Volleyball Update

This is my update from our last volleyball game. Cami already found tons of errors so feel free to judge me as you wish. It was fun to write and I don't love writing so here goes...

For as long as I can remember I have loved roller coasters. There is something about speeding up and down and being thrown from one end of a track to another that really gets my adrenaline pumping. The bigger the better, the faster the ride the happier I come out on the other side. In 2005 the Kingda Ka located in New Jersey took over the title of fastest and tallest roller coaster from the Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point Ohio. The ride only lasts 28 seconds but you go from zero to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. You climb to 456 feet and drop 418 only to go back up to 129 then you turn around and do it again. Since 2005 I have been begging my dad to take me to New Jersey.

I no longer need to go to New Jersey. Last nights volleyball game was the fastest and wildest roller coaster I need for a while.

We didn’t start out with much momentum. It was more like we were stuck in a downward spiral where the g force is to great to actually allow you to have control (it is awesome in roller coasters bad in volleyball games). JV really struggled against Salt Lake Lutheran we couldn’t make plays and had a huge lack of communication on the court. Salt Lake Lutheran beat us the first game 25-8.

The next game started out pretty well. We were up 5-1 thanks to Hanna R.’s sweet serving arm. We kept the game moving and scored 16 to their 25 points. This game was more like Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland. You love the effort but you know they have the capacity for more.

The only way I can describe the final game is to relate it to waiting in line for a roller coaster. You get frustrated and you’re not sure the ride is really worth it, you contemplate getting out of line but you can’t justify the last 20 minutes you spent moving 10 feet and then after 3 hours in line the ride is a bust. That is how losing 15 to 3 felt.

Don’t get me wrong JV tried. We just couldn’t get into our groove. It was very disheartening to watch. They looked so devastated as they sat down on the bench. I am glad we got to experience such a low because it will make our next win that much sweeter.

Back to roller coasters and volleyball. The varsity team was nervous. You could tell something was up. They had that I am at the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas and you know that the X-Scream is 866 feet above the ground and drops you 26 feet over the edge and leaves you hanging there and for some reason you still need to ride it feeling.

Good thing the ride is worth it.

We lost the first game 26-24 but it was a fight. Liz C. got 8 points off serves and was just all over the court. Delia C. had 4 points off serves. Laura A was getting to the ball and Em C was making plays. The problem with stats is that never show you the whole picture. They were awesome, they were talking and making plays. They were blocking and hitting. It was real volleyball and they looked good.

The second game was the downhill. The whole time you are screaming and waiting for what should be imminent death. We lost 25-16. But the third game was the fast climb to the top of the ride. We answered them with a win of our own, 25-16. The third game was a real momentum and confidence boost. Hanna R. really was unstoppable. She played like there was no tomorrow and in one game she dove! She just learned that on Wednesday and she used it. She had 6 points off serves and was doing some really stellar passing. Delia was making kills, Lexi C. was hitting everything and you would think that Alexa L had been cloned since she was everywhere she needed to be. Liz C was getting every second hit off beautiful Tayler passes. Em C was dominating the front line and if all Lexi B would have brought was he sheer joy at playing it would have been enough but she brought great play making skills as well.

We didn’t want the ride to stop but like all roller coasters, games too must end. We lost the fourth game 29-27 but we played like champions. I haven’t felt that much energy in a room in a long time. You could feel how much they wanted it. It was close the whole game. We would score then they would score, we would score two and they would answer with two. I was on the edge of my seat. The team handled it like pros they stayed focused and I have never seen so many people dive for balls! They had blocks and kills and Hanna R came away with 5 points off serves and Delia with 5 as well. But like I said the stats don’t tell the story. They controlled their game and played so well.

The ride might have started out rough but it was worth it in the end. Coming away with the loss was like buying a too expensive picture of you and the stranger next to you on the roller coaster, you know they are ripping you off but you loved and want to remember the experience.

The girls are sure they will be ready next time we play them. It will be a must see!!

Thank you to everyone who came to the game. Our fans outnumbered the home teams and it helped.

I still might go to New Jersey but I’m not sure it will compare…

My Busy Saturday

My day started out pretty early, 6;30!! Cami spent the night at my house and after a night of greasy food and Ben and Jerry's we were psyched for our 5k the next day... We are crazy! We woke up, dressed, and hopped in the car to meet Kari. Little did we know we were suppose to climb Traverse Mt on the Draper side so after a half hour of confusion we went to the north side of the mountain. When we arrived it was before 8 and that is the start time of the 10k and we had a hour until our race started. We checked in and as you can see in the photo the 5k runners numbers started in the 900s and lucky for me it was in alphabetical order. I was first on the list. The only first I was guaranteed at the race. Kari got 901 also the only time I was ahead of Kari.


