Week 11 Recap
The net is a very important piece in the game of volleyball. Sadly court 8 was without a net for a good part of the night. Luckily one was being driven in all the way from Brigantine (a very windy city) so the final game of the regular season would be starting late on this evening.
Spiked Punch didn’t mind the wait, they used the extra time to practice. However several of the Sea Hawks were fuming over the delayed start. Perhaps their anger saved us a ref fee, not sure. But the net did eventually arrive and the game did take place.
Game one got off to a hot start by the Sea Hawks. Despite falling behind rather early the Punchers were able to tie it up and make a tightly contested game out of it. Rich, Eric, Geoff and Joe brought an aggressive net game, while Maribel and Alisson did a great job of bumping and setting the guys for some strong finishes. However with the game close the Sea Hawks did manage to make more crucial big plays at the finish to give them the first game.
The second game had Spiked Punch start with a big lead. This was a very technically solid game by the Punchers. Some of the best bumps seen yet this season were on display, and once again the guys all played the net very well to get us some big points. The girls got in on the finishing too with some very nice hits themselves. This was one of the better, if not the best game Spiked Punch has played all season. Spiked Punch took this one.
Game three started with us calling the wrong side (thanks to Joe’s pre-game suggestion, sorry Eric). The battle was close throughout, with what seemed to be much better serves from the Sea Hawks than in the previous two games. Despite another strong team effort by Spiked Punch, the Sea Hawks did take the third game.
Next week are the playoffs, and hopefully Spiked Punch will be able to carry over their play especially from the second game. I must admit that it has truly been a pleasure playing alongside everyone this season. I’ve met some very good people and really saw everyone improve week after week. I think we’ve got the pieces in place to make a big run next week.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Yes, I must say that our second game was great but I think that got to us all! I know I had looked upset and frustrated during the last game yesterday but I REALLY believed that we should of taken that last game at least. Those guys and ladies didn’t impress me at all and when I had seen many points going to them while we stood on our heels and watched the ball land in between ourselves isn’t the Spiked Punches style. We had been very aggressive during the second game but didn’t keep it up. I did break my toe during our first game but didn’t keep me down until I got out of the car and felt it as I do right now! So pratice, and I need it, is tentitive for me tomorrow. Yes geoff, It has been a pleasure to play alongside each one of you this season and I am interested in taking this indoors during the fall. We had come a long way from the first pratice together so next week is will need to be the entire season on the line. I have not had much success winning our first game this season but that maybe all we have left. so lets play like it’s our second game of the day and kick some SPIKED PUNCH! ( I got the first round after our wins next week)
Peace!
August 15th, 2007 at 9:54 am
I need to proof read before I submit so here’s the correction:
We had come a long way from the first pratice together so, next week will be our entire season on the line. We must do it collectively. We have not had much success winning our first game this season but that maybe all we have left.
“Mankind always sets itself only such tasks as it can solve; since, looking at the matter more closely, we will always find that the task itself arises only when the material conditions necessary for its solution already exist or are at least in the process of formation. ” Karl Marx
August 15th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
That was very powerful Rich. And the quote was powerful too. I will pray for your toe.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Well we ended the season 14-20 if I’m correct but we certainlly had the potential to be 20-14 had we closed out some games. Bottom line is this is the 2nd season and I”m not quite ready to go home yet so let’s pull it together Spiked Punch and get the juice out of some people. When we are on our game we can be a tough customer and our low seed will hopefully have some top seed taking us for granted, thinking it’s an easy win, then WHAM we spank’em! Practice is a MUST tonight, so let’s all try and be there, and if I had to point to three things I know we must improve on I would say…………..
1- Remember our offensive set play as best we can which is return the ball to the middle for our setters (allison, natalie, and maribel), then it is their job to get the ball to our wingmen for the spike (joe, eric, rich, & geoff)
2- Basically #1 reiterated- THREE HITS then over. Of course it can’t always happen, however it greatly improves our chances of winning the points when it does. We are winning 72% of our points when we have the opportunity to spike on the third hit so we must make this happen at least 80% of the time. When you are getting the ball over with one or two hits, you aren’t gettting much on it and we are putting ourselves on our back heels and we are losing most points. So let’s pass the ball.
3- COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE. Let’s talk out there on the court, call the ball. If you see me out of postion tell me to move! or show me where I should be, we’re are to have each other’s back and fill in the gaps. If Joe move up to block it’s my job to slide in behind him in case they dink it over or he can’t get the spike.
Now I’m not saying we’re going to win the championship (although I believe we can) but let’s show these teams that we are tough out. Make them beat us, make them earn it, splash’em with punch!
August 16th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Very good points Eric. I like our chances. Let’s win this one for Wen!
August 16th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Excellent Eric! Yes the championship is the ultimate goal, but dont think about it! We need to handle the task at hand. If we play to our best ablilities with each bump, dig, set, and spike than there should be no doubt that we can make a run for it. Communication is a MUST! Keeping in formation after you have backed up your teammate. Also, getting ready to dig/bump when you have served successfully has been a weakness that I have noticed. All of us do it. After we have served we watch what happens but stay on the back line. Remember that the back line should be covered by the back/center person and that person needs to get back there if they were needed to become involved in the play. It’s a simple game but there are many things going on with six of us on the court and there is no doubt that we have the skills and means. Have fun! “You can bring a horse to the water but you can’t make him drink, you can give a man a education but you can not make him think.” - Ben Harper
September 6th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Wow. What a season it was. I am so sad it is over. If anyone wants to go to Ventnor before the indoor volleyball season starts- lets go. There will still be a good amount of Indian Summer left over. The beach will be pristine and we can talk about what our strategies are as a team going into the Fall season. I think we should do some team building drills as well. Like working on serves, spikes, bumps, and my favorite-sets. As a new team, I think we should raise eachother up by talking about what each players strength was. I really think we did well in playoffs and next year we will do even better . Eric will have a finger by then and that is good.