John Moran, Professional Beach Volleyball Player

I Left My Heart in San Francisco…mild, medium, hot or no sauce in the California sun

2009-08-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

I think I speak for all the CA AVP residents when I say “Thank you Jason Hodell and AVP management” for scheduling Manhattan, Hermosa, and San Fran within weeks of each other. Not having to travel back and forth from the East Coast or Midwest was a blessing!

But now it’s back to the traveling road show that is the AVP: Muskegon, Chicago, and Cincinnati the next three weeks. It’s going to be a busy last month of the season. So let me tell you where we’ve been and where we are going to prepare you for the culmination of the 2009 AVP season:

Hot: After failing to make the final in Manhattan, the granddaddy of US beach volleyball, Dalhausser/Rogers kicked it into another gear for Hermosa and San Fran. To say they dominated would be an understatement: Dalhausser had 11 aces and 23 blocks in only 5 matches in San Fran while racking up 34 blocks in Hermosa; Rogie hit 0.440% and had 48 digs in San Fran and another 62 digs in Hermosa. In fact, yours truly suffered his most humiliating defeat of my AVP “career” in Hermosa with a 21-7 meeching at the hands of the Beijing Gold Medalists! Speaking of Beijing, the lull is over for the Beijing beast…he could have picked up 9 other players on tour and won the past two finals the way he played! Don’t believe me? Consider these players (last names for time’s sake) playing along side Phil’s serve and block with the numbers previously mentioned: Mayer, Rosenthal, Lucena, Olson, Jennings, Brazao, Hyden, Medel, and Loomis. All of these players except for Medel and Brazao have won a tournament so they know how to finish. And Medel has been in two finals while Pedro is as consistent a player on tour having not appeared in a final yet. I’m not saying Rogers isn’t fantastic, because he is; all I’m saying is that Phil has been ridiculous the past two weeks, period!

Hot: Jen Kessey and April Ross. If you hadn’t noticed this season, this team has arrived! While Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh are still the #1 team on the AVP, Kessey and Ross have something that team doesn’t: a 2009 world championship. Throw in an impressive win in San Fran and another final appearance in Hermosa, and it’s safe to say this team has found its groove.

***Side note, volleyball is a HUGE momentum game. And momentum rarely comes from an athletic shift, but rather from a mental shift. It’s a feeling that occurs when your confidence is high, your energy is positive, and every play seems to happen in the moment. One thing I’ve noticed is how calm Ross/Kessey have been. They aren’t jumping higher, serving harder, or moving quicker on the court. Instead, they just have the big “MO” right now and that equals success. Take a look for yourself next time you catch their match on TV…and make sure you see their “high-5” routine which is the best on the beach!

Hot: Welcome back Kerri Walsh and Rachael Wacholder. The “Golden Girl” is back with her good friend Rachael and, despite both players having babies just a couple months ago, they are back competing. After taking a disappointing 5th in Hermosa, the two gutted out a 3rd place finish in San Fran. It is good to see them back playing. And look for them to make a run in Muskegon with Kessey/Boss at the FIVB overseas.

No Sauce: I know I am going to take a lot of flak for this next comment but I think it has to be addressed: when is the depth of the women’s tour going to catch up to the men’s side? I spent some time watching my good friend Saralyn Smith playing in San Fran. She was having a great tournament both siding out and at the net. In the mist of this admiration, it made me think: I need to watch more of the middle seeds of the women’s tournament. So I did. In fact, I was enthralled by a stadium court match in which Stonebarger/Lowe took Rachael and Kerri to a thrilling third game. With that match freshly in my mind, I set out to watch some women’s beach volleyball. What I saw was overwhelming disappointing and somewhat shocking. Top to bottom, the women’s draw lacked the athleticism, power, and explosiveness you see in the men’s game. No duh John, it's the classic man vs. women debate. Of course men are bigger and stronger, that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is the lack of consistency throughout the women’s game. I don’t know if it is a transition thing from the indoor game to the beach or what, but here are some observations: no double arm lift on approach jumps, very few jump serves and even less effective jump serves, no penetration on the block, too many plays below the net, failure to terminate rallys that have too many “pokies” back and forth over the net, etc. Volleyball is probably the most popular NCAA sport for women and turns out some great athletes. Just look at the top women’s teams: Nicole Branagh, Elain Youngs, Kerri Walsh, Misty May, Boos/Ross, Tyra Turner and Angie Akers (I’ve seen both these athletes in the gym and it’s sick how quick they are and how high they can jump). There a number of other great athletes on the women’s side, but once you get past the 5th, maybe the 7th place finishers, it is tough to find good, consistent beach teams? There are a number of young teams waiting in the wings, but if the depth doesn’t get better quickly, you’ll see less and less fans checking out those early women’s matches.

And for my final seasoning of this post…
Medium: The state of the AVP. It is always important to evaluate “success” on its own merit. That is always easier said than done because humans have expectations. Case in point: Tiger Woods can win 5 golf tournaments in 2009, or 38.5% of the tournaments he enters (which is unheard of in golf) and NOT have a successful season. Why? Because he didn’t win a major you silly goose..lol!

I know, it is absurd to say Tiger hasn’t had a successful 2009 campaign, but that is how people think. His success is measured not against its own merit but against the expectations people have of Tiger. That leads me back to the state of the AVP…

Things are dicey right now. Real dicey. On their own merit, Manhattan and Hermosa were a huge success. Great weather, big crowds, happy sponsors, compelling finals. All signs of a healthy tour. But expectations for 2009 were very different. The Olympics were, once again, going to propel the AVP back into a main stream. Leonard Armato was lining up new sponsor deals a in case Crocs, the AVP’s title sponsor, continued on its 2008 downward spiral. Jason Hodell, AVP CFO at the beginning of the year, was going to cut costs and manage the business like a business. And the crown jewels of beach volleyball, Hermosa and Manhattan, would put a stamp of approval on a "complete" season of renewal. My how those pesky expectations get in the way of success.

Panama City was a disaster. San Diego might have been an AVP low point the past 8 years. And San Francisco was a disappointment, particularly when you look at Hermosa and Manhattan’s momentum. Every tournament was going to be a bigger success than the last and it hasn't worked out that way. Throw in the rumor that Crocs is officially done at the end of the season and you have big problems for the AVP.

