As we head into a new decade, New Year's resolutions and goals are the first thing that come to my mind. A few years back I wrote an article about staying focused and goal-oriented even through tough times. It seems relevant to share right now, so I am going to post it below. At some point, I will get around to reflecting on my 2009 volleyball season, but I am not quite there yet. This is what I have to share for now:
November 15, 2006
Staying Focused and Positive When Things Get Tough by Angie Akers
One of the hardest things to do as a professional athlete is to stay focused and positive when faced with challenging situations. Unexpected situations arise, both on the court and off, which challenge our beliefs in ourselves and in others. In order to rise above these situations, it is essential to stay in the right frame of mind.
What is the right frame of mind, you may ask. The answer is in our thoughts. We are what we think we are. I have always known that my mind is my strongest ally and if I train my mind to think great big thoughts, I will accomplish great big things! While at first this can be a very difficult and daunting task, once you get the hang of it, it is really easy and fun.
I have asked many successful people, such as Gold Medalists in different sports, NFL football players, and millionaires what they thought of themselves before they achieved their greatness. Every single one of them said the same thing: They knew what they would accomplish long before they ever did. They developed a belief system in themselves that was so powerful that they saw it to fruition.
I decided to put this method to use. There was a time when I was very frustrated with where I was. I was engulfed in negative thoughts and emotions. I was stuck feeling sorry for myself for all sorts of situations that came about. I made a conscious decision that I was going to change all that.
The first time this came clear to me was when a younger beach volleyball partner left me to play with someone else. I was filled with anger, sadness, and self-pity. I imagined that I had the perfect partnership, when in reality I was trying to put a positive spin on a negative situation. It took a few months to see that this move was actually a blessing in disguise. I gained the confidence in my own abilities as a leader on the court and was also able to develop a more intellectual aspect of my game. The lesson that I learned from that particular situation helped me to become a better player and a better partner. It is all in how you look at it! Once I figured that out, I realized that when one door closes, another one opens. Now I am anxious to go find that door and see what is behind it. I imagine great things behind that door and when things get tough along the way, I think that those situations are the preparation for what is to come.
This whole process started within me by simply changing my thoughts. As soon as a negative thought entered my mind, I immediately changed it to a positive one. If anything, it just felt better. I immediately saw a difference in my performance on the court, as well. I became a much more consistent player, even though my athletic ability did not change. I remember my inner dialog used to consist of things like, “Don’t screw this up!” and “I hope I don’t make a mistake!” Now I think, “I am going to complete this play just how I did 1000 times in practice.” Instead of fearing “crunch-time”, I thrive on it! I visualize myself making the winning play.
There are times when I come up short. I may have imagined a different outcome than the one I got. Instead of feeling like a failure, which is easy to do, I search for the lesson in it. Every situation has a lesson to learn. You only fail when you do not find that lesson. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize, but it is always worth it. All it takes is patience, an open mind, and some confidence. Once this is realized, the ability to remain focused and stay positive becomes second nature.
It is important to recognize that an optimistic approach to life is much more enjoyable and fulfilling than a pessimistic one. There is nothing more satisfying than creating your own way out of a difficult situation. If it doesn’t work one time, I reevaluate what steps I took and I learn from them. I have found many tools for gaining this confidence and belief in myself through books, tapes, watching and talking to others, and self-searching.
Knowing this, what does it hurt to stay focused, positive, and dream big when faced with a challenging situation? As a wise friend of mine says, “Why not reach for the stars? You just might get the moon!” The moon is pretty darn good!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Marseille, The Windy City!
France is amazingly beautiful. We arrived here on Saturday night after a week in Russia. The Mediterranean Sea is a gorgeous blue color and the coastline is hilly and dramatic. Beyond its beauty, the wind here is borderline insane. It MUST be the wind capital of the world.
When we arrived, we were told that the wind comes in three, six, and nine day cycles. We were at the very end of a three day cycle and there was no wind in the forecast. The first two days that we practiced it was not bad...just a normal “windy” day at Hermosa Beach.
Today is supposed to be our first match of the tournament. We were scheduled to play at 12 noon. We left our hotel and were on our way to the venue when we were told to turn back. The wind is howling and the venue is now dangerous because tents, sand, debris, and whatever else is flying everywhere. Good thing this tournament is stretched out over 6 days.
We have a meeting soon where it will be determined if play will resume today or not. It does not look good. The forecast is for more wind in the afternoon. So if that is the case, we are going shopping today!
We are sitting on edge ready to go for the next 2 hours and then we will know. Ugh.... the waiting!!! I am not sure that the next few days will be any better than today. You never can really predict Mother Nature here in the south of France.
Regardless, we will make the most of it. It has been a really fun roadtrip, although Tyra and I miss our husbands tremendously. We will return home soon enough. Just in time for Hermosa! We can't wait!
Angie Akers
Friday, July 17, 2009
Recap from Russia
Moscow was a pretty good event for us until we had to forfeit due to injury. Thank God it is nothing too serious. It definitely put a damper on the 5th place finish because we were playing well and that put an abrupt stop to it.
We finally won our pool by going undefeated. Our first match was against Australia. We were struggling, but managed to come from behind in the third and win the match. Then we played Germany, Banck/Gunther, and had another three set match. We lost the first set, but steadied out and gained control for the next two sets. The next day we finished pool play in the morning against Austria, Schwaiger/Schwaiger. We worked out our kinks by then and we were cruising.
(The site was right next to these beautiful fountains. People were swimming in them all day.)That afternoon, the single elimination started. Because we won our pool, we had a first round bye. We watched the match that played into us, Czech Republic vs. Ukraine. Czech pulled out a three set win that could have gone either way. It was good for us because we had played Czech twice this year already. We know them and know what we have to do against them. We had the rest of the day off to rest.
