Lets talk about the team involved in the Final Four of the Grand Championship and how they got here:

The first qualifiers for the Grand Championship are Mike Lawley and Jon Collins.  This young dynamic duo came with alot of heart and passion for the game.  Diving plays and hustling to get to the ball made Mike and Jon a team to contend with.  During pool play of the Grand Championship, they lost all three games…but they did bring a very large supporting crowd to help them throughout the tournament.  Unfortunately, they lost their match against the #1 team from pool play.  The best thing about these guys is that they are young and what I would like to call “The Next Generation” of players.  And based on the crowd that cheer them on, leaders on the court and off the court.  Again, congratulations, Mike and Jon for getting here.  And special congratulations to Mike and Rachel on the recent wedding.

They fought hard through the league giving the birth into the Grand Championship and they are no strangers to the court.  Rich O’Keefe and Chad Borton qualified through the 7-week league and League Championship.  One word can describe this team:  determination.  You can see it on the faces when they are on the court.  Standing at 6′-9″, Big Rich is no stranger to pressure situations and big games.  Chad is probably one of the fastest defenders in the volleyball community and will always get the ball up using both arms unlike some players who only use one arm to stretch out for the ball.  With these skills, they are able to form a great combination of skill and experience.  During pool play, they had a rough start but eventually won a game.  In the semi-finals, it seems as if the little things just wasn’t going their way.  For the third straight time, they lost to the #2 team.  The most memorable moment with you guys is the finals in the League Championship winning the 3rd game to advance to the Grand.  Congratulation to Rich and Chad for a valiant effort and great sportsmanship throughout the entire season.

The surprise team of the League Championship came from Dave Woolsteen and Tracey Pressley.  Throughout the league season, I often wondered about the chemistry between these two.  Dave is a veteran of the game as well as a coach/teacher.  Tracey is a young, crafty player with a little attitude on the court.  So does the coach/teacher mentor the firey young player?  Throughout the league season, I began to notice this mentoring but it came with alot of excuses (yes – Tracey, you do have a tendency of having excuses – just ask Hal).  But I also notice alot of respect that Tracey would give Dave on the court.  I mean Dave has been playing this game for a long long time and still has many tricks that us veterans still can’t figure out.  What makes Dave an amazing player is his sense of awareness of his opponents and his unpredictable plays that gets opponents frustrated.  So did the mentor teach the student successfully?  Answer:  yes.  Seeded 5th in the League Championship, they came out of the League beating the top teams to advance to the Grand.  In the Grand, they continue to dominate the field with only one exception, Val and Shawn.  Congratulations to an amazing season for both Dave and Tracey.

There is not much to say when it comes down to Val and Shawn and their athletic skills on the court.  From the beginning of the league season, every team knew that this was the team to beat.  I remember the first time I met Val at the Virginia Highland courts.  The only memory I had back then was him hand setting outdoors and seeing the 2-4 rotations on the ball…to him, they were good sets…to me, are you kidding me?  The first time I remember seeing Shawn, he was still in high schoool, I think and was smaller back then but saw the passion for the game when he got on the court.  Today, they are a dominating force on the court.  How they got to the Grand Championship, they played in a qualifier against 14 other teams.  But the funny thing about their win, they would qualified in the League giving them a ticket to the Grand as well.  The motivating factor with their win in the Qualifier…Shawn wanted to travel to Cincinnati for another tournament that was scheduled on the same day as the League Championship…which he finished 5th up there in Cincinnati.  So what makes this team dominating…you can’t understand them when they talk to each other unless you speak Spanish…LOL.  Shawn eventually grew up and is now one of the feared players on the court due to his dominating block and huge vertical.  Val’s Brazilian ways and experience of the court has made him into a wanted player that everyone wants to play with.  Also, his attitude on the court is very calming even though he is from Brazil.  In pool play, they cruised into 1st place.  In the semi-final, they defeated the young team of Mike / Jon…(21-18, 21 – 12).  In the finals, they played against the surprise team of Dave / Tracey.  Unfortunately, I was not present for the final match to ref so I left the match in the good hands of Big Rich.  Game #1 as described by Big Rich:  “Dave had 3 [consecutive] beach digs on hard hits to get to 9-11, but Val & Shawn pushed to switch sides at 12-9 and rallied to win Game #1.  Val & Shawn served Dave mostly.”  Game #2 as described by Big Rich:  “At 15-8, Val Kong Block!!  DOMINATION.”  Val and Shawn won the Grand Championship…21-13, 21-10.

