BIP/USA to China, Challenge Invitational June 7 - 20, 2011
Entry #1, June 7-8 in Anaheim
By Carly Cramer, Purdue University
While staying in Anaheim we stayed at a nice hotel called Peacock Suites that was in a great location. It was about a 7 or 8 minute walk from the gym we trained at (ASC) and a couple blocks away from The Garden Walk. The Garden Walk had lots of shops and restaurants and this is where the teams ate lunch. We were also very close to Disneyland. Although we weren¹t able to go, it was really neat to see other people all dressed up and ready to see all of the Disney characters.
The first training session was more of a getting to know each other session. We split into teams and I was on the blue team. Our team went around and introduced ourselves and told a special fact that most people don¹t know about you. We went through several drills where the main key was communication. You could tell everyone was a little timid and shy at first but this soon changed. We were all rusty at the beginning but we became more comfortable playing with each before long. This session went well and helped everybody get acquainted better.
That night we all went to a restaurant in Anaheim called The White House. This place was incredibly nice and the food was exceptional. We all ate a passion fruit salad to begin our meal that was delicious. For my entree I decided on the red trout which also came with a bread tower that was very impressive. To finish, we ended our meal with some crème puffs as dessert. We were all very happy with the decision of going to The White House.
The next day we had 2 training sessions. At the beginning of the first session we were told that for the second half of practice we would be watching the Women's National Team practice, which was really exciting news. Part of this session the teams were combined and we did more team play. We played some 4 on 4 and some 3 on 3. In both of these drills the winner would stay on and the loser would shag, therefore no one wanted to lose and competitive spirits were high. With these drills there was a lot more communication and you could definitely see personalities coming out more.
Watching the National Team play was really inspiring for all of us and we all enjoyed watching them. Both teams went to lunch down at The Garden Walk. The blue team went to the Cheesecake Factory, and the red team went to Johnny Rockets. We had a couple hours until practice, so the teams hung out with and just got to know each other better. The next session we did a lot of team play and this was our best practice by far. We played multiple games to twenty-five points and then a couple to fifteen. They tried to work us really hard so that we would be knocked out for the plane ride and it worked.
After showering and packing up, we headed for dinner in Manhattan Beach. I had never been there before and it was really pretty, there were shops and restaurants everywhere. We decided to eat at a restaurant called The Kettle and I loved the atmosphere. The weather was really nice so we sat outside and there was music playing for us the entire time. They had a lot of good food and everyone was satisfied with their meal. After dinner we were off to the LAX Airport ready for our 12 hour flight to China!
Entry #2: June 9-10, Travel to China
By Stephanie Niemer, Cincinnati '10
After practicing together for 2 days in Anaheim, our teams spent a little time near Manhattan Beach, California before departing for LAX International Airport. Our flight to Seoul, South Korea was set to depart at 12:40AM on June 9, 2011. The fight was over 12 hours long, but most of us felt like the flight was much shorter than the estimated time. To help pass the time, we took advantage of the televisions located in the seat backs of the chairs. We were served two meals on the plane and dinner was served around 1:30AM and breakfast followed about seven hours later.
We landed in Seoul around 5:20AM on June 10, 2011; we lost a whole day! We had a 3.5-hour layover and most of us took this time to sleep more comfortably before our next flight to China. In addition to sleeping, we all realized the toll the flying took on our bodies. Many of the girls had swollen ankles and feet‹some more extreme than others! The flight from Seoul to Beijing was 1 hour and 40 minutes and we were given one meal that kind of gave us a preview to what we will be eating in China. The meal consisted of Lo Mein and Tofu, which are very common in this culture.
Upon arriving in China at 10:56AM, the weather was hot with overcast skies. We immediately went to baggage claim to retrieve our bags and luckily everyone¹s bags made it to China. Once we grabbed our bags, we met our guide, Xiangrong (Sean) Liu, and he first led us to a familiar eatery in the airport, KFC. We needed food for the ride because we would be enduring a 6-hour, which turned into an 8-hour, bus ride. The bus drove from Beijing to Shondoung, which would be our first playing location.
We reached our destination at 8:15PM, as we checked into the Hotspring Grand Hotel. Our hotel has a grand lobby and nice accommodations. We paired up and went to our rooms to drop our bags and then immediately went to dinner in our hotel. The hotel served us a buffet-style dinner that included lo mein, rice, fried sardines, chicken wings, broccoli, fruit, and much more. After dinner, we were all pretty tired from the long day of traveling so we retreated to our rooms to get sleep for our next day here in Shondoung, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China!
Entry #3, June 11 in Shouguang
By Alaina Bergsma, University of Oregon
We woke up in the Hotspring Grand Hotel and went to our first breakfast. All of our meals are buffet style which makes it fun because we can try a variety of things. For breakfast here is fresh fruit and vegetables, rice, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried bread, cereal, and a variety of other Chinese dishes that only a few of us are willing to try.
