	Marathon in Hermosa AVP with Family and Friends
FINALLY some FUN with FAMILY and FRIENDS- After being thrown into an episode of one of the latest soap-operas, "AVP-As the World Turns", I can't even express how much fun I had seeing family and friend this past weekend for the Hermosa Beach, CA AVP. It was a great relief and joy to be with loved ones and share some time with people I really care about. It was a party! Thanks to the amazing generosity and kindness of Pete and Patti Kranske, who opened their place for them to stay with me, both my parents made the trip down from rainy Oregon, I think they were ready for some sun. My older brother Brent who just got back from his latest music tour with his band Menomena, decided to fly down to watch his first professional volleyball tournament. Erik also flew down from Washington to support and encourage me, like he always does. But the surprises of the weekend, was having my old CSU college setter Allison Peckham there, another college friend Philip VonBackstrom (who's 7'2 by the way....fun to walk around with him) and Erin, a girl I played indoor at the adult nationals with. Then of course I was lucky to have my local friends Lorri Si and Gayle, both faithful and wonderful supporters, cheer us on. After so many weeks of feelings of "rejection" or confusion, it was great to feel so supported. It felt like God's way of giving me a big hug! So I was armed with my wonderful cheering squad and ready to play with my 4th different partner in 4 tournaments, Sarah Straton. At least 3 out of the 4 partners start with a S....., so I can say go, S......arah. It's like those moments when you hate to call your new boyfriend by an ex-boyfriend's name. Not good! I think I have locked in Sarah's name now, hopefully! Ha ha! I was talking to my grandma today and amazed that she remember all my partners names better than me! AND she has to remember all my cousins' names and birthdays, so she's my inspiration to be able to keep everyone in order. Our first match was at 9:45am and ironically against my "old partner" from the previous weekend, Stacy Rouwenhorst and her new partner she left me for, Whitney Pavlik. Needless to say warm-ups were a little tense but I tried to smile and be as friendly as I could. I am learning slowly but surely, that taking things personal in this business is not a good idea. I never know who I will play with again, so it's important to maintain friendships even though they might have done things in a manor you don't agree with. Since I had to jump on the court for the previous 2 tournaments with new partners without practicing, I was excited that at least Sarah and I had 1 practice together. We came out in game 1 playing really well, and took a good lead at 16-12, before Stacy and Whitney called a time-out. After that, they improved their serving and ran a bunch of points off and we ended up losing game one, 21-18. Luckily this tournament wasn't single elimination 1st round, but we kept our focus and determination and came back fighting in game two with the help of our cheering squad and won game two, 21-15 to force a game three to 15 points. Game 3 was very close in the beginning until Sarah decided to catch on fire blocking and made 3 amazing blocks in a row. Lorri started chanting, "The Wall!" It made us smile and we finished winning the match 15-7. After the match we celebrated with everyone around who gave us that extra energy in the 3rd game and as soon as I walked to the "schedule board" it said that we would have to play in 20 minutes against #2 team Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs, who just returned from winning (taking gold) in the latest International tournament in Barcelona, Spain. Needless to say, they were firing on all cylinders and playing really well. We didn't even warm up again since I was already warm from the hour we just played, so we did a re-warm-up for 3 minutes before the whistle blew for the game to begin. Game 1 started and surprisingly we were doing really well. WE actually were leading at 11-10 before Elaine's jump serves put us in trouble and we lost game one 21-14. The second game we were close again with them until the 11-11, then they stepped it up again winning the match 21-16. It was fun playing that caliber of a team, knowing that they will probably take silver OR gold in this years Olympics. It's just another way of training for them and it shows that they are dedicated and committed to it. For starters they are coached by one of the best players/coaches I have ever seen in Liz Masakayn. Fully sponsored, and beach volleyball is considered their full-time job. So they aren't out tutoring or waitressing, or some odd job after practice. It's all volleyball! To play well against them is fun and the chance to see what separates them is always a learning experience for me. After we lost that game, since this tournament is double elimination, we were still alive and I was hoping to be able to run and get something to eat and maybe rest a little before our next match.....well I was wrong. As I went to the schedule board again, it already had us playing in 15 minutes!!!!! Serious?? They were running the woman's side of the tournament really fast since they had the finals for the woman on Saturday morning and had to be down to the semi's by Friday night. Sarah and I looked at each other, smiled and then ran to get a quick sandwich in time to walk on the court, serve a few volleyballs and the whistle blew. Not only was it a quick turnaround, but since the weather was so nice, the sand was heating up quickly and burning the bottom of our feet. Maybe that's why I played better defense, had to keep my feet moving or they would burn. It was one of those times, where the ball is 2 feet away from you and your brain is telling you that you have to get it, but your body, especially your feet, is saying, "NO WAY!" This game would be against Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge, a team I played in Kentucky when I was playing with Lauren. They are a good team but it was obvious both teams were tired and hot. Fortunately we played better in game one and won 21-12. Game two we let down a little and they won 21-18 to force yet another game 3. Sarah and I both talked about stepping up our play and really trying to be aggressive and again Sarah's blocking and our amazing cheering squad made the difference and helped us win game three, 15-9! Yeah! It's amazing the power of cheers! When you need that extra push and you hear your mom, dad, brother and friends cheering you on, it gives you that extra step. So thanks, my wonderful cheering section for yelling your lungs out!! After that next hour match, I was afraid to walk to the board again, for fear of playing yet again in 15 minutes. But fortunately we actually had a little break, 45 minutes!! Sarah and I were able to get some food and sit in the shade to gear up against our next opponent Paige Davis / Alicia Polzin who upset the #7 team earlier that morning. In game one we fell behind a few points before making a strong push to win 21-18. Game 2 was different again and they switched up their strategy and won game two 21-18 to force our THIRD game 3 match of the day!!! WOW! It was close in game three 8-8, 9-9, before they made some great plays to win game three 15-10 in a hour and fifteen minute match. WOW, it was a long day and we hated to lose that one, but still finished 13th. It was a long, hot day but I am happy with the way Sarah and I played and very thankful to have my support group all day long with us. I really miss those friends and family who I wish I could see more, but thankful for the time with them. The next day after playing I think that they were all more tired than me. I know that my parents live and die each point with me. In fact, I think my dad puts himself in the match, and my mom switches each side with us cheering her lungs out! Needless to say we were all exhausted the next day and could have slept all day long. Wishing for a weekend off would be too much to ask, there is a local tournament in Long Beach this coming Saturday and Sunday. I hesitate to say that I think that Sarah and I will be playing, because last time I said that an hour later it all changed! Ha ha! So I have waited to send this out till I knew we were playing this weekend. Just kidding! Since this is just a local tourney, I won't be sending a recap of this weekend to save all your eyes, you can rest up for the next novel. However, I am leaving next Wednesday (June 18th) for Belmar, New Jersey for the next AVP and will update you on my next adventure. We will be playing next Friday. So unless, I get transferred to "One Life to Live" and something crazy happens you won't hear from me for a bit. Please keep us in your prayer and thoughts for this weekend and the next in New Jersey. Thanks for your support along this crazy adventure and journey I am on. I am thankful for all you do! Enjoy your week!

