Itaparica, Brazil

I just returned from an amazingly wonderful, short trip to Itaparica, Brazil. It is a very small island off Salvadore. I was there with Holly McPeak to play in an exhibition match against the Brazilian team of Ana Paula and Leila.

From the moment we landed, we were treated wonderfully. We were brought to the island by helicopter and greeted at the Club Med where we stayed with coconuts with straws in them. It was heavenly. We were to play an exhibition match the next day, so we had about 24 hours to acclimate. We practiced for a bit to get our legs moving and blood pumping.

Then we played 4 on 4 and 6 on 6 with some of the other patrons of the Club Med. It was great fun. We taught the models that were there for a fashion show how to play. They were great sports and we had a good time with them.

The exhibition match was great. Neither side of the court was all that sharp, so it was a very close match. Each game was decided by just 2 points. We won the first game, lost the second, and then came back to win the third game. The crowd was really into it. Several people told us afterward that they were not sure if beach volleyball was like tennis where you have to be quiet. So after each point, there would be cheering and then you would hear the crowd go "shhhhhhh!!!" just as someone was about to serve.

After we won, we had the rest of the time to enjoy ourselves and mingle with the guests. They were so nice and treated us so well. We were spoiled. We got complimentary hair conditioning treatments, excellent authentic Brazilian food, several coconuts, and lots of great people to converse with. I even took my chances on the trapeze swing! It was great fun, but boy was I nervous.

All in all, it was the perfect little volleyball excursion in early December. Now that I am home, I start my workouts in the gym with Brooke. She is 3 weeks ahead of me, so I have some catching up to do. Thank goodness I love hard work!

FYI - I posted a few pictures from my recent trip to Hong Kong on my website. There are a few in the main Gallery and even more in the Members Only Gallery. Check them out.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Angie

No More Volleyball, but Lots of Fun

By pure luck of the draw, we had to play the other American team in the qualifier. It was very unfortunate because the level of play is not quite equivalent to the AVP. I strongly feel that both teams would have made a strong run of it if we did not have to face each other. As it turned out, we lost in a tight match, 18-21, 23-25.

So instead of sulking around, we decided to make the most of this trip and see all of Hong Kong. We still have 2 days left, but we have already seen many of the famous places. We went to the giant Buddha, which is 39 meters high sitting on the top of a mountain. It is a stunning sight. Then we shopped at the famous "Ladies' Market" in Mong Kok finding all sorts of great things. We also took the tram to the top of the Victoria Peak and took in the beautiful night scenery of Hong Kong. It is breath taking.

We have not yet decided what we will do today, but it is bound to be fun and exciting. I am really enjoying Hong Kong and all it has to offer.

It is so exciting to see another part of the world and experience their culture. This is definitely a place I would like to come back to.

That's all for now.

Angie

Hong Kong

I arrived last night in Hong Kong after a 14 hour direct flight from LAX. The flight was uneventful, but very long. I stayed awake the entire time so that I would not have troubles sleeping when I arrived. Hong Kong is 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. We left LAX at noon on Sunday and arrived into Hong Kong at 7:30PM on Monday.

I was exhausted upon arrival, but forged through until we got to our hotel at 9:15PM. I went to bed right away and had no problem sleeping the night through. We woke up early and had breakfast, then went to the site and practiced for an hour.

The accommodations here are great. The people are very friendly, our hotel is very nice, the food is excellent with a large range of choices, and the site is a 2 minute walk away. We are not playing on a beach, but in a park with 2 courts set up. The sand is great, the stadium is nice, and all is good.

After we practiced, Chrissy and I decided to check out the famous Hong Kong shopping. We went to a high rise department store and walked around a bit. Next we plan to find the open air markets and shop for the "touristy" stuff.

We have meetings tonight and then the qualifier is tomorrow. I am looking forward to playing! It feels like its been so long since the season ended. We just have to remember to be patient because we are not in "in season" shape. In fact, I am in "out of season" shape. Oh well. More than anything, we want to have a good time and do the best we can.

