"La confianza de las jugadoras del Playa Finestrat pareció venirse abajo."

The past week marked the last week of the first half of our season. We played Jamper Aguere, the top team in the league right now, and we played Riobeo Xacbeo. Both matches ended in defeat. Not much morecan be said about it. No matter what happened, when the last ball hit the floor we were on the losing side of the coin. Again. This officially makes our losing game streak at 5 games.

Jamper Aguere sqaurd presented a balanced attack, desent ball control and a very good block. Both of their middles are very agile and move very well to close the block. Acually one of their Brazilian middles reminds me of myself. Very athlete. So it was a good match up between us. I thought. Once again we could not compete with their team. Not because of lack of talent, but lack of wholeness on our side. The one thing I noticed about Jamper is that they are a very solid team. Every person seems to do their job to the best of their ability and although they may not have one superstar they have many players that are good at what they do. Together its a conducive unit. Something we are lacking. We were able to take a game off of Jamper in the 2nd set, but in the end we could not overcome their attack and they defeated us 1-3(10-25, 25-15, 12-25, 13-25).

Our next match was just two days later and it took us up to the northern part of Spain. It was very cold there. I was reminded of Indiana fall weather. Yes, I should be used to cold weather due to the fact that I grew up in the midwest and I spent a hard winter in Finland. Yeap, doesnt mean I have to like it though. Upon arriving in the gym to practice, it was clear that these people do not believe in central heating. Cold weather is not good for your joints, and my knees did not appreciate it. With all excuses aside, you have to push all the outside issues out of your mind when game time comes, and clearly we did not.

For some reason in this game we could not get going. We started all three games behind and I do not believe we ever had the lead at any point. In the first set we made a run towards the end on a service run from our side. We tied the score up, but after a service error Riobeo put the game away. After that moment I tried hard to forget the rest of the match. In the second set, their libero's defense came alive and she dug everything. I mean I hit a ball literally in the middle of the court and she dug it. Some chick from their side dug a ball off her foot. Talk about luck, but you create your own luck right? The second game brought out a lot of frustration and loss of confidence. This is probably why we only scored 9 points in the third set. It was a mess. I haven't lost a game that bad since the SEC Tourny my junior year, when I was benched and we scored 6 points.

Tempers flared and a lot of things were said that I am sured were regretable. One thing is for sure, we need to take Christmas Break to reevaulate our committment to this sport that we all supposedly love. When we come back, it is possible to turn this thing around. We just have to go out their and do it. We are going to have to work harder, train longer and love the game more then the other teams. I am fully aware of what I need to do to help my team and I hope they know too. When we come back its pedal to the medal, but one game at a time. Thats all we can control.

Till then... Vamos Finestrat......

Bloqueadora Mejor de la semana

Officially a Losing Streak

In athletics, a run of three games won or lost is called a streak. After dropping our third straight match in a row, we are now on a losing streak. Two weeks ago Team Finestrat dropped a match 0-3(21-25, 26-28, 18-25) to Univerisdad de Burgos. This past weekend we lost our match 0-3 (21-25, 20-25, 13-25) vs C.V. Playa de las Canteras. A losing streak is hard because all things seem negative and its a funk you cant get rid of it. Except that you can. It is possible to turn things around. You just have to decide mentally in your head that it is possible. Any team can win or lose on any given night. I am a strong believer in that. Whether you are the best team in the league or the worst; all you have to do is go out and compete. Compete like its your last game ever. Unfortunately, Finestrat has not had that will power to go and compete and say, "look, this sucks right now, lets turn it around." And so we are continuing to lose. Would I like to be more prepared for the matches? Yes. Do I wish we would study teams like teams study us. Yes! Do I wish we practiced things and skills we would actually see in a game? Yes! But at the end of the day, if this is not provided for us, we have to pull motivation from somewhere else. And when we do finally win, we will be stronger for it.

I dont need to give you a play by play of the last two matches. It was the same thing, the same nonsense: No preparation and no execution. In the Burgos match neither middle could connect with the setters, which left our offense dependent upon the outsides going up against a double block. We also could not defend their middles. Another problem for us. At the end of the day it was another close match that we could have competed in but didnt.

