came to every game to watch her older brother play.  Between matches, she would always ask guys from the team to pass with her on the side.”

Penn Men’s Volleyball at Nationals 2002