I am getting ready to leave for Cincinnati, which is the last regular season event of the year. I have had a few days to sit and reflect on the season so far. All in all, this has been the fastest year of volleyball for me to date. I cannot believe that it is the end of summer and we are getting ready to wrap it all up.
This year has been filled with many ups and downs. I have experienced some of the highest of highs and even some of the lowest of lows. But through it all, I have had some of the most amazing people offer me their friendship, support, love, and kind words which have made it all an unbelievable ride.
I really appreciate the time that so many of you take to send me well-wishes and nice emails. Thank you so much. I wanted to share with you one of the really special messages that my new Brazilian friend, Cassius, sent to me after the Chicago Final.
"In the finals of high level championships, there practically does not exist a difference in the technique between the adversaries, all players have their bodies very well trained and all the necessary information kept in the subconscious mind. Who wins is who dominates their emotions and lets the body work for itself...So nervous in the match? Why? There are many more important things than a volleyball championship, Angie. Because of this, relax in the match, think about good things, think about... Açai! Hmmm!... and let your body work for itself."
How right is he! Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing that we forget that we are playing a game. It is supposed to be fun, otherwise it would not be called a 'game', right? The last 2 years of competition have made things much clearer for me. I realize that I play my best when I am having fun.
I watch other teams play and observe the dynamic between the two players. The people I enjoy watching the most are those that look like they are having fun playing. So why would it be any different for the fans? I love to watch Lewis and Lima play when they are loose, dancing, laughing, and obviously having fun. Jenny and Nettie are fun to watch. They are not afraid to laugh at themselves and have a good time. Rosie and Jake look like they have fun playing together. To me, that is what the game is all about... not taking yourself so seriously that you can't laugh at the quirky plays that happen. We can't play this game at the highest level forever. Why not enjoy it while we can?
More wise words came from my workout coach, Erich. He tells me to play like I am a kid again out on the playground, free and having fun. All the hard work is done by the time we get to the tournament. Tournament time is when we just play. He wrote a great article in the latest issue of Volleyball about this very thing. I hope you get a chance to read it.
Well, I am not sure why I felt the need to write about this, but I did. I am really looking forward to Cincinnati where we will have our final shot at trying to crack into the Vegas tournament. Brooke and I are currently tied at #13 ranking and only the top 12 go to Vegas. I am not going to think about that this weekend. I am going to go out, have fun, and play my best. Whatever happens after that, happens. I plan to listen to all my wise friends and play the game.
Have a great week.
Angie
PS - Check out my article in the September issue of Volleyball about my trip to Kosovo. You can also see it on my website. Click here to read.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
East Coast Road Trip - Boston to Brooklyn
Ok. So just as someone thanks me for being so diligent about writing consistently, I slack off big time and go missing in action for a few weeks. I apologize for my absence and hope that you didn't miss me too much! Lol.
First things first, here is a quick recap of the last 10 days. I decided to pull out of the Boston event last Tuesday because I had sprained my Sacroiliac Joint in my back during the Manhattan Beach tournament. I wasn't sure how I would feel, so I tried to practice on Tuesday morning and I knew right away that I needed at least a week to let it calm down and heal. I had the same injury almost 2 years ago while I was in Australia. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I kept trying to play and ended up hurting myself worse and worse. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I knew it was the right one. Brooke was left scrambling, but partnered with Jen Fopma.
I ended up flying to Boston anyway. I had a cheap flight and was planning to stay on the east coast through Brooklyn. I figured I would get the flight out of the way, watch the tournament, get treatment in the medical tent, and visit with my friends. It was really hard to watch the tournament and not play, but it was really good for me to watch other players and learn.
I lived in the medical tent. We are provided with access to some of the best doctors, massage therapists, and physical therapists around. I kept them busy. I am so appreciative to all those people that give so much of their time to us. They help keep us all together behind the scenes.
I didn't practice for about 10 days because I wanted to make sure that my back was 100% healthy before I did anything. It was mentally gruelling not to workout! So instead of freaking out like I would have done in past years, I decided to have mental practices. While I was doing my rehab, I would close my eyes and visualize myself healthy again and playing well. I did this quite a bit until I completely convinced myself that I really had only taken off one long day, which my body needed, and was ready to pick up right where I left off. It helped tremendously because I never felt like I missed a beat. The only thing I noticed was that my legs got fatigued.
After Boston, I took a visit to my favorite Women's Health and Fitness Club in Ridgefield, NJ, Aurora Fitness Center. I spent the day there on Wednesday hanging out with my friend, Vito, who runs the club. Every time I go there, he spoils me and will not let me pay for a single thing! I challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest, but he said he is afraid he will lose, so its a no-go. I will get him one of these times! I got to hang out with the girls that work there, as well, and laugh with them as they prepared for the launch of a new class. It was a great visit and I always enjoy stopping in there.
