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
Friday, November 9, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
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
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
Friday, October 19, 2007
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
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
Monday, October 8, 2007
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!
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!
Monday, September 17, 2007
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
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
Sunday, September 9, 2007
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
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
Monday, September 3, 2007
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
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
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