Garden Empire Volleyball Association

American Turners NY - Men's BB
Warren Six Pak - Men's 40s

Playing in the 40s was very exciting especially since we got to play against top level competition from across the country. We were scheduled to play two or three matches a day in Pool Play. This gave us a good work out and plenty of action.

In the second half, I played BB with the American Turners, a team consisting of three generations of family volleyball players - the Sammers, Horns, Widmers, Tramplers, Denig Kostopoulos and Suwaras.

It was great to see Al Buehler get his National Referee rating. Al's grandfather (Vincent Sr.) played on a traveling Turner volleyball team in 1949. That team picture is our families' most cherished possession. Ernie and Rudy Suwara played volleyball with Vincent Jr. on the American Turner club team before going on to play at the 1964 & 1968 Olympics.

The Nationals was great fun for all.

Beach Bums - Women's BB

All eight Beach Bums, Women's BB Regional Champs, hitched up their kneepads and precisely numbered shirts and headed out to Tucson, the wild west, to prospect for gold at the USA Volleyball Nationals on May 27-30th.

The Good

We came in 5th (of 27 teams).
We did better than last year (9th).
We beat both teams that shot us down at last year's Nationals.  

The Bad

We came in 5th.
Mexican food in close quarters.
Tucson bars close at 1 pm and food stops at 10.  (This is not NYC.)

The Ugly

The line judge in our first loss in the Gold division.
Losing to Apollo Athletics, twice.

As anyone knows who's been to Nationals, it's a grueling, emotional, tiring four days. You're in a strange place and a strange bed. Your schedule is set to keep you off balance. By the time you're warmed up, you're off for four hours. You spend so much time with your teammates that everyone gets prickly as cactus. And yet, you're expected to play at the top of your game, individually and as a team. And so we tried. During the first round, which was pool play, we were as hot as the 100 degree weather outside and came out second with a 5-1 record, losing only to Apollo Athletics (Omaha, NE) who eventually came in second overall. That put us in a one match playoff to make the Gold division and we rolled over Valley Travel (Lynchburg, VA) like tumbleweed. Next up was Dexter (Marietta, OH) who had eliminated us last year in Kansas City. Revenge was on our minds and after winning the first game, we served them a New York Bagel (15-0). That led us right back to Apollo who reminded us why they came out first in the pool and sent us down to the loser's bracket. From there we faced Tool Time Rookies (Boston, MA) who sent us off into the sunset after a tough and close 3-game match.

In the end, the tournament was won by Sheba (sandbagging juniors out of Star, ID). We would have liked to have played them to test our stuff, but that's why there's next year in San Jose!

One of the best things about Tucson is that everyone is so nice. It even affected us tough New Yorkers/New Jerseyans. Case in point, even though we had been fierce competitors during the regular season, once we got to Nationals, all the Women's BB teams (and every GEVA team for that matter) was supporting and cheering each other.

The Beach Bums want to thank everyone who made our season so successful -- GEVA for running a great region, our coach Tony Fontanelle, and our impromptu coaches at Nationals - Jacques Benoit and Dale. And a special thanks to the rattlesnake that our setter Tina and I saw hiking in the Catalina mountains the weekend before that sent Tina running down the trail at top speed; it was an inspiration to Tina, and kept her moving fast even in the third day of competition!

P. S. I saw a tumbleweed.

Eastern Athletic Club - Women's A

The Eastern Athletic Club volleyball team played in our fourth U.S. Open Volleyball Championship in Tucson, AZ, this year. We had also represented GEVA in previous U.S. Opens in Kansas City, MO, Dallas, TX and Holyoke, MA. As the GEVA Regional Women's A Champions for the past 3 years, we were hoping to do better than our 7th and 8th place finishes in the previous U.S. Opens.

We had 3 matches our first day at the Convention Center against teams from Alaska, Northern Virginia and Washington. One of the pleasures of national competition is playing against teams from all over the country. Since there were only 7 Women's A teams in our region this year, we had started to become bored with playing the same teams over and over. Now we were playing in a division with 33 teams, the largest tournament we had ever participated in!