Then on Thursday morning, 8 of us AVP girls rang in the morning bell on the NYMEX floor. I really goofed this one up. I told everyone that it was the NYSE, but I was wrong! Sorry about that! We had breakfast with a few men from NYMEX and then all 8 of us pushed the buzzer at 9AM and then we threw out AVP hats to the traders down on the floor. It was really fun and definitely not something you do very often. Having worked in Finance at Lehman Brothers in San Francisco, it was extra exciting to me.
Normally I would give a recap of each match of the tournament, but I am not going to do that this time. I am just going to tell you who we played and the scores and if you want to know more about the match, please write me to let me know and I will elaborate on it.
First match on Friday was against the 26th seeds, Ratto and Smith. We won 21-12, 21-16. We then played Angela Lewis and Pricilla Lima, my good friends, and won 24-22, 21-19. That was all for Friday.
When we finished playing Friday, Brooke and I were asked to throw out the first pitch at the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game. The Cyclones are a minor league team associated with the New York Mets. Brooke and I were both on the mound and threw our strikes at the same time. It was really fun. Their stadium is great. The stands were packed and everyone looked to be having a great time. We couldn't stay for the game because it was late and we had to get up and play on Saturday morning.
We then played EY and Nicole and lost in 3 games, 18-21, 22-20, 11-15. We were close, but couldn't pull out a second victory against the Boston Champions. After the loss, we dropped to the contenders bracket and had to battle our way back. We played Pavley and Kropp and won 21-13, 21-19. After this match, we had to break for the men's final for about 3 hours.
On a completely separate note, Brooke and I were honored to wear FDNY T-shirts on Saturday that were given to us by the FDNY in memory of 2 men who lost their lives fighting a fire last week. The firefighters were members of Engine 24, Ladder 5. Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia died while fighting a 7-alarm fire in the former Deutsche Bank Building in lower Manhattan. Please keep these men, their families, and their fellow firefighters in your thoughts and prayers.
After Phil and Todd won their 9th tournament of the year, we resumed play. While we were playing Pavley/Kropp, Rachel and Tyra were playing against Michelle and Suzanne in a one hour, 26 minute match. Michelle and Suz pulled out a huge upset and won the match. They were our next opponents. We won in 3 games, 18-21, 21-16, 15-7. I was so tired after this match. We thought that was our last of the day, but we were immediately told that we had one more to play. We had 20 minutes until we played Jenny and Annett in the stadium.
I really wish we could have played that match on Sunday morning, like usual, because it was 5:30PM and there were only about 30 fans left. I don't know about the other girls, but I was so tired. It is amazing to me how fast you can lose fitness. You can work so hard for so long to gain it, but then lose it so fast. I now know what it feels like to play really tired and I don't like it. I would rather work really hard off the court so that tournament time is easy as far as fitness goes.
Anyway, my husband told me to suck it up, so I did. He is good like that! He keeps me in line. I had a burst of energy in that match, and didn't notice fatigue in my legs at all. However, other muscles in my body started to act up and brought my attention elsewhere. Now we have Sunday and Monday off to recover and get ready for Cincinnati. I am so excited for that one. My family will be there, which is always nice.
We are in a really good position for the San Francisco event. We will know if we are in or not after the Cincinnati event. As of now, we are solidly in 7th place and the top 8 teams will go. It looks great, but you never know mathematically what could happen. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for reading!
Angie
First things first, here is a quick recap of the last 10 days. I decided to pull out of the Boston event last Tuesday because I had sprained my Sacroiliac Joint in my back during the Manhattan Beach tournament. I wasn't sure how I would feel, so I tried to practice on Tuesday morning and I knew right away that I needed at least a week to let it calm down and heal. I had the same injury almost 2 years ago while I was in Australia. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I kept trying to play and ended up hurting myself worse and worse. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I knew it was the right one. Brooke was left scrambling, but partnered with Jen Fopma.
I ended up flying to Boston anyway. I had a cheap flight and was planning to stay on the east coast through Brooklyn. I figured I would get the flight out of the way, watch the tournament, get treatment in the medical tent, and visit with my friends. It was really hard to watch the tournament and not play, but it was really good for me to watch other players and learn.
I lived in the medical tent. We are provided with access to some of the best doctors, massage therapists, and physical therapists around. I kept them busy. I am so appreciative to all those people that give so much of their time to us. They help keep us all together behind the scenes.
I didn't practice for about 10 days because I wanted to make sure that my back was 100% healthy before I did anything. It was mentally gruelling not to workout! So instead of freaking out like I would have done in past years, I decided to have mental practices. While I was doing my rehab, I would close my eyes and visualize myself healthy again and playing well. I did this quite a bit until I completely convinced myself that I really had only taken off one long day, which my body needed, and was ready to pick up right where I left off. It helped tremendously because I never felt like I missed a beat. The only thing I noticed was that my legs got fatigued.
