volleyball | matching tracksuits

Another Big Win

Thursday 05 October 2023

We were spoiled last year: with the number one hitter in the state on our team (number 11 in the nation, as memory serves) and another hitter who was a powerhouse coupled with a libero who made the kind of diving saves that make highlight reels, we went into most games expecting our girls to win. And win they did, all the way to the state finals.

This year, we thought it would be a tough year with some major losses, and we have seen our girls humbled a few times. But they've held their own, winning against teams who'd beaten them earlier in the year, winning games that began with a lost first set, and generally showing grit.

Tonight, they played JL Mann, who'd beaten them earlier this year. We beat them in straight sets both times we met last year, but as I said, that was last year, this is this year.

We lost the first set 17-25, and we were playing so clumsily that I was worried we would lose the game in straight sets. But if there's anything I've learned in watching girls' volleyball, it's this: things can turn around instantly. Our girls pulled themselves together and JL Mann partially fell apart, and we took the second set 25-13.

The third set would be decisive, I thought. I guess I'm just a pessimist: perhaps they could have lost the third set and still won the match, but I don't know. They haven't won a lot of five-set matches. As it turned out, they won the third set 25-21, which seemed about right considering they'd both pummeled the other team completely once: it suggested they were fairly evenly matched.

Then we had the fourth set, and before we knew it, our girls were up 17-11. But if I've learned anything watching girls' volleyball, it's this: things can turn around instantly. Suddenly, it was 17-15, and JL Mann looked like they had all the momentum. But if there's anything I've learned watching girls' volleyball, it's this: things can turn back around instantly, and within moments, our girls were up 20-16. They managed to maintain that lead and add one more to it, winning the decisive fourth set 25-20.

Serve

Friday 22 September 2023

Today’s Cheerleaders

Thursday 21 September 2023

The Girl's varsity team played a big rival tonight. The rumor is, one of the girls on the team is the next Journee, the powerhouse hitter we had last year who was number one in the state and number eleven in the nation. They already beat a team that beat us at a tournament this year, so it was going to be a tight match.

The first two sets, though, we won handily: 25-20 both sets. The third set we jumped out to a big lead only to lose it. The fourth set we jumped out to a big head only to lose it again, but we managed to regain it and win 25-23.

Among those cheering were the girls that came to Mauldin's summer volleyball camp. They were there to cheer on their instructors/mentors, and boy did they cheer.

Start of the 2023 Season

Monday 21 August 2023

Tonight was the start of the 2023 volleyball season. As defending state champions, the girls have a lot of expectations on them: from the coach, from other teams, from parents, from fellow Mauldin High students, and from themselves. Each component of that list has different levels of expectations for the girls, but the most significant component is the girls themselves.

I guess it's a little inevitable that the girls put pressure on themselves. All athletes do that to some degree or another. There are likely some students putting pressure on them inadvertently with calls to bring another state trophy back to Mauldin. Some parents might be doing the same. And the other schools in the area? They're probably rooting for them to have a less-than-perfect season.

What are K and I doing? Making sure L knows we love her, we love watching her play, and we want her, above all, to enjoy what she's doing. I don't know if that will help with the stress she's probably putting on herself, but we can hope.

Orlando 2023 Day 4

Thursday 29 June 2023

An awful day for the girls: they lost their first match on the single-elimination final day. They were so out of sorts I put the camera up early in the first set and never got it back out.

Back home, a bit of relaxation with my favorite lady on the back deck.

Orlando 2023 Day 3

Wednesday 28 June 2023

The girls did better today: won two, lost one. The one they lost they should have won: it was not a team that dominated them, but they lost in the third set.

Finally, we have some pictures from the Boy: K went for the parents' night at scout camp today. He showed her around where they sleep, their bathhouse, and myriad other things -- all the details that make camp camp.

"E is having a good time," she texted, which assuaged my biggest worry--that he would be reluctant to engage with others and not really make any good friends.

The opposite seems to be happening.

Orlando 2023 Day 2

Tuesday 27 June 2023

It was a tough day: the girls went 0-3, and what's worse, they were all straight-set defeats. I know it had to be frustrating: of the three teams they played, only one should have been truly hard to defeat. The other two teams, our girls essentially beat themselves. They would get a lead, then give it right back. Once they gave the lead back, the teams would just trade points until the end, something that, if it had happened when our girls had the lead, would have resulted in wins.

All that to say, only one team blew them out of the water; the other teams just barely beat them in each set -- nearly as close as possible. Of those four sets, they lost three of them 22-25 and the fourth one 23-25. In each of those four sets, they had the lead at some point. In one set they had a five-point lead; in another set, they had an eight-point lead. That had to be frustrating for them.

After a few hours' break and a nap for L, we met up with most of the other team families for a team dinner.

Orlando 2023 Day 1

Monday 26 June 2023

The girls split their games today. They played one team from Charlotte who has beaten them three times this season. Our girls took the first set, and we up 6-1 in the second set, but the other team really kicked into gear and took the second set. We won't talk about the third set...

Discovery of the day: scooters for rent, which is how we traveled back to the hotel from the tournament. (We're only about a mile away from the convention center, so I dropped the Girl off this morning and then drove back to the hotel and walked.) Second discovery of the day: the scooters weren't as cheap as we'd calculated...

As for the Boy, I got a picture from his troop leader:

Since he's in his Class A uniform, I'm assuming this was actually from yesterday.

"He doesn't look thrilled," K texted.

"None of them do," I replied.

Hopefully, he's doing well.

Two Departures

Sunday 25 June 2023

The Boy left for Scout camp today:

I've been a little curious and worried about how he might take it: he's not actually going with his own troop because his uncle is coming from Poland with his family that week. "There's no way you're going to camp while Wojek D is here!" K exclaimed, so the Boy is going with a different troop. He knows a few people in that troop, but it's not his troop. He chose the troop he did because he wants to be with his friends, the friends who are going to Scout camp a couple of weeks from now.