The next day, we played teams from Nevada, Florida (eventual Bronze bracket winner) and Iowa. We finished the grueling pool play in first place with a 5-1 record (11-3), having lost our first match of the tournament to Midnight Sun Hyrax from Alaska. Our next match was to determine whether we qualified for the Gold or Silver bracket. We beat Hangin' Tuff from Texas (15-8, 15-9) to make the Gold bracket and secure at least 8th place.

On the third day of competition, our first match of double elimination was against Creole from our GEVA region. After playing teams from all over the country, it was ironic to have to play a team from New York. Unfortunately, we lost (10-15, 15-4, 12-15) and were pushed into the loser's bracket. We played the remainder of our games at Bear Down gymnasium at the University of Arizona, where we ended up playing our toughest matches. First, we beat a very determined team, Addicts, from Nebraska. Then, we had our most competitive and exciting match of the tournament against Twister Sisters from Illinois (GLR Hi-A Regional Champions). We lost a heartbreaking first game 14-16, but pulled through 15-8 and 15-11 to take the match. We had great support and cheering from the Westchester team and other local representatives. That's what made it so special. It was the highlight of the tournament to stay alive and advance to the next round, at this point, being one of 4 remaining teams!

That same evening, we returned to the Convention Center to play against Creole, determined not to lose again. However, Creole played well and we had nothing left to challenge them. Even though we had all 11 players from our team, the competition had been so tough from the very beginning that our starting team didn't get much rest. After 3 strenuous days of play, we were spent. With the loss to Creole (9-15, 9-15), we were eliminated, leaving us 4th place overall. Creole lost their next game to Powerhouse from Illinois to finish in 3rd place. Congratulations to them and to all the GEVA teams who competed at the U.S. Open this year.

Looking back, we feel we represented our region well, defeating teams from 8 other regions. Our final record was 8-3 (18-8). Our goal had been to place in the top 5 and we succeeded. Of the top 6 teams in Women's A, 3 were from GEVA (Livingston, Creole and Eastern Athletic) and 3 were from the Great Lakes Region, which has been very strong in recent years (including 1st places in both Women's A and Women's AA in the past 2 years). We are honored to be included in that group.

Beyond the excitement of participating ourselves, it was a thrill for us to be in an arena with dozens of volleyball courts overflowing with activity. We were able to watch men and women of various ages, skill levels and backgrounds come together from all over the world, united in a common interest: competitive volleyball. As spectators, it was educational to witness the playing styles and techniques of teams from other places and it was an inspiration to see people, especially the older age brackets (up to 70 years old), playing exceptional volleyball. We were honored to be among them and thoroughly enjoyed watching the action.

After the tournament, our team traveled to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. While we were hiking down a trail in the Grand Canyon, a woman hiking up noticed one of our players wearing a U.S. Open volleyball cap and said "nice hat." We asked how she knew about the U.S. Open and she said her team competed in the 40's division. We asked how her team did and she said they placed 3rd. We told her we placed 4th in Women's A. We exchanged mutual congratulations and continued on our way. It is incidences like this that make you realize the camaraderie and good will of the volleyball community nationwide. That is why it is such a great experience to compete at the national level and we thank GEVA and our sponsor, Eastern Athletic Club, for giving us the opportunity.

Eastshore Volleyball Club [aka Parsippany Blue] (Men's BB)

I just wanted to inform you on how our team viewed the Nationals in Tucson, AZ. Coming from a standpoint of a new team just created this year; it was a new experience for most of us.

Our team had a great time in Arizona. Like I said this was a first for many of our players, so getting out the butterflies was the first thing we had to do. Once we did that we played okay. We finished third in the Silver bracket, which was disappointing to us. We know we could have done better, if only we were in better condition and could stay healthy! We were not ready for the continuous days of volleyball, BUT now we know better and next year we will be ready.

