vBall Newsletter – Week 2
This was my first week observing the games as League Manager, my day job took me off the sand last week. Some things I saw surprised me, others…did not.
Notorious D.I.G. surprised me. They hit the free agent market hard and picked up several new faces, including some barrel-chested men. The core of D.I.G. has remained constant for several years under the direction of their cheerful leader N’Deye. N’Deye may not be the best player on her team, but her leadership style of friendly perseverance shows that you don’t have to be the star player to be a successful leader. In recent seasons I’ve trashed D.I.G. for playing below what I felt to be their potential. They have a serious physical presence this year and I definitely expect them to be a contender.
The Independent Team/My Team Bad matchup surprised me a little. There was some good volleyball being played in that match, and although the Indys dropped all three games, don’t expect them to roll over in the coming weeks. MTB played well and really held control of the match throughout. I didn’t see the kind of talent and teamwork to come from behind on one of the league’s top teams, but they played exceptionally well while ahead. If they get a lead, I can see them shocking the top tier.
Formerly We Also Get It Up, now Served With Ice (my team this season) surprised me with the first no-show forfeit I’ve seen in a long time. My personal bias aside, let this be a lesson to you all. If you don’t show, you have 0 chance of winning. Also, you’ve robbed your opponent of a competitive match. We all like to win, but we’re in a recreational league because above all we love to play. I’d be derelict if I didn’t mention the no-show fine. We at iTZ want this to be a policy that never needs to be implemented. However, we must uphold our duty to the league as a whole. As League Manager I’d like to thank Omar and Beach Patrol for being gracious in an empty victory. They definitely have the sportsmanship and class to match their championship hardware. It also shows they are focused on one goal, repeating.
What didn’t surprise me? The play of We Always Get It Up. They played D.I.G., a veteran team, but they were never a factor. Circle the week you play them on your schedule, it’s the week you can get 3 hours sleep and start drinking tequila at 9am – and still win all three games. I’m not surprised at all by Nuthin But Net’s 3-0 week either. They played Sand Kings and Queens, an entry-level team, but NBN has a history of taking care of bidness early in the season. Within this team there are a couple stories.
Miss Shayla is here y’all and she’s ready to play. I’ve been her teammate in the past and I’ve seen the lava stirring and boiling inside. On the outside she’s petite, southern-style soft spoken, clad modestly and doesn’t swear (weird, I know.) A picturesque mountain. But the volcano is about to erupt. I’ve seen her grow weary of losing. She used to border on being afraid of the ball when it came her way. Now? She wants the ball. She wants to win. On the other side of the coin, I’m not surprised that Michael still doesn’t have full confidence in his teammates. Yes, there are volleys where he touches the ball 6-7 times consecutively, and when in position he makes good plays. But I urge you Michael, your team will never make it from mid-pack to top-tier if you don’t adjust to the improving talent around you. Going for a ball when you aren’t in good position costs your team points. I want to see the top-tier of this league, become this league. I’m on your side brutha, have a little faith and the wins will start piling up.
The most competitive match of the day was between Hot & Spikey and Chi-Town Fusion, which didn’t surprise me, although it probably surprised the Fusion. They haven’t changed – at all. This is some good but more bad. They have physical talent abound, easily the most athletic team overall in the league. But, they have to be athletic because they play frenzied, not poised. They are former indoor champs, a more competitive and faster-paced league than the beach, where their spirited style served them well. But, the same energy they use to fly around the ball often spills over and causes in-fighting. Yes, Fusion took 2 of the 3 games, but I see it as the beginning of their demise. Hot & Spikey on the other hand, is on the rise and played better than their 2 losses would suggest. Spikey is stepping through the threshold from a n00b to veteran team, and it shows. They aren’t just trying to keep pace anymore, they are playing to win. They are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to athleticism, but because they are learning to minimize their mistakes and keep volleys going, it almost doesn’t matter. For example: Watching Beach Patrol play can get boring…why? They don’t typically fly around the court chasing their own ill-played balls, or get caught out of position by their opponent’s returns, thus they appear to not be playing hard. And yet, they win – often. Conversely, Chi-Town Fusion is a spectator’s dream. They’re vocal, well-conditioned, and exciting to watch. But many of their exciting plays are the result of miscommunication, bad passing, and poor positioning. They win, but are trending towards mid-pack rather than top-tier.
By the time the payoffs arrive, I predict a top 4 of the Beach Patrol, Notorious D.I.G., Nuthin But Net and one of the rising mid-pack teams, My Team Bad or Hot & Spikey. I see the Independent Team finishing mid-pack alongside Chi-Town Fusion, and the rest in the basement. A very important note, we have back-to-back weeks of double-header play this season. Fatigue slows the body and clouds the mind, leaving good habits and fitness to rely on for the win.