Conqu'ring Heroes 205 - Kristi Gannon Fisher Transcript
9/3/2026 12:35:00 PM | MGoBlue Podcasts
rian Boesch • 00:00
Hey everybody, Brian Boesch here. Welcome in to a new season of Conqu'ring Heroes and we're going to start each episode a bit differently this season. We'll still have outstanding interviews across the athletic department, but each week I'll begin the show with a breakdown of what's going on with every varsity sport. We'll focus on sports that are in season, but the goal is to provide you with a quick synopsis of what's happening all across campus. Consider it your Michigan Wolverine Sports Update every Thursday, recapping the week that was and looking ahead to the busy weekends in the fall, winter and spring. We start in volleyball where Michigan just hosted an awesome event over the last couple of nights here in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines dropped a five set heartbreaker to South Carolina on Tuesday, but bounced back in style at Crisler to split the Allstate Big Ten SEC Challenge on Wednesday.
Brian Boesch • 00:49
A three set to one win over lsu. All four sets down to the wire. The back to back twenty five twenty wins for Michigan. LSU delayed the inevitable in the third set. Twenty five twenty three. Michigan locked it down in the fourth twenty five twenty one. Cymarah Gordon led the Wolverines with sixteen kills. Ella Demetrician added fourteen kills. Michigan three and one.
Brian Boesch • 01:11
On the young season, they swept LIU and Miami Florida last weekend. Coming up this weekend, Erin Virtue's team travels to Valparaiso, Indiana. A pair of matches against Cincinnati Saturday at two o' clock and then Sunday against the host Valpo at five o'clock.
Brian Boesch • 01:27
Those times Eastern to soccer women's side, first a milestone this past Sunday as the program earned its first win under new head coach Dave DiIanni. It was the Wolverines' fourth game of the season, the first three draws, but Elle Ervin, the game's lone goal while Brooklyn Reid delivered a three save shutout, her first collegiate shutout. Here's coach DiIanni on the victory, excited
Dave DiIanni • 01:49
with our approach to the game. I thought our girls were very professional, competitive and dialed in on the tactics of what we were asking of them, even though physically they didn't have the same energy and legs that they had on Thursday. Right now this team is trying to learn how to win, building a reputation for being gritty and, and succeeding when all situations aren't perfect.
Brian Boesch • 02:22
Michigan women's soccer back in action on Thursday night. So the day that this episode is released at home against Georgia Southern seven o' clock. Start there. Men's soccer two, zero and one, claiming its most recent game on Sunday over SIUE. It was three to two.
Brian Boesch • 02:38
The final Wolverine started slowly. They trailed one nil at half. Grayson Elmquist led the charge with two of Michigan's three second half goals, including the game winner in the eighty fourth minute. Here's the head coach Chaka Daley…
Chaka Daley • 02:52
At halftime we we sorted some things out. I thought we were really positive and upbeat and went forward and I thought the agenda was clear based on how we played and how proactive we were starting the second half and as a result I think we found a way to to win the game and score some magnificent goals in in the while we were doing it.
Brian Boesch • 03:16
Nico Pendleton also scored his first Maize and Blue goal as Wolverines now in preparations for a non conference rivalry matchup. Coming up Sunday, a road trip to South Bend to meet Notre Dame. You can watch it on ACC Network. Elsewhere, big announcement from Michigan Hockey Wolverines will play Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. The that game Saturday, february twentieth, twenty twenty seven. There are opportunities to register for presale access for tickets. Head over to mgoblue dot com for more details. Likely slightly different weather for that than what we've experienced this week in Michigan Women's cross country opens its twenty sixth season on Friday at Hudson Mills Metropark. Locally with the Michigan Open, men's golf claimed the Virtues Intercollegiate last weekend. Back in action Sunday and Monday at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
Brian Boesch • 04:11
Last but not least, the focal point of this week's debut episode for twenty twenty six twenty twenty seven on Conqu'ring Heroes. Field hockey began its season with a huge trip down to beautiful Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They earned a split, knocking off perennial power North Carolina in the opener before falling two days later to host Wake Forest. A very good program too in what was the Big Ten ACC Challenge. And the head coach Kristi Gannon Fisher is here to talk about it and the season ahead right here on Conqu'ring Heroes.
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Jeff Laurence • 04:46
Welcome to your one stop podcast for all things Michigan athletics. Updates on every team on campus and interviews with players and coaches are all on the way. This is Conqu'ring Heroes. Here's your host, Brian Boesch.
Brian Boesch • 05:00
It's our debut edition of Conqu'ring Heroes for twenty six twenty seven.
