When in Rome

I've had a slight problem with electronics over the last couple weeks, but everything has now been resolved and I can finally post about 2011's biggest tournament. In retrospect, i probably should have taken more pictures, because Rome is easily the most eye-catching venue I have ever played at. The Championships were played at Stadio Olympico, with giant statues surrounding the side courts, and a 10,000 seat stadium to view center court. Thanks to a new advertising initiative by the FIVB (FIVB Heroes) there were giant posters of a few of the athletes all over the city. Kerri Walsh and Emanuel Rego even got their own statues.

Though Christian and I didn't get any statues, we did turn a few heads with our play. Every tournament we're getting a little bit better, and making fewer mistakes. We had a chance to eliminate Ricardo/Marcio (both ex-World Champions) from the tournament if we had closed out the third set of our match, and then they went on to finish 2nd in the tournament. Just a couple more points here and there and results will start flowing. I know I'd rather make it start happening sooner than later, Christian and I will be pushing for some top 10 finishes before this summer is through. 

I won't waste all your time reading and looking at pictures though. The highlight of this blog is in fact a highlight reel of Christian and I during the 2011 World Championships in Rome, Italy. Enjoy!



Cheers,
Ben Jammin

Fight!

After a long two match qualifier, Christian and I have qualified again in China. If I told you it came easy this time, I would be lying. It's never easy, but this time was particularly exhausting.

For starters, our first match was in midday heat, and that sets up the rest of the day for shortness of breath and jello legs. Thankfully, Austrians are not much better suited to heat than us Canu- (Whoops, almost endorsed Vancouver's playoff run there, go Bruins?) Than us Canadians. We plugged through that first match, took it one point at a time, and BAM, final round.

Now as if the heat wasn't enough, we decided to play a marathon match. On the FIVB website it says we had the longest match of the day at 61 minutes. In actuality, it began at 4:30 and ended at 7:00. Confused? Allow me to explain. For starters, the first set went deep into extra points. It was a sideout game through and through, neither team made mistakes. Nobody led by more than one point until the last whistle blew in their favor.

Second set started slowly with an early 10-5 deficit, but that was quickly dissolved and we went into the first technical only down by one. So much for neither team giving up points, now it was back and forth runs, and so it went until the last couple blocks to close the second set in our favor.

Now during this whole match, the sky began to darken. At first it was relieving to know that the heat would be less sever, but as the points rolled along the calming shade of gray evolved into a very ominous shade of black with flashes of white and drops of clear (the last two colors describing the lightning and rain). But we didn't stop there. Third and deciding set, momentum on our side lets keep playing! And it worked in our favor, but it gave them an out. At 12-8 in the third set, the Austrians refused to continue due to weather. I'm surprised they didn't do it sooner to be honest. And then the sky really opened up.

For the next hour and a half we waited. We waited and hoped to continue because we had been informed that if a weather delay persists for an excess of 4 hours, the match resets at 0-0. When you've just spent the last hour battling your way a 4 point lead in the final set, the last thing you want is to start over completely, let me tell you.

But we did continue. The lightning continued to race across the heavens, but clear sky was on its way back into the picture, and we had the well lit Beijing Olympic Center Court to play on no matter how dark. Playing those last few points was one of the strangest things I've ever done. It was like an all new match, but we needed 3 and they needed 7. It's the most awkward thing to get so excited for such a short period of time. Thankfully we won, so the excitement lasted the rest of the night.

Now we need to ready ourselves for Alison/Emanuel, currently ranked 2nd in the World, and fresh off a big win against Phil and Todd, the only team to do so this year. And now they have to face us.

They won't know what hit em.

Cheers,

Ben Jammin