Conversations with inspiring women in sports as referees, umpires or other officiating capacities. Get to know their stories and how they get to where they are now. Be ready to be inspired and motivated by their mindset and courage, stepping into a world that has been dominated by men for so long.
More Than an Afterthought - My Conversation with Katarina Cepinova
Summary
Amy Pu discusses insights from her conversation with Katarina Cepinova, an international indoor volleyball referee, focusing on nutrition, hydration and confidence building.
11 May 2026
Conversation with Katarina Cepinova - First Female International Volleyball Referee in the UK, Senior Volleyball England Referee, Respected Mentor and Project Lead for Her Call
Summary
Katarina Cepinova shares her inspiring journey as the first female international indoor volleyball referee for England, discussing her career progression, challenges, and initiatives to support women in officiating.
Introduction
Katarina started playing volleyball since the age of 6 in Slovakia. After Moving to the UK at the age of 18, she played for LVA and NVL teams for over 10 years before moving into refereeing. She passed Referee grade IV course in 2008 and started to referee NVL in 2010. She served as dual technical official (scorer and line judge) at London 2012 Olympics. She took the International referee course in 2016 in Argentina and fully qualified in 2018 when she became the first Female international indoor volleyball referee in England.
Two years ago, she officially launched HerCall with Volleyball England for all female referees' development and support - now the group has 15 ambassadors.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Katarina Cepinova
01:38 Breaking Barriers in Volleyball Refereeing
05:02 The Journey from Player to Referee
08:07 The Role of Support Networks in Refereeing
11:37 Amateur Status of Volleyball in England
14:48 Preparing for Matches: Physical and Mental Aspects
20:09 The Importance of Nutrition and Hydration
23:21 The Spectator Experience in Volleyball
27:15 Perceptions of Female Referees
30:52 Navigating Emotional Boundaries in Refereeing
33:23 Developing a Personal Refereeing Style
33:40 Empowering Female Referees through Mentorship
37:23 The Evolution of Support Networks for Female Referees
39:44 Building Confidence in Female Referees
43:42 Refereeing Journey: Highs and Lows
48:41 Resilience and Learning from Mistakes
53:57 Future Aspirations and Mentorship
57:16 Advice for Aspiring Female Referees
27 Apr 2026
More Than an Afterthought - My Conversation with Rachel Lee
Summary
Amy Pu reflects on the conversation she had with Rachel Lee, an Ultimate Frisbee player, and the unique aspects of the sport focusing on the spirit of the game. She discusses about personal growth through sports and highlights how these principles can be applied across all sports and life.
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