I am excited to be here in Hong Kong and feel so thankful that I am blessed with my abilities to play beach volleyball and have these amazing opportunities to see different parts of the world. Life is good.

All my best,

Angie

AVP Awards Banquet

Last night was the AVP Awards Banquet. It was a great night for the players as we celebrated the end of another season and recognized those athletes that stood out in their categories.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh were recognized as the Team of the Year, (NO SURPRISES THERE!) Misty swept the house for the second straight year in the categories of Best Offense, Best Defense, and MVP. Jenny Kropp won the Rookie of the Year Award and April Ross won the Most Improved Award.

I don't think there were any surprises, however, I really wish that the MVP Award could have gone to both Misty and Kerri. Players are allowed to vote for one person, so voting for the both of them was not an option for anyone.

Obviously, Misty deserves every award she gets, but I was really pulling for Brooke to get the Best Defense Award. Because I play with her, I get to see all of her amazing defensive plays up close and personal. I cannot tell you how many times this year I was just dumbfounded at the amazing plays that she would make over and over. The scary thing is that she had a bad knee all year. She just had it fixed and I am so excited to see how much better she can get when she is all healthy! It could be scary.

Another tournament popped up on my radar. I decided to make plans to go to Hong Kong for the FIVB Satellite Event. Brooke and I had planned on going together, but with her knee surgery, she decided it probably was not in her best interest to push it after just 7 weeks recovery. I think that was the right decision. I see no need rushing back in the off season, risking a re injury. I decided to still go and will be playing with Chrissy Zartman. I think Chrissy is a great player and I know we will have a lot of fun. We will not be training much for the event, as it is supposed to be our off season and rest time. However I have been playing once or twice a week, just for fun, helping out Rachel and Tyra as they get ready for the last FIVB event in Thailand. The weather has been so fantastic that I just cannot pass up the opportunity!

Speaking of weather, a heat wave is heading our way for next week! It is the middle of October and the temperatures are predicted to be 85 at the beach and 102 inland! I cannot believe it. I will have to schedule a lot of outdoor activities at the beach next week!

That is all for now. Have a great weekend!

Angie

I'm BACK!

The last few weeks have been great. I was able to spend some time with family and friends in Indiana, catch up on some rest and relaxation, as well as start tackling some chores around the house.

Going back to the Midwest was nice. We watched the Cubs beat the Pirates 13-8 at Wrigley Field, watched Michigan State beat up on our Irish at Notre Dame (BOO- that was not so nice!), and had lots of fun at my parents' lake house riding jet skis and tubing. The weather was fantastic! I got to eat my mom's cooking and had no dietary restrictions (which means YES, I ATE THE TURTLE BROWNIES!) Now I am back home and getting used to life in the off-season.

October is so beautiful here in LA. The skies are blue, the days are warm, and the nights are crisp. It is my favorite time of year here. I try to wake up around 7 every morning to start my day. I like to go to the beach for a run and swim in the ocean. Then I come home and start working.

For now, most of my work is all catch up. I have accumulated several piles around my house that are in need of organization. I intend to tackle each one and get organized. Besides that, I am on a committee with USA Volleyball where we are working to put a new Board of Directors in place. Lastly, I am trying to put together some new things for angieakers.com. There are lots of things to keep me busy this off season. I do not think I will get bored.

As for my workouts, I am taking time away from volleyball. I have not played since San Francisco. I do not plan to start playing again until the middle of November. My workouts are pretty relaxed right now. I am doing cardio, lots of stretching, some light lifting, and that is about it!

I will not be writing as much in the next few weeks, simply because there will not be much to write about. If something momentous happens, I will be sure to let you know. A few people have emailed me asking about the AVP Winter Tour. As soon as I know anything, I will be sure to write a post and let you know.

