	17th in Dallas and 13th in Huntington Beach!
Tour stop number two was in Dallas, Texas on April 18th, 19th. Angela and Saralyn finished 17th, after a combination of extreme weather and poor sand conditions forced a full day of cancellations and delay, which also caused the tournament to be switched to single elimination format. After a hard fought battle they fell to Priscilla Lima and Jenelle Koester 17-21, 21-19, and 10-15. After a rather traumatizing trip through Texas, where Angela was exposed to some of the area's finest weather (thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tennis-ball sized hail) it's safe to say playing the next main tour stop just an hour from home at Huntington Beach was a welcome change-up. Once again entering the tournament as the 18th seed, Angela and Saralyn had an early-morning match-up with Janelle Ruen and Alicia Polzin, the 15th seed. Saralyn and Angela came out firing early and earned themselves a three and four point lead they were able to maintain through most of the game. Later in the match Janelle and Alicia were able to pull themselves within one point at times before Saralyn and Angela closed the door at 21-18. The second game started much the same, but Angela and Saralyn continued to play excellent volleyball and never let-up, defeating a fluster Alicia and Janelle 21-12. Their first ever first-round victory together set up a match on the stadium court against the number two seed in the AVP, and the world, Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh. Nicole and Elaine played like you would expect one of the two best teams in the world to play, and Angela and Saralyn fell to them, 13-21, 13-21. Being defeated by Youngs/Branagh sent Angela and Saralyn to the Contenders Bracket where they played Sarah Stratton and Jenelle Koester. Not only had Koester teamed up with Lima to knock Smith/Knopf out of the Dallas tournament, but Koester/Stratton had also beaten them the weekend of the 27th in a separate AVP qualifying tournament. However, despite coming off a tough loss to Youngs/Branagh and finding themselves trailing in game one 2-7 to Stratton/Koester, the ladies fought back into contention in game one. After fighting back to tie the game at 7, they eventually ran away with a 21-18 first game victory. In game two Saralyn and Angela were unable to recover from an early deficit, and lost 15-21, which forced the deciding game three. In the third game they once again trailed early, and eventually found themselves down 12-14- match point for Stratton/Koester. After a couple great shots, a huge block by Saralyn, and a timely mistake by Stratton, Knopf and Smith escaped with a 17-15 win to secure the 13th place finish. Some unprecedented upsets in the early rounds bumped the seven and nine seeds into Angela and Saralyn's section of the contender's bracket. So while the seven seed, Angie Akers and Holly McPeak, eliminated the nine seed, Angela and Saralyn would have to play Akers/McPeak in the next round instead of a potentially much lower seeded team. The match was once again on stadium court and Knopf/Smith once again played tough against two of beach volleyball's most well-known veteran players. They gave them all they could handle in game one before falling 19-21, and running out of energy in a 12-21 final game of the day- the last of four tough matches. Overall, it was a great day for the Knopf and Smith team. They beat the 15th and the 16th seeded team. What's more? They were only beat by the number two team in the world, plus Akers and McPeak, (herself a three-time Olympian who has career AVP winnings exceeding $1.5 million). A great showing in their third tournament! Charleston, South Carolina is next, where the Smith and Knopf team will enter as the 16th seeded team and once again do battle with Ruen and Polzin in round one! Updates to follow!

17th in Dallas and 13th in Huntington Beach!

Tour stop number two was in Dallas, Texas on April 18th, 19th. Angela and Saralyn finished 17th, after a combination of extreme weather and poor sand conditions forced a full day of cancellations and delay, which also caused the tournament to be switched to single elimination format. After a hard fought battle they fell to Priscilla Lima and Jenelle Koester 17-21, 21-19, and 10-15.

After a rather traumatizing trip through Texas, where Angela was exposed to some of the area's finest weather (thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tennis-ball sized hail) it's safe to say playing the next main tour stop just an hour from home at Huntington Beach was a welcome change-up. Once again entering the tournament as the 18th seed, Angela and Saralyn had an early-morning match-up with Janelle Ruen and Alicia Polzin, the 15th seed. Saralyn and Angela came out firing early and earned themselves a three and four point lead they were able to maintain through most of the game. Later in the match Janelle and Alicia were able to pull themselves within one point at times before Saralyn and Angela closed the door at 21-18. The second game started much the same, but Angela and Saralyn continued to play excellent volleyball and never let-up, defeating a fluster Alicia and Janelle 21-12.

Their first ever first-round victory together set up a match on the stadium court against the number two seed in the AVP, and the world, Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh. Nicole and Elaine played like you would expect one of the two best teams in the world to play, and Angela and Saralyn fell to them, 13-21, 13-21.

Being defeated by Youngs/Branagh sent Angela and Saralyn to the Contenders Bracket where they played Sarah Stratton and Jenelle Koester. Not only had Koester teamed up with Lima to knock Smith/Knopf out of the Dallas tournament, but Koester/Stratton had also beaten them the weekend of the 27th in a separate AVP qualifying tournament. However, despite coming off a tough loss to Youngs/Branagh and finding themselves trailing in game one 2-7 to Stratton/Koester, the ladies fought back into contention in game one. After fighting back to tie the game at 7, they eventually ran away with a 21-18 first game victory. In game two Saralyn and Angela were unable to recover from an early deficit, and lost 15-21, which forced the deciding game three. In the third game they once again trailed early, and eventually found themselves down 12-14- match point for Stratton/Koester. After a couple great shots, a huge block by Saralyn, and a timely mistake by Stratton, Knopf and Smith escaped with a 17-15 win to secure the 13th place finish.

Some unprecedented upsets in the early rounds bumped the seven and nine seeds into Angela and Saralyn's section of the contender's bracket. So while the seven seed, Angie Akers and Holly McPeak, eliminated the nine seed, Angela and Saralyn would have to play Akers/McPeak in the next round instead of a potentially much lower seeded team. The match was once again on stadium court and Knopf/Smith once again played tough against two of beach volleyball's most well-known veteran players. They gave them all they could handle in game one before falling 19-21, and running out of energy in a 12-21 final game of the day- the last of four tough matches.

Overall, it was a great day for the Knopf and Smith team. They beat the 15th and the 16th seeded team. What's more? They were only beat by the number two team in the world, plus Akers and McPeak, (herself a three-time Olympian who has career AVP winnings exceeding $1.5 million). A great showing in their third tournament! Charleston, South Carolina is next, where the Smith and Knopf team will enter as the 16th seeded team and once again do battle with Ruen and Polzin in round one! Updates to follow!