We had some free time before lunch and a few girls went exploring down the street to the local vegetable market. The market is interesting. There are little shops with clothes and shoes as well as many stands with vegetables and fruit. What makes the market more interesting to us is the raw meat hanging on large hooks and the live caged chickens, fish, snails and other seafood at different stands.
After lunch we had our first practice in China. We arrived at the Weifang University of Science and Technology. Seeing the gym for the first time was surprising because all the stands are the bright colors of red, yellow, blue, and some white. Both the blue and red teams had a successful practice together. We played wash drills and got to know the players on our teams better as well as getting use to the gym.
For dinner we had a very nice banquet at the Hotspring Grand Hotel with all of the teams in the tournament as well as some local government officials. There were several speeches welcoming us to the city and the tournament that were all translated for us. Our teams look fabulous dressed up and enjoyed the food. We had a four-course meal of appetizers of vegetables with dipping sauce and rice paper wraps and bread. Salad was the second course then came steak, fries, and broccoli. The final course was pasta with gravy meat sauce. They served the American teams different food than the Chinese teams, trying to make us feel more at home with the steak and fries.
After dinner to our surprise they announced we were leaving for entertainment. We walked to a theater in the hotel and watched several acts. They gave us special seating and had a plate of cucumbers and tomatoes for each of us. There were several acts including vocal solos singing both traditional and modern Chinese songs, several dances of martial arts with rods and swords, little girls under 8, and older girls doing an Indian dance. One of the Chinese teams performed a dance to "We Will Rock You" and Stanford also put on a dance to Justin Bieber's "Baby". Overall the evening was good entertainment and we felt very honored and welcomed to be a part of this tournament.
Entry #4, Sunday, June 12, 2011
1st Day of Competition
By Kelly Williamson, University of New Mexico
After breakfast we piled into our bus and began our first sightseeing
adventure. As Shouguang is Chinaıs vegetable capital, it was appropriate
that we visited the Vegetable Fair of Science and Technology. We entered
greenhouse after greenhouse, each full of ripe fruits and vegetables
intricately displayed. Over the walkways hung large melons and squashes.
Tomato and red pepper vines were organized meticulously in rows. Each
greenhouse had its own decorations, including giant animal figurines
decorated with raw beans, pumpkins, corn kernels or dried peppers. (We saw
lots of rabbits because this year is the year of the rabbit on the Chinese
calendar.) The greenhouses were extremely high tech. There was an exhibit of
revolving planters that was intended to maximize water and sun exposure of
the plants. Another exhibit featured a futuristic photoelectric robot that
was programmed to tend to the crops and analyze risk of disease.
Our next stop was a garden: a beautiful green open space with flowers in the
midst of a growing city. (We see cranes and constructions crews everywhere
as we drive around!) We couldnıt stay long because we had a serve and pass
practice scheduled at the Weifang University of Science and Technology.
After practice we returned to the hotel for lunch, then packed our bags for
the game. When we arrived, the gym was already packed with 3,000+ fans that
greeted us with cheers and smiles. We had a brief opening ceremony where the
six teams were introduced: three US teams including Stanford and the two
Bring It Promotion teams, and three Chinese teams.
The Blue team played the opening match against the Shandong Normal
University Team (see below for more info on the match).
The Red team began play against the Henan Volleyball Team at 7:30. We lost
the first set, but came back strong in the second to win it. We battled hard
in the next two sets but lost the match in four. It was apparent that we are
still getting used to playing together as a team because we lost a few too
many points due to communication or lack thereof, but we know we can only
improve from here! We are looking forward to our match tomorrow night!
We stayed to watch the first set of Stanfordıs match then returned to the
hotel, exhausted and happily willing to sleep on our rock-hard beds.
Stanford would go on to lose in 4 after winning the first set.
BIP/USA Blue vs. Shandong Normal University Team
By Kayla Lommori, University of Santa Clara
Tonight we beat Shandong Normal University in three sets straight. Walking
into the gym filled with cheering people in every corner was a huge
adrenaline rush. The fans were really excited to see all of us and they were
all very friendly. We proceeded with opening ceremonies and then our first
match was under way. As we were warming up, our names were announced and the
whole gym continued to get louder. We were all really pumped for our first
match and started with high intensity. Throughout the first game, we let up
a couple runs but found our way back with the momentum. We were serving
pretty tough which led to ball control errors on their side. We remained
consistent throughout the first set and came out with a win. Our momentum
carried over into the second set and we continued to serve pretty tough. We
kept the same line up from the first set with the exception of an outside
player and we continued to play well together to come out with another win.
In the third set, we had a different line up but remained steady and learned
how to adjust to each other on the court. During the match, I thought that
everyone did a pretty good job at adjusting to certain plays that Shandong
Normal University made and focusing on their own jobs on the court. Carly
Cramer (libero) made sure she kept everyone informed and her communication
on the court made everyone feel comfortable to settle into their
responsibilities and what they needed to do to execute. Our teamıs overall
effort and intensity allowed us to take the third set and defeat Shandong
Normal University. Bri Braker received an award for Player of the Match
after our game due to her hard work and focus throughout the match. Overall,
we had a good start for the tournament and we learned how to adjust and play
with each other, as well as playing against these teams, and we will
continue to learn throughout our time here.
