Volleyball, Dodgeball and Strength Training!

I finally got on board with Level 10 Fitness! Level 10 Fitness is a gym in Manhattan Beach, but every time you go in you have a small group or personal training session. I am joining the group of volleyball girls that already go there so I will mostly be going in a small group setting. I'm pretty excited because I can't wait to get my leg strength back to what it used to be but I'm a little nervous considering the trainer there is nicknamed "Mere-death", haha. I've heard nothing but good things about her though and she was really nice when I met her the other day! It was also a good sign that when I walked in Misty May and her dad were in there working out! If the best beach volleyball player ever works out there... I guess it's good enough for me too!! :)

My first session which includes testing so that they can see where I am and "base work" is tomorrow at 8 am. Wish me luck!!!

Also, I have my last night of dodgeball tonight! It is the semi-finals and finals of play offs. Theme this week is white trash... should be fun!!!

Oh, and I have my second week of Tuesday night 4's volleyball league :) Staying busy as always!!

USA IDQ #2

Well, we came out 5th overall, which was kind of disappointing, but at the same time, still a great finish! After a second place finish in the first International Development Qualifier (IDQ), Dana and I were really hoping to finish top 3 to clinch another spot in a NORCECA event where we would represent the USA. Unfortunately, we came up short of that goal, but we learned a lot over the weekend!

The main thing I learned??? Quit going to 3 games so that I'm not so tired on the second day of a tournament!!!!! :) On Saturday, we had pool play, so we played 3 matches. Two of which, we went to the 3 games, and most of those games were close ones! It took a lot of energy, but it was good to know that we could find a way to win even when we weren't playing our very best volleyball. The one match that we won in 2 games was still tough because the wind was pretty strong so it took a lot of concentration not to mention a lot of extra work physically to make sure we were taking care of the ball. We went 3-0 the first day, so, it was a good day at the office!

Sunday was a shorter day however. We won our first match (in 3 again!!!!). And, we could tell we were both a little tired after that match. We had a little bit of time to rest though, and we ate a little to get some fuel. The next team we played were the eventual champions! They were a great team all around and made us work for every single point we got! There were at least 20 rallies during the match that went back and forth over the net 5-6 times. (A normal rally may last 2-3 times over the net... maybe) Anyway, the problem was they ended up winning all of the long rallies, and the match...

My coach, Nancy Mason, was there though and was able to give me some good insight on what to work on! It was so great having her there because not only was she able to give me tips in between matches, but she is now able to build practice around specific things for me to work on!!

Next step in my volleyball life.... A STRENGTH COACH!! I went in and talked to the Level 10 Fitness people today... I should be starting in the next few days. Wish me luck!!!! :)

Did I mention the trainer at Level 10's nickname is "Mere-death" - haha

Monte Carlo!!!!!!!

Just a quick note until I have more details and more time to write it all out, but.....

I'M GOING TO MONTE CARLO!!!! My friend Cayley Thurlby and I will be representing the USA at tournament in Monte Carlo mid-April!!! I cannot wait to go!!!!

As I get more details I will write more about the event!!

How are you so good at recognizing shapes and colors?

My 4 and 5 year olds at school have been teaching me :) I think I've got most of them down now!

Ask me anything

What ultimately led you to choose to pursue beach volleyball professionally over continuing to play indoor overseas (Puerto Rico, Europe or wherever else)?

I still haven't given up on indoor volleyball, but I have just fallen in love with the beach game! I can't think of a better office than the beach :) But, if a great opportunity came up for me to play indoor, I would probably take it. I'll always love indoor volleyball as well!

Ask me anything

Pledge of Allegiance

I just wanted to share this awesome video with everyone. Scott's Grandma sent it to me and I feel like it's so important! I think it's crazy that Red Skelton talked about the "Under God" part of the pledge of allegiance and how sad it would be if it were ever to be removed as if the idea were far fetched. And yet, there's actually been discussion within the last few years about removing it. So sad! Or as I would say to my kids at school "How very sad!"

http://media.causes.com/604250?p_id=42563578*

When our little lone star (that would be you) first moved to So. Cal, did you experience any degree of culture shock?

