The 1/9/00 Eckerd Tournament Recap

We showed with Kurt and Alan as our middles, Raik, Gregg and Rick as the outsides, Wade and Bill Kane as our offsetters and Mike and I as setters. Matt and Jason were unable to make this one. We registered the following players before the tournament started:
Matt Heath
Raik Helmes
Alan Shirkey
Gregg Oosterbaan
John (Rick) Taylor
Jason Fuller
Dan Zawadowycz
Wade Galt
Mike Zarate (added to roster – already registered)
Kurt Bogad
Bill Kane

There were 6 teams in the AA pool and we player a modified 6 pool play format (play 4 of the 5 team in your pool). Our 1st match was against Shag Me and we came out ugly. Passing was at an all time low and not much else worked either. We lost that one 25-15! A sub later and one game under our belt, we started looking like the Darkside of old and won the 2nd game 25-20. In our 2nd match we beat Diet 69 25-23, 25-20 with Mike setting, Bill getting his 1st swings as offside and Rick and Raik passing.

The 3rd match was against Eckerd, which has strengthened their roster significantly by adding 2 starters from last year’s regional champion, Shag Me as well as a large freshman left-hander. In game 1, with Raik and Gregg passing and Wade as offside, we showed some good blocking form and steady passing. We jumped out to a small lead and were able to keep siding out while adding a point or two here and there with some disciplined blocking. We won the 1st game 25-19. In the 2nd game we brought Bill in for Wade and continued our steady play and blocking, winning 25-20. Our last match was against Stevens Institute (a collegiate team). Mike set the 1st game with Rick and Raik passing and Wade offside, which we won 25-14. In the 2nd game we tried the 6-2 with Bill and I substituting for Mike and Wade every time either setter was getting to the front row. This gave us 3 front row players through all 6 rotations. We were a little disoriented, but won 25-22. We completed pool play with a 7-1 record, which was good enough for 1st place and a bye into the finals.

Eckerd and Sets were tied for 3rd and played a 1 game playoff, which Eckerd won. Eckerd then played Shag Me in a best-of-3 semifinal, winning the 1st, losing the 2nd (31-29) and wining the deciding game 26-24. Unfortunately for us, we were working this match and combined with the long wait following our last match from pool play, were completely stiff and groggy. As we took the court for our 7-minute warm up for the finals, we did not look like the same team that marched through pool play. Wade had left for the airport to catch his flight; Eckerd, on the other hand was pumped and playing well.

As the finals started, we had Raik and Gregg passing, Bill at offside and Kurt and Alan still in the middle. We fell behind early, as our passing was horrible (much like the 1st game of the tournament). As we stabilized, trailing by 6, we couldn’t close the score on our serve, as our blocking was not getting the job done. Where previously there were no holes to hit through and balls didn’t pass through blockers’ hands, this game we couldn’t buy a block for a point. We lost the 1st game 25-18 (we started 4-4). In game 2 we substituted Rick for Gregg, but nothing really changed. Eckerd jumped out to the same big lead and we couldn’t close without blocking for points. Game 2 ended 25-20, 2nd place - and not a pretty one. The drive back was the worst, as the tournament ended at 8:30PM and after a quick shower we got out of St. Petersburg after 9PM, which got us home after 1AM - MONDAY MORNING! No more Sunday tournaments at Eckerd we decided.