Entry #5, June 13
Competition Day #2 and Shongdaung City Tour
By Julie Chin, Northwestern University
We kicked off the day with another exquisite breakfast provided by our hotel at 9am. It was nice getting that extra hour to sleep in after coming back late from our matches last night. Breakfast consisted of the same contents as the previous days, which I was very delighted about as I was able to eat my favorite deep fried dough sticks again. However, what was more fascinating were the ever suspicious and unsettling translation labels accompanying the food. With most of them awkwardly worded like "Tomato Juice Screw Surface", it's quite obvious why cereal with milk and some watermelon was a popular fallback.
After breakfast, we left as a group to visit the local marketplace. The first market that came upon was very empty and quiet. Basically, there were many stores lined up along a minor road and a small lake nearby. Most of the shops either weren't open or they sold unappealing items such as big statues, bridal gowns, or fishing gear. We ended up just walking around, enjoying the scenery, and practicing our Chinese greeting 'ni hao' on the locals. One of the highlights, however, was getting to hear the opera singers practice. Chinese Opera is highly regarded in China with their performers treated as celebrities; therefore, it was an honor to get to see them up close in action. Afterwards, we gathered as a group around a small convenience store out in front. Many of the girls bought ice cream bars which only cost ¥1 (equivalent to $0.15). Quite the deal I must say!
The next market that we went to was much more exciting. It was busy and flooded with shoppers everywhere. There was even a large area on the sidewalk devoted just to park bikes. The market was an endless row of buildings selling everything you can imagine. From watches to bags to clothes to food, there was just so much to look at and so little time to do so. It definitely was a little overwhelming at first but at the same time very exhilarating. Although I didn't buy anything, most of the girls ended up buying shoes and bags for a really cheap price. Some even got to put their bargaining skills to the test to get an even better deal.
We came back to the hotel and grabbed a quick late lunch. This time my favorite translated label being "minesone soup". After eating, we had some down time and many people took advantage of taking a nice relaxing nap. At 6:30pm, we (BIP/USA Red) met as a team and ate dinner together. We then headed out to the gym in preparation for our upcoming match.
The gym was once again packed with thousands of eager fans. They got very involved in our games beating on drums and clashing symbols. Amplifying the noise even further, the crowd would also repeatedly shout 'jia you'. In literal translation it means 'to add gas'; it is what the Chinese use to cheer on their teams. This atmosphere definitely is one of the most mesmerizing if not the best that I have ever played in. We played the Shandong Team and they essentially played error-free throughout the whole match. Although we put up a fight, we dropped the match in three. We for sure have taken away some valuable lessons and are moving on for the next match tomorrow.
BIP/USA Blue Wrap-Up
By Kat Douglas, Santa Clara University
Tonight we played just before the Red Team, and were defeated in a 3-0 match against Shandong. Our play was not an accurate demonstration of the team we know we are capable of being, yet it was a great opportunity for us to learn from our mistakes, and improve together as a new team. We came out somewhat tentative in the first game, which lead to unforced errors, and resulted in a four-point loss in game one. Knowing that we had the ability to beat Shandong in game one if we eliminated our errors, we began to play more confident in the second set. Although we still were not playing up to our potential, we were able to find momentum in the end of the second game to nearly tie the score. Though we changed the lineup in the third set, China continued to stay consistent. We were never able to fully find our rhythm tonight, allowing Shandong to go on runs of points throughout the three game match. Overall we are doing a great job learning how to play with each other, and we look forward to continuing to improve in our next matches.
Entry #6, June 14
Competition Day #3
By Allison Walker, University of Idaho
Today we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and went to practice around 8:30. It was mostly a serve and pass where we rotated through, both red and blue teams together on the main court. Both teams really needed this because we hadn't been serving or passing well in this gym. The balls really could float very far, or really short; it was hard to find an in-between, which also made them hard to pass. After about 45 minutes or so, we switched to 6 on 6 practice, red against blue. One of the Chinese teams had come in the gym about this time, so we didn't get as much time as we had hoped for practicing and playing 6 on 6. We then heeded back to the hotel where we had some free time before our lunch.
I used this time to walk to the convenience store and buy some snacks for the bus ride tomorrow, and then relaxed in my room until lunch time. After lunch we didn't have our pre game snack until 6:30pm. So I went with a group of girls to walk to a couple shops and the big market that was a couple of blocks away. We first stopped at a little tea/tea cup shop where a couple of us bought some tea sets for souvenirs. Then we walked down to the market which ws in a big shed type thing. There were many little stores in here, and lots of vegetables. We also saw some live chickens - and unfortunately some that used to be alive not too long ago. Some girls found some things they liked and that they decided to buy, then we all headed back to the hotel to relax until our pre game snack.