Brian Boesch • 05:04
Great to visit with one of the in season coaches, Kristi Gannon Fisher. And in a new backdrop here at the field hockey facility has it all felt more comfortable for you Year one to Year two with even some of the new stuff behind us.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 05:17
Yeah, getting there. I think year one's always a heavy learning curve and so doing everything for the second time has been a little easier. But it's always every year brings new challenges and new puzzles to figure out. So yeah Trying to get some of the building updates done and make sure that we're holding on to the history of the program is the main focus of the building updates.
Brian Boesch • 05:39
For you in a self scout, where did you feel like you needed to improve, understand more from year one where you did take over pretty late in the game versus a full off season in year two?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 05:51
Yeah, I was set up really well by Marcia Pankratz obviously as her being a main mentor for me. So I think that learning as you go, but you never really know until you do it. And so I think a lot of the things that people told me about are true. You're the person making all the final decisions. So that's been the biggest adjustment. I think for me, instead of just putting input in and, you know, being a sounding board, it was me having to make decisions and that last year was probably the biggest change for me. But it's been awesome. I'm having so much fun just being in this role and being able to coach. My alma mater is very special.
Brian Boesch • 06:30
Are there things you could not have understood or been able to do until you actually got into that role?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 06:36
I think so, yeah. I think that you prepare as best you can and even like off season over summer trying to prepare for that, but you really don't know until you're in a real fall season, a championship season and you're having to make the hard, quick decisions and you know, there obviously are mistakes and you learn from them and pick yourself up and keep moving forward. So it's been a lot of fun.
Brian Boesch • 06:58
So first two games in the books, you go down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and before that matchup with North Carolina to start a two hour weather delay. What were you, what were the players doing? Or they. You wait all off season to finally get to the first game and then you got to wait a little extra time.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 07:12
Yeah, people in the program will probably find this accurate, but people outside the program will probably find this funny, but mostly line dancing in the locker room.
Brian Boesch • 07:23
Okay, was there enough space there?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 07:26
There was, yeah. We had a pretty good side. Not everyone's participating. You could do whatever you want. But we had a couple people step up and just keep things light and keep them moving body wise. But I mean, we had taken care of the tactical things. We were prepared for that. There was nothing else to say at that point. So it's just kind of keeping people loose and keep their bodies moving and just ready for whenever we were told we could go back out. And they certainly stayed loose and stayed light and ready and it worked well for us.
Brian Boesch • 07:53
May I ask who was the best or maybe the most surprisingly talented line dancer?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 07:58
We had a couple leaders in there. Anjolie Norton, she is a regular at the line dancing places around town along with Grace Hunter. So they were taking the lead on that and so, yeah, it was awesome. It was good.
Brian Boesch • 08:12
So let's talk about the game. Sofia Ghanbari, pride of Novi. First collegiate game. She comes up with the winner in overtime. Tell us about her and that sequence to win it two to one.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 08:22
Yeah, I think she's someone that we are trusting to come off the bench and make an impact right away. It was our first collegiate game. She was with us last year as a red shirt. Now red shirts don't exist, so of course we wish we could get that back. But for her, but tremendous experience and for her last year, just kind of learning everything and watching from the sidelines from the game. She's a student of the game and so we felt really comfortable with her coming off the bench and being prepared to step in when we needed. And she kept it simple. She scored a Marcia Pankratz goal, which is push it to the corner. And I can't tell you how many texts I got from alumni that was like, just push it to the corner and you know, that's the white ball has to go over the white line. It's a goal. It doesn't matter how pretty it looks.
Brian Boesch • 09:06
And that was tough to come by in both games. Down in North Carolina for that win over the Tar Heels, what was key defensively for your team?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 09:14
I think our organization was really, really good. We have been working on that a lot. Even through the scrimmages, we've made great strides. So I think those scrimmages were pivotal for us to make sure that we're progressing every day. I think we lack that and I think that we had some. A graduating center back that was really our cornerstone back there, Claire Taylor. So we've had some younger girls had to step up and be the communicator and kind of be like that free safety, so to speak, in the backfield for us. And so some growing pains through our scrimmages that were, you know, that's why we play hard teams early, so that we can figure these things out before Big Ten season. And even from our first scrimmage to our game against UNC on Friday, tremendous strides and just some people stepping up and leading in the backfield that. That we needed and that was necessary and that were maybe uncomfortable doing that at the at the beginning of preseason and now have really stepped into that role.
Brian Boesch • 10:09
It's interesting. You did play a few exhibitions before, and these are conference foes that you're facing in these exhibitions. Is that something that's important to you to try to get a handle, not just competition wise, but, but also in the league and then teams you, you might see down in November in the NCAA tournament?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 10:27
Yeah, I think for us as a Big Ten, we want to be the premier conference. And so right now we are. And we didn't necessarily get the polls for that. And so I think that we, in order to do that, we have to put ourselves in situations that we're playing the best teams. And so for scrimmages, it makes sense for us to play in conference because those are the closest teams that are the best and playing at the highest level. And so that's going to set all of us up as a conference even better as we go into preseason and also for postseason.
