New Position. New Direction?

January 22 & 29, 2011- After a heart-crushing defeat last week in Duddingen, I have been a little perplexed as to how to pursue success again. But like I always say winning and losing is apart of sports and life for that matter. Gotta get back up and try again. But what happens when you are thrown a curve ball? Well that is exactly what happened to Team Sm'Aesch.

After the Duddingen match, injury took out one of starting outside hitters and prominent players on the court. Anouk Verge-Depre has led team Team Sm'Aesch time and time again. One of the Swiss leagues most promising young talents, Anouk was a force on the court both in the front row and back. Her absence would definitely hurt our team. After finding out she would be out for the season, we had to come up with a plan to overcome. Well that plan would be for me to more to opposite so I could get more balls to terminate. I had become a #1 option.

I had mixed feelings about this. I was excited about the opportunity for sure. I started my career on the right side, so it was not new. I had not really played there on this big a stage though. So there was a little bit of insecurity. The big thing was our next match happened to be against Nuchatel, the team I wanted revenge on so bad I could taste it. But I was not in the middle I was on the right side and that would be very different.

Walking into Nuc's gym, I could feel this would be such a big opportunity. I felt like it would either go really really well, or really really bad. I dreamed that I had balled out and was this hero. Revenge was served up on a cold dish. It felt great in my dream. But could it happen in real life. Well it didn't happen. I played okay by my standards. But so worried about carry the team, I fell into that timid afraid to make mistake player that I started my career as. If only I had played like I knew I could. It only I had just let go and balled, would the outcome be different. Nuc didn't even play their real lineup and we still lost. Yeah I got the most points, but I also had many errors. I hung my head. I felt like I had let my team down.

Another Opportunity**********

Our next match would be out last game of the season against Koniz. After a week of beating myself up, self loathing, and complete non confidence in myself. It was time to come back up and play. I cant say it was the best of times at practice. Partially, because chemistry on the court was not flowing so well. Practice became hard to focus, and I felt like I couldn't better my skills for fear of messing up and letting the team down. But I know I can play. Just have to go out and do it.

Koniz is a team I always respected but at the same time thought we matched up really well with. They are led by 2 really good outside hitters, a strong American middle blocker and setter and a pretty good libero. They can be a very strong team, or they can become very vulnerable. Which is almost like out team. Lots of potential, but just have to let it shine.

The match started off well, and then went bad really fast. The next thing I knew we were down by like 10 and I was stuck in middle back, which to be honest with you is bad for us. Bad for me as well as I would try to score constantly from the back row on bad balls against a solid block. We lost the game something terrible. Passing just went out the door. Sorry no passing. No volleyball really.

The next three games would be some of the most intense, tiring, great, and awful times Ive ever experienced on a volleyball court. Sometimes we look awesome as a team and other times we were running into each other like the three stooges. But I think the most important thing here was to stay the course. Jana, our setter was getting us great one on one opportunities, blocking was arite, and Laura Tschopp or the Swiss machine I like to call her, was having an amazing offensive night. She was keeping us afloat in many situations.

After tying the game up, Sm'Aesch had a new life. We were focused up. And things were starting to go in our direction. Exhausted and sore both teams scrambled back to the court. One team wondering how they got in this situation. The other team was wondering how to make the best of the situation. Ill let you decide which team was which. All I know is that Team Sm'Aesch was playing some good ball we should have been playing the whole match and maybe the entire season. It felt good to be in that moment with my teammates. At some times it was not pretty, but success is success. Especially since I was having a very streaky match myself, with a poor hitting percentage. I am my worse enemy at times, but I had my teammates to lean on and help me through. It was game 5 and I knew I needed to show I did indeed know what that round white thing was.

Once we changed sides we were able to put a little cushion between us and Koniz. Had a couple of match points. One of the most controversial calls came this game, when our libero Nadine made the best sprawl out with everything pancake and got the ball the up. I mean she literally dug it with the tips of her middle and fore finger. Jana managed to make a playable ball out of it and we got it back over. Well Koniz thought the ball hit the floor and proceeded to catch it when it came back over. The ref then called a lift on them. They of course were infuriated. But it was a good call. The ball was up. Hey, play until the whistle. May I also take time out to just praise the officiating this match. Best I have experienced my whole time in Switzerland.

Finally it happened. Game point was put down by Sandra Stocker on a nice slide ran to perfection. Perfect enough for the Match. I looked over at Jo and she had collapsed on the floor. lol It was a very exhausting match, but I think it showed us what we were capable of doing once we get out of our own way and do it. Ive always said, there is so much talent and potential on this team. There have been glimpses of it all season, but the most important thing was that moment. The moment that last ball hit the floor. Gotta love moments like that. By the way, this team we defeated that night, beat the number one team in the league the week before. Like I always say... numbers mean nothing in the heart of an athlete that wants to win. Hopp Sm'Aesch!

"Think you can. Think you can't. Either way you will be right." -Henry Ford