Friday morning we came out really strong and won easily in two sets, 21-16, 21-11. We then were able to watch the end of the Brazil vs China match that played into our bracket. China was up 14-11 in the third, but we said “this is not over!” and what do you know... Julianna and Larissa side out for 12, block for 13, ace for 14. China then sides out up 15-14. It was back and forth until Julianna and Larissa won 21-19. It was very exciting and fun to watch.
We were ready to play them. We were battling in the first set when I landed on Julianna's foot under the net. I jammed my ankle straight down. It did not twist, so I thought it was fine. I tried to continue playing, but landing on it was not good. We called a medical timeout and I got it taped up, but the tape did not help. We made a decision to forfeit because the quality of play dropped tremendously and we did not want to risk making it any worse.
Julianna and Larissa offered their Physical Therapist to me, and since Kelly (our USA therapist) was not with us in Russia, I took them up on it. They were very kind and I got great treatment on it right away. The prognosis is a ligament sprain in the back of my ankle. It is a tiny one, and thankfully it does not hurt except to land on it. I am being ultra cautious and icing and resting as much as possible.
We have 4 days off now while we travel from Moscow to Marseille. That will help us quite a bit. We leave Moscow today and will be in France for a week. On to the next stop! Three down, two to go!
Angie Akers
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Red Square, Ballet, Bolshoi
I have been without internet for the last 4 days, which has seemed like an eternity over here. In that time, we have traveled from Gstaad to Moscow.
We had three days in Moscow before checking into the Main Draw Hotel, the Korston. We stayed at a Marriott near Red Square. It was great to sleep in really comfortable, spacious beds for a few nights. By arriving so early before the event, we were able to master the subway system. It is very difficult to get around without knowing the language or alphabet. After the first day, we had our path down and could get around with relative ease.
We were early in Moscow, so we decided to truly get a Russian experience. First, we ate dinner at a Russian restaurant and had borscht (traditional Russian beet soup), wild boar with a port raspberry sauce and buckwheat with mushrooms and figs. It was delicious.
After dinner, we walked to Red Square and stood in amazement at the beauty of the buildings and St. Basil's Cathedral. Then we pulled out our cameras and started snapping away. It was late at night, so we could not go inside of the Cathedral. I can only imagine how impressive it is on the inside.
The next day, we ventured to the ballet to see Coppelia at the Bolshoi Theatre near Red Square. It was truly magical! It was such a unique, wonderful experience.
We enjoyed a champagne before the show and then took our seats and watched the incredible dancers do their art. I loved every second of it. 
The costumes were beautiful, the theatre was spectacular, and everything about the experience was incredible.
We had three days in Moscow before checking into the Main Draw Hotel, the Korston. We stayed at a Marriott near Red Square. It was great to sleep in really comfortable, spacious beds for a few nights. By arriving so early before the event, we were able to master the subway system. It is very difficult to get around without knowing the language or alphabet. After the first day, we had our path down and could get around with relative ease.
The subway system is extremely impressive. There are marble pillars, statues, and beautiful trimming all through the subway stations. Besides the extravagance of its appearance, we were also impressed by the depth of the railways. We took an escalator down for three minutes. I timed it because it was the longest escalator any of us had ever seen. We are at the half-way point in the picture.
We were early in Moscow, so we decided to truly get a Russian experience. First, we ate dinner at a Russian restaurant and had borscht (traditional Russian beet soup), wild boar with a port raspberry sauce and buckwheat with mushrooms and figs. It was delicious.
The restaurant itself was very neat inside. We walked down a set of stairs and it felt like we entered another time and place.
After dinner, we walked to Red Square and stood in amazement at the beauty of the buildings and St. Basil's Cathedral. Then we pulled out our cameras and started snapping away. It was late at night, so we could not go inside of the Cathedral. I can only imagine how impressive it is on the inside. The next day, we ventured to the ballet to see Coppelia at the Bolshoi Theatre near Red Square. It was truly magical! It was such a unique, wonderful experience.
We enjoyed a champagne before the show and then took our seats and watched the incredible dancers do their art. I loved every second of it. The costumes were beautiful, the theatre was spectacular, and everything about the experience was incredible.Our three day Moscow journey has ended and now we are back in tournament mode. We begin play tomorrow. We will find out soon who will be in our pool and then we will begin our mental preparation. We will watch video and focus in on our performance. Back to work!
The Manhattan Beach Open starts this coming Friday and we are so bummed to be missing it. It is very difficult on us to miss AVP events. We love playing on the AVP tour, but this is something we must do to not only improve our play, but to get the experience of competing on the international level. Trust me, we are very excited to return home and start competing "AVP style" soon!
Gstaad Recap
The Gstaad Grand Slam was not a great tournament for us. We started off really strong, but finished with a disappointing 17th place. Our last match of pool play was really close with the German team, Holtwick/Semmler. Then because we lost, we finished 2nd place and we had to play again a few hours later. Only the 1st place teams in each pool got a first round bye in the single elimination.
We drew an Italian team that we knew very little about. Watching them in warm ups was about the only scouting we were able to do. It came down to ball control. We lacked it and they had it. It really is as simple as that.
Rather than sit in a beautiful place and stew in it, Canyon took us on a little adventure. We captured most of it in the video below. Enjoy!
We drew an Italian team that we knew very little about. Watching them in warm ups was about the only scouting we were able to do. It came down to ball control. We lacked it and they had it. It really is as simple as that.