CONGRATULATIONS TO VAL SERRADILHA and SHAWN DOBANTON!!!

They are going to Chicago AVP to represent Atlanta and AirVorne Volleyball in the AVPNext Championship.

Thank you to all participants for supporting this series and AirVorne Volleyball.

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

Before I get to the Championship Match for the Women’s Series, I would like to explain how these teams got here and the process behind it.  As everyone is aware of, there was a league held this past two months to qualify for the Grand Championship.  8 teams registered to compete for 7-weeks and a final League Championship Tournament.  Two teams advanced from this league.  Since not everyone is able to make this weekly commitment, I then offered 2 Qualifiers for those who wanted a chance to get to the Grand Championship.  The winners of each of these Qualifiers made it to the Grand Championship as well.

The process was long but also difficult since all teams that participated needed to make sure there game was on.  Again, teams needed to finish 1st in the Qualifiers and 1st/2nd in the League…no other finishes will advance.  The following teams did just that:

Sunday, June 26th – Qualifier:  Winners – Amber Ramga and Amanda Dashwood

Sunday, June 27th – Qualifier:  Winners – Amber Ramga and Sheila Gatlin

Saturday, July 11th – League Championship:  Amber Ramga, Amanda Dashwood, Amanda Welter, Chibuzo Aguocha

Does anyone see what I see?  Yup – Amber Ramga dominated this season.  And is in my book, the MVP of the AVP/Barefoot Wines Series.  Not only is she an amazing athlete but also a great leader within the volleyball community.  From drills to workouts to teaching college players the sand game, Amber has become the female leader for the volleyball community.  Acceleration Fitness is her company and also trainings volleyball players there in conditioning.  CONGRATULATIONS, AMBER on a fantastic series.  For those who are interested in finding out more about Amber and Acceleration Fitness, click here for the website.

Now onto the Grand Championship.  Since there were only two teams competing for the Chicago trip, we decided to continue the League Championship and finish the bracket for the Grand Championship.  Amber decided to play with her original partner Ada for the Grand Championship.  Chewy and Amanda were perfect that day not losing one game in any of their matches.  The final match was a 2 out of 3 games to 21 points no cap and if necessary 3rd game to 15 points no cap.  It was very clear to see Chewy/Amanda’s game plan…serve Ada and that they did.  In the first game, it was tied at 16-16 when Chewy and Amanda went on a run scoring the next 3 points and switching at 19-16.  Could Amber / Ada make that spectacular come back?  After siding out, they decided to go for it and serve tough.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Chewy / Amanda won the first game…21-18.

In the second game, things for Amber / Ada went from bad to worse as Chewy / Amanda dominated the serving line.  At the 21 points side switch, the score was 14-7 Chewy/ Amanda.  Again, Amber / Ada went for it again…serving tough, hitting on two, etc.  But the deficit was too much.  Chewy and Amanda won the second game and the Championship…21-12.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHIBUZO AGUOCHA and AMANDA WELTER!!!

They are going to Chicago AVP to represent Atlanta and AirVorne Volleyball in the AVPNext Championship.

Thank you to all participants for supporting this series and AirVorne Volleyball.

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

So who will go to Chicago from the Men’s Series??  Let me introduce you to the teams competing for the prize.

Sunday, June 13th – Qualifier:  Mike Lawley and Jon Collins.

Sunday, July 27th – Qualifier:  Shawn Dobanton and Val Serradilha.

Saturday, July 17th – League Championship:  David Woolsteen and Tracey Pressley.

Saturday, July 17th – League Championship:  Chad Borton and Rich O’Keefe.

So come and find out who will represent Atlanta and AirVorne Volleyball on Saturday, July 31st at the Virginia Highland courts.  Format is round robin where all teams will play each other in a full match.  Once the pool play is finished, playoffs will begin.  Seed #1 vs. Seed #4 and Seed #2 vs. Seed #3 for the Semi-finals.  Winners of those matches will continue onto the Final Championship match.  Good luck to all teams.  Play will begin at 9:00 AM.

