AI Answer
It sounds like the focus is on returning as defending national champions and the expectations that come with that title. It seems that there is a desire to win the national championship again, but also an understanding that being undefeated is not a requirement for winning. The emphasis seems to be on winning when it counts and maintaining a strong performance throughout the season. The team is aware of the target on their back and the increased pressure that comes with being the defending champions. Overall, the goal seems to be to continue playing one point volleyball and to meet the challenge of bringing another national championship back to UCL A.

BEHIND THE NET with COLEMAN McDONOUGH | EPISODE 1 | ALEX KNIGHT & MERRICK McHENRY

And I think that we should take our skills that we have learned from being a part of a team which is super valuable to whatever we do next as well . Uh Circling back to the national championship , um I was gonna ask , what's it gonna take for us to do again ? What should we avoid ?

BEHIND THE NET with COLEMAN McDONOUGH | EPISODE 1 | ALEX KNIGHT & MERRICK McHENRY

So I think it's just about collecting different experiences throughout the year and using them to our benefit at the end . And I think also just reminding ourselves that winning a national championship doesn't mean we have to be undefeated . And I think like returning as national champions , everyone might have this expectation , whether it's the players or , you know , fans or , you know , haters on volley talk .

BEHIND THE NET with COLEMAN McDONOUGH | EPISODE 1 | ALEX KNIGHT & MERRICK McHENRY

Like , I feel like I just wanted to add to that last and now Coleman MCD . Uh , yeah , but , um , yeah , but considering we won the national championship last year , I kinda wanna touch on that a little . Um , obviously you two were very major , major role players in that , in that tournament run .

BEHIND THE NET with COLEMAN McDONOUGH | EPISODE 1 | ALEX KNIGHT & MERRICK McHENRY

Yeah , I would say it's just like we have to work twice as hard , um , team . We're always gonna have a target on our back as , as UCL A and that target just doubled in size because we won the national championship . Um , but one thing that bra said that really resonated last year was it's gonna hit the fan and you have to find , you have to battle through that and just come out , come out on top like it's always gonna hit the fans something's gonna go wrong eventually .

BEHIND THE NET with COLEMAN McDONOUGH | EPISODE 1 | ALEX KNIGHT & MERRICK McHENRY

So I wanted to invest that back into them . And then also just , I wanted to win a national championship , like I said , and I think he said it was the best spot to do that . And our coach being the Olympic coach and the , the people on the team already and the recruits and the culture , I just think it was something that I could not be a part of .