Brian Boesch • 10:57
Two days after the win over North Carolina, a tough loss to Wake Forest, competitive game, what were the key takeaways you had from that one against the Demon Deacons?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 11:06
Yeah, I think again, a lot of learning lessons and how to bounce back after a big win on Friday and like kind of regroup and refocus for a Sunday. That's, that's the nature of our sport. We're playing Friday, Sunday. So whether you lose that game or you win that game, it's got to be like a. You got to flip the switch and start focusing on the next team. And I, I don't know if we did a great job at that. So that's something that we're going to take with us. And we've talked about a lot in the last few days of how to manage that individually and as a team, and I think that's going to make us better down the road as well.
Brian Boesch • 11:37
Mentioned when you go to face two of the top teams in the country and you give up one goal to North Carolina, two to Wake Forest, there's a lot that goes into it. Hala Silverstein, obviously part of that. How have you seen her grow into another year here in goal and from a leadership standpoint?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 11:53
Yeah, she's one of our captains this year, so I think that she's stepping into that leadership role and then also just progressing as an individual player at her position as a goalkeeper. I think she's doing a really good job with our defensive organization, too, and stepping into some of that communicative role that she needs to back there. And then also Just with her level of play and like pushing in practice and pushing her teammates, it's making her better and her team better.
Brian Boesch • 12:20
The other two captains, Abby Burnett and Kelsey Reviello, tell us about those two and why you think that their teammates recognize their leadership.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 12:29
Yeah, I think a lot of it came down to what they did in the winter and the summer for. For them to step up and fill some of those holes that we had because we had tremendous leaders that we graduated. And I think that in particular on field, they are stepping up and leading in ways that we need them to on field and not just like, you know, maybe organizing things and making sure everyone's working out over the summer. Like, they've. They've really stepped up within our training sessions and they're pushing our pace and practice and they're demanding the same thing from others. And I think that the student athletes that we have here want that. They want a high standard and they want it not just coming from the coaches, from their peers. And that's what's happening with those three, and I think that they were recognized for that.
Brian Boesch • 13:17
Outside of that, Eva Bernardy was the
Brian Boesch • 13:19
defensive player of the week in the Big Ten. Whether it's her or others, any players who maybe stood out to you in what they did in the winter leading into now, the season that maybe they jumped more onto, whether it's playing time or having a role, something along those lines. The big level jumpers in your program.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 13:36
Yeah. One that comes to mind right away is Juliette Manzur. She's coming off an ACL from midway through last fall, and so that was her first game back against UNC and still a little bit limited in what she's doing, but just really, really fun to see her back on the field. She brings a really good energy to our team. So I think having her back on the field has been awesome in training and in games. And then transfer Milaw Clause has been stepping into our midfield role really nicely. Another one that's coming off the bench and making a really good impact that, you know, we're deep enough now that we can run a lot of subs. And the style is a little bit more like ice hockey. They're running three or four minute shifts, and that's due to our depth in our midfield in particular, because we're subbing our forwards typically and our backfield is a little bit less subbing.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 14:27
So having the depth in our midfield and those guys are running six miles a game, but it's sprinting. Six miles a game really has been Great. So it's been nice to see her kind of step into her own and be a really major part of what we're doing. And then I think in the backfield, Maxine Rogge, she has been someone who has stepped up in one of those leadership roles in the back and it's hard to get her off the field. We want her and Eva back there. They have been awesome. Tag teaming that center back defensive role and taking turns going forward too has been a great asset for us this year and just a different look that we haven't necessarily had in the past few years. So that's been fun to see second
Brian Boesch • 15:10
year head coach of Michigan field hockey Christie Gannon Fisher with us on Conqu'ring Heroes. So now home for three games before you get into conference play. What do you hope to accomplish? Ken State coming up Friday at five o' clock here in Ann Arbor, Sunday Vermont two o' clock and the next Friday Cal making the trip for a five o'. Clock. What are the what's on the to do list for you coach as you get ready for Big Ten play but also want to obviously earn victories?
