The Plethora of Games Part 2

So were mid way through the month of December, AKA the month of games. After dropping 0-3 to VFM, we traveled to Mallorca where we also lost 0-3, and lastly we returned home to lost another 0-3 match to the top team in the league, Volero.

Beat up and discouraged, two feelings that mean nothing in athletics, our next match would be against Mallorca again. After losing to Volero, and becoming 1-3 for the month of December and having my body feel literally broken, this game I would have to focus up... Plus on top of that, some off court drama was brewing and coming to a boil. It was a very tense moment in time for sure. With all that pushed to the side for the moment, we had Mallorca and the CEV Tourney to worry about.

So here was the deal. In order to advance to the next round we would have to beat Mallorca in a regular match, and then turn around and play a Golden Set; therefore winning the playoff. There would be a 20 minute break in between, and the Golden Set would be a quick game to 15 points. Thinking back to it, I do not know if that would help or hurt us. One bonus for us was that Mallorca came to town minus their opposite hitter. So this was already an advantage for us, but we still needed play on our side. Its always about our side.

To be completely honest with you, we kind of sailed to a 3-0 victory of Mallorca. Yes, we had trouble with some of their hitters, but we were able to contain them enough to bring in the victory. It was incredible. This same team that we struggled with and were defeated easily by last week, had just suffered our same fate. And just like that, the series was even. Too bad we could not carry that momentum over into the Golden Set. All I can say is, I looked up at one point and it was 0-5 Mallorca in a 15 point set. We just could not get it going and in the end it was too much to come back from. We lost 9-15. Our goal was to make it to the next round of the Europa Cup, so it was a bit disappointing.







After suffering that loss, our next match was immediately that Saturday at Kanti Schaffhausen. Last time we met, it was probably the best match we played colletively as a team. We won 3-1 and many people say it was the best match they have ever seen me play as well. I dont agree and will not comment more, but it was a pretty nice match for Sm'Aesch. In case you forgot> http://bit.ly/eSqai2

Well this time Sm'Aesch walked in the gym a bit different than last time. Ha, where do I start. First we only had 8 players. God forbid if some one got hurt. The only sub Laura, was just coming off an injury, probably 80%. Joana, our opposite was also injured. Lets add that it felt like the north pole int he gym. I mean freezing. So trying to stay warm in this place was gonna be a struggle, especially with problems I was having with my legs that week. Ugh!

And as the match started it ended. I remember hitting ever well in the first set and basically the whole match, but that is nothing when you play a team sport. No one person is more important and can carry a team against 6 other people. We just didn't have it that night. They were running a quick offense. And their hitters were getting their kills that we could not defend. Although, I do remember Jana, our setter and Nadine, our libero digging some pretty incredible balls. Mentally as a team we were not all there at the same time. We were missing assignments and forgetting things from the scouting report. It was just a mess. Oh i remember the refs blowing some major calls, but you cant worry about them.

Hey. Mentally and physically you go and prepare for a game. Watch video, take notes, all that stuff. Then you go on the court and prepare the game plan. When the game comes you have to remember what you studied and go out and physically and mentally execute it. It might sound complex, but in the end its simple. Plan, Study, Train, Execute.

Player of the game flowers. Awww, but would prefer the W

The last of the 6 games in December, I have very little to comment on. I have no idea who we played or where we played at. I was basically just there. I know it was a Swiss Cup game and that the team was a 2nd league team. The match took approx 45, and then we were on out way. Sorry thats all I got.

Whew I hope you realize how exhausting December was. Hoping for a great 2011 season. :)

The Plethora of Games Part 1

Well lets see. The past month and a half or so has been really difficult on and off the volleyball court. My team has trekked, sometimes begrudgingly, through 5 very intense, very physical matches against very competitive teams. I said right before our match versus VFM, that these next 5 matches would be the hardest 5 I have had in a role in my whole career. Just because of the level and intensity that these teams play at. I knew it would be a challenge. I didn't back down but it for sure worried me. I didn't know how my team would react, how the coaches would react, or how the people in my club would react. Personally I knew I had to just keep going no matter the result. Physically, my body is going through collapse mode, where everything is tight, or pulled or inflamed or hurt. That sucks.

