Bigger Than Volleyball: Carli Lloyd On Surmounting Setbacks, Training Your Mind & the Power of Self-Talk
Hurdle with Emily Abbate
iHeartPodcasts
4.9 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2026
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of Hurdle, host Emily sits down with elite volleyball champion, Carli Lloyd. Carli shares her journey of grit and professional longevity, from a decorated 13-season international career to leading LOVB Austin to back-to-back League One Volleyball (LOVB) championships. She opens up about the "hurdle" of being cut from the national team multiple times before ultimately reaching the Olympic podium and discusses how she maintains an elite mindset through personal tragedy and the transition into motherhood.
IN THIS EPISODE
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The Power of One Ball at a Time: Carli explains how her team overcame a rocky regular season by staying committed to the micro-process, eventually securing the 2026 LOVB title.
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Embracing the Hardship: Why she views failures and professional setbacks as mandatory opportunities for human evolution.
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The "Hurdle" of the National Team: Carli details the grueling four-year cycle of being cut and released from her dream, only to re-commit and finally earn her spot on the 2016 Olympic roster.
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Healing the Mind: An inside look at her multi-year investment in therapy, life coaching, and energy work to overcome the "not good enough" narrative.
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Legacy on Home Soil: The significance of playing professionally in the U.S. after over a decade abroad, and what it means for the next generation of young athletes to see the sport within reach.
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The Morning Routine: How meditation and journaling serve as non-negotiable "reps" for her mental health.
QUOTABLE MOMENTS
"I’m here and still playing because I’ve been committed to the hard things. I’ve been committed to getting through them and welcoming them so I can learn and grow."
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
"Hardship is where we learn the greatest lessons. When it presents itself, it’s here for a reason."
"The way you’re talking to yourself—the story you’re telling yourself—is the most important thing you’re going to hear. It will change your life if you nurture it."
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:04.4 | You have to put in the work. |
| 0:06.3 | It's about what you're going to give. |
| 0:08.1 | That's what you're going to get out of this, |
| 0:09.4 | is how much you're going to give. |
| 0:27.1 | I'm going to another episode of Hurtle, a podcast featuring the mindset, |
| 0:31.6 | secrets and true stories of the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, empowering you |
| 0:36.7 | to live a happier, healthier, more motivated |
| 0:38.8 | life, and of course, conquer your own hurdles. On this week's episode, I am sitting down with |
| 0:45.0 | Carly Lloyd. She's a world-class volleyball player for League One volleyball's Austin team, as well as an |
| 0:51.7 | Olympian, who recently celebrated her second consecutive championship win. |
| 0:56.4 | In our Convo, Carly shows her journey through professional volleyball from playing 13 seasons |
| 1:02.1 | abroad in countries like Italy and Brazil to the joy of finally competing on home soil |
| 1:07.4 | in the U.S. She opens up about the immense hurdles she's faced, including the heartbreaking loss |
| 1:12.7 | of her father at a young age, the grueling four-year cycle of being cut from the national |
| 1:17.2 | team before finally reaching the Olympic podium in 2016, and how she manages the transition |
| 1:22.9 | between high-stakes competition and her role as a mother. |
| 1:27.0 | We also do a deep dive into her mindset secrets, discussing how daily meditation, |
| 1:32.1 | journaling, and a commitment to transparency have helped her navigate the highs and lows |
| 1:36.9 | of professional sports. |
| 1:38.6 | Make sure you're following along with Hurtle over on social. |
... |
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