See you on the courts,

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

The league started back in mid-May with the Women as 8 teams competed every Wednesday for 7 weeks straight to make to the League Championship.  Back on June 1st, the Men (8-teams) also competed for their chance to go to Chicago and represent Atlanta and AirVorne Volleyball.  It was very challenging with all leagues (not just this one) to be able to get out of work on time and fight the afternoon traffic to get to the scheduled games.  The Men played every Tuesday at Piedmont Park and the Women played every Wednesday at the Virginia Highlands.  Every team play against each other…one match consisted 2 out of 3 games to 21 points no cap with the third game if necessary to 15 points.  After 7-weeks of play, the following teams were then ranked and here is what came out of that:

Women:

1.  Chibuzo Aguocha  / Amanda Welter (6-1, +83 points)

2.  Amber Ramga / Amanda Dashwood (6-1, +57 points)

3.  Laura Shamp / Kim Wallace (injured most of the season) (6-1, +17 points)

4.  Nicole Nilson / Elaine Sha (4-3, +68 points)

5.  Liz Schaab / Jocelyn Waldern (2-5, -29 points)

6.  Terrie O’Keefe / Kristen Zschau (2-5, -43 points)

7.  Katrina Conrad / Casey Stoll (1-6, -74 points)

8.  Judy Baker / Alex Williams (1-6, -79 points)

Men:

1.  Val Serradilha / Shawn Dobanton (6-0, +101 points)

2.  Rich O’Keefe / Chad Borton (5-1, +37 points)

3.  Pat Donnelly / Steve Dobek (4-2, +27 points)

4.  Ryan Hojnacki / Jason Frizzell (3-3, +2 points)

5.  Tim Carlson / Donald Miller (3-3, -25 points)

6.  Tracey Pressley / Dave Woolsteen (2-4, +8 points)

7.  Wes Fincher / Will Goldin (1-5, -1 points)

8.  Gokul Nair / August Gentry (0-6,  -143 points)

The League Championship was the final determination on which two teams from each gender would move on to the Grand Championship on Saturday, July 31st.  The tournament was a double elimination format…meaning once you lose twice, you are out.  The tournament was held at the Virginia Highlands for both Men and Women.  Two teams from each gender had to drop out due to injury, schedule, or personal issues.  So we only had 6 teams for each gender and here is the summary of what happened that day:

Match #1:  #4 – Hoj/Jason defeated #8 – Gokul / August…21-6, 21-9

Match #2:  #6 – Tracey / Woolsteen defeated #5 – Donald / Tim…21-16, 21-17

Match #3:  #4 – Nicole / Elaine defeated #8 – Judy / Alex…21-6, 19-21, 15-8

Match #4:  #5 – Liz / Jocelyn defeated #7 – Katrina / Courtney (sub for the injured Casey)…21-5, 19-21, 15-10

Match #5:  #3 – Pat / Rich Rainwater (sub for Scuba due to work conflict) defeated #4 – Hoj / Jason…21-16, 21-17

Match #6:  #6 – Tracey / Woolsteen defeated #2 – Rich / Chad…21-16, 19-21, 15-12

Match #7:  #2 – Amber / Ada defeated #4 – Nicole / Ela…21-10, 21-12

Match #8:  Chibuzo and Amanda defeated #5 – Liz / Jocelyn…21-11, 21-16

Match #9:  #2 – Rich / Chad defeated #8 – Gokul / August…21-4, 21-5

Match #10:  #4 – Hoj / Jason defeated #5 – Donald / Tim…21-19, 21-16

Match #11:  #5 – Liz / Jocelyn defeated #8 – Judy / Alex…21-12, 21-10

Match #12:  #4 – Nicole / Elaine defeated #7 – Katrina / Courtney…21-15, 21-15

Match #13 (Winner’s Bracket Final):  #6 – Tracey / Woolsteen defeated #3 – Pat / Rich…22-20, 21-16…Congratulations to Dave and Tracey (pictured below) – they advance to the Grand Championship…

Match #14:  #2 – Rich / Chad defeated #4 – Hoj / Jason…21-19, 21-14

Match #15 (Winner’s Bracket Final):  #1 – Chewy / Amanda defeated #2 – Amber / Ada…21-12, 23-21…Congratulations to Chewy / Amanda (pictured below) – they advance to the Grand Championship…

Match #16: #4 – Nicole / Elaine defeated #5 – Liz / Jocelyn…18-21, 21-14, 15-11

Match #17 (Contender’s Bracket Final):  #2 – Rich / Chad defeated #3 – Pat / Rich…13-21, 21-15, 18-16…Congratulations to Chad and Rich (pictured below) – they advance to the Grand Championship…

Match #18 (Contender’s Bracket Final):  #2 – Amber / Ada defeated #4 – Nicole / Elaine…21-14, 21-14…Congratulations to Amber and Ada (pictured below) – they advance to the Grand Championship…

Congratulations to all teams that have advanced to the Grand Championship on Saturday, July 31st at the Virginia Highlands.  BUT WAIT…we have the results for the women’s division…how is this possible?  Find out more details on the next article for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Women’s Grand Championship – the road to Chicago.