So the beginning of this odyssey started against the American girls of VFM. Again a very physical team and yes my team may not be able to match their physicality, we needed to go in and compete. That is all you can do, when playing a team that is a bit above your level because on any give day, anything can happen. We dropped the match 0-3, and it wasn't like VFM came and played a great game. Actually, our two previous meetings early in the season was way more competitive then this one was, but they did play well. I think the only thing they did was be consistent. It was our side that could not control anything, and in the end it was our downfall. This match would be the beginning of what I would call my volleyball mental decline.


So you pick your pride up and walk off the court. The girls there are always so nice to me when we meet, so that was a treat to talk to them a little bit after the game. Next match would be the Cup match. One of my teams goals going into this season was to make it to the next round of the Europa Cup. (read how the 1st round went here: http://builtfordtuff-volleygirl5.blogspot.com/2010/12/return-to-mallorca-europa-cup-sangria.html)

In Game three of this 5 game journey, the big bad wolves came to town. Okay well not the wolves. But the top team in the league, Volero. And if this were a fairy tale, we definitely would have been Little Red Riding Hood in the scenario. Except we didn't outsmart the wolf at the end. They were all we expected them to be. Big, Strong, Confident. They walk in the gym and its like, "Ooooh Awwwweee, Volero." But in actuality they are normal people two. Put their spandex on the same way and even laugh sometimes. Its just when they step on the court, they come to play, to compete and to win. Their record reflects their work ethic. Again I don't know what they do at practice, but no one just steps on a volleyball court and plays with such comraderie and fundamentals without practice and maybe there lies the answer for all us other teams. Talent only goes so far, but these girls are very talented too.



Personally, I don't believe I played bad. But of course it was not good enough for me to be satisfied. I wish I could have seen the block better and hit with more accuracy. I did not block well either, which is starting to become irritating since everyone believes in my ability to do it so well. I have become very undisciplined. So if there is one thing I wanna really focus on getting back to; its blocking. But as a whole it was a big step from the last time we played them. We actually did some good things out there and almost stole the third set. But in the end the match ended 3-0. Another L.







More to come later....

Return to Mallorca, Europa Cup, Sangria & Such

When signing for Switzerland I turned my back on Spain. I mean Spain is a beautiful country and I had some good times there... off the court. Ok I wont say that, but with all the good there is bad right. SO I went to Schweiz thinking I would never return to Espana, at least not soon. So when my coach Hannes picked me up at the airport and informed me we would be traveling there to play an Europa Cup match, I almost turned pale in the face. Oh how fate holds us close all the time.

We arrived at the airport. The exact one I lost my passport in last year and made that huge crying scene. Don't judge me. :) I even thought I could impress my coach with my Spanish since I speak a little. Nope he still didn't trust me. Oh well. But I did understand and was able to help a little bit. So Cool. The team stayed in the Hotel Marina. No, its not named after my teammate of the same name. She wishes. Our rooms all face the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The Sunsets at this place were indescribably amazing.

Later that night we arrived at the Polideportivo Palma Arena. OMG! This place was huge. I felt so big time. lol I mean our gym is really small compared to this place. There was even a race track surrounding the main floor, so I assume there are some type of cycling races here as well as concerts and other events. Hey not matter the size of the arena, the volleyball court is still the same size.

After a couple of practices in the big gym, it was time to play. The only two people that really knew anything about this team was my setter Jana & I. We both knew and had played against members of Palmas team. So that was really all we had to go on for the match. Oxidoc Palma is ranked in the middle of the Spanish Super Liga. But overall I think the league in Spain is a little bit higher level than it is here in Spain. All you can say is go out there and compete. No matter who you are playing.

