Germany - Days 3, 4, and 5

Our first day in Germany, we visited the Army Base, Katterbach in Ansbach. We stayed in the Army Lodging hotel, Franconian Inn, on base. We put on a clinic for the sons and daughters of the soldiers in the afternoon at a nice beach court near a little lake just off base. It was a beautiful day and the kids were once again, so polite and excited to be there. After the clinic, we put on a short exhibition. Jeff, Ty, Brooke, and I played a King of the Beach format with games to 11. Then Brooke and I partnered up with soldiers to play a game. All in all, there were about 30 people in attendance. Everyone had a great time and we enjoyed their wonderful hospitality.

After it was over, we had a great dinner at a German restaurant in downtown Ansbach with Mark, our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) host and his family. We were all excited to try authentic German food. I tried a bite of schnitzel and strudel, had a hefeweisen and ate a roast chicken with bulgur as my meal. It was great visiting with Mark and his family and hearing all about what goes on year round at the Germany base. His wife and two daughters were with us and shared what life is like for them living overseas.

The next morning, we woke early to get in a workout before heading to the next base in Bamberg. We did not know what the day had in store for us, so we wanted to get in a good workout while we had a chance. I did a cardio session and then went back to the hotel to pack. We had a two hour bus ride to the next base. Once we got there and checked in, we were told that no one was signed up for the clinic. We were on our own to do what we would like.

We took a tour of the facility and were amazed with its enormity. It was bigger and much nicer than your typical gym. Everything was very clean and well taken care of. I got in a great footwork and agilities workout before heading into the weight room. Then we took a little break to see if anyone would show up for the exhibition. When no one arrived, we went out to the sand courts and got in a great practice.

After our day of working out, we went into downtown Bamberg. We toured around a bit and did some sight seeing. It is a gorgeous city with lots of old churches and beautiful buildings. We had dinner at an outdoor café, and then went back to the hotel. I had trouble sleeping for the first time. I fell asleep right away, but woke in the middle of the night for a few hours and could not fall back asleep. Hopefully that is the only time that will happen.

We just arrived at Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg. It is the US Army Europe Headquarters. We checked into our rooms and now we have a little time to ourselves. We are going into the downtown area to check it out.

Tomorrow is up in the air. We are trying to pull together a clinic and exhibition, but not sure if it will happen or not. If we do not have the performances, we will still practice and maybe people will drop by to check us out. Then we can at least talk to some military families and bring a little out of the ordinary into their day.

The timing of our trip in Germany has not been conducive to visiting the soldiers. All the bases we have visited so far have been on leave. Most have recently returned from or are about to leave on a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan or Iraq and are off base on vacation. We have encountered a few soldiers, but the participation has been mostly by their families. It is difficult on the family members to say goodbye to a parent, husband, or wife for 15 months and not see them the entire time. The communities pull together to get jobs done and help each other out. They develop close relationships and have a tight community. It is clear how much love and respect these families have for one another. It is wonderful and comforting to see.

I am so happy to be here and hope that we can positively affect as many lives as possible.

More later!

Angie

First Stop - Venice/Vicenza, Italy

After a really long day of travel, we made it to Vicenza, Italy. We arrived in the afternoon, so had some free time to visit Venice which is one hour away. We jumped on a train to get there. We had dinner then toured around the city until the last train of the night. I had been up for 41 straight hours so was quite ready for a good nights sleep.

The next day, we gave a clinic to the families of the troops living on the base. We had about 20 kids get involved. They had a great time and we got our eyes opened to just how well these kids are raised. They all were extremely polite and very respectful. It was really great to see.

After the clinic, we got in our own workout at the gym. Then we wondered around the base and found the commissary (grocery store) and stocked up on some snacks.

Later that evening, we played against the Vicenza volleyball team. They were really great sports. They wanted us to play hard, so we played pros versus Army. We unleashed on them and won 21-3, 21-3, 21-2. They were a little shocked, but then we mixed the teams up and played with them to form more competitive teams. We played a few more games before wrapping it up and visiting with them for a bit.

It was a great evening getting to know these wonderful people. The soldiers had just returned from an 18 month deployment in Afghanistan, so they were happy to be "home" at Vicenza. We were thrilled for the opportunity to hang out with them and thank them for their commitment to our country.

Immediately after the exhibition, we went to dinner at a great little Italian restaurant, just as a massive lightning and hail storm blew threw. It was pretty spectacular. After dinner, we had an hour to pack up, shower, and get on the bus.

We took the bus from Vicenza to Ansbach, Germany which was a 12 hour ride by bus. I slept 10 hours of the trip, so it flew by for me. Our bus is great. We have beds, a television and dvd player, fridge, food, etc. We are having a great time!

We are in Germany now and will be here for the next week. We have a clinic and exhibition scheduled for today. We are off to eat, so I will write more later!

