But from the opening whistle Saturday morning at 8:00 AM sharp, the 13s were ready. After strong victories in the first three matches of the day, we squared off with the also undefeated Elevation 14 Regional late in the afternoon. We dropped the first set in blow-out fashion, but then something happened. The girls dug deep, got super pumped, and with a surge of adrenaline, completely shifted the momentum. The second set was ours before Elevation knew what hit them, and the day finished off at peak spirit as we took the decider 15-11. We had never gone undefeated on the first day of a tournament, so it felt great!

Next up: A date with the 14Z’s at 8:00 AM Saturday. Everyone in the club was looking forward to this matchup all weekend.

While we played hard, the Z’s proved to have a little too much firepower for us, handing us our first defeat. But the resilient 13s shook it off and smashed CO Crossfire 14s before running into our doppelganger, Barebones 14s. They had the same black jerseys, the same great servers, the same backcourt tenacity, the same attackers. But they just edged us out at the finish line in the deciding set to put themselves into a three-way tie for second with Elevation 14s and us going into the Monday bracket.

The victorious final match of Sunday against Elevation 13s featured some highlight moments. While Makena would argue that her pancake was the best play, her reverse endline 40-foot-high rainbow that sailed neatly in between the rafters before landing inches in bounds in the opposing court some 5 seconds later was one of the more improbable volleyball successes I have personally witnessed.

After pool play on the second day, we finished with six wins against two losses, which earned us the #4 seed in the championship bracket on Monday. This meant we would play the #5 seed first, and the winner would face the #1 seed, the undefeated and universally feared Spikes 14Z’s. The girls took care of business in the first match to punch our spot in the semi-finals. Nerves ruled the first set, but we pushed the 14Z’s to the brink in the second before ultimately dropping the set 21-25, the second-highest point total the Z’s had given up all tournament. The only teams we lost to were the two teams in the finals, and we were never out of it over an amazing 10-game run.

But you know all this stuff already… here are some things you might not know.

First, I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude for each of the girls’ unique and irreplaceable contributions to this team. For their unwavering vigilance in the backcourt, Alexis and Presley (and way to capitalize on your serve opportunities – keep it up!) For providing a most formidable and disruptive defensive (and offensive) presence, Riva. For their dangerous serving and hitting, Cambrya and Jamie. For her major league smashes and all-around aggressiveness, Aileen. For her effort and continual growth, Scarlett. For her steadiness and always positive and encouraging spirit, Ashley. For the absolute missile storm she can unleash from the service line, Hasini. For her apparently limitless energy and court coverage, Paige (are there two Paiges out there?) And for the bedrock of the team, Makena.  Thank you all for everything you do.

Next, I am not the only one who sees it.  No fewer than three opposing coaches pulled me aside after matches to tell me what a special group of girls this is. And every time, they told me with a big smile on their faces, even after we had just beat their team.  I even had a referee compliment our team, and that is rare indeed! It made me so proud to be your coach hearing those things from the other coaches, and you should be proud of the way you play and conduct yourselves.

Lastly, it is because of all these amazing things you are doing that I, as your coach, and we, as your parents, sometimes forget that you are just 13 years old (some younger). So whenever you feel like you messed up or should have done something different, be gentle with yourselves. You are performing at a level few of us parents have ever experienced, even as older athletes. Keep working hard and the sky’s the limit for you!

I can’t wait for the next tourney.

Coach Andy
January 16, 2023