Marathon in Hermosa AVP with Family and Friends

FINALLY some FUN with FAMILY and FRIENDS-

After being thrown into an episode of one of the latest soap-operas, "AVP-As the World Turns", I can't even express how much fun I had seeing family and friend this past weekend for the Hermosa Beach, CA AVP. It was a great relief and joy to be with loved ones and share some time with people I really care about. It was a party! Thanks to the amazing generosity and kindness of Pete and Patti Kranske, who opened their place for them to stay with me, both my parents made the trip down from rainy Oregon, I think they were ready for some sun. My older brother Brent who just got back from his latest music tour with his band Menomena, decided to fly down to watch his first professional volleyball tournament. Erik also flew down from Washington to support and encourage me, like he always does. But the surprises of the weekend, was having my old CSU college setter Allison Peckham there, another college friend Philip VonBackstrom (who's 7'2 by the way....fun to walk around with him) and Erin, a girl I played indoor at the adult nationals with. Then of course I was lucky to have my local friends Lorri Si and Gayle, both faithful and wonderful supporters, cheer us on.

After so many weeks of feelings of "rejection" or confusion, it was great to feel so supported. It felt like God's way of giving me a big hug! So I was armed with my wonderful cheering squad and ready to play with my 4th different partner in 4 tournaments, Sarah Straton. At least 3 out of the 4 partners start with a S....., so I can say go, S......arah. It's like those moments when you hate to call your new boyfriend by an ex-boyfriend's name. Not good! I think I have locked in Sarah's name now, hopefully! Ha ha! I was talking to my grandma today and amazed that she remember all my partners names better than me! AND she has to remember all my cousins' names and birthdays, so she's my inspiration to be able to keep everyone in order.

Our first match was at 9:45am and ironically against my "old partner" from the previous weekend, Stacy Rouwenhorst and her new partner she left me for, Whitney Pavlik. Needless to say warm-ups were a little tense but I tried to smile and be as friendly as I could. I am learning slowly but surely, that taking things personal in this business is not a good idea. I never know who I will play with again, so it's important to maintain friendships even though they might have done things in a manor you don't agree with. Since I had to jump on the court for the previous 2 tournaments with new partners without practicing, I was excited that at least Sarah and I had 1 practice together.