We had our snack, and then had a team meeting about the game and the team we would be playing. We also set 3 things that we wanted to work on as a team: 1. Communication, 2. Having fun. 3. Being aggressive. We chose these as a team because we felt that these were big things that as a team we needed to improve, and that would really help us in making the most of our trip together. Then it was finally game time.
I got to start this game, as an outside. The first game was pretty close the whole time, the Chinese would get ahead a few points, and we'd catch back up. I feel we were really playing well, and doing all that we had talked about before. Our passing was good, and hitters were finding the court, and we were playing good defense. It was then their game point, and we held them off and worked our way back into the lead, and took the first game. It was pretty exciting. The next game wasn't as great. We did not come out as strong, and we dug ourselves in a hole that we were never able to get caught back up, and we lost the second game. The next two games we didn't start out well either - it just takes a couple bad passes - and then if we got a good pass, maybe there was a hitting error, or they came back with a good swing. So we lost those next two games and ended the match in four games. After our game we had the closing awards ceremony; Shandong got 1st, Henan 2nd, we tied with the Shandong University Team (1-2 in matches) but because they lost in 5, and we lost in 4 they got 3rd. Team USA Blue got 4th, then USA Red team got 5th, and Stanford got 6th.
USA Red’s Match
By Ann Dylla, University of Georgia
We had our last game of the tournament and finished on a high note with a thrilling 5 set match win. We lost the first set, won the second, lost the third, won the fourth, and won the fifth. Everyone contributed to the win, but Lauren Plum, one of our setters, won the award for Player of the Match. Our team is gradually improving and becoming more comfortable as a unit on the court. We placed 5th (tied with 2 other teams with a 1-2 record), winning a trophy with an upside down plaque on the English side. The Chinese fans were friendly and energetic as ever as they got the chance to get autographs and take pictures with us after the award ceremony. Hopefully only good things will come in our next tournament as we gain momentum with this win and continue to improve each game.
Entry #7, June 15
Travel Day to Beijing
By Denise van de Mortel, Gonzaga University
Today we had an early start because we were finally making the trek back to
Beijing for the second tournament. We woke up around 6am, finished packing
up our rooms, and grabbed some breakfast before checking out and heading to
Beijing. Since our bus ride to Weifang on the first day took a little longer
than planned, we all were expecting a long day of traveling. We were on the
road by 7am in hopes that we would still have part of the day to do some
shopping in the city. A couple pit stops and 6 hours later we made it to
Beijing. We all had a mild panic attack when the air conditioning on the bus
stopped working for 20 minutes toward the end of the trip. In 90-degree
humid weather, no AC was terrible. Luckily it kicked back on and we all
could relax!
Driving into the city we all noticed how different it was from Weifang.
Everything is so much more developed in Beijing and it didn't seem so
foreign. There are tons of buildings, shopping areas, and hotels, and it
feels much more like a big city. The bus was full of smiles when we pulled
in to the parking lot of our hotel and saw how new everything seemed
compared to what we were used to. We are staying at the Beijing Metro Park
Lido Hotel, and it is very nice. The first thing everyone noticed was how
comfy the beds are.
Once we got to the hotel we had to wait in the lobby while Tim checked us in
and figured out the room situation. In the meantime, the group walked over
to one of the hotel restaurants to get some food. It is a buffet style
restaurant where we will eat most of our meals and so far it has been
delicious. After our late lunch, we got our room keys and ran up to our
rooms to drop off our stuff. We met back in the lobby and then headed out
and went to an indoor open market where we were in for a huge surprise.
We all had an idea in our heads of what shopping in China would be like. We
thought bargaining for a good price would be pretty fun and were excited to
find good deals. The Silk Market was unlike anything I have ever seen. There
were seven floors of booths set up offering anything you could ever want.
From sunglasses to purses to shoes to watches and jewelry, the open market
would have what you were looking for. We had about two hours to shop, and
all 24 of us ended up with some pretty cool stuff. The people selling things
tried to rip us off but bargaining became a game and we caught on to how to
get them to lower the price. Everyone came back to the bus with all
different kinds of things. Purses were a huge success. After showing off the
things we bought everyone decided we need to make a trip back there before
leaving, because there are more things we want to buy!
The last stop of the day was an Acrobat show at a theater near our hotel. We
went straight from shopping to the theater. The show was really cool and had
some incredible acts. There were guys that could flip through hula-hoops
that were stacked 15 feet in the air. There were contortionists and
balancing acts and guys who danced on poles. It was pretty cool to see and
it was very entertaining. After the show we headed back to the hotel and
finally get to settle in. So far Beijing is amazing and I am excited for all
the things we will get to do here. I am also excited to play in another city
and against some amazing teams.