After Boston, I took a visit to my favorite Women's Health and Fitness Club in Ridgefield, NJ, Aurora Fitness Center. I spent the day there on Wednesday hanging out with my friend, Vito, who runs the club. Every time I go there, he spoils me and will not let me pay for a single thing! I challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest, but he said he is afraid he will lose, so its a no-go. I will get him one of these times! I got to hang out with the girls that work there, as well, and laugh with them as they prepared for the launch of a new class. It was a great visit and I always enjoy stopping in there.
Then on Thursday morning, 8 of us AVP girls rang in the morning bell on the NYMEX floor. I really goofed this one up. I told everyone that it was the NYSE, but I was wrong! Sorry about that! We had breakfast with a few men from NYMEX and then all 8 of us pushed the buzzer at 9AM and then we threw out AVP hats to the traders down on the floor. It was really fun and definitely not something you do very often. Having worked in Finance at Lehman Brothers in San Francisco, it was extra exciting to me.
Normally I would give a recap of each match of the tournament, but I am not going to do that this time. I am just going to tell you who we played and the scores and if you want to know more about the match, please write me to let me know and I will elaborate on it.
First match on Friday was against the 26th seeds, Ratto and Smith. We won 21-12, 21-16. We then played Angela Lewis and Pricilla Lima, my good friends, and won 24-22, 21-19. That was all for Friday.
When we finished playing Friday, Brooke and I were asked to throw out the first pitch at the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game. The Cyclones are a minor league team associated with the New York Mets. Brooke and I were both on the mound and threw our strikes at the same time. It was really fun. Their stadium is great. The stands were packed and everyone looked to be having a great time. We couldn't stay for the game because it was late and we had to get up and play on Saturday morning.
We then played EY and Nicole and lost in 3 games, 18-21, 22-20, 11-15. We were close, but couldn't pull out a second victory against the Boston Champions. After the loss, we dropped to the contenders bracket and had to battle our way back. We played Pavley and Kropp and won 21-13, 21-19. After this match, we had to break for the men's final for about 3 hours.
On a completely separate note, Brooke and I were honored to wear FDNY T-shirts on Saturday that were given to us by the FDNY in memory of 2 men who lost their lives fighting a fire last week. The firefighters were members of Engine 24, Ladder 5. Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia died while fighting a 7-alarm fire in the former Deutsche Bank Building in lower Manhattan. Please keep these men, their families, and their fellow firefighters in your thoughts and prayers.
After Phil and Todd won their 9th tournament of the year, we resumed play. While we were playing Pavley/Kropp, Rachel and Tyra were playing against Michelle and Suzanne in a one hour, 26 minute match. Michelle and Suz pulled out a huge upset and won the match. They were our next opponents. We won in 3 games, 18-21, 21-16, 15-7. I was so tired after this match. We thought that was our last of the day, but we were immediately told that we had one more to play. We had 20 minutes until we played Jenny and Annett in the stadium.
I really wish we could have played that match on Sunday morning, like usual, because it was 5:30PM and there were only about 30 fans left. I don't know about the other girls, but I was so tired. It is amazing to me how fast you can lose fitness. You can work so hard for so long to gain it, but then lose it so fast. I now know what it feels like to play really tired and I don't like it. I would rather work really hard off the court so that tournament time is easy as far as fitness goes.
Anyway, my husband told me to suck it up, so I did. He is good like that! He keeps me in line. I had a burst of energy in that match, and didn't notice fatigue in my legs at all. However, other muscles in my body started to act up and brought my attention elsewhere. Now we have Sunday and Monday off to recover and get ready for Cincinnati. I am so excited for that one. My family will be there, which is always nice.
We are in a really good position for the San Francisco event. We will know if we are in or not after the Cincinnati event. As of now, we are solidly in 7th place and the top 8 teams will go. It looks great, but you never know mathematically what could happen. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for reading!
Angie
Monday, August 13, 2007
Manhattan Beach Open
The weather could not have been better for the Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball, the Manhattan Beach Open. Sunny skies, a slight breeze, and temperatures in the mid-70s were consistent on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In my opinion....perfect playing conditions.
Brooke and I finished 5th place. We were knocking down that door of the final four, but came up short. We did have the major upset of the weekend when we took down the number 2 seed of the tournament, Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh, in the 3rd round of the winner's bracket. We then got our chance at a rematch of the Chicago Final with Jenny and Annett, but came up short again. We were eliminated from the tournament by Rachel and Tyra, but we did not go down without a fight.
Our tournament started against the 26th seeds of the tournament, Beth Van Fleet and Suzanna Manole. We were really off in game one and barely snuck out the win. We were down 13-8 and had to fight our way back. We ended up winning that game 21-19. Game 2 we were back to our normal selves and won 21-14.