Thank you for continuing to read! I wish you all the best and hope you are enjoying life!

Angie

PS - Check out my sister's commercial debut! http://www.nike.com/g1/eu/index.jhtml?lang=1,1 She is the fast female runner!

San Franciso - Best of the Beach

This last tournament in San Francisco marked the end of the 2007 AVP season. It was great being in San Francisco where I lived just before making the decision to play Professional Beach Volleyball. Brooke and I started out extremely strong, winning our first 2 matches of the tournament, securing us in the Final Four.

The tournament consisted of the top 8 teams on the AVP tour with a double elimination format. We were the 7th seed coming in so our first round was against the 2nd seeds, Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh.

This was a really fun match. We always have a battle with this team. There was a great crowd, exciting rallies, and close games. We lost the first game 25-27. But we bounced back strong. We took game two 21-19. Game 3 was back and forth the whole way. We were down 13-11, but fought hard to stay in it. We fought off match point and came away with a 17-15 win. It was really exciting!

We then played Barbra Fontana and Dianne DeNecochea. We had lost to this team the previous 3 times we played them. We came out strong and dominated game one, winning 21-15. We had a slow start in game two and had to dig ourselves out of the hole. We were down by 6 or 7 points at the beginning, but really got the momentum toward the end of that game. We lost 18-21, but all the momentum was on our side. We came out firing in game three and won 15-9.

That was it for Friday. We were on a roll and really excited. We did not have to play until 5PM on Saturday night. We went to the site to watch all the matches that played into us. We saw EY/Nicole take down Wacholder/Turner in 2 games. Then they played Boss/Ross and won a hard fought match in 3 games. So we had to face EY/Nicole again!

The fans were crazy during this match. There were lots of hecklers. I had trouble siding out in this match and they let me know it. We lost the first game 21-11. EY was serving really tough which put us under a lot of pressure.

Game two, we came out and dominated. We served tough and got them into trouble. We got a big lead early in the game and had to fight them off. We won 21-16, but they had the momentum at the end. They took that straight into game three and won the match 15-8.

It is really hard to beat great teams two times in a row. Especially in the same tournament. They get really fired up and feel that they must get revenge, meanwhile you are doing everything you can to beat them again.

So our loss to EY/Nicole put us into the Bronze Medal match. We had to play Fontana/DeNecochea again! So we play 4 matches in a tournament, but only play against 2 teams. In a way, it was really frustrating. We came out really strong in this match. Brooke played really great defense. We battled back and forth, but could not hold steady throughout the match. We gave up stretches of points which killed us in the end. We lost 19-21, 17-21. I was really disappointed in my own play. My ball control was not very good. It was not the way I wanted to end the season. It would have been really great to end with a win.

I am going to choose to remember Friday as our end of the season. We beat two teams ranked above us. Besides May/Walsh, those two teams are the only ones that finished ahead of us... and we beat them on Friday! We finished 4th place out of the top 8 teams. I am proud of that.

There is so much this year that I am very proud of. Brooke and I went through so many ups and downs with each other this year. We stuck it out through thick and thin and ended up having a great season. In fact, it was the best season in both of our careers.

We are both sad that the year is over, but we are really excited to continue building our partnership for the years to come. We will take some time to rest, but then work really hard this off season to come back next year and pick up right where we left off.

We are considering playing in Hong Kong this November in an FIVB satellite event. I will keep you posted.

Jeremy and I are leaving this Thursday for Chicago. We are going to a Cubs game on Friday and then we are going to Notre Dame for the Michigan State football game. ND is struggling more so than ever, but we are still looking forward to seeing campus and visiting with friends. After that, we will visit with my family for a while before coming back to California.

Early October I will pick back up with my workouts and start building for next year. I won't touch a volleyball until November though. That will be the longest break from volleyball in my 6 year career! I think it will do me good.

Thanks for reading.

All my best,
Angie

Vegas Baby!