Entry #8, June 16
The Great Wall & Peking Duck Dinner
By Yvonne Marten, University of Dayton
We woke up pretty early again this morning and set out to see the Great Wall. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy and foggy out, but at least the rain held off while we were there. The Great Wall was as amazing as most of us imagined, but also more of a workout than we anticipated. At the starting point there were two options an "easy" way and a "hard" way. Naturally we all opted for the hard way, and we surprisingly made pretty quick work of the journey. It was a little treacherous at times with steep inclines and uneven steps but we had fun and made it to the next tower without any major problems. After the Great Wall we headed to lunch at a place where they make cloisonne, a traditional painted pottery. Then we headed back into the city for practice. It took a couple minutes to get back into the swing of things at practice after our morning climb, but it went well. This gym isn't quite as nice as the last one, but were all excited for our first game of the tournament tomorrow. Hopefully will continue to get better as a team and pull out some victories to finish off our trip.
Editor's Note: We managed to squeeze in another 90 minutes at the Silk Market on the way to dinner and I was amazed at how much these girls can buy. The night finished up with a traditional "Peking Duck Dinner" in town near Tian'an men Square; Tournament #2 kicks off tomorrow.
Entry #9, June 17
The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square & Competition Day #4
By Erin Leaser, Virginia Tech University
We started off one of our last days in Beijing with the historical Forbidden
City. This palace was home to the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years
through the end of the Qing Dynasty. It also served as the political center
for the Chinese government. When we entered the gated city, I was
speechless. It was so hard to think that something so beautiful and elegant
was built centuries ago with what little tools and technology they had.
Every roof of each building was gold, symbolizing royalty. Gold could only
be used by the emperor at this time. The city was separated in two parts,
one side was for the government events and the other side was the sleeping
quarters. We were able to look through the windows of a bedroom chamber as
well as in some of the political halls.
We got there fairly early in the morning and thought we had missed most of
the crowds, but ran into all the tourists towards the end of our tour. They
seemed more interested in our group of tall American girls than the Imperial
City. They stared and some waved as we walked by. This was something that
all of us have come to expect by now. Some of the girls were asked to be in
pictures, and that made those people extremely happy. We then crossed under
the street to see and walk on the largest open square in the world,
Tiananmen Square. It was absolutely a once in a lifetime experience.
After sitting in some Beijing traffic, we made it back to the hotel to eat
some lunch and rest before our matches. The Red team headed over to the gym
for the first match of the day versus Beijing's Bei Hang University. We were
triumphant in 4 games. We won the first and second, lost the third, but put
everything back together to close out the set and take the victory. We
stayed afterwards to watch the Blue team, and they won in 4 games as well.
It has been a great day for the USA and we hope to continue that success for
the rest of our trip.
Blue Team Update
By Molly Alvey, Head Coach University of Houston
We just beat Shandong in four sets (26-24, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17) after being
defeated by them in Shouguang. Attacking and blocking had a major impact on
our ability to score more effectively in this particular match. Rachel
Krabacher and Yvonne Marten lead the team in hitting percentage at .351 and
.400 respectively. Both had an outstanding match and have clearly become
much more comfortable competing against the high skill level of the Chinese
teams. Mary Kurisch also played a major role in the win by knocking off five
aces and allowing us several opportunities at point runs in sets one and
four.
It was amazing watching our athletes come a little closer together as a
single unit since our three matches in Shouguang. Tonight showcased our
team's athleticism and physicality. We were faster over the net blocking
than our previous matches, and we were contacting the ball extremely high on
the pins. I would even say our backcourt defense has improved as Carly
Cramer finished the match with 5.5 digs per set. I do believe confidence was
a major factor in this match for us. To begin the match, we went down 0-7
and were able to recover to win 26-24. The team then relaxed into the game,
and the victory in set one set the tone for the rest of the match.
Entry #10, Saturday, June 18
Pearl Market & Competition Day #5
By Sallie McLaurin, University of Oklahoma
We woke up around 7:45 today to begin our international buffet for
breakfast. After breakfast we went to a shopping center called the Pearl
Market. Many of us bought 'beats' while pearls were also a popular item.
The mall had many options making it easy to find the best deal. After
bargaining for a while, we went back to the hotel for lunch and afterwards
the blue team hurried to get on the bus because it takes about an hour to
get to the gym due to traffic.
When the first game began we stated off quick with a 7 to 0 run. Our defense
was impressive with the help of our libero Carly Cramer. With great passing
and setting the hitters were able to put balls away easily. We kept our lead
and finished the set 25 to 19. In the second set we kept our momentum and we
were comfortable on the court. Rachel Krabacher helped the team by passing
balls directly on spot. With great passing and serving we finished the game
25 to 18. The third game we were neck and neck but leading throughout the
entire game until the extra points at the end when we had a couple unlucky
points and ended the game at 24 to 26. At the beginning of game 4 each team
brought their best forward and sided out very well. This game was the most
intense because we had to fight for each point. Kathryn Rebarchak stunned
the other team by stuff blocking the outside hitter. At the end of the game
we had match point four times in a row but the last point just did not go
our way. The finishing score was 28 to 30. Starting off the fifth set we
decided to bring our A game and have fun while staying aggressive. The first
ten points did not go the way that we had expected. The other team led 10 to
5, which meant we had a lot of ground to make up. Unfortunately we could not
win the last set; 9 to 15. We weren't able to adjust to their new game plan
and therefore lost a hard fought match. We felt like the game regretfully
slipped through our hands.