Going into the Palmas match, I was confident that we could compete with this team and come out victorious. Only if we brought our game and played the way I know we can play. The match was pretty close the whole time in the first two games. We were even up five points in the second game before they went on a run to beat us and go up 2-0. We really had no offense this match at all. Lindsay Stalzer was the only one really scoring. She ended the day with 10 kills. This match the middles were more of a decoy so the outsides could be one-on-one. But we still could not execute and put balls down. The third match was just ridiculous. I was embarassed to be apart of it. We just folded. Our passing went out the window, our defense, which was not that great to begin with, was nonexistent. At one point a player on our side ducked out of the way of a ball. It was a mess. On a brighter note, my blocking was back on this week. I ended the match with 7 blocks, therefore making me the best blocker in the league this week. This marks the third time I have held that honor. Dani de Silva was also in the stats this week ranked #2 in reception.

Next game is at home this Wednesday vs Jamper Aguere in Benidorm.

We Never Showed Up

Let me start off by saying that I first and foremost hate losing with a passion! Which I guess all athletes should right? If not then you probably are not very competitive at all. Losing is losing and in a competition my father always tells me that someone has to win and someone has to lose. But when you lose you should go down fighting. You should not be able to walk off the court or the field because you are so dog tired that it is just not possible. You should walk off thinking that I gave my all and there was nothing more. That is championlike to me. Well Saturday, my team was not championlike at all. We walked off the court with our heads hung low as they should have been because we simply did not come to play.

Team Finestrat was defeated by Valeriano Alles Menorca 3-0 (12-25, 17-25, 22-25). Embarassing right? Yes I was. The truth is we were never really in match. I could write all the excuses in the world: we were tired, we only had 8 players, they were more physical, the scouting report was incorrect. The bottom line is we are all volleyball players. We all know how to play this game and we simply did not do that. Menorca came out on fire in the first two games, completely shuting down our leading scorers. Blocking again was another problem and our passing was never there. To attack an opponent you need passing period! At one point in the match, our coach stopped talking to us. There is only so much he can do from the bench and the rest is up to us.

I am a believer in "you cant change the past, but you can produce the future." My last year at USC, Coach Somera really pressed the issue of the "next ball." For example, if you make a mistake on a play, you cannot get that play back, but all you can do is focus on the next ball. Our team has problems with getting over our little defeats. Menorca was beating us and our team just laid down and focused on all the things we weren't doing right and that is not the right idea to have in competition. I try my best to always focus on the next ball, I cant change the error I just made. I can only make it better the next time around. Michael Jordan used to say, "You can't get points today for yesterdays game." So whether is was something negative that happened or something positive, you have to move on to the next play.

I hope we can learn something from this match and move on to the next one. Focusing on how bad this loss was will not help us win the next one. We have to take the lesson and try and improve next match.

Our leading scorers this match: Lindsay Stalzer with 12 points + 4 and 8 kills and Me with 10 points + 2 and 8 kills.

"Talking about what you don't have will never get you what you want." -Adam Rodriguez

Tres Puntos! Yeah Buddy!

This past Saturday Team Finestrat defeated Traysesa Santa Cruz 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-14) at home. Even though Traysesa stands in the last position in the league, they came to play and we knew we could not blow them off. On top of that, they recently acquired a new player that had been practicing with us. The Cuban Magaly Carvajal had thought about joining our team, but opted for another option. She really strengthed their team, but in the end it was not enough to overcome our attack. Especially that of American Lindsay Stalzer who lead with 22 +17 and 17 kills. Traysesa was led by American and my friend Laurel Abrahamson with 14 +11 and 12 kills.

Ofcourse we started off like we always do. With no intensity. We dropped the first set due to poor attacking, many errors and no defense. Needless to say our coach was very mad and we knew we had to turn it around. The competition after this game was only going to get better. The next three games were pretty much the same. We came out with a little bit more "Umph." Defense was much better as we started blocking more balls and digging more balls. Well everyone except me, since I ended the match no blocks listed in the stats. That match was not my best game as I was only 10 +8. I made pretty simple mistakes and I know I can play better, block better. All that matters is that as a team we came together and put the match away. It might have not been pretty at times but a win is a win.

