I went to bed early but still didn’t fall asleep ‘til 3:00 or 4:00 am. Got up at 7:00 super stiff. I put some heat on my back and then put on Matt’s neoprene back brace. We scarfed down a quick breakfast and limped down to the beach.
The beach was amazing at that time of day. A few teams could be seen warming up but otherwise it was completely deserted. Even the wind had decided to sleep in and all was calm. Except for me. I was working hard to warm up and get all the stiffness out and also thinking about our game plan. We were playing Batman and Robin again. The 6’10 monster.
We had talked about how to handle these guys since we knew we’d be playing them again this morning. The most obvious step was better passing. Not so much a “choice” but nonetheless, without that step all else would fail. What we could control and execute by choice however, was to set each other a bit off the net to give the hitter room to bang around Batman’s big block. We also worked on our calls for dealing with the open net by going short at times. We’re both habitually hitters and rarely focus on short chips and shots. Bad habits from the turbo days of our youth on the grass courts perhaps.
We started out strong in the first game and gradually extended our lead never really letting up or making any major mistakes. I passed well and we won by a decent margin.
The 2nd game started out close with both teams siding out consistently. We were tied up in the mid-teens when I got 2 back to back blocks on the 6’10 monster to give us a little breathing room. I stuffed him good and it felt awesome to roof a much taller player like that. I could see them getting a bit rattled but I knew they would bear down and go out fighting. Matt was still struggling with his sets a little but since I was already expecting sets off the net (per our game plan) it was a bit easier to adjust to his sets. I gave him a perfect pass at 20-19 for an easy set to put the game away but he chucked the ball into the antenna, giving the other team a free point and tying us at 20-20. It was an exact repeat of the spastic set that sent us into overtime against Harley and Vu when I had a chance to swing for the win. I have no idea why he’d spaz out like that on crucial game points but it definitely got to me. I put aside my frustration and dug in. The game was going into overtime. Matt’s next set was off the net and I was ready for it. I put all my frustration into it and tooled it off Batmans giant hands. Not smart, but it felt good at the time. The last point was a decently long rally where we both had some nice digs and the winning point was a pokey cutty that Matt dropped in off my diving bump set.
We won. We had just beat a decent team that had beat us the day before but I didn’t feel anything. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t enjoying sweet revenge. I was frustrated. I immediately pulled Matt aside and tried to figure out why he keeps setting the ball over on crucial game winning points. I guess I felt like while he may not be able to control exactly where the set goes he should at least be able to dictate where it doesn’t go. In retrospect, I realize it was petty of me to dwel on past plays instead of staying in the moment. Even Matt’s wise words failed to make a dent in my bad attitude.
“We just won! We beat those fuckers asses! How can you not be happy? If you’re not having fun why do you even play?”
Good question my friend. The wind was starting to pick up. Combined with my bad attitude, it was not a good omen.
Our next match was against two very good friends and all around great guys, Clay and Brian from my home beach. Clay, a former pitcher, was using the rising wind and his skills from the mound to deliver some SICK floaty’s which gave us some trouble. Not a lot of shanks but less than perfect passes which taxed Matty’s ability to get the set to the net and my ability to hit a moving target off the net. I don’t think I had lost to Brian all summer but he played really good defense and got more digs than I’ve ever seen him get before. We kept it close but the wind and our own attitude eventually beat us. Towards the end of the 2nd game Matt was getting irritated by me not giving him calls on the passes. Clays knucklers were moving so much I couldn’t even tell who they were going to until the last second. Finally, after Clay aced us on a hubby-wife serve Matt started screaming and making an ugly spectacle. A few plays later he turned to the audience and started rattling to friends and strangers mid-game about something I did wrong. Conversely, I got quieter and quieter no longer able to even fake the usual enthusiasm I play with. This irritated Matt as much as his public spectacles were irritating me so the chemistry was spiraling downward. I have no idea how we even managed to keep it close.
The loss knocked us out of the tourney. We’d made it to the 2nd day and won more games than we had lost so all in all I should have been happy. But the way we lost the last one was tough to swallow. I tried to talk to Matt after the game to make sure we’re cool and try to put the train wreck behind us. He said that it wasn’t fun at all and that he’d never play in a tourney with me again. I already knew this to be true but, given the circumstances and how we had even ended up in the tourney to begin with, I found it ironic. It hurt to hear him say that. I wanted to blame the wretched insomnia but it was too late for excuses.
Khasha is out too. Apparently Sophy showed up hung over 5 minutes before the game and they never got off to a strong start. He’s already hitting the meds and slips Matt and I a pain killer each which I eagerly down as we sit to ref the next game featuring Clay and Brian. Clay rattled 10 points in a row in the next game for a 10-0 start. His floatys into the wind were really nasty and I felt a little bit better about being able to handle them at least better than this team getting creamed in front of us.
As Herm Edwards would say, “You play to win the game” or in our case, the tourney. But if you’re going to get knocked out early it’s better to lose to strangers. If you’re going to get knocked out late, it’s better to lose to friends. I guess I figure if there’s cash, prizes, or a spot on the podium at stake, I’d rather lose it to a friend. But if you’re gonna 1-2 BBQ it’s better if your friends don’t even know about it. But you know they’ll always ask.
I didn't mind losing to Clay & Brian at this stage of the tourney but I was concerned about Matt and the nagging feeling that I had let him down.
To Be Continuted ...
Go To Part 4
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