The match started off in our favor for once. We had a pretty nice lead on them. Things were going well. Passing was crucial and we were defending balls. This all meant Jana could run our offense properly. Then we hit that one plateau where Palma went on a multiple point run and we just could not get momentum back. Our 15-6 lead, was not 24-25 in their favor all of a sudden. We could not finish and our opponents came back and took the first set. 26-24. So demoralizing. To have the lead the whole game pretty much and then not being able to finish just takes the breathe out of you. I was especially thrown off since set point was set to me and I could not convert. I almost injured my knee and took out their player as well.

The second set, Palma ran with the momentum from the first game and jumped out to a big lead. We could not stop their two top hitters, Brown and Marti. There was so much confusion and discombobulation and negativity on our side, nothing positive was coming from this set and we ended up giving them set 2 as well. So were down 2 sets, definitely not a position we haven't been in already this season. All we had to do was fight our way back in the match. One point at a time. Jumping out to a solid start this game, I just knew we would and could take set 3 and at least force a 4th set. But low and behold Palma stayed right in it, and inched their way back to within 5 points. We got stuck in a bad rotation where we just could not pass, hit or defend a ball. It happens, but for us it happened at the wrong time and once again Palma came from behind and stole set 3 and the match. Super Fail, if you ask me. But you pick you head, your pride, your face, your spirits up and move on. This battle is this not won.

It was a blow to all of us I think. To not perform on the big stage in an arena where you know you can be successful. It hurt. So the team decided to do some publicity shots for Basel TV. Its a way of letting out stress while site seeing the beautiful island of Mallorca.


We saw La Cathedral de Palma de Mallorca. This was so beautiful. We walked along the docks of the Mediterranean Sea. What is so funny, back in school I used to remember identifying and studying the Mediterranean Sea, but never did I ever imagine that I would one day be there, live 15 minutes away or swim in this sea. So awesome.




After all was said and done. Spain was far to beautiful to complain for too long. I was really upset about the match, but not too long.

"In every contest, there comes a moment that separates winning from losing. The true warrior understands and seizes that moment." -Pat Riley

Check out the rest of the photos from our journey below. Click the photo.

We're Back on Track... For Now?

Team Sm'Aesch got back on track last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Geneva. Since the first time we matched up a lot of things have changed for both sides. Our team captain is still battling injuries and on Geneva has a new and more experience setter; plus their American outside hitter is still injured as well. We also gained a new player from Team Geneva in Jana Endlerová. Hey all is fair when it comes to athletics right? This is a business first as I always remind my readers. Never forget that. More on Jana in a later post, but she is very cool.


This game was really difficult for me, because it just felt forced. But if I know one thing you have to fake it till you make. And still I feel why should I. When you play a team sport, there needs to be some camaraderie out there. Yes, we do not all have to like each other, but we all need to show the same respect for everyone involved. And I'm just not feeling the love that is all. I'm sure there is a list of professional teams with teammates on there that hated each others guts, but they still found a way to push it aside and win championships. I am thrilled that we won. Nothing beats that, but lets have fun doing it. Lets come together through the good and the bad moments, because in that moment on the court with all 6 or 7 of us out there, we really are all we got! Los Frauen!




"Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to produce uncommon results." -Unknown

Next game is away (in Delemont) but we play VFM. Lets go!

For more photos from this album check this out > http://www.fotogalerie-rv.ch/Sport4/volleyball/saison2011.html

Happy Thanksgiving

November 25, 2010- I'd like to start this blog off with another epic conversation had with my mother, God Bless.

"So do they celebrate Thanksgiving over there?" -Mom

"Well I don't think Pilgrims sailed to Switzerland and had a peaceful dinner with their Natives before mass-murdering them, spreading disease and then placing them on reservations." -Me

"Oh!" -Mom

Yes we had that conversation like 4 times, and yes each time was just as equally funny.