I just returned from 4 days in Las Vegas for the Gods and Goddesses of the Beach event. I was the alternate for day 1 of competition in case there were any injuries. Brooke and I finished the year tied for the ranking of 13th place. The top 12 go to the tournament, while number 13 is brought in to be the alternate. Misty May-Treanor pulled out of the tournament, leaving an extra spot in the main event. A similar situation occurred on the men's side. To determine which player would be in the main event and which would be the alternate, it came down to a coin flip. Brooke and Fred Souza won the coin flip, putting them in the main draw. Anthony Medel and I were the alternates. Being the alternate means that you must be at all the matches ready to play in the case that any player needs to pull out.

The tournament is a lot of fun. Players are put into pools where they play one match with each of the other players in their pool. At the end of the first day, the top 2 players from each pool advance into another pool. They play another round of matches with each player and from that, the top player advances to the Final.

Brooke did really well in her pool, winning 2 of her matches. However, she did not advance because her loss was in 2 games as opposed to the other girls' losses coming in 3 games. But, she was the top player to not advance (meaning she had the best record) so she became the alternate for day 2 of competition.

Kerri Walsh and Elaine Youngs came out of their respective pools advancing to the Finals. Kerri chose to play with April Ross, while EY chose Jenny Jordan. It was an exciting 3 game match which EY and Jenny won. EY has won many tournaments, but this was her first Goddess of the Beach title.

John Hyden and Phil Dalhauser advanced from the men's side. Phil chose Sean Rosenthal while John chose Mike Lambert for another really exciting 3 game match. John and Mike won making it John's 2nd ever beach victory and first time God of the Beach title.

The crowds were great for the competition. The energy at the Finals was really exciting. Geeter was amazing on the mic, as always. It was a really great event marking the near end of another fantastic year.

We leave on Thursday for San Francisco for the last event. Then it is officially the off season.

More later. Thanks for reading.

Angie

Cincinnati Recap

This has been the fastest season on record to me. We have played 16 events since April with never more than 2 weeks off. I cannot believe that the regular season is over.

We had our chance to make the Vegas tournament, as part of the top 12, this past weekend, but came up short by a mere 20 points. We were vying for the spot against Fontana/DeNecochea. We finished 3rd place and they finished 2nd place. All in all, a great tournament for us, but we did not play well against them which makes it a little bit harder to swallow.

Our path to 3rd place was interesting. It was a 24 team draw tournament, which meant that the top 8 teams had a first round bye. The men's final was on Saturday. There were only 6 courts, so the men started play at 8AM on Friday morning. The first women's matches were played at 11AM. We were scheduled to play at 2PM, but in reality, we started our match at 3:30PM.

It was a long, slow moving day. We were seeded 3rd coming into the tournament. Our first match was against Chara Harris and Brooke Langston. We won 21-13, 21-10. That was our only match on Friday. The win secured us in 9th place.

Saturday morning at 11AM, we faced Logan Tom and Nancy Mason. This was a back and forth battle. The match started with both teams trading sideouts. Then we took turns scoring runs of points. The other team would fight back to tie it up. We traded sideouts for awhile again, then we finally scored a point to take the first game win 28-26.

We jumped to an early lead in game 2, but could not hold on to it. We were up 10-4, but quickly gave up several points. They fought back to win the game 21-17, pushing game 3.

There was a distinct good side/bad side, which makes scoring points and siding out crucial when you have the good side. We were able to get the lead 11-9 when we took a side change going to the good side. They got the sideout to make the score 11-10 (still our lead). We took care of the next ball and went up 12-10. We got an ace for 13-10, then earned another point for 14-10. They got another sideout for 14-11 and we switched sides going back to the bad side. Fortunately we had a cushion, which made us a bit more relaxed. We got the sideout on the first serve and won the match 28-26, 17-21, 15-11. Well fought by both teams. The win put us into 5th place.

