Today, we had the 2nd preseason volleyball tournament which was held in Princeton University. Personally, this was my fourth and last time in Princeton [wiping tears]. I met up around 6:30am on Woodside Avenue with Nino Hot. Shortly later, Mingzuno and MJ arrived on the scene in a very comfortable car to say the least. We picked up Eric, Alisa and Justin and then met up with Matt who had a couple of other players in his car as well.
We arrived at the gym with little time to spare before the first game. Luckily we were reffing. We needed one player to keep track of the stoke and two linesmen. Princeton had provided us with officials on all 3 courts. Also, I have to say I felt very welcomed as we walked into the gym. One of their players greeted us and informed us of our duties for the day as well as which court we were scheduled to play on.
Rather than discussing the day, I thought I would reflect on the experience itself. Though we weren’t on a great streak (as we were last year), I still feel that the tournament was a success. I loved playing there. The environment was great, the campus’s castle like structure (for lack of a better description), was breathtaking, and more importantly, I feel we got along on the court for the most part.
I love the feeling of playing volleyball. Though I have my off days (like on our first preseason tournament), experiences such as today reinforce my attraction towards the sport. Blocking the ball, running the offense, playing back row (though I probably don’t deserve to), screaming to potentially frighten the other team and other little things make the sport evermore enjoyable.
I think the video below helps in supporting my point. The reaction of the coach at 1:12 after his players blocked the ball speaks for itself. You just gotta love it.