Our first day went really well. We finished 3-1. This was great for considering we usually start slow and have to dig our way out of the hole we created. This time it was the opposite. We started off great and went down from there. Our schedule was the morning session, first game at 8:00am, last game at 1:00pm in the afternoon. This schedule stayed the same until pool play was over. We were happy with our results the first day, even though the team we lost to was the weakest team we played.

The second day did not go so well for us. We played Hot Shots from Rochester, NY on this day. If I am not mistaken that is the team that won the Gold Medal. We gave them a run for the money. We went three games and lost 13-15 in rally. They had told us that we were the most competition they had at the Nationals. So that's pretty much why we were disappointed with our results. We know that we could have finished better than we did.

We could only find seven people that could attend Nationals with us. This made it a tough tournament. By the third day fatigue and injury set in. I could no longer play because of an injury to my shoulder. Our other power hitter slowed down considerably due to knee problems. Our "go to" person, our opposite player, was also injured and subsequently did not play well at all. On top of all this our setter was hurt! Knee, elbow, and fatigue hit him with force. Unfortunately this was our play-off or double elimination day. So suffice to say, we did not make it past third in the Silver bracket.

One of the enjoyable aspects of Nationals was having different competition. When playing in your region the teams become repetitious. It was refreshing to see new faces and hear different voices (accents and all). Not only did the new teams make us play harder; they made us use strategy to beat them. It was nice to go in there and not know a thing about the techniques of these teams. We had to sit and analyze where and how these people hit, placed or dinked the ball. We no longer knew who was the bad passer or who was to "go to" and where to set the block. It became a more strategic way to play - a challenge of the mind, not only the body.

One thing that we did learn this year is to not do everything together. We rented two rooms that we all shared. We rented one Suburban and we all drove together. This was not a good idea. In order to have peace on the court, you have got to spend time with people other than your our teammates. The bickering that was going on about where to eat or when to be quiet was taken out on the court. There has got to be a median somewhere along the way. I think our being such good friends with everyone on our team was one of our downfalls. No one knew where to draw the line - something that will not happen next year. Our goal is to bring others outside our group to join the team, to stabilize it a little bit (hopefully). This will be a hard thing to do considering we are all friendly and go out after practice all the time.

There were a couple of little inconveniences this year. Road construction was one of them. It wasn't a big deal, just a pain in the neck. Towards the end of the week they also started working on Route 10, which caused some delay in travel. The parking attendants were another inconvenience. They gave no leeway. When parking passes ran out, they didn't care and made us pay even though they knew we were a players (the uniforms were a dead giveaway).

All in all our time in Arizona was great. We really enjoyed the experience and we were able to view some of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is one place I will never forget. So thank you for the opportunity and we'll see you next year!

Ensemble - Teal - Women's B

Perhaps the most telling quote from the first-ever Women's B Nationals was when Ensemble's team captain, Karan Sorensen, protested a bad-hands call. "But we're a B team," Sorensen protested, to which the referee replied, "Y'all don't look like B."

The referee's comment reflected the general sentiment of all. The women's B division was very strong and the competition tough but friendly. Though Ensemble won only one game (l5-l3 against HammerTime), they came close in a number of others, losing three games by only two points, one game by fuor and two by five. Starting the tournament with their worst showing (a 2-l5 loss to Flora-Bama), Ensemble grew stronger as the tournament progressed. Virtually every game in their last four matches was highly competitive.

Highlights for the Ensemble team were racing to the airport in the Sorensen high-speed mobile, fitting seven volleyball players into a too-small Hundai, cheering on the Mavericks (a women's over-30 team that had trounced Ensemble the year before), watching the high calibre play of all teams, and noting all the very athletic men.

Most exciting was their post-National trek into the Grand Canyon, orchestrated by Nancy Cornelius, a member of another GEVA team also attending Nationals. Trekking into the Havasu Canyon and camping at the base of 200-foot blue-green falls was the picture-perfect ending to a perfect National's experience (losses aside). Ensemble already has plans to return next year to do some "B" butt-kicking.