We had until 6PM before we would play our next match, so we went back to our hotel and relaxed for a bit. We were to face Holly McPeak and Jen Fopma. They beat Jenny and Annett earlier in the day.

It was a bit strange to sit for so long between matches, but thankfully I had an air-conditioned room to rest in. I watched a bit of football. Season openers are always fun and exciting, except when the Irish do not do well. I saw the first few drives of the game and then had to turn it off. My husband said that Lou Holtz always told the guys if on your game day, you play later in the day, go ahead and watch the other games, but do not get emotionally involved in them. Doing so will take more out of you than you think. I could feel myself getting excited and anxious after only a few minutes, so I decided to turn it off. I picked up my book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and read.

After a few hours, I went back to the site to get ready for our match. I felt great. It was only our 3rd match of the tournament, so we were fresh and excited to play. We came out strong and ready to have some fun. It was an exciting match from a defensive standpoint. Holly and Brooke were digging machines. They both made spectacular play after spectacular play. We came out on top 21-17 in game one. We had the momentum and ran with it in game 2. We won 21-9 and made our second final-four appearance of the year.

We were feeling really good, only playing 3 matches in 2 days. Our next match was at 12:30PM on Sunday. We were to play the winner of Tom/Mason and Fontana/DeNecochea. That match was intense. I sat and watched the whole thing, which was probably not the best idea. I spent a lot of energy getting involved with the match. I knew it meant a lot. If Tom/Mason won, we were in for Vegas, but if Fontana/DeNecochea won, we would have to knock them off ourselves in order to earn the spot. Tom/Mason had match point in game 3, but ran out of steam. Each game was decided by only 2 points with the third game ending 21-19 in favor of Fontana/DeNecochea. We then had 30 minutes until our match.

We came out flat while they came out on fire. We had a lot of trouble putting the ball away against the big block of DeNocochea. It felt like we got killed, but the scores were somewhat close. We lost 18-21, 17-21. I am really bummed that we did not play our best. I believed that we would make another final at this tournament. Anything less was a bit disappointing.

On a much brighter note, our seed going into next season is going to be great! We finished the season strong, which was our goal. We made the San Francisco tournament and we are tied for the alternate spot at the Goddess of the Beach tournament in Las Vegas. Both tournaments will be a lot of fun. I am excited to go back to the Bay Area. I lived there for 2 years before moving to Southern California to play on the beach. I have not been back since and cannot wait to visit our old favorite spots.

Two more weeks remain on the AVP schedule and then its officially the "off season". I think I will keep busy with some new books, some experimental cooking, some football, and of course, lots of working out. I will most likely take about 2 months off of volleyball (which I have not done since I began playing!) If you have any great book recommendations, let me know. I just finished The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, for the second time and loved it. Now I am onto Harry Potter.

Have a great Labor Day weekend and enjoy the last bits of summer. I am off to the beach, not for work, but to relax and enjoy the day.

All my best,

Angie

Wise Words From Friends

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.

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

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

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

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

4 on 4 Beach Volleyball

This weekend's event in Chicago will have an interesting new addition to the doubles competition. There will be an all-women's 4 vs 4 exhibition/tournament. I am very excited to be a part of this new venture.

There will be 4 teams consisting of 4 players that will compete. If you are in the Chicago area and are planning to come to the tournament, the first round of 4s play will begin on Saturday. We will play one match and the winners will then compete against each other before the women's doubles Final on Sunday.

We are hoping that it will be a great success. This would be very important for our sport. If it succeeds, it will create more opportunity for female volleyball players. Many times great indoor players come out to the beach and get intimidated because it is so different from the indoor game. It takes literally months to get used to all the external factors like the sand, the wind, only having one teammate, and so forth. The 4s game would be an easier transition because it more closely resembles the indoor game.

Chicago will be a test market. If it gets a really good response, hopefully there will be more competitions. It would be fantastic if it led to a rise in the 4s game and brought it back to the popularity that it was at years ago.