Rather than sit in a beautiful place and stew in it, Canyon took us on a little adventure. We captured most of it in the video below. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Back-Tracking to Stavanger, Touring the Fjords
Sorry to back-track a bit, but I finally have an internet connection that will allow me to download my videos. Here is our tour down the fjords. It was an amazing little boat trip and I hope you enjoy the "Tour Guide 101" video!
Gstaad - 2-0 in Pool Play, One More to Go!
Yesterday was the first day of play for the women in Gstaad. It rained sporadically throughout the day and was very cold. Thankfully, we did not have to play in rain. It stopped just in time for both of our matches.
Our first was against Mexico. We played a game and a half of great volleyball with a half a game of sub-par play. We won in two sets, but the second was much closer than it should have been. We were up 13-8 in the second then gave up quite a few points in a row. We figured out how to stop the bleeding and won 21-18.
Our next match was against Czech Republic. There was another break in the rain and out of nowhere was the biggest, brightest double rainbow we had ever seen. It was so vibrant and majestic. Everyone had cameras out snapping away, but we were playing so I could not take a picture. I will track one down and share it soon.
We played very well in this match. Both games were close until the technical timeout, but then we stepped it up and got a few aces, blocks, and transition put-aways which made them not so close.
Now we play against another German team, Holtwick/Semmler, at 3PM today. We need to win this match so that we get a first round bye into the single elimination part of the tournament. The winners of each pool get a first round bye which will guarantee at least a 9th place finish.
We will watch video this morning and get our game plan together. Then I need to do some laundry in our sink because the hotel charges $4 per article of clothing! NO THANKS!
Go USA!
Angie Akers
Our first was against Mexico. We played a game and a half of great volleyball with a half a game of sub-par play. We won in two sets, but the second was much closer than it should have been. We were up 13-8 in the second then gave up quite a few points in a row. We figured out how to stop the bleeding and won 21-18.
Our next match was against Czech Republic. There was another break in the rain and out of nowhere was the biggest, brightest double rainbow we had ever seen. It was so vibrant and majestic. Everyone had cameras out snapping away, but we were playing so I could not take a picture. I will track one down and share it soon.
We played very well in this match. Both games were close until the technical timeout, but then we stepped it up and got a few aces, blocks, and transition put-aways which made them not so close.
Now we play against another German team, Holtwick/Semmler, at 3PM today. We need to win this match so that we get a first round bye into the single elimination part of the tournament. The winners of each pool get a first round bye which will guarantee at least a 9th place finish.
We will watch video this morning and get our game plan together. Then I need to do some laundry in our sink because the hotel charges $4 per article of clothing! NO THANKS!
Go USA!
Angie Akers
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Rainy Day in Gstaad
Yesterday was our first full day here in Gstaad. It started off rainy and cold, but after it cleared, we practiced with EY and Nicole and actually all got sunburned. After practice, we stayed around and played foot-volley. We were laughing so hard at ourselves. The video at the bottom is a little bit of the action!
Today was the qualifier for Gstaad. Tyra and I got up early before they started play and practiced with EY, Nicole, Mike Dodd, and Shelda from Brazil. It was very cold so early in the morning, but we beat the rain which was really nice.
We have the day off until this evening when we have the technical meeting. There is a technical meeting before every FIVB tournament where they discuss particulars about the location, anything we need to know about the transportation available, as well as verifying that all the teams are present. They will also release the draw so we will find out who the other teams will be in our pool.
It has been about 52 degrees and raining all day long. The internet is sporadic, so I have not been able to get online to check the weather for the week.
We watched video in our room from World Championships and made some notes of some areas where we can improve. Then we walked to the courts and watched Mexico play Australia.
It has been a low-key, mellow day. Tomorrow will have more action to report.
That's all for now.
Angie Akers
Today was the qualifier for Gstaad. Tyra and I got up early before they started play and practiced with EY, Nicole, Mike Dodd, and Shelda from Brazil. It was very cold so early in the morning, but we beat the rain which was really nice.
We have the day off until this evening when we have the technical meeting. There is a technical meeting before every FIVB tournament where they discuss particulars about the location, anything we need to know about the transportation available, as well as verifying that all the teams are present. They will also release the draw so we will find out who the other teams will be in our pool.
It has been about 52 degrees and raining all day long. The internet is sporadic, so I have not been able to get online to check the weather for the week.
We watched video in our room from World Championships and made some notes of some areas where we can improve. Then we walked to the courts and watched Mexico play Australia.
It has been a low-key, mellow day. Tomorrow will have more action to report.
That's all for now.
Angie Akers
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Recap of World Championships in Stavanger, Norway
What an incredible experience the last two weeks have been. We got a great finish at the biggest beach volleyball tournament in the world for the year 2009! We struggled at times, but really rose up to the challenge at other times. It was such a great learning experience for us. I know that it will make us better as a team.
Our last day in Stavanger, I decided to be a tourist and went on a 3 hour boat ride down the fjords. I felt like I was in “The Lord of the Rings.” The scenery is breath-taking, astounding. I am not sure that the pictures do it any justice.
It was a perfect day for a boat ride and it made me feel at home since it was the 4th of July. There is no better way to celebrate the 4th than being on a boat on a warm, sunny day.
After that, I watched Matt and Casey play an epic match against the Brazilian team, Harley and Alison. It was the most “jawing” I have ever seen at a volleyball match. From the first few points, the testosterone was high and both teams were more than emotionally engaged. Matt and Casey dropped the first set, but won the second 37-35. All the Americans were cheering and going crazy for them. They were leading in the third as we watched one phenomenal play after another. The match lasted over 1 hour and 40 minutes and you could tell that both teams had given it everything they had. Unfortunately, Matt and Casey came up short in the end, losing 17-15. It was such a heart breaker for us to watch, I can only imagine how disappointed they were. We all were very proud of them for the incredible effort they put forth.
