So volleyball season started for us last week, really happy about it   I’m actually not that good at volleyball, but I still made it.  I sort of wonder how I made it, I sort of don’t.  I’m not that good,but then again, not everyone was perfect.  My coach, who’s also my fitness teacher knows how hard I’ve worked when school started to prepare for volleyball and increase my vertical jump(which isn’t of much use since I’m libero now).  So ehhh Only 15 girls tried out and 13 of us made the team, but my friend decided that she’s too busy and isn’t joining after all ):  So now I’m in the team, with a bunch of people I don’t know well, and I suck at volleyball compared to half of them *sigh*  So we have 12 girls, a coach, and 2 dudes who help out.  So the guys would come to every practice with us, help us play better and stuff.  Now I think both of them are on victory laps.  I know one is, but I’m not too sure about the other one.  But whatever, point is, they’re pretty hardcore compared to us girls…especially since they’re much taller >.>

So before you can understand what you’re about to read, I’ll need to give some of you guys a better understanding of a float serve.

What is a float serve?

A float serve is exactly as it sounds.  A ball which is served then floats in the air without any spin on it.  Because of the lack of spin on the ball, it will move in the middle of the air.

In other words, if you don’t have good eyes (like me) and do not wear contacts when playing volleyball (like me), and had a floater come straight to you (happened this morning during practice), you might get hit.

What happened was, we were playing 6 vs 4 in practice this morning, and I am now practicing to be a libero (cause my coach said so), so I was running around and taking people’s positions and stuff.  Normal practice, that is until one of the guys, served a floater.  Now as you know, a float serve will move in the middle of the air.

So there I was, ready for the ball.  I was totally 100% ready for it.  Completely ready, ball’s coming… my hands are right there waiting for it..coming…almost here.  Until, WHISH (the sound a ball makes?), it was a floater which I didn’t even know of. The ball moved in the middle of the air just as it was right in front of my face and went BAM on my face.   ._____.  The ball was so hard that it actually pushed me back.  I landed on my butt.  My team was half laughing half going OMG IS SHE OKAY!??!

Now the thing with floaters are, I can’t tell if it’s a floater or a normal serve unless it’s coming directly at me.  I’ve had to get a few floaters today, but they all came from this one girl’s serve, and her floaters sort of drop, unlike the guy’s floater that went up >.>

I’m gonna be totally prepared next time.  COMPLETELY. PREPARED.  or else my face is gonna hurt even more.

A new pair of volleyball shoes and contacts might help next time

Game at Milliken (i think) on Thursday

I havn’t been writing lately because I have been playing in the biggest volleyball tourney in all of Ontario. Unfortunately we did not win the gold medal but we did make it to the quarter finals. we were seeded ninth going into the tourney but we ended up beating the third and eighth seeded teams. when we lost it was to the team that came in second. Im not to mad that we didn’t win but i would have liked to at least get a medal. oh well its all over not and we had a way better season than anyone thought we would.

Søndag spilte vi siste seriekamp for i år mot serieleder Krsand, som vi klarte å tape 3-2 for forrige helg på bortebane. Det er som regel alltid gøy å spille mot mot Krsand, og denne kampen var intet unntak. OSI stilte med fullt lag, og denne søndagen var det vi som dro i fra og vant 3-1.  Artig artig!

Det eneste som var trist med hele kampen, var at det var min siste kamp på over et år! Ja, du hørte riktig - jeg skal ikke spille verken volley på OSI neste halvår eller sandvolleyturneringer i sommer. Grunnen? Jeg flytter til Thailand tidlig i januar og blir borte i 12 måneder! Har søkt om, og fått innvilget, permisjon fra Norge i et år, og kommer til å jobbe for ADRA Thailand i et år. Det blir kjempespennende!

