Late Summer Co-ed Beach Volleyball at Golden Gardens Thursdays

It was opening day of Underdog's Late Summer Co-ed Beach Volleyball at Golden Gardens Thursday League. The sun was out and a slight breeze brought the fresh scent of the salty sea up the beach. Nerves and rusty volleyball skills were washed away by the setting and the excitement over the start of a new season.
On this fateful night at Golden Gardens there was an Indy team. Indy players can be a bit flustered, shy, and maybe even feeling like they should just go home. But not Indy #8. And do you know why not? I'll tell you....
Some of the team had already arrived and were signing their waiver, meeting in person, and wondering how their game was going to go. They hadn't played in a while, NEVER played together, and were about to just wing it with no real motivation. Just then we heard a noise. It was the off-beat scraping of someone shuffling across the thin layer of sand on the sidewalk. We looked up to see none other than Olivia MacMaster. She was walking over to sign in with a slight limp. You see, Olivia had a broken toe. A broken toe?! How did she play beach volleyball with a broken toe? She didn't. Olivia broke her toe prior to tonight's game and knew she wasn't going to play, but showed up anyway. That's the kind of person Olivia MacMaster is. She did not have to come. She didn't know these people, and she couldn't help the team physically. But she could help them mentally and emotionally. Olivia came to cheer on her new team and encourage them to do great things. Which they did. Indy #8, now known as How I Set Your Mother, had three exciting sets and became fast friends. They couldn't have done it without you, Olivia, and that's why you are named this week's Player of the Week. Congrats, Olivia MacMaster!

This week's Player of the Week is awarded to Renee Hinchliff of Sandy Balls. It was her first week out to Golden Gardens with Sandy Balls and she. was. ready. Renee not only showed some super skills, she displayed great sportsmanship as well. Renee arrived an hour earlier than Sandy Balls was scheduled to play. When a team was short on players and the Underdog supervisor asked her if she'd like to play with them Renee jumped right in with much enthusiasm.

She helped the team to victory then played three more sets with her own team, not showing any sign of fatigue. Renee was diving like no other and cheering her team on loud and proud.
Good work tonight, Renee! Thanks for the help and welcome to Thursday night at Golden Gardens! Great start!

Congratulations to Jessica Tsukamoto of Beached Turtles for receiving Player of the Week! On an otherwise chilly night, Jessica was on fire! She served serve after serve, scoring point after point. Jessica had multiple service runs including a10 serve run and an 11 serve run. Impressive!
Don't let the stats fool you, though. Jessica did a lot more than just stand behind the line and be awesome. She was all over the court and showed extreme skills in every area of the game, leading the Beached Turtles to victory.
Congrats, Jessica! You're our Player of the Week!

Melissa from Dinks All Around had a strong game tonight showing off her defense. The Sand Fleas made her work by sending spike after spike over. With great composure, Melissa was able to get to the right spot to pop the balls right back up creating opportunities for offense. Her never ending hustle provided Dinks All Around with the victory and advancement to the Semi-Finals next week. Dinks All Around looks to be making a splash next week on their way to a possible championship!