Dennis Jocson

djocson@airvorne.com

AirVorne Volleyball

Back to the beach we go…well, not really the beach, but the place where Beach Volleyball began its journey for the Olympics back in 1996.  This was the biggest event so far that AirVorne Volleyball has done on the sand with 14 teams for the Men and 10 teams for the Women.  The competition was intense and enjoyable to watch as 24 teams compete for the last spots to the Grand Championship.  So lets start off with the Women shall we…

One spot for the Women’s Grand Championship has already been secured with Amber Ramga and Amanda Dashwood winning the last Qualifier…that doesn’t mean they can’t take another spot away from others.  But this time, they decided to partner up with different teammates.

Amanda picked up Courtney Clark, an amazing player that can play with the big boys and girls of course.  Their chemistry on the court was very enjoyable to watch.

Amber picked up the veteran and last year’s dominating player for AirVorne Volleyball – Sheila Gatlin.  Sheila made it to the finals in the last Qualifier and was determined to do it again with Amber.  For Amber, domination continued…

At the end of pool play, the final standings were as follow:

1.  Amber Ramga / Sheila Gatlin

2.  Chibuzo Aguocha / Amanda Welter

3.  Amanda ‘Ada’ Dashwood / Courtney Clark

4.  Krista Gyarmati / Karime Binkley

5.  Jola Graham / Melissa Schmitz

6.  Nicole Nilson / Elaine Sha

7.  Courtney Caldwell / Jenni Reynolds

8.  Terrie O’Keefe / Kristen Zschau

9.  Lauren Patterson / Amanda Dobanton

10.  Judy Baker / Janice Fung

Let the upsets begin…in the Quarterfinals, #2 – Chewy / Amanda faced #7 – Courtney / Jenni.  Chewy / Amanda has been very very well in the weekly  AVP/Barefoot Wine League.  But this Quarterfinal game was not their game…as they lost to Courtney / Jenni in a close game…25-23.  The newly form team of #3 – Ada / Courtney faced #6 – Nicole / Elaine.  The teamwork and longevity of Nicole / Elaine prevailed as they won…21-16. #1 – Amber / Sheila and #4 – Krista / Karime also advanced to the Semifinals.

Unfortunately, I just found out while gathering up the score sheets that the Semifinals were incorrectly matched up.  So the following matches were played for the Semifinals:

#1 – Amber / Sheila vs. #6 – Nicole / Elaine

#4 – Krista / Karime vs. #7 – Courtney / Jenni

These matches should have been reversed…my bad.  I guess that is what happens when I have too much on my plate.  But the upsets continued as #7 – Courtney / Jenni defeated #4 – Kristn / Karime…21-14.  #1 – Amber / Sheila also won their match against #6 – Nicole / Elaine…21-7.

So with these results, it was #1 – Amber / Sheila vs. #7 – Courtney / Jenni to play in a match for the final position of the Grand Championship.  Courtney / Jenni played like the Lindquist sisters and played dig defense with no block.

But unfortunately, Amber / Sheila took advantage of this and won the last spot in the Women Sand Series – AVP/Barefoot Wine Qualifier.  Congratulations to Amber (for her second spot) and Sheila for an amazing tournament!!!  So far this year, Amber has been taking the courts and dominating the games.

Now for the Men Sand Series…the competition was stiff and the players were definitely bringing their game on.  Out of the 14 teams we had, the top 8 teams advanced to the Qualifier for their chance to earn the last spot of the Grand Championship.  The following teams advanced and were ranked:

1.  Doug Dunnavant / Damien Scott

2.  Bryan Gibson / Bob Massee

3.  Val Serradilha / Shawn Dobanton

4.  Rich O’Keefe / Chad Borton

5.  Howard Miles / Donald Miller

6.  Chuck Hall / Jessi Ricks

7.  Pat Donnelly / Rich Rainwater

8.  Phil Enabnit / Bryan Enabnit

In the Quarterfinals, all top 4 teams advanced to the Semifinals.  Side note:  the closest game and potential upset came from #8 – Phil / Bryan playing #1 – Doug / Damien.  But Doug / Damien came through…21-18.  Phil injured his toe during pool play but played through the entire tournament.  We wish you well, Phil and hope that you quickly recover from that unfortunate injury.  Atlanta Beach was notified about the conditions of that court and will be addressed immediately.