Getting adjusted is an ongoing process ;)

Ask me anything

Since you're a UT-Austin alum, is there a memorial for the victims of the l966 massacre or is it something that the college wants to forget about?

Yes, there is a Memorial garden on the UT campus for the victims. I'm sure UT wishes they could forget about the incident but they will never, ever want to forget about the people who died that day.

Ask me anything

l noticed that you didn't participate in last year's Coney lsland AVP tournament. Have you ever been to NYC? Do you plan on coming east for either the Belmar AVP tourn. or the Long lsland AVP Qualifier?

I actually have been to New York City and I love it! My best friend from back home lives there now so she gave me a great tour last time I was there! And, hopefully, I will be at at least one if not both of those tournaments!

Ask me anything

What do you like most about where you live now?

I like that when I wake up and walk into my living room, I see the sand and waves. And, I like even more that when I walk out my front door I'm standing on the sand :) You can't beat being at the beach. I've always been a beach girl at heart! (I still LOVE Texas too, of course!)

Ask me anything

Ask Me Questions!!!!

What is my favorite Pink Berry flavor?

Who is my all time biggest sports hero?

What have I been up to today?

Is there anything you've desperately been wanting to ask me?? Go to http://www.formspring.me/michmoriarty and type in a question, any question and I can answer you!!! It comes up through twitter so you should definitely follow me - michmoriarty is my twittername, and you can also see the answers at that same website once I've answered it!

And, let's be honest, I don't think anyone actually needs to ask who my sports hero is, but it was just a question that popped in my mind :)

USA Try Out... Number 1 of 2????

Picture from the IDQ two weekends ago!

Today was the first High Performance try out of the "summer" for USA Volleyball. Apparently, I was one of the only people that got that memo, haha. There were about 30 people total, 20-ish guys and 10 girls. I was the only U26 participant, there was one U21 participant and the rest were between the ages of 15 and 18. So, it made for an interesting try out!! The girls were all super nice and worked hard but it was weird trying to make things work with such a different level of player. And, I am not at all saying they were bad, because they definitely weren't, but 95% percent of the girls had no beach experience so it was just a little different :)

Anyway, the try out went alright and I am supposed to hear back in about a week or so if I make the team! The problem is, they want me to try to come to another try out so they can see me with people my age, which is kind of a bummer, but if I make the team it's worth it!!!

If I make the U26 team (it consists of 8 girls) then I will get to train from April to August, twice a week for free! And, then they pick two teams I believe at the end of the summer to represent the USA in Turkey for the World University Games! Send positive vibes and say a few little prayers if you think of it! :)

USA IDQ Finale!

Today was the play off day of the USA IDQ. Dana and I ended up playing 4 matches (obviously a good sign!) and are now both completely exhausted!

The GREAT news is.... we finished 2nd in the tournament!!!! We qualified to play in a NORCECA event and represent the USA!!!! We will get to play in one of three events - Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala or Mexico! USAV gives us some money for travel and the tournament pays for hotel and transportation and all that good stuff once we're there. Very, very exciting news!!!

I am COMPLETELY exhausted, so I will give details on today's matches tomorrow hopefully! And Mom, don't worry, Scott filmed 95% of all of my playing done today :)

USA IDQ Day 1!

Day 1 of the USA IDQ is done! I won my two pool play matches in three games each. The first match I played was against the number one seeded team in the tournament!! My partner, Dana Kabashima, and I played GREAT the first game! I think the score was about 21-15. The other team changed their strategy a bit the second game and it was close, but we lost. The third game was close the entire way but we pulled it out at the end and won 15-12!!