Our next match was against Barbra Fontana and Alicia Polzin. In Chicago, we had a knock down, dragged out battle with them. We came into this match very prepared. We executed our game plan and won 21-12, 21-15.
Then came our big match against EY and Nicole. We played in the stadium which was packed for a Friday. Usually the stands are empty because people are still at work. We got crushed in game one, 13-21. We were down big in game two, 14-18 and the EY/Nicole crowd was cheering "3 more points!" All of a sudden we went on a scoring rampage. I had 2 let serves that just rolled over the net for aces. I know from being on the recipient end of those serves just how frustrating it can be. There just isn't any way to defend it. It goes one of two ways: either into the net for an error by the server, or flips over the net for an ace. I was lucky for 2 aces. We got into a groove and scored points when we needed them. We came from behind to win 24-22 pushing a game 3. We continued aggressively with Brooke making spectacular defensive plays and then frustrating them with her varied shots. I did my best to put up a good block and Brooke took over behind me. Our sideout game was efficient and we were able to score points. We took the final side switch up 14-11. A thought of upsetting the #2 team on tour started to enter my mind, but I pushed it away immediately. I learned something from Chicago! We both focused for that last point and won 15-11. Then we allowed it to sink in.
This win was huge for us. It was validation that Chicago was no fluke. We know we are capable of beating the top teams, but now its a matter of pulling out a few big wins in a single tournament in order to get to the Final Four.
That win secured a 5th place finish and we were so excited to get a rematch with Jenny and Nettie. We would face them at 8AM on Saturday morning.
Things did not go our way in the first game. We had too many unforced errors and couldn't find a way to make up for it. Game 2 was different. We put up a fight, but couldn't make it happen for us. We lost 19-21. That was our first loss of the tournament, so we still had another shot.
Our elimination match was against Rachel and Tyra. We played really well in this match. The difference came down to a point here and a point there. We used up our luck with the let serves and this time a big one went against us. Tyra had a big jump serve that flipped over on our side for a point. Early in the match she got another ace down my sideline. It is hard to say if those made a difference between winning and losing, but they very well could have. I guess to even things up a bit, we won a call from the referee that could have gone either way. Still, we lost 19-21, 22-24, in 5th place.
We are at the time of year where things are winding down. There are only 3 regular season tournament remaining. This year has gone by so incredibly fast. We will be on the road for the rest of the regular season in Boston, Coney Island, and then Cincinnati.
After the Cincinnati event, the top 12 players will be invited to play in Las Vegas for the Gods and Goddesses of the Beach. The players are invited based on their top 6 finishes of the season as pertaining to points. For example, the NBC events are double points which means that a 5th place at an NBC event will beat out a 3rd place finish at a cable television event. This means that the end of the season is very important. All the remaining events are on NBC, so this is the time when we want to peak.
After the Las Vegas event, there will be San Francisco where the top 8 teams will be invited to play. This tournament is a single elimination event. We are currently in 7th place, but will need to continue doing well in order to secure a spot for this event. The tour is more competitive than its ever been. It is exciting to be a part of it and in the middle of the action.
I hope your summer is everything you want it to be. Enjoy it while its here!
See you at the beach!
Angie
Brooke and I finished 5th place. We were knocking down that door of the final four, but came up short. We did have the major upset of the weekend when we took down the number 2 seed of the tournament, Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh, in the 3rd round of the winner's bracket. We then got our chance at a rematch of the Chicago Final with Jenny and Annett, but came up short again. We were eliminated from the tournament by Rachel and Tyra, but we did not go down without a fight.
Our tournament started against the 26th seeds of the tournament, Beth Van Fleet and Suzanna Manole. We were really off in game one and barely snuck out the win. We were down 13-8 and had to fight our way back. We ended up winning that game 21-19. Game 2 we were back to our normal selves and won 21-14.
Our next match was against Barbra Fontana and Alicia Polzin. In Chicago, we had a knock down, dragged out battle with them. We came into this match very prepared. We executed our game plan and won 21-12, 21-15.
Then came our big match against EY and Nicole. We played in the stadium which was packed for a Friday. Usually the stands are empty because people are still at work. We got crushed in game one, 13-21. We were down big in game two, 14-18 and the EY/Nicole crowd was cheering "3 more points!" All of a sudden we went on a scoring rampage. I had 2 let serves that just rolled over the net for aces. I know from being on the recipient end of those serves just how frustrating it can be. There just isn't any way to defend it. It goes one of two ways: either into the net for an error by the server, or flips over the net for an ace. I was lucky for 2 aces. We got into a groove and scored points when we needed them. We came from behind to win 24-22 pushing a game 3. We continued aggressively with Brooke making spectacular defensive plays and then frustrating them with her varied shots. I did my best to put up a good block and Brooke took over behind me. Our sideout game was efficient and we were able to score points. We took the final side switch up 14-11. A thought of upsetting the #2 team on tour started to enter my mind, but I pushed it away immediately. I learned something from Chicago! We both focused for that last point and won 15-11. Then we allowed it to sink in.