Men det blir litt trist å forlate denne gjengen:

OSI D1 09/10

IndiaKhelo, in association with Common Floor ,announces Bengaluru’s first ever Indian Regional League for Basketball and Volleyball for teams from schools, colleges and apartment complexes.The Indian Regional League (IRL) aims to propagate Basketball and Volleyball and encourage players to scale new heights in sports.The Indian Regional League (IRL) brings an Inter-School, Inter-College and Inter-Society tournament for upcoming sports like Basketball and Volleyball.The Indian Regional League (IRL).

The Indian Regional League (IRL) aims to propagate Basketball and Volleyball and encourage players to scale new heights in sports. This event will help rank and rate players and give them a competitive perspective across the top players in Bangalore.The plan is to replicate the IRL across over 20 cities in India and create a sports ranking system for serious school, college level and apartment complexes players.

• The tournament will host more than 150 teams across 35 colleges, 35 schools and 20 apartment complexes.
• All matches will be telecast on TV providing an opportunity for the participants to be showcased on TV.
• All participants will be given certificates of participation, free lifetime online profiles on IndiaKhelo.com and also provide a detailed sports analysis card for the tournament.
• Winning teams will get trophies, certificates of appreciation from IndiaKhelo.

Commonfloor.com, India’s biggest online apartment community will be co-organizing the knock-out tournament for apartment complexes. CommonFloor provides online private portals to apartment complexes/Residential societies for their Communication, Information and Management needs. It serves as a single destination for all requirements of residents.

IndiaKhelo, a firm started by a group of IITians, was founded in 2008 with the aim to change the way India perceives sports. The founders believe that talented people are not getting the necessary recognition and motivation. Organizing a structured & regular sports event to highlight talented players is foremost on the mind of organizers.

Prashant Pitti, CEO and co-Founder, Indiakhelo.com said, “We want to give serious players a platform to take their sport to the next logical level by sharing our sporting knowledge and network and giving them access to our resources through the IRL event and make it a continuous process post the event through Indiakhelo.com”.

Sumit Jain, co-Founder, Commonfloor.com said, “Our association with the IRL is a win-win situation for apartment teams to move on from gully-sports and play in the highest competitive form and the most authentic professional setting. Moreover, it is yet another opportunity to reaffirm the community spirit that we stand for.”

If you are interested to participate or you have your own team to be in the middle of the action,  get registered fast.

Contact:

Common Floor

Visit : http://www.commonfloor.com/irl
Call: 98860 83290

IndiaKhelo

Email: irl_bangalore@indiakhelo.com

Visit:http://www.indiakhelo.com/irl09_contact.html
Mobile: 9343756646, 9535009547, 9535009541
Tel: 080-41216229

Event:

Indian Regional League (IRL)
Venue: Jayanagar Stadium,Bangalore -Karnataka,India
Date : Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time : from 8:00 am to 11:00 am

reference:
http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/sports/2009110436860.htm
http://www.indiakhelo.com/irl09_contact.html
http://commonfloor.blogspot.com/2009/11/irl-indian-regional-league-for.html

Man, did this weekend suck for most Illini fans…but especially for me.

/violin music

Instead of writing individual recaps for each travesty, I’m going to combine them in one long sob story. Please remove all sharp objects and poisonous substances from your immediate area. Things are about to get emo…

What happens in Vegas gets written about on this blog
First Utah upsets the Illini. Then to add insult to injury, Weber’s squad drops a half-assed game against a clearly inferior in-state Bradley team. Oi. Good things all my friends have functional brains and avoided going to Bradley for school. Uber-Frosh Brandon Paul had a total of 12 points in two games and offensive catalyst Demetri McCamey dished out eight turnovers for the weekend. They played without passion, energy, or determination. Maybe it was the small venue or the lack of concentration due to the Vegas lights, but this was not the same Illini team we saw in Champaign. What the hell man?
Silver lining: Hard to find anything positive here, but I think Illinois was exposed. I’ve said it many times, but this is NOT a top 25 team. Hopefully this will be the humbling experience the team (and Illini fans) need in order to understand the purpose of this season: rebuilding.