Here is a little inside information on my team. Our setter is Brooke Hanson (my doubles partner), our middle blocker is Dianne DeNecochea, and Angela Lewis and I will play the outside positions. I am really looking forward to competing alongside these great players!

The doubles tournament starts Friday at North Avenue Beach in Chicago. Play will continue Saturday and Sunday. Check out http://www.avp.com/ for more info.

I hope to see you at the beach!

Angie

Seaside Heights Recap - JULY 9, 2007

Seaside Heights turned out to be a great tournament with all things considered. We were back on a real beach with deep sand, had a true on-shore (sometimes off-shore) breeze, and amazing fans that were really excited to have us back.

I noticed a few things about Jersey that are very interesting to me. First, you are charged to do everything from accessing the beach to showering off after leaving the beach. I was cracking up listening to the announcements on the boardwalk while we were playing, "there are showers located at ??? for just $3!" The boardwalk is always a source of entertainment. It is jam-packed with vacationers and a sure-thing to see something interesting. From the arcades to the amusement rides to the bars, there is always something to see.

This year, the tournament was north of all the rides and life of the boardwalk. It was a great location with a steady flow of people coming in and out. The weather was just short of fantastic with a swirly breeze on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were amazing.

We started our play on Friday a little shaky. We did not play our best or even close to it. In fact, we down right stunk on Friday. Thankfully the tournaments are double elimination so we were fortunate enough to have another chance on Saturday. Our first match on Friday was against Chrissy Zartman and Tiffany Rodriguez. For those of you that do not know who Chrissy is, she is a young rookie out of UCLA that is 5'3 and good! She is sweet as can be AND is very talented. It is deceiving to play against her because your first thought is that you do not want to hurt her but then she comes up with some great dig and then you think, "Ok! You asked for it!" We learned that the first time we played her when the first game score was 31-29. This tournament we knew better, so we did not hold back. We won in 2 games 21-13, 21-13.

Our next match was against Ivy/Lowe who have turned out to be our season rivals. It was the 6th time we have played them. We were not present in this match. Not to take anything away from them, as they played great, but we were not there. That was our last match of the day on Friday. We went to dinner and regrouped, getting ready for Saturday.

Our first match on Saturday morning was in the stadium against Angela Knopf and Katie Mintz. They played us tough in the first game. We had a big come-from-behind victory in game 1. We were down 11-15, but then went on a scoring run and finished out the game winning 21-18. I do not remember many details like how we got down that much, but I do remember that once we 'decided' that we were winning, it was over. We played with a different determination and confidence than the first 11 points we earned. That play put us in the groove for the rest of our tournament. We won the next game 21-15 and secured 13th place.

Our next match was against Brittany Hochevar and Kaeo Burdine. We were on an outer court with a bit of wind and took full advantage. We dominated in this match with tough serving and smart defensive plays. We won convincingly 21-14, 21-14 putting us in 9th place.

Because we had lost our second round match, we were in the unfortunate position of matching up against the number 4 seeded team of DeNecochea/Fontana. This was a heart-breaker to lose, especially with the battle we put forth. The scores were 27-29, 24-26 in a 1:06 long match. That is very long for a two set match. We had an early lead, but could not keep it. We traded sideouts for awhile, then each team would get the advantage. We had a few swings for the game, but didn't earn the point. Game two we were down 10-4, but made a quick turn-around and got right back into the game. The disappointing thing is that we could have won. The really exciting thing is that we are neck and neck with the best teams on our tour.

Now we go to Rio where we will compete for a medal in the Pan Ams. That will be a great prepping ground for the rest of the season. The remaining AVP events are all double points and more prize money. We will come back from Brazil ready to play our best ball of the year and finish with the exclamation point!

It's all a journey and I am enjoying every step of it. I am researching the links for the Pan Am Games. When I find them, I will post them on my website. Follow our progress and feel free to send me messages!