Although the outcome of the game wasn't as we wanted, we feel that the
result of this game will give us some fire for tomorrow. I cant believe this
next game is our last - but we can assure you, we will be ready!
Scores: USA Blue 2-3 vs. BUAA Bei Hang University: 25-17, 25-22, 24-26,
28-30, 9-15
USA Red Match Update
By Laura DeBruler, Illinois '10
Today the red team had our fifth match of the trip. It was a very close game
but we ended up losing in five sets to Fujian. We stared the match out
pretty rocky and the opposing team did a great job of serving tough. Towards
the end of the first set we started playing a little better but it wasn't
enough for us to come back and win. We started the second set with more
intensity and Stephanie Niemer had some big kills both in the front and back
row to help us win the set. In the third set, we also started on top and
serving aggressively was the big difference that helped us win the fourth
set. Jordan Raines has a tough float serve that gave us some aces and she
was hitting well. In the fourth set we started off with a big lead but then
lost some focus towards the middle. The end score was 24-26 and we just
couldn't pull it out. The fifth game started and we were down in beginning
due to some serve receive errors. Ann Dylla had some great down the line
shots and even hit the opposing libero in the face! Stephanie got some aces
towards the end of the stretch but it wasn't even in the end. The red team
lost the fifth 14-16. Hopefully tomorrow we will come out with more fight
and win in three.
Entry #11, Sunday, June 19
Temple of Heaven & Final Competition Day
By Catherine "Kitten" Rebarchak
Today we went to the Temple of Heaven. This was a sacred place where the
emperor would go and pray for good harvest for the upcoming year. We went to
three different areas; the first was where the emperor would pray, second
where he would rest, and third where other people could join the emperor to
worship. The temples were very beautiful, all decorated with colors of
blues, greens, yellows and reds. Surrounding the temples were lush green
gardens full of people doing various activities such as tai-chi, dancing, a
Chinese version of hackie-sack, and even yoga. It reminded me a bit of
Central Park.
While we were touring this beautiful place Carly Cramer, Anne Dylla and
myself somehow got separated from the group. We thought it wasn't a big deal
at first, but after ten minutes of not recognizing anyone we got a little
worried. We found a map and by process of elimination guessed where our
group had gone. After twenty minutes of running to hopefully find our group,
we finally spotted Timıs large physique and a sigh of relief fell upon us.
The Temple of Heaven was an especially interesting experience for the three
of us.
Also, today was the final match of the tournament in Beijing. Our team
played Fuijan and won in four games. The first two sets went pretty smoothly
as our team found the open areas of the court and dominated the pass and
serve game. Denise, our setter, played extremely well she gave our hitters
great opportunities to put the ball away. Carly, our libero, also played
extremely well, keeping balls off the floor and taking over our passing
game. She was also awarded Player of the Game. The third set was a tough
battle we lost 23-25, but came out on fire in fourth leading the game 9-2,
and ended up winning 25-22. The Chinese team played well. They are very
good with out-of-system balls and run a quick offense but couldn't handle
our tough serves. One interesting thing about today's matches was in between
games and during timeouts five Chinese cheerleaders would entertain us with
their fantastic dance routines to Lady Gaga's song "Love Game", it was quite
a sight to see!
Red Team, by Lisa Henning (Missouri) & Co
Today was our last game in China. Although it didn't go as planned, we still
had a great experience playing here. We lost in three to Shandong, but we
still kept it to a close match. We started off slow (down 0-7 in the 1st
set) so it was hard to take control of the game, but we always managed to
make a run and be right back in it. Even though our line-ups switched
periodically throughout the game, there were definitely some positive
aspects. Through the rough moments we showed spectacular unity that we have
developed throughout our bonding times on and off the court. Although we are
leaving for home tomorrow, this experience and team will definitely be one I
will always remember.
The trip has taught us all some valuable lessons on becoming better
volleyball players, both on and off the court. We made friendships that will
last forever, and got experience playing the best Chinese teams.
Players' Wrap Up
By Alaina "Dimples" Bergsma, University of Oregon
Beijing Tournament MVP
We have made it back safely to Los Angeles and are getting ready to say our
goodbyes. Looking back at the trip, we not only made new friends,
experienced a new culture, and got to see a Wonder of the World, but we also
played some great volleyball. Our teams did a good job of playing together
considering we only had a few practices before playing professional teams.
