She is the future!

Carli Lloyd is the next big star of Team USA! She has the hands to set Team USA to win it’s first ever Olympic Gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil!

Our dear Carli is in line to succeed 2 time Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Berg.

Carli made her professional league debut last season in the Italian League with Yamamay Busto Arsizio. The former NCAA star of UC Berkeley led her team to major crowns in the Italian League such as the League Title and the Coppa Italia.

Her superb performance and character led Yamamay to renew her contract for the 2012/2013 season. We will soon be seeing Carli again together with her fierce teammates compete in the prestigious CEV Champions League.

But before the 1.78m setter displays her skills in Italia again, Carli granted Volleywood an EXCLUSIVE interview!

The Carli Lloyd Interview

Did you ever have doubts being a setter?

I started playing volleyball in 6th grade as both an attacker and a setter. I REALLY loved attacking. When I was a sophomore in high school my club coach told me that it would be in my best interest to convert to being a 5-1 setter and focus all of my attention on becoming the best setter I could be for college. I definitely wasn’t happy about having to stop attacking, but I learned to love my role quickly and haven’t doubted my decision since.

What are your goals as a professional volleyball player? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I definitely see myself on a volleyball court. My passion for playing volleyball is very strong and I can see myself doing this for a long time. My ultimate goal is to be a part of an Olympic roster and lead team USA to a gold medal.

How much Italian have you learned and what was the funniest linguistic/cultural misunderstanding you had in Italy?

I learned some Italian but I have to say that I did not pick it up as quickly as I would have liked to. It was my first time learning a vocal language (because in high school I studied American Sign Language for 4 years) so it is definitely a struggle for me to learn Italian. The majority of Italian I have learned is volleyball terms and words associated with food!

What is your jump touch? What is your favorite play to run?

My best jump touch was last summer at 10’4”…but I’m not sure where I am right now. I don’t have a specific favorite play…but I do really love setting behind when I’m running towards the opposite side of the court.

Do you have any idea what the coach of Busto is saying in the huddle? Can he understand you? It looks like the basics get communicated, at least.

Carlo and I spoke a mixture of English, Italian and we used a lot of hand gestures. I could understand him a lot better than he could understand me I think…

During your college career, what game was your favorite? What team did you most enjoy playing against?

My favorite match was against USC in the semifinals of the 2010 NCAA tournament. We beat them in 3 to advance to the finals. I think it was really special for us because SC was a great team and had beaten us twice in league play already that year. I think the team I most enjoyed playing against was Stanford because the rivalry was thick across the bay and our crowds were always a lot of fun.

What two college players would you have most wanted to play on your team?

It’s not fair that I can only pick two… but off the top of my head: Juliann Faucette and Christa Harmotto.

Juliann because we have been extremely close since our sophomore year in high school. We played together in Club and both had high hopes to play together in college as well. We are still best friends today.

Christa because when I watch her play she reeks sheer strength and intensity. I’ve also learned from being in the gym with her here in Anaheim that she is the definition of a great teammate and it would have made playing with her in college that much better.

Was it hard to transition to the Italian Leagues? What did you do to prepare?

Besides the language barrier everything was wonderful in Italy. The biggest adjustment was being so far from home. I was really spoiled as I played college only 7 hours from my home town. Thank goodness for Skype.

To prepare I made certain I was in the best physical shape possible. You never know from one program to another what the requirements are going to be and I didn’t want to be surprised.

What advice would you give to other college players looking to play internationally — what can they expect (training wise, level of play, pressure of being a foreign player, etc).

My advice, and I cannot stress it enough, is to write down your priorities. For happiness sake, it’s imperative you know your goals for playing professional, otherwise you can set yourself up for a miserable 8 months.

There are so many teams to choose from so there is no reason to be hasty and merely settle. Verbalize what’s important to you and look for those specific things.

Thank you to those who sent their questions for Carli!

We wish Carli and her team the best this season!

(images: Stefano Fagnani/ Ivano Spada)