Women's A - Livingston A

All in all the whole experience was one that we enjoyed. Aside from taking in some of the beautiful sights of Tucson, a few of us ran into old friends we hadn't seen in a while, some of us made new friends, all of us worked on our tans. What also made the experience special for us was the chance to root on our other teams from the region and have them do the same for us.

We are already looking forward to next year's National's out in California!

Long Island United Volleyball Program - Junior Boys

16 Elite Team

After the loss that put LIU 16 Elite into the Club Division, Co-captain, Chris Garrick had his team refocus their attitudes and compete for the highest finish they could capture : Gold Club Champions! "I meet with the guys and told them that we still had business to attend to". With that message in mind and in perspective, LIU 16 Elite went undefeated for the next two days of competition, until the semi-finals of the Club Gold, where they faced High Voltage from Sacramento, CA. In the end LIU 16 Elite finished third in the Gold Club bracket. Coach Peluso was very pleased. " Even though we didn't capitalize on certain opportunities, I thought the experience was incredible. My kids have come a long way this year. Just getting here is an accomplishment in itself".

We would like to congratulate the following LIU 16 Elite team members for their fine representation of the GEVA region during the 1998 season. Team members include: Co-captains Chris Garrick & Kevin Byrnes, James Benedetto, Stuart Katz, Ryan Maskiell, Craig Berini, Craig Goldschmidt, Matt Einsidler, Chris Horsford, Erik Lanham, Clint Whelan and Jason Hermes. The team is coached by Roger Peluso and assisted by Bill Gibson.

Additional Team and Individual Highlights from the 1998 Season:

• 1st place Beverwyck Capital Classic
• 1st place Mizuno Rochester Classic
• 1st place Patriot Connecticut Classic
• Finalist GEVA regional
• All-East Coast Tournament Team: James Benedetto (setter)
• USA 15 & under Youth National Team: Stuart Katz & Matt Einsidler
• NY Empire State Games - Silver Medalists: Chris Garrick, Kevin Byrnes, Erik Lanham, Stuart Katz & Chris Horsford

16 - II Team

We would like to congratulate the following 16 - II Team members for their fine representation of the GEVA region for 1998. Team members include: Co-captains Donnie Mace & Kevin Kennedy, Matt Mady, Jared Katz, Brendan Semigran, Eric Ericksen, Bryan Baebler, Tim O'Reilly, James Tesse, Peter Amadeo, Jason Won, Nick Partenza and Tony Le

18 Team

" The year has been eventful and a learning experience in more ways than one. At times it has been very interesting, exciting and fun". I'll miss my seniors but look forward to their contributions they'll make on the next level", said Coach George Loft.

Team Members include Co-captains TJ Ciro (Maryland) & Matt Sharack (NYU), JJ Seitelman (Springfield), Brian Goldberg (Maryland), Jared Groneman (Sacred Heart), Sean Riley (New Paltz), Mike Partenza (Cortland), Justin Kerker, Dan O'Shea, Dave Maccio and Joe Thurston.

* Parenthesis mentioning the graduating seniors university is indicating where they will be playing college volleyball.

NYC Juniors 15 (Girl's 15)

Attending the Junior National Championships has proved to be a truly memorable experience. When our team first arrived at the Dallas Convention Center, we were overwhelmed! The level of competition and intense atmosphere exceeded our expectations. This was evident not only when we stepped on the court to face our opponents, but also as we watched the higher level teams play. At first this frustrated our team, but eventually we became inspired by the quality of play that surrounded us. We were in awe of the teamwork and commitment to the sport that other teams displayed.

As the tournament progressed, we learned to focus on elevating our own level of play within each individual point, as opposed to focusing merely on winning the entire match. Playing against the best teams in the country helped us to set higher standards for ourselves. It also improved our teamwork, because in order to compete at such a high level, every team member had to step up.

We gained an immense amount of confidence in ourselves and trust in each other. Most importantly we had a really good time being around and playing such excellent volleyball. We were privileged to have had the opportunity to compete in the Junior Nationals. Everything that we have learned through watching volleyball from around the country has motivated us to excel, and we plan to take that with us into future seasons.

Men's A - North Shore VBC

Four years ago, I managed to persuade my team to drive up to Holyoke, MA to compete in the USAV Club Nationals. Despite a less than stellar year in the region, I knew that if I could just get them to Holyoke, it would pay dividends down the road. Were were seeded 36th (last) and we rocked the world by finishing tied for 33rd. Following that year, my players were hooked. After countless practices, tournaments, and three USAV Nationals, my players now know exactly what they will be doing over Memorial Day Weekend.

This year we were more focused than last because we left Kansas City with the feeling that we could win it all. That determination helped us win the Regionals and play better at the the Nationals in Arizona than we have ever played before. This year we knew we could win it all! After blowing through pool play, we played a real strong team from Florida in the Winner's bracket semi-finals. We played that match like it was the last time we were ever going to play volleyball. After beating them that evening, we ran into them again the next day. Unfortunately, beating the same team twice in the same tournament proved to be too difficult. We finished in third place out of the 40 teams that competed. (By the way, that team from Florida won the gold and we were the only team to have beaten them in the tournament!)

North Shore went from 33rd to 3rd in four years because I managed to get eight guys to drive four hours to play in a volleyball tournament. And while I'm sure that all the hard practices had a lot to do with our success, if we hadn't experienced what the Nationals were about, that same level of competitive motivation may not have developed.

In the year 2000, the USAV Nationals are scheduled for Columbus, OH. It's not four hours, but the extra four or five hours in the car could pay dividends for your team four or five years down the road. Once you get there, you won't have to worry about making Memorial Day weekend plans anymore.

Parsippany - Women's 40s
Parsippany Red - Men's BB
Parsippany - Women's BB

We had a great time in Tucson. With the dry heat and sun all day it made it quite different from what we were used to on the East Coast.

As a 40s team, we definitely underestimated the level of play we faced. Enough said about that. But¼the desert museum was fun!

Our Women's BB team struggled due to injuries and a death in the family. But, we gave it our all. We did manage to check out some nice dining places - mostly for Mexican-style food.

The Men's BB team finally made it to the Gold bracket which had eluded us for two years. The boys did get to experience Tucson's night life. They were quite surprised to find out everything closed at 1:00am though! (A good curfew for them, by the way.)

PowerZone - Hozers - Women's BB

With the breakup of the Spice-Girls on the horizon, the music world breathes a sigh of relief and we, as Americans, are troubled with the question: "what are we to learn from this?" Well, I think the Bee Gees had the right idea when they stated last week during a press conference announcing their new tour that when one member starts thinking their better than the rest, the group is not going to work. They stated that everyone makes it work and everyone is just as important as another. Without that, a group will get no where. Now, what, you may ask, do the Spice Girls and the Bee Gees have to do with volleyball? Well, I'll tell you. I'm not a fan of either. But I do know that even the worst of bands can stay together if they work together and the best of bands cannot survive without learning what is important. While, I may not want to admit it, the Bee Gees have the right idea: teamwork is important.

I work in the health profession as an athletic trainer and have had the opportunity to watch numerous surgieries of my athletes. If anyone has ever seen physicians and nurses work during surgery, it is an awesome sight. Each works in a given area and has a job to do. There is respect for each person present. If they did not work together, everything would break down and few patients would make it. Can you imagine what would happen if the anesthesiologist did not communicate with the orthopaedic or the nurse decided that she wasn't going to assist anymore? No one in the OR works alone; everyone must work together for the good of the patient.

No where is the idea of teamwork more apparent than in sports. A team will live and die depending on their amount of respect for each other and their dedication to their team above their dedication to themselves. I have always said that any given team can beat any other on any given day. Some may say that this is not true, but if you look at all successful teams from the Chicago Bulls to the LA Kings or the teams of Notre Dame and Stanford, they all have one thing in common: teamwork. While watching teams at the USA Volleyball Nationals in Tucson, AZ last month, there was no evidence to the contrary. The teams that were successful supported their members and helped them through games that were tough. Everyone has a bad passing day every once in a while and what makes it a team sport is that you have five other people out there with you to get you past it. The hitter is not going to get a chance to hit unless he or she gets a set. The setter is not going to get a chance to set the ball unless he or she gets a pass. So each member is interdependent upon one another.

I'm not saying that everyone has to like each other, eat with each other and always be with each other. In fact, that is far from the truth. I think we'd all get tired of each other. But, when you step on the court, it is important that the team is the most important thing. From the time you arrive to warm up to the time you pack up and leave the court, you can always tell a team that works together. They may or may not arrive together but they are all there at the same time and warm up with each other. They encourage each other even before the first ball is served. They pick each other up when someone makes a mistake. They make decisions about the team together. And, even when they lose, they still stick by their teammates.

A team that works together is united by a common goal: playing up to potential. In most cases, this is rewarded by winning, but it is not always so. A team who sticks together even in defeat is a team that has captured the true meaning of the game.

A team that cannot work together is destined to unravel on the court. Yelling at your own players, pouting on the bench and getting mad at yourself on the court are all ways people demonstrate that they are not out for the good of the team; they are interested only in their own success or failure. Often, it is wrongly assumed that winning or losing depends on the play of one or two key players. Those two great players can have the games of their lives, but if they get no other support, it will not be enough to succeed. Every person on the team has a job to do. Even the person on the bench has an important job. The players on the court need encouragement and can be helped out by getting calls on dumps, short or long serves or where the block is.

Selfishness and teamwork are on opposite poles. They are mutually exclusive. A player can have personal goals and team goals and this is advantageous as long as one does not contradict the other. However, one cannot profess to be working for the team, while secretly holding personal success as a priority.

So, how do you achieve teamwork? What is the magic formula? Where can you go out and get it? Well, that's the best part of teamwork. It can't be bought or "picked up". It isn't on sale and it doesn't come cheap. It requires sacrifice from every member. It requires energy and time, compromise and work. It means sharing the disappointments as well as the achievements. With some groups of people, it may never be possible. With other groups of people, it may never be a question of "why" or "how", but "when".

I no longer live in New Jersey and I can no longer play with my team. But, I still feel a part of what we worked so hard for all season. I still identify with that team, including everyone who played with us throughout the season, even those who couldn't attend Nationals. I supported and was supported by each member. The one thing that was ingrained in my head throughout the week in Arizona was this: You win as a team and you lose as a team. That is the beauty of team sports and of volleyball.

PowerZone - Men In Black (Men's B)

Ring... ring... The phone rings just as I am going over my packing list, trying to add those few extra items that I forgot. I drop my toothbrush into my carry on as I head for the phone.

"Hello," I answer.

"Hey it's Dan," a voice answers briskly. It's Dan Botzan. Dan is one of our outside hitters, or so he thinks at this point, but now I am getting ahead of myself.

"Hey what's up Dan," I respond. Did I remember to pack the tape and prewrap, hrm... yes I did. I scratch another thing off my list as Dan responds.

"Hey, are you going to stop by The Zone later?" he asks. The "Zone" is what we call the Powerzone (need to bring you up on all the lingo). Our flight was leaving the next day and we were planning on having dinner with a couple of the people who were staying behind.

"Yep," I answer, "hope to get there around ten." Advil, yes its packed too.

"Ok," he answers. At this point there is a slight pause as Dan thinks of what to say. "You want the bad news then or now?" Bad news? Now there is a slight pause as I think of what to say. Of course my mind is already racing through the possibilities. The Zone was torn from the ground? Arizona was hit by comet? Broken bones? Plagues? Volleyball has been outlawed? Bad news...

"Um...," I am still thinking at this point you understand, "now." Somehow my mind decided on now. Dan cuts right to the point.

"Uriel isn't going," he tells me bluntly.