After that match, we watched Jen and April in the gold medal match against Julianna and Larissa of Brazil. Jen and April were incredible. April was absolutely bombing her jump serves, getting ace after ace or getting them in passing trouble. The girls looked aggressive and confident. They won in two close sets, which was very exciting for Team USA! Jen and April are the World Champs for 2009! It definitely makes me feel better that our loss in the tournament came at the hands of the World Champs.
More later!
Our last day in Stavanger, I decided to be a tourist and went on a 3 hour boat ride down the fjords. I felt like I was in “The Lord of the Rings.” The scenery is breath-taking, astounding. I am not sure that the pictures do it any justice.
It was a perfect day for a boat ride and it made me feel at home since it was the 4th of July. There is no better way to celebrate the 4th than being on a boat on a warm, sunny day.
After that, I watched Matt and Casey play an epic match against the Brazilian team, Harley and Alison. It was the most “jawing” I have ever seen at a volleyball match. From the first few points, the testosterone was high and both teams were more than emotionally engaged. Matt and Casey dropped the first set, but won the second 37-35. All the Americans were cheering and going crazy for them. They were leading in the third as we watched one phenomenal play after another. The match lasted over 1 hour and 40 minutes and you could tell that both teams had given it everything they had. Unfortunately, Matt and Casey came up short in the end, losing 17-15. It was such a heart breaker for us to watch, I can only imagine how disappointed they were. We all were very proud of them for the incredible effort they put forth.
After that match, we watched Jen and April in the gold medal match against Julianna and Larissa of Brazil. Jen and April were incredible. April was absolutely bombing her jump serves, getting ace after ace or getting them in passing trouble. The girls looked aggressive and confident. They won in two close sets, which was very exciting for Team USA! Jen and April are the World Champs for 2009! It definitely makes me feel better that our loss in the tournament came at the hands of the World Champs.
It is now Sunday and we are in Gstaad, Switzerland. We had a very early morning flight and arrived here this afternoon. It is currently raining very hard and is a bit cool... sort of what we expected in Norway.
Gstaad is a beautiful little village set in the mountains. It makes me think of The Sound of Music.
We begin play here on Wednesday. Our schedule will be much faster paced than it was in Norway. We are only here for 6 days before we head to Moscow.
Tomorrow we will practice and possibly do a little sight seeing. Right now, sleep is what I need, so off to bed I go!
More later!
Angie Akers
Friday, July 3, 2009
5th Place at World Champs!
(Tyra and Angie celebrating a big win over Goller/Ludwig of Germany.)I was extremely disappointed yesterday after our loss to Kessy/Ross, only because of the way sets two and three went down. We played extremely well in the first and then it all disappeared. I stewed in it for a long time and had trouble sleeping last night, but am now beginning to realize and understand that I can and will learn so much more from a loss like that to a team like that and it will only make me/me and Tyra better. That realization does not take any of the pain away, but it is helping me to move forward.
Don't get me wrong, I am extremely proud that in our second international event together, (my second FIVB ever), we finished 5th place overall. 5th place at World Championships...with all the very best teams in the entire world! Yes, I am very proud of that!
Now the tournament is down to three Brazilian teams and one American team. Jen and April play Ana Paula/Shelda to see who goes to the gold medal match. Go USA!
Now that this tournament is over for me and Tyra, we will take today off to recover. We plan to do our laundry, which has been piling up for 10 days now, do a little shopping, watch some of the matches, and then go to the player party tonight!
Our flight leaves at 8:30 tomorrow morning for Switzerland, so it will not be a late night for us. We go to Gstaad for one week. Canyon, our coach, is meeting us there, so we are very excited to see him again. It will be great to have him with us at this next Grand Slam event.
It is breakfast time, so I am going to sign off... but first I have to check AVP results from Day 1 of Coney Island! I am sure it was a great day at the beach and I look forward to hearing about it!
(I did not forget about posting the videos. It is not working right now for some reason. I will keep trying until I figure it out.)
All my best,
Angie Akers
Three American Women's Teams in the Top 5!
Here is a little view of the action from our match versus Goller/Ludwig of Germany. We won another nail biter in 3 sets!
I just spent the last two hours trying to download some videos, but it did not work for some reason. I will try again tonight after our next match. We are running out the door to go play Jen and April for a spot in the Semi Finals!
More later!
Angie Akers
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Single Elimination Starts Today
Tyra and I are excited to start this part of the tournament. We play at 5PM tonight against a small, but very scrappy and tenacious Canadian team. They are both around 5'6, but these girls can ball! We must play smart, ball-controlled volleyball on our side of the net. It will be a good challenge for us.
We keep talking about what would happen if these Canadian girls played Katie and Tracy Lindquist. We really want to see that match-up! We have asked several of the Americans who have seen both teams and everyone is split. It would surely be a very fun match to watch!
Unfortunately, Nick and Brad are matched up against Jake and Rosie so only one will advance to the round of 16. Big bummer when countries are matched against themselves at World Champs. They are playing right now as I am writing, so by the time you are reading this, the results will be in.
OK...gotta get ready to go kick some butt!
That is all for now...GO USA!!!
Angie Akers
We keep talking about what would happen if these Canadian girls played Katie and Tracy Lindquist. We really want to see that match-up! We have asked several of the Americans who have seen both teams and everyone is split. It would surely be a very fun match to watch!
