Team VolleyChick 2009
AVP Young Guns Point Pleasant, NJ
"Don't SWEAT it! Keep KUKin!"
by Tara Kuk
I had a great weekend of volleyball. I played with a true "young gun" over the weekend Brooke Sweat. She is a 23 defender with a very bright future ahead of her. It had been a while since I did 100% of the blocking, but I really enjoyed it, but realized I need to practice a lot more for that primary role than just blocking the ball.
Brooke and I lost our second round on Saturday and were kicked to the losers bracket. We had one more game that day to make it to Sunday. The wind picked up in that final match of the day and Brooke served like a champ, so we were headed to Sunday. On Sunday we won our first two matches and faced up against the team we had lost to Saturday in the crossover. Brooke and I had been playing better every match together and were ready for the win and earn a spot in the final. Unfortunately we just missed the mark and lost in the third 13-15.
I had a fantastic time hanging with Di from VolleyChick. She picked me up at the airport and we hung out throughout the weekend, cruising to and from Pt. Pleasant in her red convertible. I also got to spend some time with Brooke and her parents, Harvey and Renee. They are so nice and just love volleyball, especially when their daughter(s) are playing. They attended every one of Brooke's college games, home and away, while she played at Florida Gulf Coast. Now they are doing the same for her younger daughter Holly, who is a libero at the same school. Now that is some serious dedication!
One of the highlights of the weekend was when a fan/spectator told me after our first loss to "Keep Kukin". It made me laugh and made the loss a little easier. Our friend Matt added to that, "Don't SWEAT it! Keep KUKin!" Which is something Brooke and I will be saying back and forth throughout the summer.
Next stop Virginia Beach with fellow VolleyChick Angie Hall!
VolleyChick at the Preakness
And They're Off & Running!
By Tara Kuk
The Preakness - Pimlico Race - WOW! What a weekend. This was my favorite volleyball event to date. Toyota Pro Beach brought in four teams to play in an exhibition in the infield of the Triple Crown Horse Race. The first excitement of the weekend was when I entered the hotel room and found an Under Armour bag stuffed with Under Armour gear for us to wear the following day. It was all trendy and comfortable and I can't wait to wear it throughout the season.
Kim and I were "Team Blue" Saturday and sported the UA all day. Each of the four teams had their own adopted color. Not too many were cheering for blue, but we did have a handful of fans out of the 500+ around the court that were there from the first game at 10 until the final at 4:30. They cheered us on to victory along with our husbands, Mike and Frank, who took the trip with us. It was a really competitive day and I think everyone that was a part of it really enjoyed themselves.
The highlight of the day was definitely the UA Suite. After we were done playing we were escorted to the suite to watch the premiere ("Preakness") race. We met a lot of the UA reps and got to hang out as a group for a while before the race started. Mike and I made a bet and our horse won! She was the only girl too. How awesome is that? We didn't win too much from the horses, but still left in the positives. We did get a great payout too thanks to PBE and UA though!