Red Baron Award for most Aces: Emilio

Best Deep Corner: Raymond

Best Almost Deep Corner: Emilio

Best Adjustments: Matthew and Mourya. I asked you to set the opposites off of the net more, and you did! I bring this up, because setting back sets is difficult enough, then to do it in mid-flight? Not easy, but you immediately saw the results. Good job!

Best Playing a New Position: Joe and Maanas, thanks for stepping up and playing positions that you haven’t practiced. You took up the challenge and totally helped the team!

Most Consistent Server: Lucas

Best Taking My Advice: Mourya. You made an adjustment to your serves and then you only missed it wide right… but not by much! It was a good attempt and a good idea.

Most Consistent Hitter: Dhruv

Best Gutsy Play Award: Dominic. Volleyball is difficult enough, but to play while sick and at a high level shows character.

Best Adaptation to Scheme: Everyone! Thanks everyone to switching from 5-1 to 6-2. It made a huge difference in getting everyone playing time.

Best Being Patient: Dhruv. I did not forget you.

Best Around the neck, behind the back, lefty hit: Lucas. That play was in chaos, you were trapped up at the net, the set was over your head, but you swatted it down… lefty! and they totally weren’t prepared for it. Nice instincts!

Best Implementation of Defense: Basically everyone, except for our setters. We changed mid-serving run and pick up their hard top serves.

Best Diving-Back of the Elbow dig: Maanas. They were dumping the <bleep> out of us. On the last one that they attempted, Maanas (fastest guy on the team) flashed in, full body dive, OVER SHOT THE BALL, reached back and elbowed the ball up! that was the last time they attempted it. NICE!

Best Trying and Succeeding at “something I’ve never done before”: Mourya for jump setting in competition and looking more comfortable with it after each time!

Best Impression of Asphalt Shingles: Lucas, for roofing…

Best Shutting down an Opponent: Dominic. You said that you’d stop #33 and sure enough, they didn’t go to him!

Best Working through Adversity: Matthew: The ref was calling it super tight. Then he was calling it inconsistently. It was difficult, but you fought through it and showed guts and gumption. A lesser man would have folded.

Best Imitation of a Tack: Kassidy, for your Tack Sharp passing

The Dyson Award: DJ, for picking up all of the junk that JCH was putting over the net

Best Sharp Shooting: Shannon, for hitting deep right corner, deep left corner, deep baseline AND shorts!

Best Top Spin serve: Emily, there was so much dive on the ball, they had no chance of reaching it

Best Whiffle: Bella, for hitting the bottom of the ball with your fingertips to create an offspeed shot, that kept the defenders on their heels

Most Improved Serve: Molly for implementing an adjustment and then serving strong

Best Short Angle Cross Cover: Hannah, that ball was destined to hit the ground, you read it, reacted perfectly and saved the point for us

Hulk Award: Kassidy, for POUNDING the ball

Best Playing in a Position that she hasn’t played before: Molly! Great job playing an unfamiliar position!

Hustle Award: The Whole Team! Holy Moly, when that ball was heading to the green curtain, you all ran to it! I’m not sure who got the first touch but y’all were there! The ball got up, then someone else put it over the net!!! THIS is what I’m talking about!

Best Non-Set Kill: Emily, kills a free ball

Gandalf Award: Emily, Bella, Nessa, for blocking the balls from coming over. “You shall not pass!” and the balls didn’t. 🙂

Best All-Out Diving Saves: DJ and Kassidy. There were several balls that were going to fall in, but you flashed in, got the ball up AND stayed on our side. Awesome reactions, foot speed and body control!

Best Tip: Nessa, they just didn’t see it coming. I could see the groan in their body language when your ball floated over

Best Aggression: Bella, Kassidy, Emily and Shannon for hitting 2nd balls that “technically was for the setter”, but you had a better shot and you took the initiative. You took a risk by playing out of system and it totally paid off. Keep that up!