Just my luck I am not embarrassed enough by my lack of running ability you add the fact that the run was for charity. The charity I work for! So that means the students I hang out with on a daily basis with volleyball were at the event. Oh dang, now there is a challenge, maintain the respect level and run... virtually impossible you say? Yeah I know.
Well the race started and it was downhill! I was actually excited until we turned the corner and went uphill for the next 3 miles. It was the hardest run of my life! I don't run enough to pace myself in general let alone uphill. I was just hoping for better then my last race (I had just got diagnosed and almost blacked out) and it was. I got low but had my candy and finished the race in a decent time. I was met at the end by the girls and they were supportive and darling. I don't actually know my time but I guess finishing is enough.



My next exciting event of the day started only two hours after my 5k finished. I ran to Eric and Kari's house showered changed and met Chad who drove really quickly down to Provo and I got to the BYU vs UCLA game in time for warm ups. I was soooo nervous for the game since I watched UCLA vs Tennessee and saw the potential of UCLA especially their offense but much to my excitement and Southern California's dismay BYU came to play!! It was a such a fun time. I was able to relax after the first quarter and eat two snow cones. Much to my diabetes dismay. 59 points later I loved the experience and love my BYU football. I could go into forever detail about the game but I think the only word needed to describe the game is perfect. Can you say goose egg?






If that wasn't enough for one day I swapped my shirt and got in the mood for a cultural experience. And that is what I got. We met Nate and Olivia (my old/favorite coworkers) and drove to Spanish Fork. It is weird that I have been to Spanish Fork so many times and never bothered to really believe anything cool could exist in such a quiet, slightly backwards town. I am always surprised by the diversity in Utah. Thank you Krishna! The temple is awesome. It is surrounded by mountains and fields. It sticks out that is for sure. We ate delicious Indian food and walked around. They were getting around to burning the effigy but we couldn't stick around. First of all my day was getting long and for some reason my body was arguing my ability to calculate carbs. So much for math skills.


So the day was great and full and worth spending the time and energy. I loved spending the morning with family the afternoon with Chad and the evening with my friends. Talk about perfect. I finished a race, cheered for my favorite team and stepped outside of my bubble for a few hours. Top it off with the rest of my new favorite flavor of Ben and Jerry's, Brownie Cheesecake, and what more could I ask for. (I know Michigan with a winning season but lets not get greedy).

Volleyball

So I am the assistant volleyball coach for WRA this year. Ben Hansen, my cousin, is the head coach and he rocks!! I am having a ton of fun and am including the first volleyball update from our first game....

Hello All-

Last night was our Volleyball season opener. The girls were so excited to get out and play. For the majority of our team it was their very first time playing an organized volleyball game. They have been practicing so hard and have gone from barely being able to spell volleyball to playing a legal, exciting, game.

We had a great turnout (thanks you for coming) and that really pumped the girls up.

The first game started out with us receiving the ball. They served and we got a bump, set and a hit but it went out of bounds. The next point went to us and then Em C. became our server. Em C. has been really nervous about serving since we started practice (according to her she gets 1% of her serves over the net) her percentage definitely went up after she got her first four over to put us up 5 to 1. We went back and forth with the lead, Lexi B had 5 points off serves and Em C. ended up with 6. Our first game ended up 25-21 in favor of Meridian.

The second game had a similar outcome (25-18 Meridian) but the girls were really starting to get into a good rhythm with their plays. They were all serving overhand and really rotating well. Lexi B. had another strong game with serves and Delia had some beautiful kills.

The third game was probably the most energetic and loud. The girls really wanted to win. They started talking more and were making plays. Tayler H. as our libero made an awesome kill from behind the 10ft line. Alexa L. was making beautiful passes and Liz C. was doing forward and back sets right up to great hits by Laura A. We had a few good runs but weren’t able to finish. The game ended 25-19 Meridian.

Even with the losses the Team was pleased with their improvement. We have only been having practices three times a week for three weeks and they are at least 100 times better and still moving upwards. We are excited for the season and are expecting great things. Our next game is Thursday JV plays at 4:00 PM and Varsity at 5:15. It is a home game so we can use all the support we can get.

Party Weekend!!

So Angela got married a bit ago. It was great. She seems really happy which makes me happy for her!!

The wedding was awesome but the whole weekend rocked!! Tiana flew in on Friday and we were off to Idaho after a Cafe Rio trip and a shopping trip (very necessary).

I love long road trips with old friends. It was perfect to reminisce about all the old times and more recent times. I love Tiana and am so glad that we met our freshman year and have been able to stay friends for as long as we have.

So the weekend involved a wedding, hiking, shooting and lots and lots of talking.

Pictures!!!