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 15:35
Yeah, I think this weekend we're going to just keep building on what we've been doing. A lot of the focus is going to be on what we're doing and not necessarily scout and like adjusting to other teams. We still there must win games for us when it comes down the stretch for playoff and RPI and things like that. So they're must wins. But we're just going to build on what we've been doing. I think for us goal scoring is something that we need to start clicking on a little bit more and taking those opportunities that were given to us even in the weight game after watching the video like that, that could have been a win for us if we would have finished some of the opportunities. So that's going to be a point of emphasis for us this weekend and I think hopefully we can open the flood gates a little bit on our goal scoring and then I think moving in and Sunday is going to be a special game because Vermont's head coach Kate Pfeifer is an alumni of the program.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 16:26
We're having alumni weekend kind of around around these games because she never can come because she's in the coaching profession. So that'll be special for us too to have another alum on the sidelines as a head coach at Vermont and then moving into the Cal weekend. That's really going to be the ramp up before we start Big Ten season and I think that solidifying a little bit like position wise, who we want, where and personnel is going to be important as we move through the next two weekends as well.
Brian Boesch • 16:52
You mentioned alumni. How much have they aided you? Has it at times maybe been overwhelming? Because every time I've been around really any program, but certainly here, Michigan field hockey, so many who played here before want to contribute, share thoughts, experience it, be there for the student athletes. How have you taken in that element that you did as an assistant coach, certainly, but now as a head coach.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 17:15
Yeah, I think the support has been absolutely tremendous. I can't thank our alumni enough for just being the support that they are. You know, whether it's coming to games, coming to alumni games, coming in and speaking to the team about their experience and their experience post collegiate and helping us with internships and things like that. We have tremendous alumni and I think there's some pressure there, obviously as a alum of the program, to make sure that I'm holding the standard up high. But the overwhelming emotion for me is just gratefulness that everyone's got our back and got my back. And even the games that we lose got almost as many text messages after the weight game that we lost than I did after the win against UNC because they can see that the program is where it needs to be as far as effort and the girls are working hard and that's the standing tradition for our program, is that they're going to put everything out there on the field and they did that Sunday.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 18:14
We just couldn't, you know, execute some of those finishing skills on defense and attack. So the sport's been awesome. You know, obviously the, the pressure is there for, for that from some of them and you get, you know, some funny stuff going on when you are on TV or I get screenshots of yelling or.
Brian Boesch • 18:33
Sure. Like that you become a GIF one day. Yes.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 18:36
There's a lot of those, a lot of stickers happening on the text thread, so. But it's all good. It's a lot of fun and I, again, I'm just grateful to, to be in this role and have the opportunity
Brian Boesch • 18:45
before I let you go. Speaking of a former player, Abby Tamer added to the staff in a unique setup with her continuing to play. But take us through the process of, of Abby showing interest, you wanting to bring her on, and the creativity you have to find for. For her specifically because of. Of where she is in her playing career still.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 19:03
Yeah, I think even when she come back, came back after her Olympic year, she really was a coach on the field for for the team and there was a already a bit and just her experience. I keep telling her every day that you're playing with us team is professional development. Like don't feel like you're missing because it's just going to add value to the program and that was, is going to be one of her main roles is that like she's getting everything at the forefront. It's fresh, it's, she's seen everything firsthand that this sport is at the highest level and she's going to be able to bring that back to our program. Obviously it'll be a little unique of her coming in and out. She's back now from the World cup and we'll be back with the team tomorrow. So. And the team is so excited to have her back and just to have some of that young energy and, and again just the freshness that she's going to bring even at this point in the season because we've made it through double days, we've made it through the first weekend and now you have this just injection of energy and, and freshness that Abby's going to bring and just a tremendous amount of knowledge and she's already very skilled as a coach.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 20:08
She's known that she's wanted to coach for a very long time and so even with her years through Michigan learning and I kind of feel in that same boat like I knew I wanted to coach my whole time here at Michigan as a student athlete. So she's used every opportunity to, to grow in that way and she's ready to hit the ground running.
Brian Boesch • 20:24
Really cool. Kent State Friday, five o' clock and then Vermont Sunday at two o'. Clock. Kristi Gannon Fisher, thanks so much for making the time and continued success for this three game homestand.
Kristi Gannon Fisher • 20:34
Yeah. Come out and watch. Thank you. Go Blue.
Brian Boesch • 20:44
Appreciate Kristi Gannon Fisher for stopping by. Thanks to all of you for tuning in. Excited to bring you a little update at the beginning of every Conqu'ring Heroes episode and then of course a feature interview with someone around campus. We have one more bonus episode for you coming up. This week on MGoBlue Podcasts, the head coach for Michigan men's basketball, Mike Boynton junior scheduled to join us on a bonus edition of Defend the Block coming
Brian Boesch • 21:10
up on Friday morning.
Brian Boesch • 21:12
Hope you can join us for that. And then of course it's Saturday at the Big House. Michigan and Western Michigan in the Wolverines season opener for Kristi Gannon Fisher. I'm Brian Boesch. Thanks as always for listening and go blue.
Jeff Laurence • 21:25
Thanks for listening to Conqu'ring Heroes. Conqu'ring Heroes is part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast Network, MGO Blue Podcasts. The preceding has been a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