Angie

San Diego and a Great Big Trip!

I have so much going on right now this is going to be straight to the point. San Diego was a single elimination tournament. There is definite pressure in that format. There is no room for a bad match because you will be eliminated. Holly and I had a great tournament, but I do admit I was disappointed.

Our first match on Friday, we played against a young San Diego team and won in two sets. We were the 6th seed of the tournament, so we played pretty late in the afternoon. I just stopped taping my ankle from my injury in Hermosa and was a little nervous to play without it wrapped. I did not have my calf wrapped either. Many people commented on how they did not recognize me because I did not have my "mummy" costume on! It was bizarre! After many many weeks of all that tape I did feel a bit naked. Regardless, I made it through. In a single elimination tournament, that first win automatically puts you in a 9th place position. We won that match and were finished playing for Friday.

Saturday we faced Lewis/Lima to get into the 5th place position. We played patiently and aggressively to beat them. I have talked about this team before, but they are a great team and have the ability to pull off upsets. They beat Davis/Jordan several times over the past two seasons. I am really curious as to how they do it, because I have had no luck beating Davis/Jordan! We won in two sets advancing to the next round.

Our next match was against Fontana/DeNecochea. We beat them the first time we played them in Atlanta, then lost to them in a heart-breaker in Boulder. We were determined not to lose to them again. This was the match of the tournament. We got killed in the first set 14-21. We were inconsistent and did not take care of our opportunities. We made a few adjustments and bounced back to win the second set. The third set was incredible. There was one spectacular play after another. We were neck and neck the whole way. The intensity was incredible. Not one of us four athletes was going to give in. We all fought with everything we had. Holly and I dug deep and found a determination that we had been looking for all season. We served 9 or 10 times for the match before we actually won it! We stayed patient and aggressive and found a way. It was exhilarating to fight so hard and come out with the victory. I was so happy! The win got us to the semi-finals!

That night, I was exhausted. We only played two matches, but the emotional intensity of that second match really wore me out. I slept well.

Sunday we played Davis/Jordan to get to the Finals. The first set, Nettie served five aces. Four of the five were tricklers over the net. There is absolutely nothing you can do to defend against it. It is a lucky play that you rarely see. Four times in one game is unheard of. We lost the first set 16-21. Give us back those aces and I think it's a different story. We fought back to win the second set 21-19. Unfortunately, we fell behind in the third and could not stop them. Jenny was on fire. I did not do enough at the net to affect her and she just bombed away. We lost 11-15.

I am disappointed that we did not make the Final. This was a tournament that I truly believed we would/could win. Although we played great, I wanted more. I am not satisfied.

Now we have three weekends off before Cincinnati. I have a huge trip planned which I am so excited about. I leave tomorrow for Italy, Germany, and Kosovo. I am traveling with Jeff Nygaard, Brooke Hanson, and Ty Loomis. We are going to visit US Army bases and give exhibitions, clinics, and hang out with our Troops. I have been working on this trip all year with our production company, AKA Productions. Now it is finally here and I could not be more excited!

So many people have been wonderfully generous by giving us all sorts of give-aways for the Troops. Crocs, Bud Light, FUBAR, Cuervo, Oakley, The AVP, Martha Gibbings, Steve Owen, and Matt Gage gave me wonderful gifts to leave at the bases. I know the Troops will be excited and very appreciative.

I will be blogging from the road, so be sure to check back often. We are scheduled to visit around 8-10 different bases across Germany, Italy, and Kosovo for the next 2 weeks. It will be an incredible trip!

Now I have to get back to packing, so the next you will hear from me will be from the road!

Peace!
Angie

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

Brooklyn

We just returned from the hot and humid east coast. Holly and I had a strong showing in Brooklyn, but still did not manage to pull off any upsets. We played much better individually and as a team in Brooklyn. It was a good rebound from a sketchy, disappointing Chicago.

Brooklyn was great with the exception of the sand. We were constantly pulling up sharp pieces of glass and debris. Within the first 10 minutes of practicing, I had already cut my toe for the first of several times.

I spent the week leading up to the tournament in New Jersey visiting with my friends at Aurora Fitness Centers. As always, Vito and the crew welcomed me and my traveling companions, Jeff Nygaard and John Mayer. Vito served as our taxi service as well. It was fun spending time with such genuinely nice people.

The crew then became my most loyal fans sporting "Angie Akers" T-shirts and all! It was great. I also had some family members there that thoroughly enjoyed all the action.

Our first match on Friday was against the 25th seeds, Guerra/Ruen. We came out strong, played well, and won in 2 sets. Our next match was against the 24th seed who upset the 9th seed. I had the blocking game of my life! I started the match out with 4 blocks in the first 7 points of the match. I rounded out the day with 10 blocks in 2 matches. That was a huge improvement from the previous tournaments. The 2 wins secured us in 9th place and we were done for the day.