Thanksgiving has always been about Moms cooking this really big meal- turkey, dressing with cranberry sauce, greens, homemade rolls that I previously stuck my finger in the doe allowing it not to rise ;) , potato salad, potato pie. Just everything you can imagine. Sometimes I cook tomato pie. But for the last 5 years, I have only been home for maybe 1 or 2 Thanksgiving dinners. Actually last year in Spain, my roommate Lindsay and her boyfriend cooked a scrumptious meal that gave me that 'itis" for days. So this year, I decided I wanted begin cooking my own dinners when I am away from home.

As you can see, it was a delightful, mini meal. Small but still delicious. On the menu was the ever mini chicken, green-bean casserole, dressing with cranberry sauce and two small bottles of wine. I fixed sweet potato fries as a dessert, but it did not turn out too tasty, so we substituted them for a awesome treat from the Bakery. Overall a success.







Not bad at all, but most importantly I am Thankful my loving family that is healthy and not in harms way. I am thankful for the continued opportunity to play a sport I love and on top of that have it as a career right now. So fortunate as my body starts to decline and get worn & torn, it is a blessing to still be able to jump and run and hit the cover off the ball and have support from loved ones. SO Thank you!

But what is Thanksgiving to you? I read about this story of NFL player Chris Henry, who succumbed to injuries last year after falling out the back of a truck. The following story tells about the ultimate gift four different people received after that tragedy. Check it out.

It Wasnt Pretty, but It'll Do

November 21, 2010- The Biel Game. The one that almost had me give up the sport altogether. And what athlete has not doubted themselves at one point or another. The one where it felt like I was playing with both arms tied behind my back with a blind fold on and a gag in my mouth. The one where my athleticism was put on hold the whole match. The one where I felt so contained, I wanted to break outta the cage I was in and attack like a predator would attack his prey. Good thing Team Sm'Aesch was able to pull off the win in 5 sets or my night would have really sucked. lol

Biel came into the match much stronger than the last time we met. They had acquired a new 6'4 outside hitter which essentially made their team much more effective. This player could do what I do naturally and that's hit over people and she did that very well in the first set. We found it very difficult to stop or contain her at one point. But we held on long enough to take the first set. That definitely was the easiest set we would play that match as Biel continued to put the pressure on us taking sets 2 and 4.

Not much more to say about this match except we took the 5th and decisive set pretty easily. Now why couldn't we play like that the whole match? Why is there such a trust issue amongst the players on my team on the court. In a game like volleyball every outcome is dependent upon one or more actions of a teammate. You can't hit if there is no pass. You can defend if you cant serve the ball into play. Its not like tennis where you individually are out there alone and every decision you make is yours and yours alone. In Volleyball you depend on your teammates for everything. And when there is trust issues, a link is broken. Its like trying to bend your leg without a knee. Its very difficult. Its very hard to be successful in our sport if we cant lean on each other and trust our teammates to do their jobs. It creates self doubt, and a chink in your armor during battle makes for a bloody war. Am I right.

Its the second half of the season and I hope we can move past these minor issues before they become epic. Because its matches like these where I don't really feel like an athlete, but rather a spot filled on a court with 5 other girls. It should be 6 girls on the court working together as one unit. I know one thing; I don't ever want that feeling I felt after this Biel match ever again. But the thing with athletics is I most certainly will have that feeling again, and for sure its all about how I deal with it and move on. Next ball... Next point... Next Practice... Next game. Next! Next Next Next.





"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself" - Muhammed Ali

Koniz Makes it a 2 Game Skid

November 14, 2010- Its been an up and down couple of weeks for Team Sm'Aesch. With a plethora of injuries and lack of players, Team Sm'Aesch has had to face a number of adversities. First off we have been playing without team Captain Laura Tschopp, a key member of the team and producer on the court. Also from bad knees to bad shoulders, a number of us have not been at 100%. It sucks because you want to move forward and train at a level that is conducive of pro-level volleyball, but with 4 or 5 main people training at a time its pretty hard to maintain a high level of volleyball. That's the nature of the beast. I mean you do need 6 people on the court to play volleyball and lately it feels like a ton of individual practices. Which is great too because you get to focus on certain skills individually that you may not be able to do when the whole team is there.