Hopefully Chicago and the end of season events can build momentum, drum up sponsor interest, and save the season in total. Considering how low expectations are at this point, how can they not?

Coney Island Recap: Mild, Medium, Hot...or simply No Sauce!

2009-07-05T20:29:00.001-07:00

Wow, what a weekend! For some reason, my latest post got dated incorrectly. It must have had something to do with the power on my laptop going out while I was writing it. In any event, if you've been wondering at all what I have been up to check out my May 26th post that mistakenly went up before my June 1 post. Long story short: working, working out, and hanging with my newly pregnant wife! Yeah, you heard me: 17 weeks strong...twins on the way :-). Life has been good since my 9th place finish in Atlanta. So with a strong wind at my back, it was off to the Big Apple this past weekend for the 2009 Brooklyn AVP in Coney Island. If you missed it, here is what happened:

HOT: Congratulations Ty Loomis and Casey Patterson! Two of the "young guns" on tour, this 7-seed marched through two of the top teams in the tournament en route to their first ever title. I couldn't be happier for Casey, as I feel partly responsible for his meteoric rise on tour. Last year before the season started he was a middle-ranked qualifier player looking for an opportunity. After playing with him in the first tournament of the year in 2008, resulting in his first ever main draw win(s) and our 9th place finish, I knew he was going to be a good player for many years on the AVP. His length (he has a 6'11" wing span to go along with his 6'6" frame) is remarkable and allows him to hit angles on the court usually reserved for taller or "jumpier" players.

Couple this win with the birth of his first child Cash Patterson, and I think it is safe to say Casey had a week to remember!

HOT: Carie Dood and Diane DeNecochea. These queens of beach volleyball became the oldest pair to ever win an AVP event...men's or women's. What's great about this isn't just that a 41 year old mom and a 35 year old tour great were able to win; instead what I was most happy about was the way their hard work, dedication, and consistency finally paid off. They have been one of the four best women's teams on tour this year. This victory was well deserved.

No Sauce: The AVP over Fourth of July in Coney Island. I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. The stands were maybe 65% full when I walked through stadium court on Saturday before the women's final. When I got outside the gates of the AVP event I ran smack-dabbed into 500,000 Coney Island visitors. So why weren't there more people at the event? Because the 4th was Saturday and families get together to BBQ, hang by the beach, have hot dogs and hamburgers, watch fireworks, and spend quality time with each other, i.e. the AVP just isn't an American tradition on the Fourth! And the 500,000 people at the beach simply refused to pay admission into the event when the previously mentioned activities are FREE. Listen, I have said it a number of times that the NY event is one of my 4 favorite events on tour because I LOVE New York! The problem is the clientele visiting Coney is not the demographic the AVP and its sponsors are going after, and certainly not on the Fourth of July. The reason the tournament worked in Boulder last year was because you had a captive audience. This event needs to make its way to Manhattan, somehow someway. Period. And oh, by the way, pick another weekend to host the AVP in the nations #1 media market.

HOT: Scott and Hyden. Some people might think not winning this event was a major disappointment for these guys. I disagree. Three weekends in a row, three straight finals, and two wins over Phil and Todd. The fact of the matter is they are clearly playing the best ball on tour right now and they have moved ahead of Rosenthal and Gibb as the second best team on the AVP. The fact that they lost a very tight final to a team absolutely en fuego is besides the point. This was Casey and Ty's weekend. 26-24, 21-19...the match could have gone either way, but Ty had 10 digs to Hyden's 5, Casey got 3 blocks to Sean's 1, and as a team they hit over 0.540%...that's good! Listen, both Hyden and Scott hit over 0.500% themselves! High quality volleyball from Hyden and Scott and a solid, solid 3 weeks.

No Sauce: Hanson-Rutledge. This marks the first time in the history of the AVP women's tour that the #1 seed failed to advance to the final four. I had a chance to speak with Brooke after a tough first loss to Fendrick and Ivey, in which they dropped the third game 16-14. She mentioned there was a lot of weird plays and from the scores, I would have to agree: 10-21, 21-9, 16-14. There were only 18 registered attacks in the match for Rutledge and Hanson; that HAS to be some sort of a record low? The match featured 91 total points??? In any event, this team will look to rebound in Manhattan Beach in two weeks.

Medium: Curtis Jackson-Dave McKenzie. Look out for this team. The best duo to come out of the qualifier stormed to a 13th place finish in only their second tournament together. McKenzie is a former Long Beach State and National team standout who plays professionally overseas. Jackson is another Long Beach State/pro indoor player and a good all around beach player. They had Zimet and Morrison on the ropes in a close second game that had they won would have made for an interesting 3rd set. Look for another good finish in two weeks from this team.

No Sauce: Jonathan Acosta- Jeff Caralucci. This was an interesting pairing from the get-go. Both players are physical beasts with great athletic tools; however, they didn't click, ran into a tough draw with the hottest team out of the qualifier Jackson-McKenzie, and finished a disappointing 17th. I don't see this team sticking together for Manhattan, with Caralucci looking for a more agile defender and Acosta teaming up with someone he can share time with at the net.

Mild: Coutney Guerra-Angela McHenry (20 seed); Jenelle Koester-Diane Pascua (16th seed). these two women's teams really took advantage this past past weekend. They both finished 9th for their best finishes of the season. For Koester, the 2008 Motherlode champion, it was a flash of her untapped potential. Sometimes known more for her good looks and social appetite, Koester has long underperformed on tour. But she is a good talent and put together a solid tournament with 8 blocks, 33 digs, and two aces. Her partner Diane racked up 5 aces and 54 digs, while providing a much needed scrappy-spark for this team to win.

As far as Guerra-McHenry, they tallied 18 aces as a team and McHenry was 10th in digs with 56. I often get asked if Courtney and I are somehow related or dating because her last name is tattooed on my back. Again, "GUERRA" is my mother's maiden name and the tattoo is in memory of her death in 1999. Please, if you read this, don't ask me that question! I look for both of these teams to do well in Manhattan and build on their success.

Medium: Mike Morrison-Eyal Zimet. This team is heating up. Their third place finish is no joke. Morrison is getting better every tournament at the net and Zimet is starting to dig some balls: 81 this tourney to be exact, good for second best! These guys can score points, as evident in Morrison's #2 ranking in blocks and Zimet's #2 ranking in digs and aces. The reason they haven't done better is their sideout % is typically in the middle to bottom-half of the main draw. And Coney island was no different; however, they really generated an insane amount of defensive points en route to their best finish as a team and individually.

