Ep 38: Natalia Valentín-Anderson: Defying the Giants to Become One of the World’s Elite Setters

In this episode of Side Out Society, we sit down with a true pioneer, an international icon, and a master floor general: Natalia "Naty" Valentín-Anderson. Standing at 5-foot-6 in a sport dominated by giants, Naty has spent her entire career defying the height restrictions, relying on relentless hard work, pristine location, and unmatched grit to prove that shorties can absolute dictate terms in a big girls' game. She opens up about her unique journey from Caguas, Puerto Rico, where she originally trained as a track runner before her mother stepped in with a life-changing suggestion to try volleyball, to shattering records as Florida International University’s all-time assists leader. Naty takes us behind the scenes of her extensive global resume, spanning top professional leagues across Europe and captaining the Puerto Rican national team to its historic first-ever Olympic appearance at the 2016 Rio Games. We also explore the incredible twist of fate that brought her back to the States, from winning the inaugural PVF championship with the Omaha Supernovas in her husband Colt’s hometown, to moving to Texas to become the captain who orchestrated a fairytale run for the expansion Dallas Pulse to win the 2026 MLV Championship. Follow us on social media: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sideoutsociety Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutsociety