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