As for me and my new partner Mike Placek (he is the 4th guy I've played with this year as my latest partner Evie Matthews unfortunately had to have knee surgery), we had a solid tournament. We finished 9th and I was happy with my overall performance. While we still have some kinks to work out, I look forward to playing with him in Manhattan Beach in two weeks.

So that will do it for another edition of Mild, Medium, Hot or No Sauce. Until next time, we'll see you on the beach!

5 Things I learned in May playing on the AVP Tour!

2009-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

After a grueling May that featured four tournaments, including a three week stretch that saw us play in Houston, Huntington, then Atlanta, I finally have time to reflect. In doing so, here are the five things I learned in the month of May playing on the AVP Tour:

1. The men's side is as deep as it has ever been. We had three different teams win tournaments in May: Mayer/Nygaard, Dalhausser/Rogers, Hyden/Scott. Two of the top 8 seeds finished outside the top ten in ATL. We saw Loomis/Patterson and Allen/Halverson both finish in the top 7 in Huntington. Medel/Stolfus, an 8 seed in Houston, took a third and beat the previous Riverside tournament winner Mayer/Nygaard . You have 6'8" guys like Duncan Budinger (brother of soon-to-be NBA forward Chase Budinger) coming out of the qualifer and taking 13th's! It's crazy deep and the athleticism and training going into the sport is inspiring. While the tour does not feature the same number of dynamic indoor players making the conversion like we saw in the 90's, the level of "beach volleyball" has risen drastically just in the last four years. Should make for a great summer!

2. Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh are ridiculous. Let me give you a little insight into just how dominating this team has been in the absence of May/Walsh: 5 wins out of 6 tournaments; both in the top 6 in aces per game and hitting %, and have a 35-1 match record while only dropping 6 GAMES the whole month. Come on, that's just not fair.

3. Sex sells. Every year there seems to be a buzz about some hot young player making his/her way on tour. What I have come to realize is that the "buzz" is rarely about the men and this year is no different. Say hello to Jessica Gysin and Crystal Morrison. Does anybody remember the splash Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger made, both very attractive young ladies who became the marketing mavens known only as "Team Gorgeous"? Well guess what, the next generation of franchise faces will once again emerge from the women's tour so long as they have a decent level of success. Oh the fickle world we live in...who am I kidding, whatever it takes to get more butts in the stands I'm all for it!

4. I love winning, it's better than losing. After getting dumped by my former partner Adam Jewell after consecutive 13th place finishes, we squared off in Atlanta. I teamed up with Evie Matthews, a squirrely Canuck from Calgary, while Adam had volleyball icon Albert Hanneman, former Hermosa Open winner, by his side. To say it got a little testy is putting it mild. After taking a number of fist pumps, flex downs, "oooosshh" and jeers from our opponents and their legion of fans, I had enough. I proceeded to stare down Adam and Albert after every crushing hit and even gave them a taste of their own medicine with an emphatic "ooooosshh" after a particularly hard hit off Adam's block out of bounds. That was the tipping point I guess. I was then called a di*% and a few other names before putting the final dagger in their hearts: after shanking the serve and making my partner work extra hard to give me a set, I calmly slapped the ball middle and ended the match. Apparently there is no love lost between Adam and I which I find amusing. I liked playing with Adam a lot. Fact is, it should be alright to have emotion from BOTH teams, not just the one with the larger fan base! After watching Albert give me us the flex down and fist pumps I thought "hey, guess it's like that." The final nail though was Adam kicking sand at me during a side change while I wasn't looking. To me, that says "prison rules" and if you dish it out you better be willing to take it, win or lose. I'm just glad we won. Which brings me to my final thought...

5. It is really tough to keep it all going at a high level! Running my business, managing my clients and employees, playing and training for the AVP, keeping my beautifully pregnant wife happy with twins on the way in December, and writing this blog is a little taxing...particularly when trying to accomplish these activities at a high level. I know I won't ever make it to an AVP final four with all these things on my plate, but I do know that having a purpose and sucking every last drop out of life is my passion. And my hope for all humanity is that we live life with purpose, passion, and an insatiable pursuit of what makes us and the those around us happy.

I read a story recently about Tom Avery, one of only 41 people to have ever traveled on foot to both the North and South poles. The 33-year old Englishman has an absolute passion for treacherous, snowy expeditions:

Avery and his four man team were on a 413-nautical-mile journey across one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth-the frozen Artic Ocean. Perilously thin ice, blizzards, temperatures of -40F, hunger and exhaustion were among the challenges faced by the men and their teams of dogs pulling 650 lb sleds loaded with provisions. Throughout the final leg of the journey, the team has to negotiate areas of open water called leads, caused by temperature rises that break up the ice. To make things even more complicated, the ice pack was drifting seven miles a day away from the pole.

But Avery, a former accountant, was up to those challenges: "My expeditions are about finding something people think is impossible and then going and doing it. It's about pushing the boundaries and doing something nobody has done before."

So come on, whatever you want, "it's possible". People have been telling me for years I can't have a "real job", a family, AND play volleyball at the highest level. To that I say,"If some desk jockey can make it to both poles on foot, then finding the time to run around in the sand with my shirt off a few days a month is a piece of cake!" I say we all get off our butts and do something we love and a whole lot of it! See you on the beach!

So what did you learn in the month of May?

Getting Ready for Brooklyn...AVP style!

2009-05-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

So you want to know what I have been doing the past month while my blog sat bare? Well, I've been getting ready for the Brooklyn Open! How have I been getting ready you might ask...working out at Unlimited Fitness in Hermosa Beach, training with my new coach Scott Davenport, and winning the USA Volleyball's International Development Qualifier in Long Beach June 27-28th. More on that in a bit.

Since I have been working out a lot, people are asking me: "John, how do you workout for the AVP?" Well, take a look...

So that's just a sample of the exercises we do at the gym, and it seems to be paying off. This past weekend my friend Ivan Mercer and I won the IDQ tournament in Long Beach, CA. The tournament was put on by USA Volleyball and qualified us to play in a NORCECA event in the near future. We were excited because after getting blown out the first game against Duncan Budinger (brother of recently drafted, former fellow Wildcat, and new Houston Rocket Chase Budinger) and Dane Jenson, we pulled it together and won the next two games for the "W". For some reason, that beach has been good to me: Eyal Zimet and I won two of the AVP Developmental events year and then this one. I look forward to another Long Beach event :-)

So now it is on to Brooklyn for my first AVP event in over a month. Stay tuned for my predictions which are coming tomorrow. Until then, have a great day and make sure you use sunscreen!