On another positive note we had three players leading the stats this week again. Katia Rodrigues was ranked #1 in reception (86% 14/16). She also earned a position on the Ideal Seven for this week. I led in service aces ( I know- an usual category for me to do well in, lol) with 3. Lindsay was mentioned in two categories: Atacantes, she was third with 17 kills and Atacantes Totales in which she was third with 22 puntos. Last week Dani Da Silva (reception) , Lindsay and myself (blocking-5) also made the top stats list. This marks the 7th week in a row in which a Finestrat player has lead in stats, was named MVP, or listed in the Ideal Seven. Vamos Finestrat. Lets keep up the good work.

"Its not what the situation is, its what you make of the situation." - Zig Ziglar

Next game is away versus Valeriano Alles Menorca.

Missed Opportunites

On Saturday we suffered our third loss of the season. We were defeated by tubillete.com Aireuropa Tenf. 2-3 (20-25, 28-26, 25-19, 18-25, 10-15). We pretty much should have beat this team 3-0 or 3-1, but we messed around and let them control the game. It was a game of miscommunication, many errors and missed opportunities.

We came out on fire in the first game, containing them while we made a run for 25. But in one instance we lost focus and committed errors that would eventually let them back into the game. Once they tied us and took the lead, we were never able to catch up. It took the wind out of us a little bit and we hung our heads as we crossed over to the other side. But that is no time to give up. We still had at least 3 more games to play.

The second game was pretty close the whole way through. Tension was in the air and everyone on both sides could feel it. For them this could have been the nail in the coffin and for us it would have been a huge blow to have to come back from 2 down. We hung in there and made it to game three with timely kills and crucial blocks. In game three we didnt even look like the same team. We jumped out to a pretty nice lead and never really looked back. You could rename this game the block party, becuase we literally set up a wall. Lindsay Stalzer, who finished the game with five blocks, and Maria Revilla came up big in the blocking area. At one point I didnt believe they could get anything past them.

Game four was completely opposite. They jumped out to a big start and we could never really catch up. Even though at one point we started to make a run, but it was not enough. Another big factor was their big middle Sherri Williams. Yes, another All American from Florida. She is a very good player and we could not defend her. Our only hope was to contain her and hope it would be enough. The final and decisive game 5 would start off much like the fourth. We got behind and really could not make a run. If you subtract our errors, it might have been closer with a different outcome. We definitely had our opportunites the whole match to put them away but did not take advantage. That was all she wrote.

Thats the thing about athletics. You have to be there in the moment. Right in that instance. Can't think about the previous error and you cant try and produce the future. You have to play right then and there. You have to convert right then and there. You have to score when the opportunity knocks and if you dont, there might not be another opportunity to do so. No do overs. This is something we will have to work on in the upcoming games. Mental toughness and awareness.

"You need to stop thinking about whats gonna happen. You need to focus on what is right in front of you. HIT THE BALL." - Grey's Anatomy

Next game is at Home in Benidorm versus Traysessa Santa Cruz

Photo taken shortly before the match. Vamos Finestrat.

Too Little Too Late.

Have you ever had an out of body experience? You literally feel youself outside of your body, floating beside yourself staring at your body; like its unreal. That is kind of how the game on Saturday versus Cantur went. I felt like I wasnt even there in my body. It was that bad. And as I was having this out of body experience, my team must have had the same experience because I didnt recognize any of them eiether. We came out flat and with no energy, and we were defeated 1-3 (15-25, 17-25, 25-13, 29-31).

Again we fell into that "we have never played volleyball before" mode. Lucky for us we were able to snap out of it in the third game, therefore forcing a fourth game. All that effect was not enough at the end of the night as we lost the fourth game in a pressure packed event. We were one game too short to claim any points, and the only people we have to blame is ourselves. Missed opportunities, weak blocking and defense and many errors lead to easy points for our opponents.

Cantur featured a quadruple threat of North Americans. They were led by former Florida Gator All-American Benavia Jenkins, an offensive and defensive threat in the middle. Dani Da Silva led us once again with 22 points including four huge blocks. Followed by 12 points from myself. I wish I had blocked better, because that is my main job. I will just have to get better at it this upcoming week in the gym.

"When you learn what your weaknesses have to teach, they will become your strengths. " - Ralph Marston

Barn Burner in Haro Rioja

It was a barn burner last Saturday night in Haro. After being down 2 games, team Finestrat made an incredible comeback to win the match 3-2 (12-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-23, 15-10). It was one of the most exciting, fun, heart-pumping, incredible games I have ever played in. More inportantly we received 2 huge points to place us in the middle of the pack this week in the standings. Which I believe was far higher than anyone expected.