The Semifinals were set: #1 – Doug / Damien vs. #4 – Rich / Chad and #2 – Bryan / Bob vs. #3 – Val / Shawn.  The competition with Bryan / Bob vs. Val / Shawn was intense and they continued to trade point for point.  But in the end, #3 – Val / Shawn came out victorious…21 – 16.  The same was true for Doug / Damien vs. Rich / Chad.  As I was watching this match from the sidelines, it was 16-16.  During this particular long rally and very crucial point,  Big Rich decided to hit the ball over on one to end the rally.  The hit over on one was very questionable but was called on Big Rich as an illegal hit.  Let the fireworks begin…the call stood after lots of conversation and arguing.  Unfortunately, that point cost #4 – Rich / Chad the game as #1 – Doug / Damien won…21 – 16.

The Finals were brought to you by our one match sponsor:  Vlassic Pickles.  #1 – Doug / Damien vs. #3 – Val / Shawn.  Again, the final is a 2 out of 3 game match.  In the middle of the first game, Doug began to cramp and this was the beginning to an end.  Damien tried to take it into his own hands with the sickest jump serve I have seen since the big court was reduced down.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the #1 seed fell to #3 seed of Val / Shawn giving them a ticket to the Grand Championship.  Congratulations to Val and Shawn!!!

To everyone who came out and played and watched, I thank you for your support and look forward to doing this again very soon.  This Saturday, July 17th, we finish up the AVP/Barefoot Wine League and find out who the other two teams are that will advance to the Grand Championship.

Have a great weekend and see you guys on the court.

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

Registration is now closed…if you would like to be place on the waiting list, please contact me at djocson@airvorne.com.

It is very important for those who are interested in playing to register online…please have your AVP Membership # ready as well as your partner’s information.

I will NOT be accepting any on-site registrations due to scheduling of the tournament.

Emails will be sent to all participants after 3:00 PM tomorrow so please make sure that I have your correct information.

Players,

Welcome to the last Qualifying Tournament for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Grand Championship. The winner of this tournament will move on to the Grand Championship at the end of July that will determine who the Atlanta representative is for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Championship to be held in Chicago in August.

(4) teams will be competing in the Grand Championship at the end of July:

Men’s:

The top two winners from the weekly league and that is determined by a League Tournament.

1st Qualifier – Mike Lawley / Jon Collins

2nd Qualifier – winner of the July 11th Qualifier…WILL THIS BE YOU??

Women’s:

The top two winners from the weekly league and that is determined by a League Tournament.

1st Qualifier – Amber Ramga / Amanda Dashwood

2nd Qualifier – winner of the July 11th Qualifier…WILL THIS BE YOU?

The winner of the Grand Championship will be the representatives for AirVorne Volleyball and Atlanta, Georgia in the Chicago AVP/Barefoot Wine Championship.

With that said, the registration fee has increased to $60/team. The format of the tournament will be round robin with each game to 21 or 25 points to determine the seed of each team. During playoffs, the semi-final and final (based on time) will be a 2 out of 3 match to determine the winner of the tournament.  If 12 or more teams register, the top half of the teams will play for the entry to the Grand Championship…the bottom half of the teams will compete for prizes.

All participants must be 21 and over to play and must have an AVP Membership.

No discount coupons will be used for this particular tournament…

Here is the list of teams registered (again, first come first serve especially if paid for):

Men’s:

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Women’s:

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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me…see you guys on the courts

Dennis Jocson
djocson@airvorne.com
AirVorne Volleyball

This past Sunday, it was the women’s turn to find out who the first team would be in the AVP/Barefoot Wine Qualifier for the Chicago trip.  We had 8 teams total to compete for this entry into the Grand Championship.  Pool play consisted of one game to 25 points with no cap.  Here are the results after pool play was completed:

1.  Sheila Gatlin / Laura Shamp

2.  Melissa Schmitz / Jola Graham

3.  Amber Ramga / Amanda ‘Ada’ Dashwood

4.  Courtney Caldwell / Bianca Julio

5.  Elaine Sha / Kristen Zschau

6.  Judy Baker / Janice Fung

7.  Terrie O’Keefe / Nikki Farrah

8.  Erin Callahan / Stephanie Wardach

The first round of playoffs put #5 – Elaine / Kristen against #8 – Erin / Stephanie and #6 – Judy / Janice against #7 – Terrie / Nikki.  This was the first tournament for Erin / Stephanie who are college students home for the summer.  Erin Callahan (right) goes to Florida Southern located in Lakeland, Florida and plays middle for her team.  Stephanie Wardach (left) goes to University of Louisiana Monroe located in Monroe, Louisiana and also plays middle for her team.  These two are long time teammates from the A5 generation looking to learn more about the outdoor game.

Their opponents, veterans to the game of sand volleyball – Elaine and Kristen.  #5 – Elaine / Kristen won this game over #8 – Erin / Stephanie…25-12.  Side note:  one of the best moments for me throughout the entire day was seeing Erin / Stephanie play and having the veterans of the tournament teach them about this game we play on the sand.  This is what I look for in creating the next generation of players…to the veterans, I thank you.  Erin / Stephanie – look forward to seeing you more out on the courts.

The other playoff match put #6 – Judy / Janice against #7 – Terrie / Nikki.  This was the first time to see Nikki come out to the Highlands and compete against these girls.  It was great to see her come out and play with the big timers.  Hopefully, it won’t be the last.  In this particular game, it was about the team work that Judy / Janice has.  They pulled through this tough match over #7 – Terrie / Nikki…25-20.

Quarter-finals were set and ready for play…#3 – Amber / Ada vs. #6 – Judy / Janice and #4 – Courtney / Bianca vs. #5 – Elaine / Kristen.  Before playoffs began, there was a 3-way tie for second place based on their record (4-1)…so it went to points for the rankings.  #3 – Amber / Ada began their journey by defeating #6 – Judy / Janice…25-16.  #4 – Courtney / Bianca had a harder time in the Quarter-finals against #5 – Elaine / Kristen…throughout the game, it seemed like Courtney / Bianca were playing catch up and lost to the veteran team of Elaine / Kristen…25-14.

In the Semi-finals, two veteran teams were matched up #1 – Sheila / Laura vs. #5 – Elaine / Kristen;  and the newly formed team of #2 – Melissa / Jola vs. the determined #3 – Amber / Ada.  Let the games begin…

On the yellow court, #1 – Sheila / Laura are known for playing smart volleyball.  Last year, Sheila dominated the tournament series with any partner she had.  She was clearly the MVP of 2009 for AirVorne Volleyball.  Laura on the other hand is known for her solid play all around…her focus on the game and the ability to sideout point for point, keeps her a dominating player throughout the season.  Elaine usually plays with her normal partner Nicole Nilson but Nicole was traveling this particular weekend so she pick up Kristen was is no stranger on the court.  They have been playing well together all day, but the question is:  do they have enough to beat #1 – Sheila / Laura?  The answer:  #1 – Sheila / Laura win over #5 – Elaine / Kristen…25-15.

On the red court, Jola / Melissa were doing quite well together for the first time.  Last weekend at the Coed Sand Series, I mentioned to the both of them that they were both available to play for this Qualifier.  Who would have thought that this combination of youth and skill would do so well.  This was going to be a very tough game for #3 – Amber / Ada.  In pool play, Amber / Ada defeated Jola / Melissa by 6 points.  Would this be true for the Semis?  Back and forth, the teams sided out point for point until the end of the game.  #3 – Amber / Ada barely pulled through over #2 – Jola / Melissa…25-23.

The finals were set as we have two teams that know each other very very well…#1 – Sheila / Laura vs. #3 – Amber / Ada.  The final was a match…2 out of 3 games – 21 points for Games #1 and #2 and if necessary Game #3 to 15 points…win by 2 with no cap.  After playing a long Semi-final, fatigue came into play for #3 – Amber / Ada.  Game #1 went to #1 – Sheila / Laura…21-15.  But here is where ‘determination’ came into play.  In Game #2, Amber / Ada turned things around.  It seems as if Ada was beginning to run out of steam alittle…but Amber was determined to help her teammate out with hits on 2 and smart shots.  The play I remember most during Game #2 which I believe affected the #1 team was Amber setting over on 2 when Laura was serving.  The second time Amber did that…I remember seeing Sheila’s reaction and she was not happy at all.  It kinda scared me as the ref.  #3 – Amber / Ada pulled through with this game…21-14.

