Yesterday was the weekly volleyball night.  We had a fair amount of players show up…the competition was pretty even which is nice.  The final two games of the night showcased a three on three grudge match. 

It was Team Tall vs Team Beach Bum….Obviously I was on Team Beach Bum.  The play of the night came in the first of the two games.  The score was close we were up 6-4 and serving [we play old school...no rally points].  The rotation had me setting/blocking at the net.  Gib served, the other team’s bump was long and looked like it was coming back to us so I prepared to jump.  Team Tall’s setter also goes up for the ball…a joust at the net ensues.  The ball comes to our side and we bump it into the net.  Gib keeps it alive.  All this happens while I’m on my back.  I watch the ball falling to the sand and swing my leg to kick it. 

That’s it; the dig of the night was me, on my back, kicking the volleyball up and over the net and scoring.  The other team was so stunned that they didn’t even get a hand on the ball.  Of course this play was controversial.  But we had talked about the fact that you can play the ball with your feet last week so we ended up with the point.

We went on to win that game and the next to finish out the night.

Last night at volleyball I made a spectacular diving dig and was rewarded with a vicious cramp in my calf.  I was a bit surprised by this because I was hydrating between games.  Usually I bring water for hydration but last night I had a bottle of Powerade with ION4 the Advanced Electrolyte System.  In my opinion, this fact made the cramp even more unlikely.  But I’m not a doctor just a simple Beach Bum making my way through life.

I regained my feet and stretched my calf.  I was lucky, the cramp went away very quickly so I was able to resume playing.  My team ended up around .500 for the night.  It was wierd because we were able to beat one team but not the other one.  And the team we could beat usually beat the team we couldn’t beat.  Go figure.

Question to everyone:  Does anyone really like the taste of sports drinks?  Just asking.

Ok the hottest, muggiest day of the year so far and we have the longest volleyball session in years.  The games went on for almost three hours.  Good thing I brought a big jug of water.  I also made use of the small stream in between games by pouring water over my head.

I played well despite the fact that I was sooooo tired at the end of the night.  More wins than losses which is always good.  Have I mentioned I hate to lose?  I am a good sport but I’m pretty competitive.

As the weather warms here in Michigan the return of the beach sports is imminent.  The official invitations for beach volleyball are extended and the anticipation of the new season is palpable.

Finally the day for the first games arrives.  Invitees are divided into teams and the first night’s matches are set.  My team ends up playing three games winning two of the three.  So a good start to the year.  I am anticipating a bit of soreness in the morning. 

It seems like the players are getting younger…and I appear to be getting older…not a good combination for me.  I think my impact on the games will start to diminish.  Sucks to get old.

The women’s team of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor has done it!  They have won the Beach Volleyball Gold Medal! They have become the first pair to win back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals in Beach Volleyball.  Congrats.

They had to overcome both the number seeded Chinese team and the weather.  The Gold Medal match was played in a heavy rain.

“This is just another reason why we play in bathing suits,” May-Treanor said.

The team of Walsh and May-Treanor beat Wang Jie and Tian Jia in straight sets 21-18, 21-18.  This win solidifies them as the most dominate beach volleyball team in history.

This week I had a choice, go to my weekly beach volleyball game or go to my son’s first high school soccer game of the year.  Here it is the middle of August and they are playing soccer already.  Ok I made the right choice and schlepped 20 miles to the soccer game.

He is a sophmore playing his second year on varsity [due to the fact that the school he attends doesn't have a JV team].  He didn’t start but he had a good amount of playing time as a Striker.  The team won 7-3 over a team that beat them 4-3 last year.  A good start to the season and I’m glad I went although I missed playing volleyball.

Last week on the beach volleyball court I had another great series of games, winning all but one.

It has been two weeks since the last time I had the chance to play volleyball because last Tuesday night’s games were canceled.  I’ve been jonesing to play because of the Olympics.  Go Team USA!  The women’s team of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor have been on fire in their first two games.  So far they look like they will repeat as Gold Medalists.

Yesterday they beat the 14th-seeded Cuban team of Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Tamara Larrea Peraza, who are in their third Olympics, by the score of 21-15 and 21-16.  Next up are the Norwegians on Thursday, another match they are expected to win.

I thought that playing volleyball would be tough because of my tweaked ankle but it turned out fine.  I didn’t even think about it while I was playing.  The only time that I have noticed it in the last couple of days was going up and down the stairs.

We had players for four on four.  It was another good night for me even though we lost twice.  We did win three times but should have won one more.  I’m getting to the point where I just might try to jump serve.  It has been a couple of years since I’ve tried but I think that it is time to pull that trick out of my tool belt.  Not that I was ever great at it.

Tuesday was a great day to play volleyball outdoors in the sand [where volleyball is meant to be played].  The number of player coming out for the weekly games has been dwindling each time we meet.  This week we were down to six players so we played three on three.

It was another good showing for me.  My team won all four games.  My serve was cooking and the team’s bump set spike was working pretty well.   By the end of the night I was covered in sand and very happy.  After washing the sand off in the creek it was time to hit the pool.

<sarcasm>Life of a beach bum is so rough.</sarcasm>

For last weeks beach volleyball we had three teams of three.  The noobs from the prior week went missing as well as one of the regulars.  We did have a new noob that helped fill the gap.  Once again my team was on the short end of the score more often than not.  I think it was my shorts.  The waist band was kinda loose so I had to keep pulling them up.

Yesterday, with new shorts securely hung from my waist, I arrived at the volleyball court ready to play.  This time we had enough for two teams of four.  Going into the first game I thought that we were out manned, the other team was a good mix of height, skill and athleticism.  Our team was scrappy.  In fact, scrappy enough to win the first game.  After a short water break it was time for game two.  Again we were scrappy enough to win.  This time by double digits.  By this time the other team was quite unhappy.

Game three saw a reversal of fortune.  We lost after a mighty rally that failed.  We ran off seven straight points as they sat at on game point.  Unfortunately their early success in game three carried them to victory.  In the final game of the night [shortened to 11 points] we again were not the team to get to game point first.  Down 7-10, my serves brought us to 9-10.  We got a quick side out and regained the serve.  With the serve we aere able to get three in a row for the win.

It was my best showing this year.  My serve was on target with velocity, my play at the net was excellent and I was covering a lot of court diving for balls.  I had begun thinking that my best volleyball playing days were behind me.  Not anymore.