All my best and GO USA!

Angie

Back to Civilian Life - THURSDAY - JULY 5, 2007

I am sitting in a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel business center writing right now. My 4th of July was spent flying from LA to New Jersey. I was picked up from the airport by my good friend, Vito, who runs the awesome, women-only athletic center, Aurora Fitness in Richfield, New Jersey. Vito took me to dinner and today will drive me down to Seaside Heights for our tournament.

We are finally back on a beach after playing so many parking lot events in a row. Our bodies will be happy again!

This has been a tough week for me to mentally get ready for this event. I returned from Kosovo where I had a life-changing experience. The reality of being home after that trip was tough. It was such an emotional time and to be brought back to preparing for an event seemed trivial. I worked through it the best way I know how: focusing on one thing at a time. Now that I am here in Jersey, I am excited to get back on the court and compete. This is a good lead into the Pan Am Games where we hope to bring home a medal. I leave straight from Jersey and will go to Washington for 2 days before leaving for Rio. Three weeks on the road, but the time will fly by.

I am trying to track down the website where you can follow our progress at the games. Once I find it, I will post it here and also on my website. I will make my best attempt at giving you a tournament recap before I leave, as well.

That is all for now. I have to go pack and get ready for the drive down to Seaside. I hope you all had a very happy and safe 4th of July.

Angie

Kosovo - Day 3 - SATURDAY - JUNE 23, 2007

I had every intention of writing in my blog every day while on the trip, but obviously I failed miserably. I did take notes so that I could write about all the details without missing anything.

First I need to finish my last blog entry. I will do that right now. (The computer was set all in German, so I had no idea what I was doing.) I think the last thing I talked about was the NATO base and Hans and Ty doing most of the playing. Well after we played we wanted to track down more Americans, so we went to the American bar. There were only a few people in the bar until the Irish soldiers got kicked out of their own bar and made way to the American bar! They were CRAZY!!! Not to mention that they told us they just returned from a 4 month long assignment and were going to tear it up. They were showering Jen and me with attention. They were picking us up and swinging us around, flexing their muscles for us... we laughed the whole time. One picked me up and started twirling in circles as fast as he could while my feet were knocking over every glass, beer bottle, and table in sight! That was when we decided it might be a good time for us to leave. We made our way back to Bondsteel for a late night dinner and then bed.

Now for Day 3. Jen and I had been 'hinting' (really I mean down right begging!) for a ride in the Blackhawks. Our request was working its way up to the top to see if it would be allowed so we had set up a tour with all the pilots of the helicopters. We did not get a ride, but we did get the most extensive, hands-on tour of the birds that we ever could have asked for. The pilots were extremely disappointed that they could not take us up, but they gave us an amazing tour of their aircraft. We started at the Blackhawks. I jumped into the pilots seat and was given the full rundown on how to fly it, what all the gadgets do, etc. It was very impressive. The pilots were so nice to us and spent a fair bit of time telling us all about their birds.

We left there and visited the Apaches. Once again, I jumped into the pilot seat and was given an extensive tour of all the components on the Apache. I had the helmet with the night vision on, I was shown how to lock in on targets, fire the guns, and so so much more. It was amazing. After our visits there, we met up with the Med-Evac pilots and crew. They showed us their Blackhawk and all the medical equipment on board. We talked with them for a bit but then had to leave to get ready for our exhibition.

We had a great turn out at Bondsteel. We started with a co-ed exhibition of Hans/Jen versus Ty/me. Unfortunately, Hans and Jen won, but I do believe there will be a rematch in the works. Ty and I just need a little practice together. After that game, Jen and I sided-out versus all the troops that wanted to play. Hans and Ty made rounds visiting with people and also taking over the role of announcer. They gave an amusing play-by-play and kept things moving along. We had a competition to 11 points. If they scored a point on us, they got to stay on the court. If we sided-out, they had to rotate. We played for awhile before we got our winners, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Once that was finished, everyone that still wanted to play jumped on the court with Hans and Ty and got to play along-side them. We had to wrap things up after a few hours in order to get over to the radio station where we recorded some public service announcements. We had a really good time in the recording studio doing these. Jen started quoting a Saturday Night Live skit that had me dying laughing. Of course I went along with it. After that we went back and ordered Thai food with a few of the troops. We had a great time telling and listening to stories.