The next match was against the 13 ranked team (we are 12) and that match also went to three games. We lost the first game, mainly because it was a completely different style of playing. The first match was against two taller girls who were more aggressive hitting and offensively, whereas, the second match was against two shorter girls who had better ball control. Once Dana and I figured out how to play this team, we won the second 21-16 and the third game 15-10.

It was a really fun day (after the rain stopped this morning)!!! Pretty windy, but some good volleyball was being played! I'll update again tomorrow after play-offs! They should start around 9:30.

Mrs. Lippy's Class!!!

Now you're all in big, BIG trouble! Here are the official team pics for Mrs. Lippy's Class (my dodgeball team).

This is not all of our team, but it was most of us! We are still undefeated heading into the home stretch of the season. Next week we play the next best team and we will be dressed as Ninjas! Look out!

AdvoCare!

I just recently rediscovered my favorite energy drink/supplements and am sooo happy that I did! All through high school and college I drank Spark which is an AdvoCare product and took a few other AdvoCare supplements. I guess after 8 years of taking it, I decided to take a little break, but I am full swing back into my AdvoCare stage and I don't think it will fade again!

Anyway, I wanted to let you guys know that:

A. AdvoCare is really awesome stuff (I'm not just being cheesy, it really is GREAT stuff)

B. I am now an AdvoCare Distributor (I get a discount and I can use this as a second source of income)

C. www.AdvoCare.com/10027793 - This is my website, so if you ever want to order anything, this is the place to go!

If you have any questions, I am always here to give you more info about products! But, I'm super excited to have these products again just in time for season!

Speaking of volleyball season - I have a tournament this weekend in Long Beach. It is the USA IDQ and my partner is Dana Kabashima. I'll definitely post results!! :)

Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive, and Dodge

MRS. LIPPY'S CLASS - Part of us anyway

The long awaited Dodgeball pictures are finally here!!!

Tonight's theme was Superhero and it was awesome! I had no plans of what to wear until about an hour before the game and the costumes ended up working out great (thanks to my friend Brittany who picked everything up)! The game tonight was intense, but not in the usual way. We pretty much dominated the entire night, BUT there was one guy on the other team who couldn't have been more annoying!! He's the reason it got intense. As you may be able to tell from the pictures, dodgeball is totally for fun for most of the people who are in the league. Of course, it gets competitive, but in the end we're all there to have a good time. Well, there was one guy on the other team tonight who was way too serious about it. He had his head phones in the entire time, and crouched in the corner holding a ball the ENTIRE game! He literally got up to throw the ball maybe 10 times in 45 mins. SOOOO frustrating... It may seem silly that it was frustrating, but I'll explain why it makes sense.

Our games are timed for 45 minutes total. In that 45 minutes you play multiple little games. So, it's like volleyball in that the match is the entire thing, and there are games that make up the match. Anyway, you play as many little games as you can get in in 45 minutes. WELL, usually we get in about 15 little games (it goes quick because the gym is tiny so people get out fast). Tonight, the final score was Mrs. Lippy's Class (my team) 7, other team 3. We only played 10 games because this guy would sit in the corner for 10 minutes hiding behind a ball while about 5 people from our team threw at him. It was SOOO boring for everyone else involved because we literally sat on the sidelines forever!!!

Anyway, that didn't really take away from the fact that it was super fun once again! And, my arm feels like it might fall off, once again :)

Enjoy the pics and thanks for letting me vent!!!

Nanananananananananan BATMAN!!! Yes, I'm wearing little boy cartoon underwear :) Thanks Britt!

My underwear says "WHAK" and her's says "IRON MAN". I liked my WHAK haha.

Two teammates - Zoro and the Burger King

More awesome teammates!

Our team captain- Amy Dittoe and Batman of course.

That's one of my roommates, Mitch, on the right, haha. They were Clark Kent and Superman.

Pro-Am Champs!