San Diego Recap: mild, medium, HOT...no sauce!

2009-05-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

As I walked up to the tournament site on Friday, I couldn't help but wonder how exactly I would describe the event location for the 2009 "San Diego Open". Fact of the matter, when you watch the video, you'll ask yourself the same question I did: why is the tournament being held on an Indian reservation 50 miles east of the beautiful San Diego coast line? One reason: $$$! It is speculated that Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort paid the AVP around $100,000 to host the event; therefore, I can't blame the AVP for taking the payout as the tour drives towards greater profitability. All things considered, the site was really cool. It is just too bad more fans weren't there to find out.

So the results are in and here's what's mild, medium, and HOT...and what simply has no sauce at all:

HOT - John Mayer/Jeff Nygaard. Not only did this team win their first title together, it was the teams they beat to do it. First, they knocked off the Olympic gold medalists Dalhausser/Rogers. Then, in a rather routine final, they beat the number 2 seed and #2 US Olympic team of Rosenthal/Gibb. It was the combination of Nygaard's timely blocks and Mayer's plethora of digs, 76 to be exact, that propelled them to their first title. Couldn't 't have happened for two nicer guys.

HOT - Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs. Three tournaments, three victories. Enough said. The best team on the women's side hands down.

No Sauce - Jenny Kropp/Holly McPeak & Russ Marchewka/Albert Hanneman. Kropp/McPeak continue to struggle as they finished 9th. As of press time, Holly McPeak announced her retirement. While I accept the AVP's announcement, I'm not convinced Holly is done. In fact, I saw her just a day ago doing her patented pier-to-pier run between Hermosa and Manhattan in the deep sand! I hope this is not the last we have seen of her. On the other hand, we have definitely seen the last of Hanneman/Marchewka. For a third consecutive tournament, they failed to win a match and both player's point totals have plummeted.

HOT - Brooke Hanson/Lisa Rutledge. I wrote about this team in my San Diego recap and spoke highly of them in my San Diego preview. Boy, did they show up BIG! They made it to their first final and had a great all around tournament. No other team is getting more digs and blocks than them right now, and if their side out game gets more consistent, we will be seeing them in a lot more finals. and what else would you expect from a fellow Arizona Wildcat in Rutledge!

Mild - Turner/Akers. I predicted the top four seeds would advance to the final four on the women's side and I would have been right if not for this disappointing finish. While Akers had a solid all-around tournament recording 39 digs, hitting (.485, 6th best), and recording 5 aces, Turner was off. Nobody had a better stat line in Riverside than Turner, but it wasn't there this tourney. It seems like when one player is on, the other is a bit off. Look for them to steady out in Houston.

Medium - Brad Keenan/Nick Lucena. In one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend, old partners squared off against one another when this team played against John Hyden/Sean Scott. There was plenty of talking and lots of fire, with the match ending after Nick Lucena punted a ball, walked under the net to shake hands, and forfeited the final 2 points! But with all that, Keenan/Lucena are getting better and teams know it. They finished 5th and their international experience will continue to build as they skip the Houston Open to play in the FIVB tourney in Rome.

No Sauce - Paying players to play so guys that would otherwise not be in the main draw get into the event. By all accounts, there were at least 4 teams (and two more rumored), where a player compensated another player with more points in order to get into the main draw. I am going to save my thoughts for another post, but what I will say is that this practice is keeping more talented players out of the tour and effecting the product at the events. While these teams are improving, it undermines the integrity of the sport.

Yours truly? Well, at the end of Friday I was the fourth highest side out player in the event. After the final ball hit the sand Sunday I was in the bottom 5! I played my worst match in over a year Saturday morning and cost Adam and I a chance to play for 7th. Instead, we took another 13th. Since it was so tragic I am not going to go any further. Instead, check out some video from a better match and stay tuned for my Houston preview!

Thank you to my sponsors for your continued support and we'll see you on the beach!

Cards on Capitol Hill

2009-04-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

One of my goals in 2009 is to be more active with my philanthropic endeavors. Two seasons ago I donated all of my volleyball profits to Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. It was a great experience and if you are looking for a top rated charity (http://www.charitynavigator.org/ is the largest charity evaluator online) Starlight is a great organization. For nearly 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. So I am always looking to help out when I can.

Well one of the benefits of being a pro volleyball player is that great opportunities present themselves from time-to-time. Even though my last name isn't Walsh or Rogers or Gibb, because of my unique position as a business owner and a top 45 player, stuff presents itself. So when a friend of mine invited me to Washington D.C. to rub shoulders with Senators, Congressmen, and other quasi celebrities to help raise money for cancer, I said "Love to!"

While it might not have been the best idea to jump on a red-eye flight cross country, it didn't seem to bother me before Riverside, and since I was flying Virgin America for the first time en route to a cancer fundraiser, this was a no-brainer. To check out more information about the event, click http://www.preventcancer.org/donate2c.aspx?id=162. You can see videos and see pics of professional poker players Phil Gordon, Rafe Furst, Howard Lederer, Lee Childs and Jason Young.

Now, I did not win the charity poker tournament, but I did upload some pics and video of my sightseeing...which was a lot more exciting than my horrible poker play! For the record, my three 10's got beat by a runner, runner (yeah, last two cards of the flop), runner, runner straight...really?! That's why it's called gambling!

San Diego: German for "The AVP is coming to Town"...

2009-04-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

I have been AWOL since Riverside, but there is good reason. I have been working feverishly the past two weeks at the office, as April has been a very busy month. Between meeting with numerous existing clients, prospective clients, running two separate companies, interviewing for an open position, and a trip to D.C. for a fundraiser (I'll be putting up a post in the next couple days on that amazing experience), there hasn't been much time get out to the beach. Good news is this has been a great month in that we've have helped a number of companies simplify their transportation models while saving money. But wait a minute, you don't come here looking for news about the logistics world...