Illinois football is quickly becoming the red-headed stepchild of Illini athletics
As almost every other Illini sport seems to be enjoying at least moderate success, the football team can’t help but embarrass the fan base with yet another national TV pants-shatting. To be fair, the offense actually played decently in the 49-36 loss to No. 5 Cincinnati, but the Illini looked no better than a high school team at times. The game was emotionally out of reach by the end of the first half (perhaps even the first quarter), but the ease in which the Bearcats scored was depressing. This game showed how far away the Illini are from having a competitive defense – much less a competitive football program. Also, were the ABC announcers blowing Brain Kelly or what? Get a room guys.
Silver lining: It was nice to see Juice Williams have a solid game (21-for-34, 282 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 67 yards rushing, rushing TD). Zook banished the senior to pine-riding purgatory a few games ago but this was the Juice of old.

Gopher’ed!
No. 5 Illinois volleyball (yes, I’m talkin’ ’bout volleyball suckers) lost to No. 13 Minnesota. Not only does it suck to lose to a conference opponent, but it’s particularly shameful to be defeated by the sub-human Minnesotans. Ick. I need a shower.
Silver lining: It’s volleyball. You may continue on with your lives.

Minnesota strikes again
The Bears get face-banged by the Brett Favre Vikings 36-10. This game was physically painful for me to watch. Jay Culter actually had a decent game considering what he was working with, but sweet fancy Moses the Bears defense was awful.
Silver lining: Spring Training is only three months away.

The (digital) Bears will never know (digital) 16-0
After starting my Madden franchise 12-0, I was finally defeated by…the Packers. Fuck you (digital) ‘72 Dolphins.
Silver lining: The Packers were already eliminated from the playoffs, thus making my march to the Super Bowl inevitable.

So who is to blame for all my woes this weekend. I have a theory…

Thanks to Al for the screen grab

The Chief returns to take his vengeance on Illini fans! It is the winter of our discontent! Run for your lives!

Nothing new to report here; just wanted to put an endcap on Emmma’s volleyball season. Never forget: Holly coached.

The Pre- AVSC Tournament was played over the weekend and turned out to be a great success, with all teams getting valuable match play before they head down to Melbourne to compete in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup.

The Tournament had around 120 Juniors competing in 15 different teams.

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Special Thanks must go to Marist College Ashgrove for providing a Fantastic venue for the weekend, and also putting on a BBQ for all teams.

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Participating Schools were:

Benowa State High School

Holland Park State High

Iona College

Ipswich Boys Grammar School

Loreto College

Marist College Ashgrove

Mt Maria

Redlands College

St Joeseph’s Nudgee College

The Gap State High

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Divisonal Winners were:

Women’s Division: Benowa SHS

Men’s A Division: Holland Park SHS

Men’s B Division: St Joeseph’s Nudgee College

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Some photos from the games will be posted on the website soon!

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Thank-you to all the school’s who participated, especially to the coaches who give up their time again and again to give their players opportunities and help develop Volleyball in Brisbane.

Best of luck to all the schools who are participating at Australian Volleyball Schools Cup next week!

Participating in high-impact sports may help boost bone mineral density in older persons, according to a new study of male and female athletes.

The findings stem from a study of athletes aged 50 to 93 who took part in the 2005 National Senior Games, including 560 who competed in high-impact sports like basketball, road racing, track and field, and volleyball.

Ultrasound scans found those who participated in high-impact sports had better bone mineral density than people who participated in low-impact sports.

“Our study represents the largest sample of bone mineral density data in mature athletes to date,” said Dr. Vonda Wright of the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. “My colleagues and I were surprised to see that active adult participation in the high-impact sports had such a positive influence on bone health, even in the oldest athletes.”

A HealthDay report notes that osteoarthritis and other factors will keep some people from taking part in high-impact sports.