I won a flat screen TV this weekend!!! Yes, that's right, besides all of the other highlights of my weekend, I actually won a flat screen TV! So awesome!

This weekend was the Huntington Beach Pro-Am. Huntington Beach is about a 45 minute drive south of me (for those that might not know southern California very well). Anyway, the tournament was scheduled for Saturday, and Nancy Mason (my awesome coach) was supposed to play with the daughter of a really good friend of hers. Well, as you all might have heard, there was lots of rain and more importantly, tsunami warnings for California beaches, so people were not even allowed on the sand Saturday. Here's where things get really exciting for me...

Nancy's partner couldn't play Sunday, so Nancy had already asked if I could play Sunday if the tournament got rescheduled. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity! Not only do I get to play with someone as good as Nancy, I also got to play with my coach (an invaluable experience). And, it's just another excuse to be out on the beach all day long playing volleyball, which will never get old to me! Anyway, Sunday morning rolls around and we head down to Huntington about 7 am for a 7:45 start time. I'm going to throw Scott under the bus really quick and mention that on the way down to the tournament we got pulled over :/ Definitely not a fun way to start the day! Not that getting a ticket is funny in any way, but the "funniest" part about him getting pulled over was that about 5 minutes before he got pulled over he said "The flow of traffic right now is 80, I'm lovin' this!" Haha, oops! Anyway, we were a little worried we might be late, but still weren't too stressed. Little did we know, we would show up about 8 and not start until 10:30! Gotta love beach volleyball!

The tournament schedule was a little chaotic because there were some drop outs due to the switch from Saturday to Sunday, so Nancy, Scott and I went and grabbed a nice little breakfast and hung out for awhile. We strolled back down to the beach around 9:00 and there still wasn't much happening. Anyway, our first match was pretty close, but we were just getting warmed up. Plus, even though Nancy trains me 3 times a week, we have never played together before so we worked through getting used to that. In the first match, we lost the first game, then dominated the second and won a close 3rd game. We played back to back so we started our next match almost right away. The second match was against Heather Hughes and Alicia Zamparelli. I played/trained with Heather a bit over the past few months and knew she was a great player so it wasn't going to be easy! And, Alicia has been around the game awhile and makes a decent amount of main draws every summer so she's good too! Anyway, we lost our second match 22-20 both games. Such a bummer, but Nancy and I both hate losing so I was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen again!

Those two matches concluded pool play so we started with play-offs. Play-offs were supposed to be one game to 21, but Nancy decided she wanted to play 2 games out of 3, so she told the tournament director that and he changed it (gotta love being an AVP star, haha). Our first play off match was against my really good friend Cayley Thurlby, and Olivia Waldowski. Once again, both really great players! It was a close match, but Nancy and I ended up coming on strong at the end and pulling it out. (Keep in mind that even though I'm exhausted, I've already improved exponentially throughout the day just playing with Nancy and getting all of her advice!) The second play off match we played against Heather and Alicia again! This match was a better outcome for us though and we pulled it out in two games. Nancy and I were just getting going, haha, but really we were both exhausted but 100 percent determined to win. After that, the sun was starting to set so we had to go back to one game to 21. We played two girls about my age who I've played with and practice with before and it was a close game through about half way and then we started playing really well and took it and ran with it.

So, that puts us into the finals!!! I'm so pumped at this point! And, if you know Nancy at all, you know she is seriously getting into it and is demanding that we will win this game! They went up at the beginning of the game, but about halfway through Nancy and I tied it up, and then pulled through at the end with a few runs of points!! It was SOOO awesome!!!

At this point, the sun was basically setting so we gathered up our things, grabbed our flat screens and said thanks to the tournament people, snapped a picture and left! It was such a fun experience and such an incredible learning experience! I will definitely never forget it.

I need to say a special thanks to Scott for being such a trooper and driving us out there, sitting there all day, helping shag, filming for my Mom, getting us food, and all kinds of other really nice things :) Thanks!!