So here is my much anticipated predictions for the 2009 AVP Crocs San Diego Open presented by Johnsonville:

Jen Kessey and April Ross will break through for their first victory of the season
With the first round single elimination format, the top 4 seeds on the women's side will advance to the cross over; having to play one less match and beginning the tourney at 9th will play a huge factor
Look for Zimet/Morrison, who have been playing some great ball thus far this year (not to mention Eyal was my partner last year en route to 4 major cash titles including the Seaside Open in OR), to upset the number 14 seed of Metzger/Dykstra. Speaking of Metzger/Dykstra, if you have never seen Stein Metzger play, you better hurry. Rumor has it he only has three tournaments left. He is one of the true personalities in our sport and his passion up close is a lot of fun to watch, so don't miss out!

I am looking for another big tournament out of Hanson/Rutledge and Hochevar/Fopma on the women's side, with my sleeper team being Burdine/Fontana. I like the athleticism from these teams, and if you didn't read my Riverside post, Hochevar is rocking the best "do" on tour right now, a cross between Pink and Chris "Birdman" Anderson of the Denver Nuggets...Google him.

Look for a great 8-9 match up on the Men's side with Mariano/Ratledge squaring off against Medel/Stolfus. These four players have Orange County roots and often train against each other. Whenever you get guys that know each other and have history like these do, words can be exchanged. I have heard a few "donkeys" (and for those of you keeping track at home, this is not an endearing term on tour) screamed through the net in previous Medel and Ratledge match ups...can't wait!

I am looking for a big tourney from Nick Lucena/Brad Keenan. This team took a 9th recently at the world tour event (known as the FIVB) in Brazil. Traveling to Brazil together should improve the team chemistry, and the 3 wins, including one over a very good Brazilian team, will give them added chemistry entering San Diego. I suspect they will make it to their first cross-over bracket this weekend.

And lastly, Moran/Jewell. As you know, I don't like to predict my finish, rather, I like to focus on the process. Adam, my partner, thinks he has the swine flu; don't worry, he doesn't...he just likes to be dramatic! Needless to say, we got just one practice in together since Riverside. Oddly enough, this might be just what the doctor ordered. With Adam's illness and shoulder problems, rest is what he needs. And really, nobody is going to serve him anyways. If I can continue to side out at the level I have the first two tournaments of the year, we should put ourselves in a position to win our first round match against Williams/Rambis, the 12 seed. Mark Williams, a beach volleyball Olympian for Australia in 2000, is one of the best players on tour, period. He can take over a match with his block or serve, so we need to be cognizant of him at all times. Jesse Rambis, the son of Lakers coach Kurt Rambis, has steadily improved the past two seasons. It all comes down to energy. If Adam and I stay positive and on the same page, fight through his illness and lack of practice together, we've got a shot to get past the single elim round and make it the field of 16.

And that's it. Let's see if my predictions come to fruition. Speaking of energy, I need to recharge after a 48 hour whirlwind trip to D.C. So tee-minus 36 hours until San Diego...German for "whale's v******"...I hope Ron Burgundy makes an appearance. :) that was pretty bad, I need to go to bed now. See you on the beach!

Riverside Recap: Mild, Medium, HOT, or simply no sauce

2009-04-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

With only the finals remaining at the 2009 Crocs AVP Riverside Open, let's take a look back at the last 54 hours of action to see what's hot, what's not, and everything in between...

No Sauce - After meticulously packing my volleyball bag Thursday night, I couldn't find the battery for my webbie cam! Not only that, but after searching for two days I have no idea where it is charging itself! So, many apologies for no videos or photos from the event. Unbelievably poor form on my part so I'll do my best to make up for it in San Diego!

HOT - New CEO Jason Hodell and the AVP office. If you read my post from April 10th, I shared my thoughts on the departure of Leonard Armato as CEO. In the word of Peter Drucker, business is marketing and innovation., and the lack of both at the AVP the past 4 years has been awful. But with new management comes fresh ideas, and this week the AVP unveiled three unique branding initiatives in Riverside: AVP Fantasy Game; AVP TV on the web, and a new web series called Transition (check it all out at http://www.avp.com/ ). The AVP needed to join the New Economy and leverage the power of the Internet to grow its fan base. Guess what...someone is paying attention!

Medium - Mayer/Nygaard. The first team to beat the Olympic Gold Medalists and the AVP's most dominating team Dalhausser/Rogers this year. If only Mayer/Nygaard would have followed-up this huge victory with another win, then they could have made my HOT list. But alas, a victory like that is understandably emotional, and their tank was empty against Hyden/Scott. They did however fight back and finish 3rd to finish a solid overall tournament.

HOT - NCAA Women's Beach Volleyball as a scholarship sport. There was a women's collegiate volleyball tournament which was held on site in conjunction with the AVP Riverside Open. The event brought teams from schools all over the country. The action was exciting, fast, and fun; throw in the support I saw from the fans and this dream of beach volleyball as a NCAA scholarship sport is going to become a reality in the very new future.

No Sauce - Friday's attendance. Had I been able to take video of the Malibu Rum tent, you would have seen one of the saddest AVP spectacles in recent memory. Even the scantily clad rum girls were bored of themselves! On 6 separate occasions throughout the day I walked by the usually festive tent and saw not one person hanging out in there. It was a microcosm of the attendance all day: sparse.

Mild - McPeak/Kropp. Holly McPeak is a volleyball legend. She has the third most victories in women's beach history and has been an great ambassador for the sport. Her recent partnership with the young, talented Kropp has been met with mild success. They were the only top seed on the women's side not to finish at or above their seed. Seeing a tireless worker like Holly go out like this is tough to watch. But finishing 9th isn't terrible for this new partnership, so let's see if they can grab a top 5 finish in San Diego.

HOT - Hanson/Rutledge. This 8 seed beat the aforementioned #6 seed and was playing some great ball, with Rutledge stuffing a tourney best 30 balls and Hanson leading the women's side with 9.50 digs per game...holy crap that's a lot of digs! They bettered their seed by taking a fifth.
Medium - Loomis/Patterson taking a 7th. This is a very good young team, and I am not just saying that because they played almost flawless volleyball in knocking me and Jewell out of the tourney! The very next match they beat the 10 seed Prosser/Brazao in two before falling to Medel/Stolfus for the second time in Riverside.

Hot - Tyra Turner. She had one of the most impressive all-around stat sheets of the weekend: 0.448% hitting, 12 blocks, 13 aces, and 48 digs, making her the only player on either the men's or women's side to rank in the top 16 of all four categories.