We started off playing horribly. I was so confused and almost angry. It felt like none of us as ever touched a volleyball. We were making stupid mistakes, not playing smart, and being very timid. I remember thinking, " this match is gonna be over soon, if this continues." What was strange about this game for me was that I was connecting with both setters. Amazing. So as long as they kept setting me, I knew I had to continue to put the ball down. Haro is a very good team, but they can be beaten and I always believed that. Just had to go out and play our game. They have two very athletic and quick middles who can also score. Their setter is smart and sets her hitters into very good situations. Their wing players are also very good and can score in almost every position on the court. Ball control is also descent. They showed how good they were when the score was 16-9. We lost 25-12 and our coached let us have it.

The second game was very close. We were playing a bit better, but we still were not stopping their hitters when we needed to. Towards the end we managed to get a lead and at one point had game point. Because I had a hot hand this match "Colo" decided to go to me in the middle. It was a good set, I was up quick, no block.... I hit it out of bounds just to the left. AAAGGGGHHH! I want that set back so bad, but there was nothing I could do about it. That tied the game back up and they went on to block their way to a victory of game 2.

A bit defeated, my team walked to the other side. Here we had game point and could not put the game away. Our coach let us have it again and then the team just had a total meltdown. People were starting to panic and yell at each other. There were tears. Im thinking this match is far from over, well at least it was for me. Like I said earlier I knew we could beat this team. So heading into the third game we somehow all mentally got extra focused. We came out on fire. Attackers were finding the court. Our blocking system began to work for our defense. Lindsay, the other American, was playing some crazy defense in right back. We came out with the lead and never let it go. My connection with the setters was still golden. Shocked. We won 25-22.

The fourth game would be crucial. Over here in Spain and probably other countries, wins are not weighed the same as normal. If you beat a team 3-0 or 3-1, you receive 3 points. If you beat them 3-2, you receive 2 points and the losing team receives 1 point. So sometimes all you need to do is take a team to 5 games and you can at least steal a point. So this game was important. With the way we started off the match, it would be great for us to even steal a point from Haro. This game was pretty even and went back and fourth. When a setter can connect with their middles, it really opens up the game for your other hitters, and thats exactly what happened. Our "Brasillenas" got some good looks and took advantage of them. We started blocking balls as well. Even with my so focused mind, I managed to goof in a crucial moment in the game. I got a service error because I did not hear the ref blow the whistle in the loud gym and forfeited a point. Want that one back too. After two very controversial plays we were able to take the lead and never looked back. 25-23.

At this point I think we were thankful that we would at least walk out this gym with 1 point. Game 5 was fire for us. We came out and grabbed a 5-0 lead quickly and that pretty much was the ball game. Crucial blocks also helped and before I knew it we were looking at game point. I couldnt believe it as I glanced at the scoreboard. When Katia's kill hit the floor we all celebrated by hoping in a circle in the middle of the court. Wow, what a win! It was so much fun to play in. This is the reason why I love playing sports; why I love being an athlete; why I love competing. Its moments like these when you realize that that superhard practice you had the week before actually paid off today, and everything comes full circle.

I want to be this focused for every match. It felt good to believe in myself and my team even when we didn't believe in ourselves. I want to keep that intensity for as long as I am an athlete because the results feel so good. "Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible." - Frank L Gaines

On another note- >>> Congratulations to Dani De Silva for being named MVP of the Week!

Best Blocker in Week #2

I am excited to tell you guys that I was named best blocker in the league for week number 2. Each week in the Spanish Superliga a MVP is named, which is the best all around player for that week. They also put together what they call "EL SIETE IDEAL DE LA JORNADA," or the Ideal 7 Team. Its put together according to who has the best stats in each position. Last week I lead the league in blocks. As I said in the previous blog my team had a really good blocking game, and according to the stats I had 7 blocks. After the first game my coach was pretty disappointed with our blocking and we practiced really hard on blocking the next day. So it feels really good that it payed off in our match. I am honored to get recognized and I couldnt have done it without my teammates. So thanks guys and Vamos Finestrat!

First Win in Our House!