Unfortunately, Nick and Brad are matched up against Jake and Rosie so only one will advance to the round of 16. Big bummer when countries are matched against themselves at World Champs. They are playing right now as I am writing, so by the time you are reading this, the results will be in.
OK...gotta get ready to go kick some butt!
That is all for now...GO USA!!!
Angie Akers
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Team USA
Norwegian fans of all ages are really into the volleyball action. I could not pass up this photo opportunity...his hat, his stance, his attitude... all so cute I had to take a picture. 
Here are the ladies of Team USA watching Nick Lucena and Brad Keenan play against Norway in the stadium. The boys won in two sets and will advance out of their pool.
After the day of play, we went out to dinner in town. On our way to the restaurant (at 9:45PM) we came across this hot air balloon. We watched as they filled it up and raised it in the sky. Pretty cool.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Norway! Not exactly authentic Mexican, but pretty close! At least they had a sombrero! It was my birthday, so I got to wear the "birthday sombrero." It was so much fun hanging with everyone.
Today we will go cheer on the USA teams that play today. We have the day off, but we will practice at 5PM. After that, they have the "drawing of the lots" to see who plays who and at what time.
After the day of play, we went out to dinner in town. On our way to the restaurant (at 9:45PM) we came across this hot air balloon. We watched as they filled it up and raised it in the sky. Pretty cool.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Norway! Not exactly authentic Mexican, but pretty close! At least they had a sombrero! It was my birthday, so I got to wear the "birthday sombrero." It was so much fun hanging with everyone.
Today we will go cheer on the USA teams that play today. We have the day off, but we will practice at 5PM. After that, they have the "drawing of the lots" to see who plays who and at what time. It is another beautiful day here. We packed our winter clothes because it is usually cold and rainy. We brought scarves, jackets, raincoats, hats, layers and layers of warm weather gear, but it has been in the 70s and sunny every single day! Perfect!
Coney Island starts this Friday and we are very bummed to miss it. If we were home, we would be flying there today. I am sure it will be a great event with some great competition. We will be following online.
We plan to celebrate the 4th of July with a big Team USA celebration. That is the last day of the event, so we can all relax a bit and have some fun.
We are heading out to the site now to cheer on EY/Nicole against the German girls. Maybe I will stop by and get strawberries while I am at it! ;)
More later!
Angie Akers
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Rough Day - video
Just a quick video to fill you in on the day. We just got back from a great dinner which took my mind off of volleyball for a few short hours. Now it is time to get some sleep and get back into it!
Angie Akers
Sunday, June 28, 2009
2-0 in Pool Play
We just played the French and had an absolute battle! We came through with a victory, but it was not pretty. I cannot even begin to count the number of "lets" that just trickled over the net, completely ungettable against us. It was really hard not to get frustrated. We had our chances to win the first set, but ended up giving it to them 25-23. I struggled siding out, but found my rhythm after that first set.
The second and third sets were not as close, but they continued to frustrate us with very scrappy defense and net tricklers. We won the second 21-17 and then went on to win the third 15-12. It was a big sigh of relief to get that win.
The match was at 7PM, which was a beautiful hour to play. It was another wonderful day, weatherwise, and the temperature was perfect for playing.
Tomorrow we have a day off, which is much needed. I plan to get a massage and treatment, but I will stay out of the sand.
We are having lots of fun with the other American athletes. All the boys and EY/Nicole play tomorrow so we will go cheer them on.
The second and third sets were not as close, but they continued to frustrate us with very scrappy defense and net tricklers. We won the second 21-17 and then went on to win the third 15-12. It was a big sigh of relief to get that win.
The match was at 7PM, which was a beautiful hour to play. It was another wonderful day, weatherwise, and the temperature was perfect for playing.
Tomorrow we have a day off, which is much needed. I plan to get a massage and treatment, but I will stay out of the sand.
We are having lots of fun with the other American athletes. All the boys and EY/Nicole play tomorrow so we will go cheer them on.
Here is a glimpse at what the sky looks like at 1AM. Pretty amazing.
More from Norway tomorrow!
Angie Akers
Day 2 of Competition
Yesterday was our day off, but we had a pretty full day of gym, practice, treatment, and watching other matches. The weather has been rediculously wonderful so we have enjoyed being outside as much as possible. 
This is Kelly, our Physical Therapist, in action. Service with a smile!
Anyone recognize the good-looking guy in the middle of me and Tyra? We were surprised to walk off our court after practice and run into Misty's father, Butch May. We felt like we were back home in Southern California!
This is Kelly, our Physical Therapist, in action. Service with a smile!
Here is a quick glimpse of the stadium from the first day of competition. The crowds have been great.
We are about to head to breakfast and start our day. We play France at 7PM tonight.
More later,
Angie Akers
Friday, June 26, 2009
First Day of Competition
Our match was scheduled for 6PM so we slept in. Had breakfast around 9:30 and then made our way to the courts for practice. We moved around with Kessy/Ross and Ivy/Fendrick. Afterward, we had lunch and watched the other teams in our pool play.
We still had 3 hours to kill, so we went back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit. We made our way back to the site and did our full warm up.
The first set of our match against the Swiss was great. We came out serving, blocking, and siding out really strong. We got quite a few aces and blocks. We won 21-13. Next game was not so good. They served really tough and got a load of aces on us. We played good enough to win, but we should have been much better. The important thing is that we won and we are 1-0 in pool right now.
I definitely had first match jitters. It was odd playing our first match of the tournament at 6PM. We have tomorrow off, but we are going to practice at 6PM because our next match on Saturday is scheduled for 7PM. It is difficult getting a routine down with such odd playing times . We are figuring it out and finding what works for us.