This trip has had such a profound effect on me. It is really hard to convey my thoughts and feelings so that in reading this you truly understand what this trip has meant to me. It is a huge eye-opener to be on base and see the daily life of what our troops go through. They are not there for 2 and a half days. They are there for 11 months. 11 months without their families, friends, and all the luxuries that we have living here in the States. They are lonely and bored. The thanks that we received was so over-whelming. I had no idea that we would or could make such a positive difference for them. Some of the emails that I got put me in tears. I found it very difficult to leave. Saying goodbye was tough because I wanted to give so much more. I am already trying to organize my next visit overseas.

I ask that you all keep our troops all over the world in your thoughts and prayers. Many people do not know that we still have a presence in Kosovo, but we do. Please do not forget them. I send all my love to Bondsteel in Kosovo and thank every one of them for their service to our great country.
Peace and love,
Angie

KFOR - Kosovo Force - Day 1 - THURSDAY - JUNE 21, 2007

Yesterday may have been one of the greatest days in my life. We visited with soldiers all day. I woke up at 7AM for a quick workout before breakfast. After that, we met with troops on base working on the Hum-Vees. We chatted with them for a bit and took some pictures. Then we left for the day to visit the troops that are stationed out for patrol across Kosovo. These guys sleep in tents for weeks at a time. It is mosquito infested, hot, and boring for them. There is not much going on in the region, which is fantastic, but these guys are bored and homesick. Our first stop was at a site close to a small town. It did not take long to get there. Most of the men were sleeping because they had just finished a night shift. We did not stay long here. We signed some autographs, took pictures, and shook hands. They were tired and the day was heating up. We said goodbye and moved on to the next site.

The next one was very interesting. It is located far out in the middle of what seems like nowhere. These guys were a little more alert when we arrived so we stayed a bit longer. I talked sports with a few of the guys and really had a chance to connect with them. Meanwhile, inside the tent the medic was giving Jen an IV. I am not sure if he needed more practice or if he just thought she was a pretty girl in need of some extra electrolytes. We visited and learned more about their life there while this was happening. We signed autographs and then took them out to play a little volleyball game that we call "ASS". Everyone stands in a circle and if the ball comes to you and you screw up the play, you get a letter. The first one out has to stand against the wall while the others get to throw the ball at them. It was really funny playing this with these guys. They were so into it. When we finally had our "ASS", they lined him up against the tent and then they had me spike a ball at his back! Of course, I crept in so I wouldn't miss. We all had a good laugh and then we had to go. The appreciation that they had for us was overwhelming. It is an incredible feeling. I wish we could have stayed longer.

We then drove by a Catholic Church where Mother Teresa got her calling. There is a famous statue of the Black Madonna in the church. The story is that the statue was white, but one day, overnight, she turned black. It is known to be a place of miracles. The views from the church are incredible. The countryside is stunning. We took more pictures then headed to lunch.

Of course no one we were with can read any Albanian, so the menu was pointless. We did the best we could to order something we wanted to eat. I was safe ordering chicken breast, while some of the others ordered steak and were quite positive that it was not cow. I really don't need to know what it was.

After lunch we visited the NATO base for the volleyball exhibition. Unfortunately, the courts were not taken care of and were as hard as concrete. We waited for 45 minutes while they attempted to improve the court. It was good enough, so we started to play around with the troops. There were only about 8 participants. Most were from other countries. We had a good time playing with them. Hans and Ty did most of the playing because they seemed less phased by the hard surface than both Jen and me.