“With a multi-part approach and the appropriate use of high-impact exercises, individuals may be able to make greater strides against bone loss than the current treatment strategies imply,” Wright said.

Clearly, able-bodied senior citizens participating in these higher-impact activities can produce great results; the only thing lacking may be the motivation to do so. People who will give them that extra push can be found at companies like Home Instead Senior Care. Home Instead hires outgoing and energetic individuals who will not only present the best home care to our clients, but promote healthy living and will motivate your loved ones to get back in the game.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Participating in high-impact sports may help boost bone mineral density in older persons, according to a new study of male and female athletes.

The findings stem from a study of athletes aged 50 to 93 who took part in the 2005 National Senior Games, including 560 who competed in high-impact sports like basketball, road racing, track and field, and volleyball.

Ultrasound scans found those who participated in high-impact sports had better bone mineral density than people who participated in low-impact sports.

“Our study represents the largest sample of bone mineral density data in mature athletes to date,” said Dr. Vonda Wright of the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. “My colleagues and I were surprised to see that active adult participation in the high-impact sports had such a positive influence on bone health, even in the oldest athletes.”

A HealthDay report notes that osteoarthritis and other factors will keep some people from taking part in high-impact sports.

“With a multi-part approach and the appropriate use of high-impact exercises, individuals may be able to make greater strides against bone loss than the current treatment strategies imply,” Wright said.

Clearly, able-bodied senior citizens participating in these higher-impact activities can produce great results; the only thing lacking may be the motivation to do so. People who will give them that extra push can be found at companies like Home Instead Senior Care. Home Instead hires outgoing and energetic individuals who will not only present the best home care to our clients, but promote healthy living and will motivate your loved ones to get back in the game.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

just a little pumped up

We played Orebro at Orebro, it is about 30 minutes away. Winning is great. It was such a great game. I had 2 amazing dedicated fans in the stands and absolutely loved it. I don’t know why I wanted so badly to beat this team, there is no rivalry that I know of and just arriving I have no history with any team. It was just a great game. We had a pretty good crowd and we just played very well together as a team and took care of business. What we found out after the game is that was the first time EVER that Lindesberg Volley has beaten Orebro. So for us that felt good and it was satisfying I’m sure for the girls who have seen this club grow so much in recent years. I am very proud to be a part of what is going on here. Go Linde

Go Linde

UNCP sophomore Andy Pullin was named to the 2009 All-Peach Belt Conference men’s soccer team Nov. 6, joining 21 other conference players on the distinguished list.

Pullin registered 33 points on 13 goals and seven assists this season.  Pullin’s 13 goals was the Black and Gold’s highest total since 2004, when former UNCP standout, Trond Myrland, hit the 13 goal mark.

The Guatemalan native was one of 12 members on the conference’s first team honor list. 

With Pullin’s selection, the Braves have now have a student-athlete on the men’s soccer all-conference team for nine straight years.

Pullin finished second in the conference in points, total shots, points-per-game and goals.  Pullin was also tied for third in the conference in assists.

Lander’s Adam Arthur and Clayton State’s Kyle Timm earned PBC Co-Player of the Year honors, while Flagler’s John Lynch earned Coach of the Year laurels.

Along with Pullin, Black and Gold senior libero Andrea Laza was honored by the Peach Belt Conference Nov. 9 for her efforts with the UNCP volleyball team.

Laza broke the conference record for career digs Nov. 6 against Flagler.  Laza recorded six digs against the Saints to set the record, with her career total now standing at 2,261 digs through four seasons.

Laza is currently sixth in the conference with 407 digs in 2009.

The senior is averaging 3.8 digs-per-set this season.

In their final game of the 2009 season, Laza had  12 digs in the Black and Gold’s 3-0 loss to Flager Nov. 13 in the Braves’ first round matchup in the Peach Belt Conference tournament.  The UNCP volleyball team finished with an 11-20 record.