Saturday morning we faced May/Walsh. We fared much better this time than the last time we played them. We lost 17-21, 16-21, but we did some very good things in that match. That was our first loss, so we still had a chance to fight our way back.

In the contenders bracket, we faced Pavley/Polzin to get to 7th. We were leading most of the first set and had a 19-17 lead before I completely blew it. I admit I got nervous for some reason and tightened up. It was stupid and we ended up losing the first set. I pulled it together and relaxed and we were much better in the next 2 sets. We pulled away at the beginning and never looked back. We won 19-21, 21-14, 15-9.

Our next match was against Mason/Kropp to get to 5th. By this time of the day, it was super windy. We were on an outer court where the wind was very gusty. Serving and ball control were a huge factor in this match. We did a good job of controlling our side and we won in 2 sets, 21-17, 21-16. That was it for Saturday.

Sunday morning, we faced Turner/Wacholder to get to the semis. Although we played pretty well at times, we gave up too many streaks of points. Still there was a lot to learn from the match and we were happy that we bounced back from the disappointments of Chicago.

We had a great week of practice back in California and now we are all set to go in Long Beach starting this Friday. I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

All my best,

Angie

Chicago

We are in the heart of our season right now with several back to back tournaments. After leaving Boulder, I went home for 2 days before leaving for Chicago. I went out early because I had the opportunity to coach a few clinics at Montrose Beach.

I had an interesting trip out there. First, I was running late, as usual. My friend, Jamie, picked me up to take me to the airport. We got to the freeway when I realized I forgot my phone. I knew I couldn't live without it for 12 days on the road, so we turned back to get it. I got to the airport 45 minutes before my flight, but by the time it was my turn to check my bag, I had missed the cutoff by 2 minutes. My bags were small, so I decided to take them with me on board. I got through security and only had to throw out a few things like toothpaste and hair spray. Once I got to the gate, just in time to board, I was told that I could not bring two carry-ons on the plane with me. I had to check one of my bags. I was thinking, "Make up your mind!" So I checked the bigger of the two, the same bag that was lost coming home from Boulder which was returned to me just in the nick of time. Frustrated that I had to throw out my toothpaste and hair products for nothing, I boarded that plane and got comfy.

I arrived around the time the Cubs were finishing their game. I stayed in Wrigleyville with some good friends, Billy and Kathy, from the Ixtapa trip. My cab driver could not get me to their house because of the blocked roads, so I got out with all my luggage and walked. I got some interesting looks as I walked, luggage in tow, along the busy streets past the bars filled with Cubs fans.

The next day, I had some free time to sleep in and get everything together that I would need for the weekend. I found a Whole Foods (which I think should sponsor me for as much money and time as I spend in their stores across the country!) I did three newspaper interviews, one radio show interview, and then got in a light workout before I coached a clinic that evening. It was fun to meet some new people and get them excited about the tournament coming to town.

Thursday, I got up early for a CBS morning news show appearance at the site of the tournament. After that, I stayed to help "coach/cheer" on my friends in the qualifier. Tony Akers, my long lost brother who is no relation at all, played with Jim Sias (team Cuervo leader extraordinaire). They met for the first time an hour before their match and pulled out a very entertaining and competitive performance. It was really fun to watch.

After that, I went to X-Sport Fitness Club for an appearance with Real Water. We did our best to promote the water and inform people of why Real Water is not JUST water. It was a nice visit and then we went to Whole Foods, of course.

Holly arrived in the later afternoon, so we planned to practice at the site around 5pm. I had made the trip to the site a few times that week, each time taking 10-15 minutes. I did not realize that the Cubs game let out at 4:30 right when I was trying to catch a cab. I walked around trying to get someone to stop, but by 4:45 no luck. My friends called and just happened to be driving by so they picked me up and offered to drive me down there. Not only was the game letting out, but a huge storm was getting closer. Traffic was inching along and the rain was getting harder and harder. We made it to Lake Shore Drive and went about a mile in 20 minutes. We started seeing enormous lightning bolts. I knew we should not be practicing in the storm, but we still tried to get there. After an hour and still not there yet, I got a text from Holly saying turn around. I did not get to practice, but that was okay.

Jeremy and I stopped in to say hello to a few friends and then made our way to, you guessed it, Whole Foods. We grilled out at Billy and Kathy's and then went to bed early.

Friday, we played our first round match at 9:45 versus Guerra/Ruen. We played terrible. Everything was out of sync. We won in 3 sets, but it was not pretty.

Our next match, we played Mason/Kropp. We played much better in that match. We served tough, we passed and set well, we controlled our side of the net. That was the key for us. That was our last match on Friday. We would come back on Saturday morning to play May-Treanor/Walsh.