This win was huge for us. It was validation that Chicago was no fluke. We know we are capable of beating the top teams, but now its a matter of pulling out a few big wins in a single tournament in order to get to the Final Four.
That win secured a 5th place finish and we were so excited to get a rematch with Jenny and Nettie. We would face them at 8AM on Saturday morning.
Things did not go our way in the first game. We had too many unforced errors and couldn't find a way to make up for it. Game 2 was different. We put up a fight, but couldn't make it happen for us. We lost 19-21. That was our first loss of the tournament, so we still had another shot.
Our elimination match was against Rachel and Tyra. We played really well in this match. The difference came down to a point here and a point there. We used up our luck with the let serves and this time a big one went against us. Tyra had a big jump serve that flipped over on our side for a point. Early in the match she got another ace down my sideline. It is hard to say if those made a difference between winning and losing, but they very well could have. I guess to even things up a bit, we won a call from the referee that could have gone either way. Still, we lost 19-21, 22-24, in 5th place.
We are at the time of year where things are winding down. There are only 3 regular season tournament remaining. This year has gone by so incredibly fast. We will be on the road for the rest of the regular season in Boston, Coney Island, and then Cincinnati.
After the Cincinnati event, the top 12 players will be invited to play in Las Vegas for the Gods and Goddesses of the Beach. The players are invited based on their top 6 finishes of the season as pertaining to points. For example, the NBC events are double points which means that a 5th place at an NBC event will beat out a 3rd place finish at a cable television event. This means that the end of the season is very important. All the remaining events are on NBC, so this is the time when we want to peak.
After the Las Vegas event, there will be San Francisco where the top 8 teams will be invited to play. This tournament is a single elimination event. We are currently in 7th place, but will need to continue doing well in order to secure a spot for this event. The tour is more competitive than its ever been. It is exciting to be a part of it and in the middle of the action.
I hope your summer is everything you want it to be. Enjoy it while its here!
See you at the beach!
Angie
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Chicago - North Avenue Beach - Part 2
We started play on Friday morning against Erin Byrd and Paige Davis. Both Brooke and I were feeling a bit of nerves in this match. I think it was because we knew this tournament was going to be a great opportunity for us to do well and get a good finish while the top 4 teams were away competing internationally. Despite our nerves, we came out crisp and on fire. We won a quick match with scores 21-6, 21-8. This set the tone for our weekend.
Our next match was against the defensive whiz team, Katie and Tracy Lindquist. In order to beat this team, you must have crisp ball control and sideout at a very high percentage. They have pretty much beaten every team on tour at some point. We executed our game plan exactly the way we wanted to and came out with the win in two games 21-17, 21-12. The win secured us in 9th place. We were done with play on Friday.
Saturday morning, the first thing Brooke said to me was "I woke up with the flu, but I am fine. Don't baby me." Right then and there, I knew we were going to have a great day. It brought to mind the effort by Michael Jordan in the NBA finals when he was really sick, but managed to pull off one of his most incredible performances. Maybe sickness helps keep the focus on getting the job done efficiently and not worrying about anything external. Who knows. Anyway, we faced Jen Pavley and her rookie partner, Jenny Kropp. Jen Pavley has done a great job of showing Kropp the ropes. At 6'3, Kropp is a great partner for the smaller, defensive whiz, Pavley. We had a first game outright battle and came out with the win, 27-25. We stayed poised and focused throughout the next game and won 21-15. That first game win was huge for us because we got the momentum at the end and kept it through the second game.
Our next match was against Barbra Fontana and Alicia Polzin. This was our tightest match of the tournament. We had to keep switching up our game plan because both players were on fire. We won in 3 games with each game being decided by only 2 points. We won the first 21-19, lost the second 21-23, then won the third 16-14. I was so happy that Brooke and I kept our composure under that sort of pressure and came out with the win. It was a big step for us. That win put us in the semi's and secured a 3rd place finish!
We were finished with doubles play after this match, but still had to compete in the 4's preliminary match. Our team of Dianne DeNecochea, Angela Lewis, Brooke, and myself had to play against the team of Barbra Fontana, Tati Minello, Keao Burdine, and Lauren Fendrick.
The 4's game is very interesting. The ball seems to never drop. It is very hard to put a ball away for a kill. The key is not to make mistakes. The strategy is to set the middle as much as possible. The outsides are secondary, but need to minimize errors.