Well, let's pause now for those of you who don't know who Uriel is. Uriel is one of our middle hitters, he is about 6'3" and is the tallest guy on our team. Aside from that he pretty much can crank the ball. Now to a team who's average height is about 5'10" (Without Uriel we drop to an average of about 5'9".) this is a big deal, and besides, we have no other middle blockers. As a matter of fact the position in which we have an abundance of players is opposite since well, we have four south paws, and now, only three right-handers, but that's another story however. The bottom line is, we kinda were hoping that Uriel would be on the plane with us to Arizona. Let's continue.

"Uriel isn't going," he tells me bluntly. Another moment of silence as I consider what to say. Somehow I am not worried, Dan I can tell is. I am beginning to understand why. You see he knows what I am going to say next.

"Well I guess you are going to have to play middle, eh?" See, you would have been worried too. Now it's Dan's turn for a thoughtful pause.

"Or we can have Champ play middle," is his answer. What you don't know is that Vassel "Champ" Arscott is below that average height. Truth is he is about 5'7" or so I believe. In addition he is one of those lefties. He was slated to hit outside. Now don't get me wrong, he is quite a hitter and has in his possession a fairly nice vertical, but you would be hard pressed to look at him and have the words "middle blocker" spring to mind. Anyway, I decide simply not to press the issue with Dan.

"Well," I say, "we can just work it out when we get there." A nice neutral response don't you think, of course what Dan doesn't know is I am already thinking how nice his name will look with the letters "MB" after it...

So things did not start out at all like we had planned. We left for Tucson without a middle hitter. At that time I think we were all a little worried, and no one was quite sure who should play middle. It was our first trip to Nationals and already things were not going as planned. No one really knew what to think. Everyone at some point, with varying levels of seriousness volunteered for the position, but you could tell that no one really relished the idea. The next day we got on the plane minus one middle hitter.

In the end, it was Dan who wound up in the middle. To me, that willingness to adapt, and just do what you had to do exemplified what made Nationals a great experience for me. We had all played together before, and had started to work well together near the end of the season, but when we got to Nationals, well it just seemed to get even better. We had a few disagreements and discussions of course, but never did it really affect or play, or our friendships. If anything it made us play better, and brought us closer. I simply cannot praise my teammates enough. We had two lefty outsides, only one true middle, and one of the smallest teams in the tournament, yet we played our best. We made it into Silver, seeded second. We were eliminated in Silver in three games, but no one ever regretted the experience. There was no point that anyone could, or would point to any other player or themselves and lay blame. We won as a team and we lost as a team. My teammates and I rose to a challenge I believe and I am happy to say my experience at Nationals was a great one because of it.

I believe it is only fair that my teammates all get to see themselves acknowledged in print. It is one of the real benefits of getting to write this. It is also my chance to thank them. First of all, there are out middle hitters, Dan Botzan and Chris Bittner, both of whom distinguished themselves as consistent and able to get the job done when needed. Our outside hitters, lefties Dave Schulte and Vassel Arscott are two of the most energetic and spirited players I have ever known. Setter Martin Katigbak is simply second to none at energizing his teammates, and opposite Dwight Walles amazed us all with his uncanny ability to score off the tape past the biggest of blocks.

When I was asked afterwards by several people what I thought of how we did, the response I gave was simply "Everyone on this team is leaving Tucson a better player than they came." I am sure of that fact, and everyone on my team I would hope agree. On top of that we got to see some great ball. It was amazing to be part of such a gathering of players of all levels, coming out to play for the sport they love. It was wonderful to be able to make friends in the sport from all over the country. The area was beautiful, the weather hot, the volleyball great. It was exciting to be able to see other teams from our own region playing against other regions and to be able to cheer them on.

In closing, to score one up for the east coast, and to inspire fellow GEVAns, I would like to mention that the New England Volleyball Association scored not only the longest distance traveled by any region, but the most teams in attendance (They had 42 teams from their region attend Nationals! That is about 1/10 of the total number.) I would hate to see us outdone by another region, so I hope to see many of you in San Jose.