Going Strong in the LBC!

It was a fantastic weekend in Long Beach for me and Holly. We had a great week of training and played some of our best ball of the year. I was a bit scared after our match on Friday because I strained my calf, but the medical staff worked extremely hard to keep me together.

The tournament was a 24 team draw. We were the 8th seed, so we had a first round bye. We played the 9th seed, Mason/Kropp, after they won their first match of the tournament. We started out very shaky in the first set. We lost but stayed confident that we knew what we had to do to win. We turned it around in the second and third set and won the match, getting us to 9th place. I did not know my calf was going to be an issue going into the match, but half way through it started acting funny. I was so relieved that we won the match and were finished playing for Friday.

I spent the next few hours in the medical tent getting worked on. After that, I went home and relaxed on the couch, did my usual Whole Foods run, and watched a movie.

We had May/Walsh next round Saturday morning. I got to the site early and had my calf worked on again. We figured out a tape job that helped to support it. It felt much better with the tape on. However, the tape did not stick, so I had to take most of it off halfway through the match. We battled with them at the beginning, but eventually fell behind 9-12 in both sets. We found ways to score points, but so did they. We lost the match and were sent to the Contenders bracket.

Our next match was against the Lindquists. We lost to them the last time we played them, so we were excited to get our revenge. We played well. We were aggressive and patient, which is the key to beating that team. We won in two sets. That win guaranteed us in 7th place.

Next we faced Turner/Wacholder. We played extremely well, staying consistent and aggressive throughout the match. Holly was a digging and siding out machine! We served tough and got them into a bit of trouble. We won in two sets getting us into 5th place. That was our last match on Saturday. My calf was feeling okay. It got really tight toward the end of each match. I was happy that I could go home and rest it for the night. But first, I had to spend more time in the medical tent.

That evening, instead of making my usual Whole Foods run, I had dinner with my friends from Real Water and HIRO energy drinks. We had a fantastic dinner which was exactly what I needed after a long day at the beach.

The next morning, my calf feeling better than the day before, we faced Lewis/Lima. They were on a roll, having upset Davis/Jordan and then taking Branagh/Youngs to three sets, losing 13-15 in the third. We were ready. We stayed patient and aggressive, took care of our opportunities, and won in two sets! We made the semi-finals! I was very excited! However, we had to face May/Walsh again in order to make it to the Finals.

We played them in the stadium in front of a great crowd. We gave it everything we had, but it was not quite enough. There were many long, exciting rallies, but we just could not take them down. We were the closest we have been to them all year, losing 17-21, 18-21. I guess if you have a great tournament and lose to a team twice, it feels better that it is the best team the world has ever seen.

Our run stopped there, in 3rd place. It felt great and was a lot of fun. I am excited for next weekend! Today is devoted to rest, recovery, and getting this calf in good shape. Tomorrow we are back to work!

I want to say a special thanks to all my sponsors for their awesome support this year! Also, if you enjoy my website and are looking for a designer of your own, contact Max at Trimax Solutions. Trimax does a great job and can help you with all your IT needs.

More next week!

Angie