Without much practice or preparation, all 4 teams put together a very competitive, fun event. We won our first match as did the team of Holly McPeak, Jen Fopma, Jenny Jordan, and Annett Davis. This meant we would face each other in a match just before the women's final.
We were finished with play on Saturday and got to go home and rest up for our big day on Sunday.
We got to the site early to watch the match that played into our bracket of the semi-final. It was between Pavley/Kropp and Dodd/Minello. It was a barn-burner straight down to the wire. It was a very long match with Pavley/Kropp coming out on top. The third game was 26-24! We were set to play 25 minutes later.
Brooke and I felt the pressure to win this match from the start. We had already beaten this team earlier in the tournament. I think I was shaking from the very first serve. We came out really strong and won 21-11. We continued the strong play until we were up 17-11 in the second. I think that is when I started thinking "Oh my gosh... we are almost in the final!" We very quickly gave up 5 points and before we knew it the score was 17-16. We finally got a sideout for 18, but couldn't score. We switched sides up 18-17. We calmed our nerves enough to squeak out the victory 21-19. Winning that was such a relief! We screamed and hugged each other. It was an amazing feeling.
We did not have much time to let it soak in. We had 15 minutes until our 4's competition Final. Brooke told me to take it easy and just pass because she was not going to set me and tire me out for the final. Jenny and Annett were in the same boat as we were, playing the 4's and then having to play right after in the Final. I think the 4's competition really helped to calm our nerves. The stadium was packed and there was no pressure except to just go out, have fun, and put on a show for the crowd. I never heard how the 4's went over as far as the crowd enjoying it. It definitely sounded like they did. They got to see 8 AVP athletes all competing at once. There were incredible rallies and it was very close. Our team snuck out the win in the third game 15-13.
We then had 40 minutes to prepare for the doubles Final. I talked with Karch a bit about how to deal with the nerves. I figured why not ask someone who has been there. He gave me great advice saying, "Just take deep breaths and remember that no matter what happens, you have a wonderful family, husband, and friends that love you no matter what." I really appreciated hearing that advice because it is so true. I was getting so wrapped up in the moment that my head was spinning. I just do not think that there is a way to prepare for that kind of moment. We were live on NBC, playing in front of 5,000 fans. It was incredible. At least next time I will know what to expect and will hopefully be able to control my emotions better.
I did not realize how much the emotion, the heat and humidity, and the 4's competition really took out of me. I was so hyped going into the Final, but soon found my legs shaking. It was very strange because I felt strong, but I felt very much drained. I kept telling myself to just give it everything I have and then I can rest and take a few days off.
We gave it our best shot, but Jenny and Nettie were too much for us. I had trouble getting Brooke a consistent set which made it difficult for her to sideout at the efficiency we needed. Their sideout game was precise and unstoppable. Plus, they came up with huge plays and were very steady. We gave them a scare in the second game, but their 'Big Day' experience really shined through. They played great and it was an honor to compete against them in the Final. It was their first win in 5 years! Their last win was in Chicago in 2002.
The fans were absolutely incredible. During one of the long timeouts, we watched as the entire stadium did the best wave I have ever seen a stadium do! It just felt like everyone there was having a blast. I could hear all my friends and family screaming. I think they took up an entire section. It was so special for me to play so close to home and have my family and friends there for my first ever Final appearance. Everything was perfect. There were thunderstorms earlier in the morning, but all the bad weather cleared out and we had beautiful skies the rest of the day.
Any doubt about the top 4 teams not being there having a negative impact on the tournament was dissolved. Ticket sales were great, the stadium was packed, the fans got to see new teams and seemed to love it. Hopefully the TV ratings will concur. All in all, a fantastic ride of a weekend!
Time to get ready for Manhattan Beach! There are 4 remaining regular season events and they are all back to back. This summer has flown by!
I hope you are enjoying yours!
Angie
Our next match was against the defensive whiz team, Katie and Tracy Lindquist. In order to beat this team, you must have crisp ball control and sideout at a very high percentage. They have pretty much beaten every team on tour at some point. We executed our game plan exactly the way we wanted to and came out with the win in two games 21-17, 21-12. The win secured us in 9th place. We were done with play on Friday.
Saturday morning, the first thing Brooke said to me was "I woke up with the flu, but I am fine. Don't baby me." Right then and there, I knew we were going to have a great day. It brought to mind the effort by Michael Jordan in the NBA finals when he was really sick, but managed to pull off one of his most incredible performances. Maybe sickness helps keep the focus on getting the job done efficiently and not worrying about anything external. Who knows. Anyway, we faced Jen Pavley and her rookie partner, Jenny Kropp. Jen Pavley has done a great job of showing Kropp the ropes. At 6'3, Kropp is a great partner for the smaller, defensive whiz, Pavley. We had a first game outright battle and came out with the win, 27-25. We stayed poised and focused throughout the next game and won 21-15. That first game win was huge for us because we got the momentum at the end and kept it through the second game.