-1 = 1 Award: DJ for getting a point on an overpass. You were passing so consistently and so well that when that ball went over they were shocked into inaction

Best Consistency in Passing: Everyone!!! O.M.G. against JCH they threw everything at us, including the kitchen sink. They spiked, 2nd balled, 1st ball dumps, left, right, deep, short, hard serves, short serves… to the setter, away from the libero, AT the libero, at the opposite. Each and every one of you were up to the task and got the passes up to Nessa.

Best Right Side Hit: Hannah, it is difficult to always be ready on the right side, especially when sets aren’t there, but we were watching you. Covering, transitioning, calling for the ball and being ready. Sure enough when that ball went your way, you were ready!

Thor Award: Bella for crushing the ball!

BB Award: DJ for serving absolute BBs… from Omaha!

Final Words: Teamwork and Positivity. You all played so well as a team on Saturday with trust in your teammates and in yourselves. Which leads to Positivity. I want you to remember the POSITIVE. I want you to remember what you did well and how you did it. I want you to remember the specifics of what happened and when the opportunity comes again to use it and EXCEL!

Amanda- best impersonation of Indiana Jones (whip)

Faith- best inertial dampening field

Jen- best deep left corner

Caitlin- best back row attack, best consistent pick ups of #22s attacks

Sam- best unconventional play

Trinity- best back handed tip, best nonmiddle back defense, best nonsetter set

Brenna- best free ball pick ups

Sanjana- best hard angle

Victoria- best nonfreeball free balls

Jolie- best run of serves

Maddy- best out of system opposite attack

Best Squeak: Alyssa H.  The ball hit was hit, hard, over-her-head, deep line.  Clear winner, so don’t worry about it.  It was a very cute squeak, however.  🙂

Best Middle Hits: Aya.  What a potent force!  With practice, we’ll only get stronger.

Best Blocks: Aya and Isabel.  Your blocks are so completely different.  Aya’s blocks are full with fire and energy.  Isabel’s blocks are “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”

Most serves to start a set: Aya 10 serves!

Best opposite hits: Kaelin and Alyssa H.  Your combined attacks are so very strong and of sharp angle, most teams just aren’t equipped to handle it.

Best dig in Chaos: Aya.  The ball had hit the net and bounced off of someone or something and I *think* Aya somehow got it up and we got the ball over the net.

Best Physics Defying Rolling the Ball ON the Net: Sarah, Jenna, Juliana.  I still really don’t know how it was done.  I’ll have to ask my friends in Oxford.  The net really liked us today.  Maybe it had to do with a certain someone who attends school there?  <g>

Best Bump Set While Running Full Tilt: Nikki.  The pass was front left.  Nikki ran full speed and at 9 feet from the net, 10 feet from the sideline, popped a set up for our outside hitter.  This is one of the most difficult sets to execute.  Most of the time, that set goes way off of the court or in the net.

Best Hand Pass against their Best Server: Sarah. SixPak relied on #9 to win most of their matches.  In the finals, she launched one and Sarah took a step, put her hands up, said “No.” and made a perfect hand pass for Nikki.

Most running: Nikki.  Not so much as last week, but that’s because your teammates are so nice and gave you better passes.

Best Fist after an Attack: Jenna.  It just exemplifies the strength and determination that we see in you.

Best Watch Holder: Alyssa P.  Thanks for keeping everything on time!

Best Hit that didn’t count: Alyssa H.  During warmups you absolutely CRUSHED a ball.  We know it’s in you.  We will work to get it out of you consistently.

Best Chicken Nuggets: Aya!  First Ever Chicken Nuggets!  Woohoo!

Best Spirit and Will to Win: All of you.  We were down by 2 in the last set.  Then we tied it.  Then we were up by 2.  You could see them getting demoralized.

Best Hammer: Juliana.  It is such a luxury having you in the back row.  I wonder if WebKinz makes hammers…

Best Serves after Being Away from the Game: Kaelin.  Welcome back.  I promise that your serves will get more consistent and stronger with practice.

Best Set of Outside Hits: Sarah and Jenna.  Both of you came up big today.  Jumping, extending and finally hitting the ball with authority.