Game #3…what to expect.  Who knows at that point in time.  But I do know that it will come down to the wire and it certainly did.  But whose side?  After that win in Game #2, it seemed as if Ada was back on that high on knowing that she can pull this off…but it wasn’t easy.  Again, back and forth the teams exchanged point after point.  One thing I didn’t expect from this game at all was the #1 team beginning to lose their chemistry.  Communication seemed to break down with the Sheila / Laura.  One reason why – Ada’s serving.  Late in the game, Ada served one hell of a floater that got Sheila / Laura wondering whose ball it was.  Result:  an ace that led to an argument.  Ada continued to serve tough towards the end of the game.

In the end, #3 – Amber / Ada defeated #1 – Sheila / Laura in the 3rd game…15-12…to win the first entry into the Women’s AVP/Qualifier in July.  Congratulations to Amber Ramga and Amanda ‘Ada’ Dashwood for a fantastic finish and a great tournament overall.

For more photos on this tournament, please visit the Photo Tab above…

The last Qualifier for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Series will be held in July.  Please visit the calendar for the date and venue for this tournament.  I know that many of you are asking about this…I am currently working on this and will have the details by the end of this week…

Side Note:  are those matching suits on Amber / Ada hot?  Wonder what they will have in store for us at the Grand Championship??

See you guys on the courts…very soon.

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

So this time let’s bring in a team from Hilton Head, South Carolina and see if the Atlanta teams can hold onto the city title.  Last time, it was Brian and Penelope from Raleigh, North Carolina in the Reverse Coed Grass Series.  This time it is Steven and Jola Graham from Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Special thanks to them for making the trip down to Atlanta to play in an AirVorne Volleyball event…4 hours is a long trip, but did they make it worth the trip?

As pool play can to an end, the teams were ranked as follows based on their record first and then points for any ties:

1.  Ryan Hojnacki / Chibuzo Aguocha

2.  Steve and Jola Graham

3.  Darin and Michelle Edler

4.  Greg and Judy Baker

5.  Jonathon Barbaree / Melissa Schmitz

6.  Tim Carlson / Janice Fung

7.  Chris ‘Cajun’ Allemand / Debbie Price

Before playoffs began, the #6 – Tim / Janice and #7 – Cajun / Debbie had to play a playoff for the Quarterfinals.  One game to 21…no cap.  It was good to see Cajun, the crafty veteran, back on the court again and also good to see Debbie as his partner.  Unfortunately, #7 – Cajun / Debbie lost to #6 – Tim / Janice…21-13.

So Quarterfinals were set.  The #1 – Hoj / Chewy and the #2 – the Grahams received a ‘bye’ in the first round.  #3 – the Edlers verses #6 – Tim / Janice were on the yellow court; #4 – the Bakers verses #5 – JB / Melissa were on the red court.  Quarterfinals were games to 25 points…again, no cap.  So the question to start off with is:  does Tim / Janice have enough game to beat the defending champs?  The Edlers knew it was Tim’s birthday and gave him his present…the clip board and pen for the Semi-finals as the Edlers defeated the birthday boy and Janice…25-13.  Happy Birthday, Tim…

The other Quarterfinals puts #4 – the Bakers against #5 – JB / Melissa.  One of the interesting things about JB / Melissa’s play can be described in two words:  role reversal.  On a men’s net, Melissa went up to the net and block while JB sat back waiting to play defense.  Did this work?  Unfortunately, it didn’t work with the Bakers although JB / Melissa kept it close…the Bakers would advance to the Semi-finals…25-20.

So the Semi-finals were set with the top 4 teams advancing.  Yellow Courts:  #1 – Hoj / Chewy verses #4 – the Bakers and the Red Court:  #2 – the Grahams verses #3 – the Edlers.  What do you expect from these matches?  Again, one game to 25 points, win by 2 points – no cap.

On the Yellow Court, an upset was in the making…let’s just say Greg brought his game on which I haven’t seen in awhile.  Hoj and Chewy were struggling to sideout consistently and fell behind.  It seemed like the mental game became a factor with Hoj and Chewy or maybe the heat…not quite sure.  In the end, #4 – the Bakers defeated #1 – Hoj / Chewy to advance to the finals for the first time…25-18.