At the first tournament in Shandong Province, we were caught a little off
guard with the different style of play. Actually getting to play them was
different then just hearing about how they play. The Chinese run a very fast
offense, have good ball control and get great swings out of system. Their
quick offense was an adjustment for everyone and didn't give people time to
swing block. They are also incredibly successful out of system and I think
most of it is due to their ball control. Anyone of the Chinese players steps
into set and they take hard but smart swings during the out of system plays.
Another small difference in their game is when they give free balls. They
launch the ball really high and almost always towards the middle of the
court. This gives them time to set up defense, but also allows us to be in
system for the attack. All the Chinese professional teams had the same style
of play and they play close to error-free. Our teams really had to control
our side of the court in order to win.
Once we arrived in Beijing we knew what to expect on the court and were able
to make the adjustments we needed. It was apparent that we made changes
because the team that won the Shandong Tournament with a 3-0 record went 1-2
in Beijing. Both of our teams stepped up and the level of play was raised.
The USA Blue Team started getting a lot more blocks and started winning the
serving and passing game while the USA Red Team found more chemistry and
started scrambling better on defense.
Both teams came out ready to play in Beijing and won on the first day and
lost close matches in five on the second day. The Blue Team won their last
game of the tournament in 4 games to clinch first place in Beijing. All the
teams enjoyed an elegant awards banquet at the hotel after the last matches.
Our trip was a wonderful experience of getting to play the sport we love
internationally, seeing amazing historic monuments, getting in a lot of
shopping, and making friends from all over our country. Some of the
interesting things that weren't on the itinerary that we also got to
experience were getting tons of pictures taken of us and with us for being
so tall, learning some basic Chinese words and great communication with hand
signals and that the rest of the world doesn't believe in 5 minutes early is
on time. It was a wonderful trip and thank you to everyone who made it
possible for us. It definitely further inspired me to keep playing after
college.
We woke up in the Hotspring Grand Hotel and went to our first breakfast. All of our meals are buffet style which makes it fun because we can try a variety of things. For breakfast here is fresh fruit and vegetables, rice, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried bread, cereal, and a variety of other Chinese dishes that only a few of us are willing to try. 
After breakfast we piled into our bus and began our first sightseeing
adventure. As Shouguang is Chinaıs vegetable capital, it was appropriate
that we visited the Vegetable Fair of Science and Technology. We entered
greenhouse after greenhouse, each full of ripe fruits and vegetables
intricately displayed. Over the walkways hung large melons and squashes.
Tomato and red pepper vines were organized meticulously in rows. Each
greenhouse had its own decorations, including giant animal figurines
decorated with raw beans, pumpkins, corn kernels or dried peppers. (We saw
lots of rabbits because this year is the year of the rabbit on the Chinese
calendar.) The greenhouses were extremely high tech. There was an exhibit of
revolving planters that was intended to maximize water and sun exposure of
the plants. Another exhibit featured a futuristic photoelectric robot that
was programmed to tend to the crops and analyze risk of disease. 
Tonight we beat Shandong Normal University in three sets straight. Walking
into the gym filled with cheering people in every corner was a huge
adrenaline rush. The fans were really excited to see all of us and they were
all very friendly. We proceeded with opening ceremonies and then our first
match was under way. As we were warming up, our names were announced and the
whole gym continued to get louder. We were all really pumped for our first
match and started with high intensity. Throughout the first game, we let up
a couple runs but found our way back with the momentum. We were serving
pretty tough which led to ball control errors on their side. We remained
consistent throughout the first set and came out with a win. Our momentum
carried over into the second set and we continued to serve pretty tough. We
kept the same line up from the first set with the exception of an outside
player and we continued to play well together to come out with another win.
In the third set, we had a different line up but remained steady and learned
how to adjust to each other on the court. During the match, I thought that
everyone did a pretty good job at adjusting to certain plays that Shandong
Normal University made and focusing on their own jobs on the court. Carly
Cramer (libero) made sure she kept everyone informed and her communication
on the court made everyone feel comfortable to settle into their
responsibilities and what they needed to do to execute. Our teamıs overall
effort and intensity allowed us to take the third set and defeat Shandong
Normal University. Bri Braker received an award for Player of the Match
after our game due to her hard work and focus throughout the match. Overall,
we had a good start for the tournament and we learned how to adjust and play
with each other, as well as playing against these teams, and we will
continue to learn throughout our time here. 
We kicked off the day with another exquisite breakfast provided by our hotel at 9am. It was nice getting that extra hour to sleep in after coming back late from our matches last night. Breakfast consisted of the same contents as the previous days, which I was very delighted about as I was able to eat my favorite deep fried dough sticks again. However, what was more fascinating were the ever suspicious and unsettling translation labels accompanying the food. With most of them awkwardly worded like "Tomato Juice Screw Surface", it's quite obvious why cereal with milk and some watermelon was a popular fallback. 