The daylight hours make it very difficult to get to sleep early. It isn't dark until after midnight. The sun starts to come back up around 3AM. We have been staying up until 12 or 1AM and sleeping in as long as possible, which usually is until around 8 or 9AM.
We found a great Indian restaurant in town. We ate there two nights in a row and will probably go back there tomorrow night. The food here is outrageously expensive at the restaurants. We are trying not to spend our money on eating out, but the food at the Indian restaurant is so good, we can't resist.
We started watching the HBO series, True Blood, last night. We watched one episode and then we were hooked and had to start the next. We both fell asleep half-way through it, so we will watch it again tonight.
I get to sleep in tomorrow and am very much looking forward to it!
I just got some very good news that Tyra, Ty Loomis, Ryan Mariano, and I will be visiting the Troops stationed in the Balkans this coming August. Tyra and I will go straight from Austria and meet the boys there. I am so excited that this has worked out and we will get to go visit! These trips mean so much to me and I am so honored to be able to be apart of them!
That's all for now!
Angie Akers
We still had 3 hours to kill, so we went back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit. We made our way back to the site and did our full warm up.
The first set of our match against the Swiss was great. We came out serving, blocking, and siding out really strong. We got quite a few aces and blocks. We won 21-13. Next game was not so good. They served really tough and got a load of aces on us. We played good enough to win, but we should have been much better. The important thing is that we won and we are 1-0 in pool right now.
I definitely had first match jitters. It was odd playing our first match of the tournament at 6PM. We have tomorrow off, but we are going to practice at 6PM because our next match on Saturday is scheduled for 7PM. It is difficult getting a routine down with such odd playing times . We are figuring it out and finding what works for us.
The daylight hours make it very difficult to get to sleep early. It isn't dark until after midnight. The sun starts to come back up around 3AM. We have been staying up until 12 or 1AM and sleeping in as long as possible, which usually is until around 8 or 9AM.
We found a great Indian restaurant in town. We ate there two nights in a row and will probably go back there tomorrow night. The food here is outrageously expensive at the restaurants. We are trying not to spend our money on eating out, but the food at the Indian restaurant is so good, we can't resist.
We started watching the HBO series, True Blood, last night. We watched one episode and then we were hooked and had to start the next. We both fell asleep half-way through it, so we will watch it again tonight.
I get to sleep in tomorrow and am very much looking forward to it!
I just got some very good news that Tyra, Ty Loomis, Ryan Mariano, and I will be visiting the Troops stationed in the Balkans this coming August. Tyra and I will go straight from Austria and meet the boys there. I am so excited that this has worked out and we will get to go visit! These trips mean so much to me and I am so honored to be able to be apart of them!
That's all for now!
Angie Akers
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Stavanger Day 3
Today has been great! The weather could not possibly be better. I finally have my camera charged, so I have been snapping away. Here is a look at our day:
We practiced this morning with the Belgian girls and their coach, Kerri Pottharst.
Then we went to the gym for a workout. Afterward, we wandered over to a farmers' market and bought some strawberries. We laid in the grass by the church while I ate every last one of them!
We got treatment with our team Chiropractor and then came back to our hotel to shower.
We are about to head out to dinner, but I wanted to post some pictures first. Tomorrow we will practice in the morning and then attend the Opening Ceremony for the event. Enjoy the video and check back soon!
Angie Akers
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day 2 in Stavanger, Norway
Stavanger is beautiful! Tyra and I arrived late on Monday after our little flying fiasco. The worst thing that happened to us is that Tyra's luggage did not make it. I am sure it will be here in a day or two, but in the meantime, we have had to do quite a bit of shopping. Yes, yes...life is rough! We were forced to shop.
The weather has been phenomenal! We arrived with sunshine and today has been cool, crisp, and sunny. It really is a perfect day here. I took my camera with me when we first went out, but as I tried to snap the first picture, I realized that the battery was dead. I will charge it back up and start snapping on our next outing.
The tournament site sits right next to a port, Cruise Pier. Today an enormous cruise ship was docked right next to the courts. It would have been a great picture if the battery in my camera would have had a charge!
(The volleyball courts are to the left of the cruise ship. They wouldn't fit in the picture!)Today we discovered the Norwegian strawberries! So so good! I ate an entire package myself! The flowers and fresh fruits here are really spectacular. All the flowers that I see here are ones that my mom has in her gardens back in Indiana. It reminds me of my momma!
We are heading out now to go practice and get dinner. Last nights dinner was a bit suspect. We thought we were ordering chicken, lamb, and beef at a Greek restaurant, but we are pretty sure that we were given reindeer. We asked and were told it was beef, but it was very gamey and didn't taste like beef! Hope it wasn't Rudolph! ;)
Pictures and video to come!!!
More later!
Angie Akers
Monday, June 22, 2009
From Ocean City, Maryland AVP - on to World Championships
I am sitting in the Frankfurt Airport Lufthansa Business Lounge waiting for my connecting flight to Stavanger so I thought I would take this opportunity to write about Ocean City and the journey to get here, in Frankfurt.
Ocean City... we made progress. We kicked the curse of our 7th place finishes on the AVP tour. We finished 5th place. Still not where we want to be, but progress. We played pretty well at times and then at other times, we forgot which way was up and which way was down. It happens. It is all about growing as a team and making progress, which I feel we really did.
We flew into Washington Dulles on Wednesday before the event started. Jeremy, my husband, arrived just before us so he picked up the rental car and then came back to get us. It is a 3 hour drive to OC, so instead of fighting traffic at rush hour, we decided to take a detour through DC and drive around Jeremy's old stomping grounds. We drove through his old neighborhood, by his school (St. Albans's), and then ate at me and Tyra's favorite place, Whole Foods. By the time we finished eating, traffic had cleared and we hit the road.