Our next match was against Barbra Fontana and Alicia Polzin. This was our tightest match of the tournament. We had to keep switching up our game plan because both players were on fire. We won in 3 games with each game being decided by only 2 points. We won the first 21-19, lost the second 21-23, then won the third 16-14. I was so happy that Brooke and I kept our composure under that sort of pressure and came out with the win. It was a big step for us. That win put us in the semi's and secured a 3rd place finish!
We were finished with doubles play after this match, but still had to compete in the 4's preliminary match. Our team of Dianne DeNecochea, Angela Lewis, Brooke, and myself had to play against the team of Barbra Fontana, Tati Minello, Keao Burdine, and Lauren Fendrick.
The 4's game is very interesting. The ball seems to never drop. It is very hard to put a ball away for a kill. The key is not to make mistakes. The strategy is to set the middle as much as possible. The outsides are secondary, but need to minimize errors.
Without much practice or preparation, all 4 teams put together a very competitive, fun event. We won our first match as did the team of Holly McPeak, Jen Fopma, Jenny Jordan, and Annett Davis. This meant we would face each other in a match just before the women's final.
We were finished with play on Saturday and got to go home and rest up for our big day on Sunday.
We got to the site early to watch the match that played into our bracket of the semi-final. It was between Pavley/Kropp and Dodd/Minello. It was a barn-burner straight down to the wire. It was a very long match with Pavley/Kropp coming out on top. The third game was 26-24! We were set to play 25 minutes later.
Brooke and I felt the pressure to win this match from the start. We had already beaten this team earlier in the tournament. I think I was shaking from the very first serve. We came out really strong and won 21-11. We continued the strong play until we were up 17-11 in the second. I think that is when I started thinking "Oh my gosh... we are almost in the final!" We very quickly gave up 5 points and before we knew it the score was 17-16. We finally got a sideout for 18, but couldn't score. We switched sides up 18-17. We calmed our nerves enough to squeak out the victory 21-19. Winning that was such a relief! We screamed and hugged each other. It was an amazing feeling.
We did not have much time to let it soak in. We had 15 minutes until our 4's competition Final. Brooke told me to take it easy and just pass because she was not going to set me and tire me out for the final. Jenny and Annett were in the same boat as we were, playing the 4's and then having to play right after in the Final. I think the 4's competition really helped to calm our nerves. The stadium was packed and there was no pressure except to just go out, have fun, and put on a show for the crowd. I never heard how the 4's went over as far as the crowd enjoying it. It definitely sounded like they did. They got to see 8 AVP athletes all competing at once. There were incredible rallies and it was very close. Our team snuck out the win in the third game 15-13.
We then had 40 minutes to prepare for the doubles Final. I talked with Karch a bit about how to deal with the nerves. I figured why not ask someone who has been there. He gave me great advice saying, "Just take deep breaths and remember that no matter what happens, you have a wonderful family, husband, and friends that love you no matter what." I really appreciated hearing that advice because it is so true. I was getting so wrapped up in the moment that my head was spinning. I just do not think that there is a way to prepare for that kind of moment. We were live on NBC, playing in front of 5,000 fans. It was incredible. At least next time I will know what to expect and will hopefully be able to control my emotions better.
I did not realize how much the emotion, the heat and humidity, and the 4's competition really took out of me. I was so hyped going into the Final, but soon found my legs shaking. It was very strange because I felt strong, but I felt very much drained. I kept telling myself to just give it everything I have and then I can rest and take a few days off.
We gave it our best shot, but Jenny and Nettie were too much for us. I had trouble getting Brooke a consistent set which made it difficult for her to sideout at the efficiency we needed. Their sideout game was precise and unstoppable. Plus, they came up with huge plays and were very steady. We gave them a scare in the second game, but their 'Big Day' experience really shined through. They played great and it was an honor to compete against them in the Final. It was their first win in 5 years! Their last win was in Chicago in 2002.
The fans were absolutely incredible. During one of the long timeouts, we watched as the entire stadium did the best wave I have ever seen a stadium do! It just felt like everyone there was having a blast. I could hear all my friends and family screaming. I think they took up an entire section. It was so special for me to play so close to home and have my family and friends there for my first ever Final appearance. Everything was perfect. There were thunderstorms earlier in the morning, but all the bad weather cleared out and we had beautiful skies the rest of the day.
Any doubt about the top 4 teams not being there having a negative impact on the tournament was dissolved. Ticket sales were great, the stadium was packed, the fans got to see new teams and seemed to love it. Hopefully the TV ratings will concur. All in all, a fantastic ride of a weekend!
Time to get ready for Manhattan Beach! There are 4 remaining regular season events and they are all back to back. This summer has flown by!