Team Sm'Aesch traveled to Koniz, a little town right outside of the capital Bern last last Sunday to battle. Koniz presented with a pretty strong group of athletes and they were currently standing at 3rd place in the league. The offense is run by American setter Brittney Murray out or UC Riverside. They also have a pretty nice arsenal of attack in American MB Mindi Wiley, opposite Barbara Degi and OH Antonina Polyakova. All very capable of putting the ball down and scoring points. They also have a very strong libero in Maria Bertelli. SO we had our plates full coming into the match. But still obtainable. I don't believe there is a match I cannot win going into games, no matter who is on the other side. You never know what is going to unfold, and if you don't believe before you play you are already handicapped.

Sm'Aesch got off to an excellent start. Everything was almost perfect. It was one of those moments where you could do no wrong. Our serving was pretty bad, but we managed to jump off to a huge lead with great blocking and kills. It wasn't until my setter Jana collided with one another that we actually started to lose momentum. It was a freak accident of me and her going for the same ball and she ran into me at full speed. I was down for a moment and according to one of my American friends, it was pretty scary. We both were down. Not good since we only had 8 players. I was out for a minute and the room was spinning afterward. Not going to lie it did affect me for the rest of the match. I felt dizzy and had a massive headache, but I remained in the game. From that point on the momentum definitely shifted to their side and we ended up losing that set.

Once getting the first set, they quickly jumped on top pretty decisively in the second set as well and we went to the locker room down 0-2 at the break. Luckily, my team was not one to give in so easily and came out of the third set on fire taking a huge lead of 10-0. Its just amazing how we lost the first two sets and it looked like we were not going to bounce back and then we come out of the break and jump on them so badly. It just show the potential and level my team can play at when we are all on the same page and playing to the best of our abilities. The fourth set was close all the way to the end, with no team getting no further than 2 or 3 points ahead at a time. Sm'Aesch was able to grab set 4 and force the decisive 5th set.

After being down 2 sets and having to fight our way back, was exhausting and on top of that I was still feeling light-headed. We also were having a hard time of stopping and slowing down the hitters Degi and Polyakova. Both played very good matches. Wiley in the middle made huge plays in the blocking area, as did I. We tied for blocking honors at 7 a piece. The 5th set is all about taking it. Its there, 15 points and you have to go and take it. The game is so short there really is not time to be timid or for errors. Team Sm'Aesch rallied to stay up with Koniz, but in the end, it was too much and our tired team was defeated in the 5th set 15-10. It was a great match and both team were exhausted afterward.

Like the Schaffhausen this match really showed us how good and how bad we can play. The highs were really nice and that level is something that we need to be able to contain. Its definitely an attitude. You can't just kinda want to win. You have to WANT to win and then go out their and bust yours and TAKE it. The End!






My highlights of the game. Enjoy!

Sm'Aesch Gets Nuc'd

After coming off a three game winning streak, Sm'Aesch was put to the test when Neuchatel came to town. In the end the Frauen from Aesch were defeated 3-1. It was a tough match, and both team really battled through; especially since the first set we won 33-31. I remember looking up mid way through the 2nd set and feeling like I had been playing for hours already. what was so difficult was that each set came down to who wanted it more at the end. Right around the 20 point mark you really have to dig deep and push. Demonstrate that you are the team that wants it more. In the end Team Sm'Aesch could not finish in the end of the match; a problem we have struggled with all season. You have to finish strong. Start strong. You maintain it. Then you finish strong. POINT! SET! MATCH!




Champions take responsibility, when the ball is coming over the net, u can be sure I want the ball! -Billie Jean King

Excuse my absence. This blog is about 2 weeks late.