Once we arrived, we crashed right away and slept in on Thursday. We woke up to pouring rain and miserable weather. Once we got up, we walked down to the event site and watched a bit of the qualifier, visited the medical tent for some chiropractic treatment, then practiced a little later in the day.
We woke up early on Friday to beautiful weather. Our first round match was scheduled for 11 AM against Hall/Kuk. We were a bit shaky, but pulled things together and won handily, 21-16, 21-16. Our next match was against Stonebarger/Koester who pulled out an upset over the 11th seeds, Mason/More. We came out strong in the first and won big, 21-12. We lost a bit of our momentum, maybe had a lack in concentration after the first set and lost the second set 19-21. Then we decided to get down to business and take control of the third. We won 15-10. That was it for Friday.
Saturday morning we faced Hanson/Rutledge to get to 5th place. We started out strong with good ball control and a good game plan and won the first set 21-16. We were down big early in the second, but came rallying back to take the 18-17 side switch. Rutledge had a few key blocks which shifted the advantage back to them. They took the second set 21-19. We fell apart in the third set. We lost our ball control and made setting and hitting errors which absolutely killed us. We lost 10-15. Time to regroup....
After the loss, an enormous storm system blew in. We watched as teams played in the torrential downpour that ensued. The rain slowed down just in time for our warm up for our next match against the Lindquists. We actually started the match, took a side turn down 3-4 when the beach officials came in to declare that the entire beach was officially closed until further notice. Everyone had to evacuate the beach. There was quite a bit of thunder and lightning and more rain to come, so we were put on a 2 hour delay. Tyra and I went to the nearest hotel and sat in the lobby to wait it out. Once it cleared, we went back to the beach and had to warm up all over again.
We had another all-out battle with the Lindquists. They play crafty, scrappy volleyball so you must stay on your toes. They won the first set 21-19. We stayed patient, made some crucial plays, and won the second set 21-18. The third was a bit back and forth. A controversial referee call fired us up and put our backs against the wall. We pulled together as a team and fought our way out, winning 15-11. A big sigh of relief.
Next we faced Minello/Lima whom we lost to in Atlanta. We were fired up for this rematch. Wind was a factor and we used it to our advantage. We served aggressively, we hit aggressively, and we played good defense. (All important things to win!) We won in two sets, 21-17, 21-13. That win broke us of our 7th place curse. We were now in 5th place and moving on.
After we finished the match, we were getting treatment in the medical tent when another storm blew in. It was another torrential downpour that lasted about 15 minutes. Once it blew by us, an enormous rainbow formed over the ocean. It was beautiful.
The next morning, we faced Dodd/DeNeccochea in some seriously windy conditions. We did a great job of controlling the ball on our side of the net in the first set. We got a few aces and we sided out very well. We had a very big lead towards the end of the game, but Di served more than a few "tricklers" over the net that were untouchable. That pulled them in closer until we won 21-18.
We are not really sure where our ball control went after that first set, but it left us. We struggled through the next two games and ended up getting creamed. It was a big bummer, but in the grand scheme of the tournament, we made progress.
After the match, we got more treatment before hitting the road again back to the airport. Traffic was very heavy, so it took a bit longer than the 3 hours we anticipated. We still had plenty of time to stop by a Whole Foods and get our last kombuchas and salads before heading to Europe for 5 weeks.
So now for the second part of the story.... We boarded our flight from Dulles to Frankfurt, actually took off in the air and were flying about 20 minutes when the captain came on and said that one of the generators was not working so we would have to dump fuel and turn back. We would have an extra heavy load since we just took off so it would be a very heavy, potentially dangerous landing. For precautionary reasons, they called in the emergency team at the airport. We flew around dumping fuel (which made me cringe at the thought of such waste) for about 15 minutes. We had to dump tons and tons of jet fuel to get the plane to a safe weight for landing. Then we made our descent and landed the plane, without incident back at Dulles. The runways were cleared except for the dozens and dozens of emergency vehicles all waiting for us. It was an eerie sight to see all the flashing emergency lights lining the runway as we landed. Thankfully, we were safe on the ground.
We had to switch to another aircraft at a different gate, so we gathered our belongings and waited at the next gate. The whole ordeal took just under 4 hours, so we missed our connecting flight in Frankfurt to Stavanger, Norway. No big deal...we were booked on a later flight leaving in the afternoon, which is why we were sitting in the lounge when I started writing this. I am finishing it while we are actually flying.
So far our adventure is off to an exciting start! Once we arrive in Stavanger, we will have 2 full days to acclimate and prepare for our competition. Because it is the World Championships which consists of the top 48 men's and women's teams in the world, the event lasts 10 days. There are only 3 courts for competition, which means we will play one match every other day. We start off with 12 pools of 4 teams and from there, the top 2 will advance plus the best 8 of the remaining 3rd place finishers in pool to complete a 32 team single elimination tournament.
We begin play on Thursday. The forecast is for high 60s and sunshine! I can't wait!
I am bummed that we will miss the Coney Island AVP event, but we plan to do our best representing the USA here in Norway.
You can follow our results at http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/index.asp?sm=12
(Sorry! Can't figure out how to hyperlink this with my new computer!)
Thanks for reading!
Angie Akers
Ocean City... we made progress. We kicked the curse of our 7th place finishes on the AVP tour. We finished 5th place. Still not where we want to be, but progress. We played pretty well at times and then at other times, we forgot which way was up and which way was down. It happens. It is all about growing as a team and making progress, which I feel we really did.