We won our first game of the season last night at home. It feels so good to win. Everything is different. The atmosphere is so much happier. Everyone is nicer and wants to talk and give you high fives. I guess that is one of the perks of winning so we need to do it often. Last night we played and beat Oxidoc Palma (25-23, 25-20, 13-25, 25-12). They were a bit short-handed because their middle hitter forgot her passport and had to stay at home. No matter what happens, everyone has to come to play. You have to continue as if nothing happened and try not to use it as an excuse. Everyone has a weak spot, an open window. So with that said... we hit them where it hurt.

The game started off pretty steady, like when you're first meeting someone and you try to get a feel for them. They kept it close pretty much the whole game, but we focused up and pulled out the win in the end. At times in the match, we got really tense and started to panic. Thats when a team can really make a move. The key is to stay "tranquila." In game two we exploited their weakness of not having one of their better players on the court. With her gone we could focus on other hitters directly. Its like with the Lakers back in the day. If Shaq were not playing, you would double-team Kobe. This is where our blocking came up big for us. We outblocked them 7-2. Defense at the net takes a lot of pressure off our backrow players and opens up the offense for us.

At the beginning of game three, we were rolling. We needed one more game to win the match. This can be very tricky. A lot of times a team can lose focus and slack off, which can give the their opponent an opportunity to sneak up and steal a win. That is exactly what happened. Our passing broke down as well as the well formed wall of a block we established in game 2. Actually we recorded no blocks this game as a team at all. We forgot the little things, and as in life those little things count more than the big things. Game 4 proved to be very different. Our block was back and our offense opened up for our attackers. We hit a 50% as a team, and that was the match.

After it is said and done a win is a win. This one felt good, especially in front of our home crowd. I hope there are many more to come, but only time and hard work will tell. Our next game is away on Saturday versus Haro Rioja Voley. Check out our stats to our game here -> http://www.rfevb.com/cnac/super/femenina/est/SF/est012.pdf

First Game of the Season

Last night we had our first regular season match versus Murcia. We lost 0-3 in our first official competition. I must say I was very disappointed in the outcome. We started off the game very well. Getting Murcia down 16-9. Things were flowing and we blocked them off the court. But volleyball is such a game of momentum and it can change very quickly. With a couple of errors and aces, a team can totally lose their footing and get down. Well after some pretty tough serves and blocks from Murcia, we found ourselves down 23-16. What a turnaround right? It is just a testament to how tough Murcia is as a team. We lost the first game 25-19. It was a heart breaker, because things were going so well on our side and we lost it.

The next two games were pretty much the same except Murcia started off on top and never game up the lead. I think after getting beat in the first game, it sucked the air out of us and we felt defeated. Our block also had a major breakdown; something we will need to work very hard on in the future. Our coach was pretty up upset, as he should be. He was very upset with the middles and blocking especially. Ofcourse I felt like I could have played better. Looking at my stats, you wouldn't think I had a bad game. It actually said I was the best player from my team. But my coach and my teammates expect a higher standard from me and I should too. I do not need to settle for what is just alright or expected of me. I need to aim higher.

Much credit to Murcia. They are a very good team and the fact that we had them down lets me know that as this season goes on, we will be a team others will need to pay attention to. I have no doubt in my mind. There are a lot of things I wish I could take back from last night both mentally and physically. But life doesn't work that way and neither does sports. The only thing I can control is what I do, and how I do it right now. The past is gone. Gotta focus on the next game. Till next time- Vamos Finestrat.

Check out the Spanish Superliga website to track my team - Cala de Finestrat. -> http://www.sfv.es/

Ready for a New Season

front row (l-r) Dani Da Silva, Katia Rodrigues, Rebeca Fernandez, Lara German, Ainhoa Miravalles, Ana "Colo" Martinez

back row (l-r) Jaime Gallego, Natali Flaviani, Lauren Ford, Ramon Guerrero, Juan Villinares, Lindsay Stalzer, Maria Revilla, Manu Rubio

Well here is the official team photo, but we have not officially started the regular season. We have one more practice game tomorrow on Monday and then the next one will be the first game of the season. Let me add that it will be against the best team in the Spanish Superliga. They have been the champions in Spain many times. Their team has had great players on there like Glinka, Logan Tom and Aury Cruz. If you don't know them, look em up. YES! What a way to start off a season. I guess it is good that we played them in a practice game last week. I am not going to lie, I was intimidated. But I remember something my father used to always tell me. He'd say, " You know Makia, they have to put their spandex on the same way you do. One foot at a time." It was always funny to me, but oh so true. So that calmed me down a bit. The first game was not so bad. I think the score was maybe 20- 25. The next three were a different story. They are a very good team, but to me it was nothing that was spectacular. Not to take anything away from them because they are all very skilled players. But to me it seemed as though no one was a superstar, yet everyone came to work to do their job and did it well. They worked real well as a unit because every one seemed to be very good in their particular area. They didn't depend on one player to carry them or score all the points. Everyone could score and it didn't matter who had the ball. No discrimination. If that makes sense. I think the next time will be different for me to handle the pressure and be more successful. I can only be the best if I play against the best.