Mild - Fuerbringer/Jennings. Jenning's return to the beach after an injury was so-so for the #3 seed. They finished 9th with Jennings hitting 0.337 but getting his customary grip of digs. Look for them to bounce back after two more weeks of practice for a nice finish in San Diego, an event they won last year.

Hot - Brittney Hochevar's hair. The punked-out do was a hit, with the Long Beach State grad turning in another solid performance and a 7th place finish.

No Sauce - Hanneman/Marchewka, Stonebarger, Ring/Roumain, and Zinc! Stonebarger, the other half of "Team Gorgeous" from a year ago, is winless since the breakup and finished 25th. Hanneman/Marchewka failed to win a match for the second straight event. Ring/Roumain, one of the most exciting and physically dominant teams on tour 4 years ago, finished 17th and looked un-Ring/Roumain-like all tourney long. And lastly, ZINC! Skin safety is a must for all pro volleyball players, but there was a "Braveheart" sighting late Friday and this very pretty volleyball player looked like she was getting ready for a tribal war! There has to be another way to get that level of sun protection:)

Hot - The city of Riverside. I am usually not a fan of events away from natural beaches, but major kudos to the city of Riverside for transforming its city streets and a parking lot into a very cool site. The players' lounge was in the convention center adjacent to the site, the sponsor village was spread out nicely right as you walked in the venue, and the stadium court and outer courts had a great layout where fans could watch multiple games at once.

And as always, I end my recap reflecting my own performance, but first things first...

Hot - My friend Rafe Furst. For those of you who do not know Rafe, you should check him out at http://www.rafefurst.com/. He is an inspiring individual who I am blessed to have as a good friend. Rafe drove the hour drive east not only Friday, but Saturday as well to watch all my matches! Good friends, good times, a little volley...not a bad way to spend the day. Thanks Rafe.

Medium - Jewell/Moran finish 13th. We started off with a bang by posting the only true upset of round 1 beating the 12 seeded team of Wachtfogel/Strickland. We lost to Hyden/Scott, beat Stewart/Phipps, then fell to Loomis/Patterson. Had we come out Saturday morning with the same fire, passion, and energy we did on Friday I would have given us a 'A' for our first tournament together, but the energy on the court was just plain funky Saturday morning. At one point, Adam told me to calm down because he thought I was too amped. I am a fiery player who performs better when I'm smiling, talking, and letting it all hang out. It worked Friday. For some reason we were on different pages Saturday morning. Oh well, it happens. Playing with Adam was a blast and while we both would have preferred a top 10 finish, it was a great experience.

I did finish the event as the 7th ranked attacker with a hitting % of 0.480. With 23 digs, 4 blocks and 0 aces, the rest of the stat sheet could have used some filling up. Overall, I thought we played steady enough to win another match and put us in position for a better finish. The biggest thing I need to improve is not giving up multiple points in a row. While my sideout % is top 5 so far this year on tour, it is the way I give up points that hurts. I might sideout 7 times in a row, but then I give up 2 points in a row before settling into a rhythm again; by that time, the damage is done. Also, a couple of players told me I have a good serve and they didn't understand why I wasn't jump serving. My answer: I don't know?! What I do know is that the jumper is coming back for San Diego!

So that does it for the recap. Now we turn our attention to San Diego in two weeks! until next time, see you on the beach!

Thank you to my sponsors Smack Sportswear, Maloney Vision, Unlimited Fitness.

Upset special: Welcome to the Riverside Qualifier

2009-04-16T17:27:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Crocs AVP Riverside Open officially started today and there were some surprising results from the qualification tourney. Here is a quick recap:

the #1 seed of Mesko/Jensen lost their first match of the day to the 33rd seed. This was a huge upset, not only because of their seed, but because the team that qualified had never qualified before. In a way there was some personal redemption since Jensen dumped me a week ago to play with Mesko; however, both guys are personal friends of mine and good people so it is hard to see them go out so early and take a 41st. That is going to hurt their points dramatically. I didn't see the match, but I heard it wasn't close. Ouch!

in another shocker, the #3 seed of Engle/Fuller lost their first match to the 30th seed, another team that has never qualified for the main draw. This was not a shock to me, since this Fuller/Engle haven't gelled since forming the partnership. Engle wasn't digging enough balls and their sideout game had some holes...too many for the 6'10" Fuller to plug with his block.

two teams I predicted would make it to the final round and play for a chance to get in did exactly that...and qualified! Pearson/Haghihi and Morales/Delahoz both beat higher seeds en route to qualifying. Pearson/Haghihi is one of those "old school" ball-control teams that can give people fits! They run a quick offense, play great team defense, and just don't make many mental errors...skills they polished from over 10 years playing in AVP events.

Morales/Delahoz is a fun team to watch. The upper-30's (his exact age is still in question and we are waiting on documents from the Colombian embassy!) Delahoz famously got his name on the "Walk of Fame", the famed Manhattan Beach Pier where the stars of the sport have their names immortalized on plaques put into the Pier concrete. He and partner Sean Scott, a top 10 AVP pro, won the Open the year the AVP pros boycotted MB. Morales is a fiery Brazilian known more for his on-court theatrics than his steady play. It's a shame because he is a high flyer with loads of unrealized talent. Maybe this is the tourney that kick starts his evolution into a full time AVP pro.

The rest of the quali went as expected and there were no real stories of note. And with day one in the books, the "Big Dance" starts tomorrow. Bring your sunscreen and hard hats, because it is time to bring out the big guns and go to work! See you in the IE!!

To follow the tournament, check out www.avp.com

Riverside is 4 days away, so why am I waiting for a red-eye in SFO?!

2009-04-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse into one player's world of pro beach volleyball...

As many of you know, my day job is as the owner of STARR International, a sales consultancy firm specializing in the logistics and service industries. Having left corporate America after 6 years, I decided to break out on my own back in 2006. And while I wouldn't trade it for the world, it does require me to keep an eye on the travel budget a little bit!

As I watched the tired passengers stumble off the plane here in the Continental terminal in SFO, I can't help but wonder if the coughing and sneezing is contagious. If the answer is yes, which let's face it, I'm in an airport, it could make for an interesting day come Friday when the main draw starts of the AVP Riverside open...what the heck am I doing in SFO four days from the tournament you ask? Good question. I have a meeting in Waco, TX to discuss inbound ocean containers from Asia with a large corporation. In order to get work, life, and volleyball to-do's off the list today, the only time I could fly out was tonight.