Our next match versus Misty/Kerri started out really well. We traded sideouts with them for awhile before they turned it up a notch. They do not make mistakes.... EVER. In my opinion, in order to beat them, you have to be willing to take chances. Sometimes those chances pay off and sometimes they result in errors. That day, our chances resulted in errors. We lost in 2 sets.

That was our first loss, but we were still alive. We had to wait a few hours before our next match because of the men's final. We played Fendrick/Roca later in the day. Unfortunately for us, we did not play well and they did. We had trouble in our sideout game and did not convert some crucial plays. We lost 19-17 in the third set. Talk about a heart-breaker.

Two weeks in a row, our tournaments have ended in heart-breaking losses to teams that we know we can and should beat. That wears on you. I know we can bounce back and I plan to do that this weekend in Brooklyn.

Sunday after the tournament, I could not bring myself to go to the site to watch. Instead, I went to the Cubs game with my family and several friends. We had a great time! It was a much needed escape from volleyball.

I stayed in Chicago until Tuesday. Jeff Nygaard, John Mayer, and I coached another clinic on Monday at Montrose Beach. It was a great turnout. We plan to do it again next year.

Now I am in New Jersey at Aurora Fitness Centers with my friend, Vito. He always spoils me when I come to town, so of course I love to visit! We are riding in his RPM cycling class tonight and will probably get our butts kicked! Then we head to Brooklyn tomorrow to get ready for the tournament.

After Brooklyn, we have two California events back-to-back. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again.

That's all for now... more after this weekend. Thanks for reading!



Angie

Magnificent Boulder

First I would like to start with the announement of some exciting news: FUBAR, an all-organic energy bar that is a big supporter of the US military, has joined my team of sponsors! I am so excited to work with FUBAR not only because they make a great tasting, all-natural organic energy bar, but also because of their stong military support. "Fueled Up Beyond All Recognition" is the name. Check out their site at www.getfubar.com.

Now for an update on my trip...last Tuesday evening, I flew to Denver because early Wednesday morning I would be making appearances for my sponsor, Cuervo. It gave me and Jeremy the opportunity to visit with some great friends in the area. We stayed with Tom, Joelle, and Selby Davenport for the night before things got crazy.

The next day, Cuervo sponsored a sand court to be built in downtown Denver as a promotion for our Boulder tournament. It was a huge hit. A street was closed off and there was tons of pedestrian traffic stopping by to play or watch. We were on a morning news program and then hung out to sign autographs and take pictures. The people stopping by just loved it.

That evening, I made my way to Broomfield with fellow AVP pros Jeff Nygaard, John Mayer, and Alicia Polzin for a clinic at the indoor beach volleyball center, The Oasis. We had a great turnout and had some fun teaching an adult clinic to about 40 players from the Denver/Boulder area.

After the clinic, Jeremy and I made our way to Boulder to the Miller's residence where we would be staying for the weekend. Our good friends, Doug and Patti Miller were gracious enough to host several of us players. It was a big slumber party. They hosted a BBQ on Thursday where we got to see several of our good friends from the Ixtapa vacation. Earlier in the day, Holly and I practiced at the beautiful sand court at Ron Snyder's house. We played against Ron and Leonard and had fun getting used to the altitude and dry weather.

Friday was the start of the tournament. We played later in the afternoon so we slept in and arrived at the site mid-morning. The site was Fulsom Field. It is the football stadium where the University of Colorado's team plays. The setup was incredible. There were 5 courts spread across the field. As a player, I thought the site was fantastic. We were provided with awesome facilities including a top of the line training room with an incredible staff. I worked with Valerie who gave me acupuncture on my ankle and helped me get the swelling out. Then Leila taped me up and got me ready to play. The entire staff was so friendly and ready to help in any way.

Holly and I cruised through our first match winning 21-5, 21-8. Because of the single elimination format spread across a three day tournament for the ladies, that was our only match on Friday.
Saturday late morning, we played Keao Burdine and Jen Snyder to jump from 9th place into 5th. We played pretty well and won in 2 sets, 21-15, 21-17.

The women were then put on hold until after the men's final. We rested up and got ready to play DeNecochea/Fontana. We were in the stadium immediately following the final. We started slow in the first set, struggling in all areas. We lost 19-21, but could have won. We pulled it together in the second to win 22-20. The third set, we gave up some early points and dug a hole for ourselves. We fought back from a 6-9 deficit and were tied 12-12. We lost 13-15 and were absolutely heart-broken. We gave a good fight, but missed too many opportunities. I am super bummed about the loss, but we have to rebound and get ready for Chicago. All of the teams will be back so it will be a full field again.

I must say, the Boulder crowd was incredible! I especially appreciate all the awesome people there cheering for me. I love Boulder/Denver and can't wait to come back next year! What a great place full of great people!

Thanks for following!

Angie