We flew into Washington Dulles on Wednesday before the event started. Jeremy, my husband, arrived just before us so he picked up the rental car and then came back to get us. It is a 3 hour drive to OC, so instead of fighting traffic at rush hour, we decided to take a detour through DC and drive around Jeremy's old stomping grounds. We drove through his old neighborhood, by his school (St. Albans's), and then ate at me and Tyra's favorite place, Whole Foods. By the time we finished eating, traffic had cleared and we hit the road.
Once we arrived, we crashed right away and slept in on Thursday. We woke up to pouring rain and miserable weather. Once we got up, we walked down to the event site and watched a bit of the qualifier, visited the medical tent for some chiropractic treatment, then practiced a little later in the day.
We woke up early on Friday to beautiful weather. Our first round match was scheduled for 11 AM against Hall/Kuk. We were a bit shaky, but pulled things together and won handily, 21-16, 21-16. Our next match was against Stonebarger/Koester who pulled out an upset over the 11th seeds, Mason/More. We came out strong in the first and won big, 21-12. We lost a bit of our momentum, maybe had a lack in concentration after the first set and lost the second set 19-21. Then we decided to get down to business and take control of the third. We won 15-10. That was it for Friday.
Saturday morning we faced Hanson/Rutledge to get to 5th place. We started out strong with good ball control and a good game plan and won the first set 21-16. We were down big early in the second, but came rallying back to take the 18-17 side switch. Rutledge had a few key blocks which shifted the advantage back to them. They took the second set 21-19. We fell apart in the third set. We lost our ball control and made setting and hitting errors which absolutely killed us. We lost 10-15. Time to regroup....
After the loss, an enormous storm system blew in. We watched as teams played in the torrential downpour that ensued. The rain slowed down just in time for our warm up for our next match against the Lindquists. We actually started the match, took a side turn down 3-4 when the beach officials came in to declare that the entire beach was officially closed until further notice. Everyone had to evacuate the beach. There was quite a bit of thunder and lightning and more rain to come, so we were put on a 2 hour delay. Tyra and I went to the nearest hotel and sat in the lobby to wait it out. Once it cleared, we went back to the beach and had to warm up all over again.
We had another all-out battle with the Lindquists. They play crafty, scrappy volleyball so you must stay on your toes. They won the first set 21-19. We stayed patient, made some crucial plays, and won the second set 21-18. The third was a bit back and forth. A controversial referee call fired us up and put our backs against the wall. We pulled together as a team and fought our way out, winning 15-11. A big sigh of relief.
Next we faced Minello/Lima whom we lost to in Atlanta. We were fired up for this rematch. Wind was a factor and we used it to our advantage. We served aggressively, we hit aggressively, and we played good defense. (All important things to win!) We won in two sets, 21-17, 21-13. That win broke us of our 7th place curse. We were now in 5th place and moving on.
After we finished the match, we were getting treatment in the medical tent when another storm blew in. It was another torrential downpour that lasted about 15 minutes. Once it blew by us, an enormous rainbow formed over the ocean. It was beautiful.
The next morning, we faced Dodd/DeNeccochea in some seriously windy conditions. We did a great job of controlling the ball on our side of the net in the first set. We got a few aces and we sided out very well. We had a very big lead towards the end of the game, but Di served more than a few "tricklers" over the net that were untouchable. That pulled them in closer until we won 21-18.
We are not really sure where our ball control went after that first set, but it left us. We struggled through the next two games and ended up getting creamed. It was a big bummer, but in the grand scheme of the tournament, we made progress.
After the match, we got more treatment before hitting the road again back to the airport. Traffic was very heavy, so it took a bit longer than the 3 hours we anticipated. We still had plenty of time to stop by a Whole Foods and get our last kombuchas and salads before heading to Europe for 5 weeks.
So now for the second part of the story.... We boarded our flight from Dulles to Frankfurt, actually took off in the air and were flying about 20 minutes when the captain came on and said that one of the generators was not working so we would have to dump fuel and turn back. We would have an extra heavy load since we just took off so it would be a very heavy, potentially dangerous landing. For precautionary reasons, they called in the emergency team at the airport. We flew around dumping fuel (which made me cringe at the thought of such waste) for about 15 minutes. We had to dump tons and tons of jet fuel to get the plane to a safe weight for landing. Then we made our descent and landed the plane, without incident back at Dulles. The runways were cleared except for the dozens and dozens of emergency vehicles all waiting for us. It was an eerie sight to see all the flashing emergency lights lining the runway as we landed. Thankfully, we were safe on the ground.
We had to switch to another aircraft at a different gate, so we gathered our belongings and waited at the next gate. The whole ordeal took just under 4 hours, so we missed our connecting flight in Frankfurt to Stavanger, Norway. No big deal...we were booked on a later flight leaving in the afternoon, which is why we were sitting in the lounge when I started writing this. I am finishing it while we are actually flying.
So far our adventure is off to an exciting start! Once we arrive in Stavanger, we will have 2 full days to acclimate and prepare for our competition. Because it is the World Championships which consists of the top 48 men's and women's teams in the world, the event lasts 10 days. There are only 3 courts for competition, which means we will play one match every other day. We start off with 12 pools of 4 teams and from there, the top 2 will advance plus the best 8 of the remaining 3rd place finishers in pool to complete a 32 team single elimination tournament.
We begin play on Thursday. The forecast is for high 60s and sunshine! I can't wait!
I am bummed that we will miss the Coney Island AVP event, but we plan to do our best representing the USA here in Norway.
You can follow our results at http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/index.asp?sm=12
(Sorry! Can't figure out how to hyperlink this with my new computer!)
Thanks for reading!
Angie Akers
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