Funny thing is, I love this stuff. The sweet is not as sweet without the bitter; so while the timing might not be ideal (I have a feeling nobody else in the top 50 on the AVP tour is flying out tonight for business meetings), playing on the AVP Tour is my reward for a hard day's work. Balancing marriage, business, volleyball, workouts, other obligations is what makes me feel fulfilled. It is the old cliche: you only get one trip on this merry-go-round called life, so don't miss a thing! I won't, as long as I don't fall asleep and miss this flight!

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion; you must set yourself on fire."

New event brings new teams, a new CEO, and some new predictions for Riverside

2009-04-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tee-minus 7 days and counting until the Crocs AVP Riverside Open on April 17th. That's right, the AVP is heading to Riverside, 60+ miles east from the sands of Manhattan Beach. Not 100% sure but I think this is the first time the AVP has had an event in the IE (that's inland empire for you non-Californians). I have no idea what to expect so I will leave it at that. My hope is that 50,000 people pack the event over the three days, but then again my knowledge of the IE's volleyball following is less than exceptional!

So that brings me to the next item on the agenda: new partners, and there are plenty of new teams to keep an eye on...

Anthony Medel/Hans Stoflus: This team should be fun to watch. Having played with Anthony for 2.5 years and over 30 tournaments I am a bit biased, but I think he has one of the fastest arm swings on tour! That, along with his "D" and Hans' all-around steady game, and this team should contend for a top 7 finish.

What to watch: Chemistry. If this team can stay positive and stay on the same page with their energy, they will give the top teams all they can handle.

Dykstra/Metzger: Just when you thought he was out, the kid pulls him back in! One of the most interesting partnerships of the weekend. Stein has decided to take on a young protege in Dykstra, who will make his pro debut on the right side. Stein is one of the great players and competitors of all time, both on the beach and in the gym. His combination of skill and knowledge should take the young USC junior to the next level. I think this team could finish in the top ten after a couple tournaments together...Dykstra is too athletic and Stein is just too good, too crafty not to. But being their first tournament together, there will be some kinks to work out. Look for them to take a 17th, maybe a 13th if their draw is favorable.

What to watch: Dykstra handling the pressure of playing with one of the greats while siding out on the right. Stein is going to get digs and Joey will get blocks, but will he side out consistently?

Williams/Rambis: Another interesting team coming together for the first time. Williams has been to three Olympics, finishing 4th in the 2004 games. He is a terrific blocker, which should bode well for the younger Rambis. Rambis, the son of Lakers great and current coach Kurt Rambis, has steadily improved the past two seasons. His quickness and jump make up for a lack of size; now, with Williams controlling the net and optioning on-two offensively, Rambis will get even more opportunities to showcase his defensive skills. I like this team to take a 13th depending on the draw. I think Rambis will have more offensive options on the left side with the left-handed Williams setting gold and threatening with the two-ball.

What to watch: Rambis on "D". Williams has been working a corporate gig since the end of last season, so conditioning-wise Rambis is in better shape. That being said, he will need to create defensive scoring opportunities so they don't get caught in long, drawn-out matches.

And that brings us to yours-truly...

Moran/Jewell: I've wanted to play with Jewell for a couple of years, but my points and lack of wins never made it possible until now. There is no debating Jewell's offensive capabilities, and after siding out over a 0.500 clip in Panama, I feel comfortable with our side-out ability. What will be interesting is how we gel defensively..neither one of us lights the world on fire with our "D", but Jewell did win a tournament and appear in another final playing "D" full time (albeit behind Olympian Jake Gibb's block!). I don't like to make predictions on my finishes, so will just say I like our chances to compete, bring a lot of energy, and make some noise...

What to watch: Defense and my side-out %. I'm preparing myself for A LOT of serves! With my setting and Jewell's offense, I'd serve me too! So it is up to us to create scoring opportunities on "D". If we do, we will be in a position to win matches. If we don't, then it could be a long tourney.

There are a number of other new teams in the Riverside event, so it should make for a very interesting tournament. My prediction: Dalhausser-Rogers vs. Hyden-Scott in the finals, with Dalhausser-Rogers winning their second tournament of the year.

Speaking of interesting, there was major news out of AVP corporate this week. Leonard Armato, the tours CEO the past 7 years, has been replaced by Jason Hodell, the current COO. It seems like an awkward time for Leonard to leave, but all things considered, it was probably for the best. Regardless of what anyone might have thought of his methods, no one can dispute his success in bringing the tour back from the brink of extinction. We can speculate whether his departure is a byproduct of the economy or if the new board felt it was "just time"; but either way, it will take a new set of skills to get the AVP to the next level. Consider this: in 2003 the average tenure for a CEO was 7.3 years. By 2007, that number was down to 4. I believe one of the reasons for that trend is because this is not your mother's economy. The speed at which information and innovation move in today's economy is unlike any other time in our lives. Today's CEO can't get stuck "doing the same-old". The Internet has changed the competitive landscape forever. Now more than ever business is a function of marketing and innovation, as the great Peter Drucker said. To that point...

The AVP stopped innovating years ago. The marketing has been stagnate. The growth stymied. It comes as no surprise that some sponsors did not re-up for 2009 considering the current economic climate. Regardless, sponsors are demanding more value than ever! Despite the unbelievable success of AVP athletes at the Beijing Olympics, sponsors like Cuervo and Hilton decided to go in a different direction. In my opinion, it was the lack of new ideas, the lack of new strategies, and a shaky marketing plan that got the AVP into this predicament. The funny thing is, tremendous progress has been made in the last 7 years and the concrete has been poured for a successful sports property.

Now that the foundation has been in place for a couple years, I ask where is the web presence? How about $5 general admin tickets to attract new fans? Where can a fan buy a Gatorade, Big Mac, or Bud Light at the event? Why has so much been invested in a stadium court that takes up a huge line item on the P&L? How has the relationship with ESPN dissolved yet the 4-man tour still gets airtime on ESPN Classic? Is there a better TV deal out there that creates a win-win for everyone? Should the AVP be producing more online content surrounding its events/athletes and create an viral campaign online?