The team before our scrimmage versus Benidorm @ home


In between all the training and weight lifting and conditioning, my team has been involved with many other practice games as well. These games really mean nothing but practice. We get out on the court and try new things, make mistakes, and try to perfect a system for our team. Like at Murcia, we had a specific plan on what we wanted to work on. We play teams from both the top league and the 2nd league. If one were counting wins we are 2-3. Not bad, coming from our view point. Yes, everyone would love to be undefeated, but then what would we learn. In each of those loses I guarantee we found things that we need to do better and could improve on.


Two weeks ago we have scrimmaged a team from Benidorm twice. Coincidently, it was the same team that passed on me two years ago. The first time we played, it was in our gym the Pabellion in Finestrat. I have heard it described as a Barn, which is a pretty good description. But Home is Home, right? We beat them 3-0. I felt it was a pretty good game for us. We clicked. Everyone seemed to connect with the setters, and for me that is huge. Our passing broke down in game two, but we were able to turn it around and come back from behind with huge serves from Dani Da Silva and Maria Revilla. Plus if gave our town a chance to see us in action, since we will not be playing our regular season games there, but in Benidorm. That day we also presented all the teams of the club. Our teams vary from a very young age of about 8 or 9 to anywhere from 30 -35. SO it was nice for all of us to see each other play. Some of the little ones are really good.

At the Pabellion cheering on the youth teams

La presentación del Club Voleibol

The next week we played Benidorm again at their gym. Well its safe to say we share the gym since we will play our home games there. This time Benidorm fought hard and took us to four. My connection with the setters was not so good this game. But when one part of your game breaks down, you need to focus on other ways to help your team score. In my case that is blocking. In game three our passing was not the only thing to break down. Just mentally we were not focused and made a lot of errors on our side. Much credit to Benidorm. They never gave up and continued to fight us the whole night. They scored in all the most important situations, and made some pretty scrappy plays. My American friend Tina Martin (Benidorm) is quite the hustler. In game four, we started off flat once again, but somehow fought through with some pretty good defense both at the net with blocks and back row with digs. Dani da Silva also contributed with some very tough serves. Her serve is very dangerous and at times is very hard to pass. No matter how ugly or pretty it was, we won, but it was still a practice game.


Ralph Marston once said, " When you learn what your weaknesses have to teach, they will become your strengths." I will have to mentally and physically continue to work hard and stay tough as the season progresses. Here we go!

Encuentre Mi Equipo

l -r (front row) Lara German, Ainhoa Miravalles, Ana "Colo" Martinez, Rebeca Fernández, Daniela Da Silva
(back row) Lindsay Stalzer, Katia Rodrigues, Entrenador Juan Villinares, Asistente: Ramon Guerrero, Maria Revilla,
Lauren Ford. Not Pictured- Natali Flaviani, Jaime Gallego, Manu Rubio- fisio

So here is the first unofficial team picture. It was taken around my second week here. Since then we added another player from Argentina named Natali Flaviani. She is a beast of a middle blocker. She is also my third roommate. More about that later. Also missing from this photo is our third trainer and weight coach Jaime Gallego and physical therapist Manu Rubio. Jaime is a very good translator and speaks very well. He attributes this to his world travels to many English speaking countries. Manu, our physio therapist, might be my best friend by the end of this season, considering my ankle problems. I already have daily appointments with him after practice. Usually during rehab the "usuals" Dani, Katia and I go to Manu and they teach me Spanish while we treat our ailments. Good times.