We came out in game 1 playing really well, and took a good lead at 16-12, before Stacy and Whitney called a time-out. After that, they improved their serving and ran a bunch of points off and we ended up losing game one, 21-18. Luckily this tournament wasn't single elimination 1st round, but we kept our focus and determination and came back fighting in game two with the help of our cheering squad and won game two, 21-15 to force a game three to 15 points. Game 3 was very close in the beginning until Sarah decided to catch on fire blocking and made 3 amazing blocks in a row. Lorri started chanting, "The Wall!" It made us smile and we finished winning the match 15-7.

After the match we celebrated with everyone around who gave us that extra energy in the 3rd game and as soon as I walked to the "schedule board" it said that we would have to play in 20 minutes against #2 team Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs, who just returned from winning (taking gold) in the latest International tournament in Barcelona, Spain. Needless to say, they were firing on all cylinders and playing really well. We didn't even warm up again since I was already warm from the hour we just played, so we did a re-warm-up for 3 minutes before the whistle blew for the game to begin.

Game 1 started and surprisingly we were doing really well. WE actually were leading at 11-10 before Elaine's jump serves put us in trouble and we lost game one 21-14. The second game we were close again with them until the 11-11, then they stepped it up again winning the match 21-16. It was fun playing that caliber of a team, knowing that they will probably take silver OR gold in this years Olympics. It's just another way of training for them and it shows that they are dedicated and committed to it. For starters they are coached by one of the best players/coaches I have ever seen in Liz Masakayn. Fully sponsored, and beach volleyball is considered their full-time job. So they aren't out tutoring or waitressing, or some odd job after practice. It's all volleyball! To play well against them is fun and the chance to see what separates them is always a learning experience for me.

After we lost that game, since this tournament is double elimination, we were still alive and I was hoping to be able to run and get something to eat and maybe rest a little before our next match.....well I was wrong. As I went to the schedule board again, it already had us playing in 15 minutes!!!!! Serious?? They were running the woman's side of the tournament really fast since they had the finals for the woman on Saturday morning and had to be down to the semi's by Friday night. Sarah and I looked at each other, smiled and then ran to get a quick sandwich in time to walk on the court, serve a few volleyballs and the whistle blew. Not only was it a quick turnaround, but since the weather was so nice, the sand was heating up quickly and burning the bottom of our feet. Maybe that's why I played better defense, had to keep my feet moving or they would burn. It was one of those times, where the ball is 2 feet away from you and your brain is telling you that you have to get it, but your body, especially your feet, is saying, "NO WAY!"

This game would be against Angela McHenry / Lisa Rutledge, a team I played in Kentucky when I was playing with Lauren. They are a good team but it was obvious both teams were tired and hot. Fortunately we played better in game one and won 21-12. Game two we let down a little and they won 21-18 to force yet another game 3. Sarah and I both talked about stepping up our play and really trying to be aggressive and again Sarah's blocking and our amazing cheering squad made the difference and helped us win game three, 15-9! Yeah! It's amazing the power of cheers! When you need that extra push and you hear your mom, dad, brother and friends cheering you on, it gives you that extra step. So thanks, my wonderful cheering section for yelling your lungs out!!

After that next hour match, I was afraid to walk to the board again, for fear of playing yet again in 15 minutes. But fortunately we actually had a little break, 45 minutes!! Sarah and I were able to get some food and sit in the shade to gear up against our next opponent Paige Davis / Alicia Polzin who upset the #7 team earlier that morning.

In game one we fell behind a few points before making a strong push to win 21-18. Game 2 was different again and they switched up their strategy and won game two 21-18 to force our THIRD game 3 match of the day!!! WOW! It was close in game three 8-8, 9-9, before they made some great plays to win game three 15-10 in a hour and fifteen minute match. WOW, it was a long day and we hated to lose that one, but still finished 13th.

It was a long, hot day but I am happy with the way Sarah and I played and very thankful to have my support group all day long with us. I really miss those friends and family who I wish I could see more, but thankful for the time with them. The next day after playing I think that they were all more tired than me. I know that my parents live and die each point with me. In fact, I think my dad puts himself in the match, and my mom switches each side with us cheering her lungs out! Needless to say we were all exhausted the next day and could have slept all day long.

Wishing for a weekend off would be too much to ask, there is a local tournament in Long Beach this coming Saturday and Sunday. I hesitate to say that I think that Sarah and I will be playing, because last time I said that an hour later it all changed! Ha ha! So I have waited to send this out till I knew we were playing this weekend. Just kidding! Since this is just a local tourney, I won't be sending a recap of this weekend to save all your eyes, you can rest up for the next novel. However, I am leaving next Wednesday (June 18th) for Belmar, New Jersey for the next AVP and will update you on my next adventure. We will be playing next Friday. So unless, I get transferred to "One Life to Live" and something crazy happens you won't hear from me for a bit.

Please keep us in your prayer and thoughts for this weekend and the next in New Jersey. Thanks for your support along this crazy adventure and journey I am on. I am thankful for all you do! Enjoy your week!