I hope you are enjoying yours!
Angie
Back to the Midwest - Part 1
I just returned from a family, friends, and volleyball filled trip to the Midwest. All-in-all, it was a great success on many levels. From finishing a career-best 2nd place to surprising my mom with an early visit kept the trip full of excitement. Because there is so much to tell, I am going to write about the first part of the trip in one posting and then later today I will write about the actual tournament in another posting.
My sister and I flew to Indiana last Friday to surprise my mom for the weekend. She thought she was talking to me from the 405 freeway until I told her to turn around. She saw us and burst into tears. We spent a great weekend hanging out with family and friends.
On Tuesday, Jeff Nygaard, John Hyden, and Brooke Hanson arrived for the clinic and exhibition at Spikes Beach Bar and Grill in Warsaw, Indiana. We had a good turnout of middle school aged girls and younger because the Indiana High School rules do not allow camps or clinics for players once the season has started. It was a hot day and the sand was blistering. The kids were great. They tried their hardest and had a lot of fun. When it was over, they were cooked! There were lots of red faces from the sun and from working hard.
We then played a co-ed exhibition match with Brooke and Jeff playing against me and John. Then the four of us played against Spike's best four. It was a great evening for all.
Wednesday morning, I took Brooke and Renee Nygaard (Jeff's wife) out on a Jetski or 'Water Harley', as I like to call it. All three of us were holding on for dear life as I raced us through the lake at speeds reaching 58 miles per hour! We took turns driving and laughed our way to a great Ab workout. We would stop to jump in the lake when we were laughing so hard we couldn't stand it anymore.
That afternoon, Brooke and I took off for Chicago to put on another clinic for some adult friends at Montrose Beach. It was a small, intimate clinic with about 25 people in attendance. We had fun meeting new people and sharing with them the love for the sport of beach volleyball.
Thursday morning, we went to the site for practice and could not find a court. We decided to walk down the beach and found some nice people who let us use their net for a bit. We found Angela Lewis and Pricilla Lima looking for a court as well, so we all joined up and practiced together. The weather was scorching. It was in the mid 90s and very humid. We got in a good sweat and then all went for a swim in Lake Michigan.
That evening, I ran a clinic for Hilton with Jenny Jordan and Annett Davis. There were about 40 kids that participated. We had fun teaching them the fundamentals and then watching them in action.
I was pretty tired after 3 clinics in 3 days, so I went back to the Hilton and crashed immediately after dinner. We were scheduled to play the 10:30 match on Friday morning. I will tell you all about the tournament, including the 4's competition, later today in the next post.
Thanks for reading!
Angie
My sister and I flew to Indiana last Friday to surprise my mom for the weekend. She thought she was talking to me from the 405 freeway until I told her to turn around. She saw us and burst into tears. We spent a great weekend hanging out with family and friends.
On Tuesday, Jeff Nygaard, John Hyden, and Brooke Hanson arrived for the clinic and exhibition at Spikes Beach Bar and Grill in Warsaw, Indiana. We had a good turnout of middle school aged girls and younger because the Indiana High School rules do not allow camps or clinics for players once the season has started. It was a hot day and the sand was blistering. The kids were great. They tried their hardest and had a lot of fun. When it was over, they were cooked! There were lots of red faces from the sun and from working hard.
We then played a co-ed exhibition match with Brooke and Jeff playing against me and John. Then the four of us played against Spike's best four. It was a great evening for all.
Wednesday morning, I took Brooke and Renee Nygaard (Jeff's wife) out on a Jetski or 'Water Harley', as I like to call it. All three of us were holding on for dear life as I raced us through the lake at speeds reaching 58 miles per hour! We took turns driving and laughed our way to a great Ab workout. We would stop to jump in the lake when we were laughing so hard we couldn't stand it anymore.
That afternoon, Brooke and I took off for Chicago to put on another clinic for some adult friends at Montrose Beach. It was a small, intimate clinic with about 25 people in attendance. We had fun meeting new people and sharing with them the love for the sport of beach volleyball.
Thursday morning, we went to the site for practice and could not find a court. We decided to walk down the beach and found some nice people who let us use their net for a bit. We found Angela Lewis and Pricilla Lima looking for a court as well, so we all joined up and practiced together. The weather was scorching. It was in the mid 90s and very humid. We got in a good sweat and then all went for a swim in Lake Michigan.
That evening, I ran a clinic for Hilton with Jenny Jordan and Annett Davis. There were about 40 kids that participated. We had fun teaching them the fundamentals and then watching them in action.
I was pretty tired after 3 clinics in 3 days, so I went back to the Hilton and crashed immediately after dinner. We were scheduled to play the 10:30 match on Friday morning. I will tell you all about the tournament, including the 4's competition, later today in the next post.
Thanks for reading!
Angie
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