Another pastime we are starting is group get togethers. We are going to try to come together for dinners or fiestas (parties). My roommates and I are already planning a Halloween party. Cant wait. In the photo to the right, we all gathered at Dani and Katia's house for dinner. I cooked Curry chicken, which everyone thought was pretty good. We also had Pate, which is basically tuna and mayonaise with some other ingredient. I know it was really good. The Brasilleras served cornbread with pollo (chicken), maize (corn) and queso (cheese). It reminded me of my mother's Mexican Cornbread. The other main dish was a traditional Spanish dish called Tortilla. It is made out of Huevos (eggs) and patatas (potatoes). Ofcourse no meal is complete without Fanta Limon. Love that stuff. When I find the receipe for all these meals, I will certanly post them. Overall, it was a good time and I really enjoyed tasting everyones dish. I was so full afterwards.


Finally, meet my roommates. I am on the left and in the middle is fellow American Lindsay Stalzer. She is a graduate of Bradley University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She plays opposite, but can also hit outside and middle. Trust me when I say, this girl can fly. On the right is Natali Flaviani a middle blocker from Argentina. She is very athletic with a fast armswing. This girl takes no prisoners. But dont call her Natali; she likes Flavia. Its fitting to her personality as well. Both girls are very nice and good roommates. This photo was taken right after we came from the beach. We can never get enough sun over here. :)

Un Día en la Playa

So what does one do when they have the weekend off and its a nice sunny day? You go to the beach of course. That's if there is one nearby. In my case there certainly is, and its about 8 km away in Benidorm. On a typical "beach day" we would take a bus down the mountain to la Cala de Finestrat. One fare is about 1.25, except if its Sunday and you miss the only two buses running that day. Which we did, so we grabbed a taxi. Our driver basically pulled up right next to the ocean. After surveying the area we settled right next to a group of beach chairs with umbrellas. I wish I could have sat in one, but they cost money and I was really looking forward to getting a tan. Because I really need more color and my paleness is almost blinding. Upon relaxing Lindsay and I quickly realized the difference between this beach and the ones at home. Here in Benidorm and possibly other beaches in Europe, you can go completely topless. What!? Yeap it is as common as chewing gum. I almost felt out of place being completely clothed. Whats even harder is trying to take photos without capturing some topless woman in your photograph.

After about 2 hours of sunbathing, we decided to walk around a bit and try to catch a bus back home. The one thing that stuck out to me the most was how many foreigners vacation here. There was so much English being spoken, it didn't even feel like Spain sometimes. I guess this place is a big vacation spot for a lot of Brits and Australians, and they were much help in giving us directions. We soon noticed that we were getting too black and decided to try and go home. The only problem was that no buses were running back to Finestrat. We only noticed this after three bus trips around town. We even stumbled back into my old hood when I was here two years ago. This clearly was the funniest part of the trip. We had no cell phone and no way of contacting our team.

We walked upon this hostel looking motel to ask to use a phone. After further inspection, we decided this was not the best place seeing as it looked like a serial killer resided there. Across the street was a better lit, nicer looking hotel. We walked in and asked the guy to call us a cab. And after further inspection of this place, I have come to the realization that it was a burlesque- style hotel. Girls were walking around in lingerie, and men were coming and going. I laughed to myself because I couldn't decide what was funnier; the serial killer inspired hotel or the hotel equipped with an escort service right across the street. We managed to visit both within five minutes. We quickly got heck outta dodge.

You will all be happy to know that we made it home safely and decided next time we should have a better plan. Overall it was a good day at the beach.

Practice! Practice! You Talkin' Bout Practice?!

Hola! Good to see that my Spanish is coming around right? Trust me, I know a few more phrases than that. I hope to be able to do a whole blog in Spanish before this season is all said and done. Hopefully that goal will become a reality after I work with our tutor. Yes, a tutor, which is ashame since I have taken Spanish in school since I was in kindergarten. It was almost my minor in college. This situation reminds me of a funny story back when I went to USC. I had a Spanish tutor tell me that I would starve in a Spanish-speaking country. Ha Ha Ha! If she could see me now. I am grocery shopping, catching cabs, and conversing with the natives in Spain! Jokes on her.