Let's make one thing clear: I don't have all the answers. But two questions I've asked myself time and time again are: what about this event would excite me if I'd never been to an AVP tournament? Secondly, what is it about the event that would make me come back? After 9 seasons traveling from beaches of Southern California to the Jersey shores and all points in between, I can safely say I've seen my fair share of volleyball. After that many years, I want to see something I haven't seen in a long time: a truly unique entertainment experience!

So with that I say good bye Leonard. Thank you for everything you did. Your departure comes before a new event, the debuts of a number of new teams, and ushers in the era of a new CEO. I have one more prediction: a new beginning.

AVP Crocs Tour Panama City Beach Open

2009-04-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well the first event of the year is officially in the books! What a weekend...

It all started with a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Panama City Beach. Now, I don't mind the red-eye, but when you have to connect in Atlanta and there is a MAJOR weather system moving through the area, things get very interesting. After a two hour layover and another hour-and-a-half on the runway, I was glad to make it to Panama. Ahhh, the life of a pro volleyball player...I wish it was all private planes and caviar wishes. While some may think it's all girls in bikini's, sunshine, and easy travel plans all summer long, it can be more complicated! The reality is I work Monday - Thursday to support my wife Kelly and I, while trying to fit in pracctice and gym workouts. In this case, I hopped on the red-eye Thursday night chasing fame and fortune; well, mostly fame; okay, maybe not fame but definitely fun, competition, and the thrill of doing something most people don't get to do in life: play a professional sport and earn some money doing it!

So there I am in Panama and I get to the hotel. The AVP really took care of the players at this event. They put us up in a nice condo hotel right across the street from the site. Wow, I'm I glad they did...the weather was horrible! Rain, thunder, lightening, 25 mph winds! If I had to go farther than across the street to get to the event on Friday I would have said "forget it". Now why would I go check out the event on Friday if the main draw doesn't start until Saturday? Because the day before the event the AVP has a qualification tournament that allows players to qualify for the main draw, aka the "money rounds". Having played so many qualifiers myself, I appreciate the process and wanted to support my friends in the horrible conditions. Plus, I wanted to see if they were EVEN PLAYING!

Sure enough, the show must go on! I couldn't believe my eyes: players were shielding themselves from the golf ball size rain drops and quivering every time lightening lit up the sky. Throw in the wind and is was virtually unplayable. Yet somehow, someway, they played on.

After 30 minutes of "hello's" and the customary first tournament "what have you been up to this off season?" dialogue, I had to go back to the hotel. Since I knew my partner and I wouldn't be able to practice, I decided to fire up the laptop and get some work done. So went Friday on the AVP tour.

Wake up call: 0600. My partner and I, Dane Jenson, looked outside and confirmed with our eyes what our ears had been telling us all night: the storm was still raging. We turned on the TV only to see the local news station report a tornado warning for the area. Yeah, we're not playing today!

We walked across the street and headed to the player meeting. Matt Gage, he runs the tournaments come game day, told us to sit tight. There were reports that the weather might break later in the day. Four hours later guess what: no break! After a quick lunch in the players area provided by the Tour and a stretch/massage in the players tent, Saturday and the double-elimination format were a thing of the past! A group of players, and Leonard Armato himself, decided to head to the movies. Saw Duplicity. It was so-so.

We headed back to the hotel, grabbed some dinner, and hunkered in the for the NCAA basketball games. By the way, I got clobbered in my NCAA pool! We went lights-out at around 10:30 and set the alarm for 0600 and another go-around at the event.

So it was Sunday. The weather had cleared nicely, with the high winds remaining as the only uninvited guest. the first round of matches started promptly at 0800, so Dane and I made sure to get to the court an hour in advance to begin our warm up.

I felt good. The energy was high, Dane and I had a nice long warm up, and we felt comfortable going into our first tournament match together. That's right, we had never played together before in a tournament! That happens more often than you think on the AVP. While the top teams lock-it-up for the entire season, the lower ranked players (and therefore teams) are jocking for position. Entry in the main draw is calculated on a point system. How many points you have individually often determines the caliber of partner you attract. In Dane's and my case, our individual points together as a team granted us the final spot in the main draw without having to qualify. So when it came right down to it, we were each other's best option for competing in Panama, which I was excited about.

While this was a partnership of convenience from an entry points standpoint, Dane is an excellent young player with a tremendous attitude and physical ability. Heading into our first round match, I felt confident in our chances to win. The only question on my mind was how would we compensate for the lack of experience together. As it turned out, that question would prove important in our tightly contested match.

Our first round match-up was against Billy Allen and Brady Halverson, the 13th seed. From the first serve, it was a battle. Back and forth we went. Dane and I found ourselves up 20-19, game point, in the first set. After a timeout from Allen-Halverson, they sided-out (for those of you unfamiliar with volleyball lingo, that means we served to them and they put the ball away on offense for a point). So now the score is 20-20 and Dane and I have the advantage, particularly since we are on the good side of the court with the wind in our face; however, the lack of experience together showed up late and Allen-Halverson made two good plays to cap a comeback, with Halverson making a great move at the net and blocking Dane for a game 1 victory.

As we moved into game 2, Dane and I decided to start the game from the good side. That was probably the only poor decision we made in the match because up 18-17 in the second, we switched to the bad side. Since we were playing solid, I told myself: "one side out on the bad side, that's all we need. Get to game 3 and it's anybody's match." Well, that side out never came, as Allen ripped off three great serves into the wind, including an ace to my side of the court that I couldn't even touch to end the match. Just like that, my Panama City Beach Open was over in 51 minutes.

After analyzing the match and replaying certain situations in my head for an hour, I finally let go. You see, I beleive that is critically important in sport and in life. You can't dwell on things in the past. Analyze, synthesize, learn the good and bad, and then move on...do better next time. The present is a gift hence the name. Had I continued to over-think what just happened I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the fact that is was a sunny Sunday in Florida; that I play professional volleyball and get to play a game I love, get paid (a little!), and spend time with good friends. What a truly amazing experience...one I am grateful to be a part of.

Tournament recap:

Finish: 17th

Prize $$$: 1200

Hitting %: 0.571 (3rd overall)

Blocks: 3 (tied 13th overall)

Aces: 1 (tied 25th overall)

Panama Champs: Dalhausser-Rogers

Thank you to SMACK Sportswear and Unlimited Fitness for their continued support!