On the Red Court, we had two married couples ready for battle…#2 – the Grahams and #3 – the Edlers.  This match was like a reality game show in the making…experience veterans from out of town verses the crafty / hustle your arse off parents.  From the start of the match to the very end, each team traded point for point.  The Grahams began to take the lead at the end of the game and eventually won the match…25-21.

So it comes to the battle of the cities once again – each represented by two wonderful couples…#2 – Team Hilton Head – The Grahams verses #4 – Team Atlana – The Bakers.  Final match:  2 out of 3 games…first two games to 21 points with no cap…third if necessary, 15 points with no cap.  Judy looked like she was about to shoot me when I mentioned that to her.  The first game again was point for point…siding out from each team.  The Grahams took the lead 20-17, but then Greg once again brought his game with jump serves.  All the Grahams needed to do is sideout to win…unfortunately, Greg’s serve was too much and Team Atlanta won the first game…22-20.  The second game was similar to the first but this time Team Hilton Head closed the game out with a win of their own…21-17.  As  mentioned before, the third game was to 15 points with no cap.  The momentum of the second game carried through to the third game for Team Hilton Head.  By this time, it looked like Team Atlanta seemed exhausted.  The travel down to Atlanta that morning was worth their drive down as Steve and Jola Graham won the final game…15-9.

Congratulations to Steve and Jola Graham from Hilton Head, South Carolina!!!  Not only did you play well that day…you also made some new friends here in Atlanta.

For more photos from this tournament, please visit the photo page above.

Please check the calendar for our next Coed Sand Series Tournament.

See you guys on the courts…

Dennis Jocson

AirVorne Volleyball

Ladies,

Welcome to the first of two Qualifying Tournaments for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Grand Championship. The winner of this tournament will move on to the Grand Championship at the end of July that will determine who the Atlanta representative is for the AVP/Barefoot Wine Championship to be held in Chicago in August. With that said, the registration fee has increased to $60/team. The format of the tournament will be round robin with each game to 21 points to determine the seed of each team. During playoffs, the semi-final and final will be a 2 out of 3 match to determine the winner of the tournament. All participants must be 21 and over to play and must have an AVP Membership.

No discount coupons will be used for this particular tournament…

Here is the list of teams registered (again, first come first serve especially if paid for):
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Full Name:	AVPNext:	Full Name:	AVPNext:	Paid:
Amber Ramga	00...	Amanda Dashwood	00...	06.14.2010
Judy Baker	00...	Janice Fung	00...	06.15.2010
Melissa Schmitz	00...	Jola Graham	00...	06.21.2010
Elaine Sha	00...	Kristen Zschau	00...	06.22.2010
Jeanne Boeck	00...	Laura Greene	00...	06.22.2010
Erin Callahan	00...	Stephanie Wardach	00...	06.23.2010
Courtney Caldwell	00...	Bianca Julio	00...	06.24.2010
Terrie O'Keefe	00...	Nikki Farrah	00...	06.24.2010
Sheila Gatlin	00...	Laura Shamp	00...	06.24.2010
Open #10
WAITING LIST:
WAITING LIST:
WAITING LIST:
WAITING LIST:

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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me…see you guys on the courts

Dennis Jocson
djocson@airvorne.com
AirVorne Volleyball

Hey all,

So the news is…will the Edlers be back to defend their title?  If so, who will challenge them…Sunday, June 20th at the Virginia Highlands – Coed Sand Series continues…sign up quick cause I have a strange feeling this tournament will be booked…

Here are the list of teams registered for this Sunday:

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First Name:	Last Name:	AVPNext:	First Name:	Last Name:	AVPNext:	Paid:
Tim	Carlson	00...	Janice	Fung	00...	06.14.2010
Greg	Baker	00...	Judy	Baker	00...	06.15.2010
Ryan	Hojnacki	00...	Chibuzo	Aguocha	00...	06.16.2010
Darin	Edler	00...	Michelle	Edler	00...	06.18.2010
Jonathon	Barbaree	00...	Melissa	Schmitz	00...	06.18.2010
Steven	Graham	00...	Jola	Graham	00...	06.19.2010
Chris	Allemand	Required	Debbie	Price	Required	NO
Open #8
Open #9
Open #10
Waiting List #1
Waiting List #2

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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time…

See ya on the courts…

Dennis Jocson

djocson@airvorne.com

AirVorne Volleyball