Well lets see, it has been about two weeks. I cannot believe I have been here for only two weeks. It seems like I have been here much longer, but that is due to the fact that we are only training right now. No games yet. So there is sort of a preseason feeling to all this. There are no games, its just training and getting a feel for each other out there on the court. We practice twice a day for about 2- 2 1/2 hours. So I wake up at about 8 am, grab some breakfast, and head out the door at about 9:15 for our 9:30am practice. Practice is pretty much focused on ball control and conditioning. My two favorites! And if you know me, you know I am lying when I say that. Being a middle blocker, my expertise is in protecting the front line as much as possible through attacking and blocking. You rarely see me in the back row passing (bumping) or digging. I'm 6'2. and its hard enough to bend down to tie my own shoes. But its great to be an all-around player and as much as it is uncomfortable for me to do it, I know it is making me better in the long run. Adversity builds Character! Plus who doesn't love conquering something they are supposedly not good at.

After morning practice its really important to put food back into my body. I usually sweat out about 2-3 Ibs every practice. Not exaggerating at all. I can wring the sweat out of my shirts. I call it my Patrick Ewing Syndrome. After lunch comes my favorite part of the day. Siesta! Its a tradition in Spain to take a short nap in the early afternoon after your midday meal. Usually stores and businesses are all closed for this past time. I think its great and we need to adopt this siesta time in the States as well. Our afternoon practice starts at 4pm. The gym's temperature is blazing by this time of the day, but nothing I cannot handle. The girls and coaches have been very accommodating to us. Sometimes we play American music and the other day we played basketball. Yay! Some days its hard because I do tend to miss a lot of things in translation. They are pretty understanding and encourage us to speak in Spanish as much as possible to ease the transition. The other day I was in a drill and I said something in German and totally forgot I was in Spain.

As much as an athlete loves to practice and get better, we also love to go out and show what we have been practicing for and play games. I believe there is about 5 or 6 more weeks until our first season game. It gets pretty redundant and repetitive after awhile. But you have to understand that whenever I slack off, someone else in some other gym is busting theirs so they can kick mine. Someone once told me that the acronym for FORD was Fix Or Repair Daily. I guess that's why after all of the tweaks and practice and daily repairs, I am still BuiltFORDtuff.


Our Practice Facility

Bienvenida a Espana... Again

So I have made it to Spain. Again. And I say that because, I was here not so long ago in Benidorm, which is about 6 km away from my new home here in Finestrat. Back in 2007 I trained with the Benidorm team for about 3 weeks, before they opted to go with another middle. Fast forward to now- two years later, I am back and signed with a team called Cala de Finestrat. What a difference right? Since 2007 I have torn and rehabbed my rotator cuff, won the German Cup, torn two ligaments in my foot, won the 8th place tourney in Finland, and won USAV nationals while garnering all-tournament honors. I am the testament for ups and downs. Ins and outs. So don't count me out ever. I am Built Ford Tough for a reason.

I have been here for about three days now, and I think I might be falling in love with this town and their way of life. Siesta is the greatest thing invented right behind lasagna. I live with my teammate and fellow American Lindsey Stalzer (she's real cool) in a three bedroom apartment (it also has 1 & 1/2 bath). Step outside onto our front patio, and it looks like a scene from the Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon. Yeah the one where he is jumping from building to building. Step outside onto our back patio and you can see the most beautiful view, just like something straight off a post card. This view is equipped with a huge mountain, with hills and houses and green landscape. Look a bit further and you can see the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its only 8 km away. It sucks we have to walk up three flights of stairs to get home, but the view is well worth it. Outside, the streets are made of bricks and everything surrounding it seems sort of romanticized. Sometimes I really feel like I am living under the Tuscan Sun.

I have practiced about four times and let me tell you, it has not been easy. Yes, I did take two weeks off to have my wisdom teeth extracted, but still no excuses right? The heat is so intense, I am seriously tired before I even get started. Water is critical here! I do believe it gets to be about 90 some days. My teammates are very nice. There are nine of us. Two Brasilleras- Katia & Dani; Five Spanish- Ainoa, Rebeca, Lara, Maria & Ana; and lastly us Americans. Right now practice seems to focus on conditioning, which is good and bad. Everyday I feel like I am coughing up a lung, but it will go along way further into the season. Tomorrow or manana en espanol, we have a "friendly" match against another team here. Very excited to play and train. I know there is a lot of good competition here in Spain this year and I welcome that. If you wanna be the best, you have to surround yourself with the best and compete against the best. I asked for this and I am going to get a good helping of it.

Overall I am just excited. This experience is amazing and I don't want to take anything for granted.

Till next time, I am going to stay strong because I am ... BuiltFORDTuff!