Tonight we played just before the Red Team, and were defeated in a 3-0 match against Shandong. Our play was not an accurate demonstration of the team we know we are capable of being, yet it was a great opportunity for us to learn from our mistakes, and improve together as a new team. We came out somewhat tentative in the first game, which lead to unforced errors, and resulted in a four-point loss in game one. Knowing that we had the ability to beat Shandong in game one if we eliminated our errors, we began to play more confident in the second set. Although we still were not playing up to our potential, we were able to find momentum in the end of the second game to nearly tie the score. Though we changed the lineup in the third set, China continued to stay consistent. We were never able to fully find our rhythm tonight, allowing Shandong to go on runs of points throughout the three game match. Overall we are doing a great job learning how to play with each other, and we look forward to continuing to improve in our next matches. 
Today we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and went to practice around 8:30. It was mostly a serve and pass where we rotated through, both red and blue teams together on the main court. Both teams really needed this because we hadn't been serving or passing well in this gym. The balls really could float very far, or really short; it was hard to find an in-between, which also made them hard to pass. After about 45 minutes or so, we switched to 6 on 6 practice, red against blue. One of the Chinese teams had come in the gym about this time, so we didn't get as much time as we had hoped for practicing and playing 6 on 6. We then heeded back to the hotel where we had some free time before our lunch. 
We had our last game of the tournament and finished on a high note with a thrilling 5 set match win. We lost the first set, won the second, lost the third, won the fourth, and won the fifth. Everyone contributed to the win, but Lauren Plum, one of our setters, won the award for Player of the Match. Our team is gradually improving and becoming more comfortable as a unit on the court. We placed 5th (tied with 2 other teams with a 1-2 record), winning a trophy with an upside down plaque on the English side. The Chinese fans were friendly and energetic as ever as they got the chance to get autographs and take pictures with us after the award ceremony. Hopefully only good things will come in our next tournament as we gain momentum with this win and continue to improve each game.
Today we had an early start because we were finally making the trek back to
Beijing for the second tournament. We woke up around 6am, finished packing
up our rooms, and grabbed some breakfast before checking out and heading to
Beijing. Since our bus ride to Weifang on the first day took a little longer
than planned, we all were expecting a long day of traveling. We were on the
road by 7am in hopes that we would still have part of the day to do some
shopping in the city. A couple pit stops and 6 hours later we made it to
Beijing. We all had a mild panic attack when the air conditioning on the bus
stopped working for 20 minutes toward the end of the trip. In 90-degree
humid weather, no AC was terrible. Luckily it kicked back on and we all
could relax! 
We woke up pretty early again this morning and set out to see the Great Wall. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy and foggy out, but at least the rain held off while we were there. The Great Wall was as amazing as most of us imagined, but also more of a workout than we anticipated. At the starting point there were two options an "easy" way and a "hard" way. Naturally we all opted for the hard way, and we surprisingly made pretty quick work of the journey. It was a little treacherous at times with steep inclines and uneven steps but we had fun and made it to the next tower without any major problems. After the Great Wall we headed to lunch at a place where they make cloisonne, a traditional painted pottery. Then we headed back into the city for practice. It took a couple minutes to get back into the swing of things at practice after our morning climb, but it went well. This gym isn't quite as nice as the last one, but were all excited for our first game of the tournament tomorrow. Hopefully will continue to get better as a team and pull out some victories to finish off our trip. 
We started off one of our last days in Beijing with the historical Forbidden
City. This palace was home to the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years
through the end of the Qing Dynasty. It also served as the political center
for the Chinese government. When we entered the gated city, I was
speechless. It was so hard to think that something so beautiful and elegant
was built centuries ago with what little tools and technology they had.
Every roof of each building was gold, symbolizing royalty. Gold could only
be used by the emperor at this time. The city was separated in two parts,
one side was for the government events and the other side was the sleeping
quarters. We were able to look through the windows of a bedroom chamber as
well as in some of the political halls. 
We woke up around 7:45 today to begin our international buffet for
breakfast. After breakfast we went to a shopping center called the Pearl
Market. Many of us bought 'beats' while pearls were also a popular item.
The mall had many options making it easy to find the best deal. After
bargaining for a while, we went back to the hotel for lunch and afterwards
the blue team hurried to get on the bus because it takes about an hour to
get to the gym due to traffic. 
Today the red team had our fifth match of the trip. It was a very close game
but we ended up losing in five sets to Fujian. We stared the match out
pretty rocky and the opposing team did a great job of serving tough. Towards
the end of the first set we started playing a little better but it wasn't
enough for us to come back and win. We started the second set with more
intensity and Stephanie Niemer had some big kills both in the front and back
row to help us win the set. In the third set, we also started on top and
serving aggressively was the big difference that helped us win the fourth
set. Jordan Raines has a tough float serve that gave us some aces and she
was hitting well. In the fourth set we started off with a big lead but then
lost some focus towards the middle. The end score was 24-26 and we just
couldn't pull it out. The fifth game started and we were down in beginning
due to some serve receive errors. Ann Dylla had some great down the line
shots and even hit the opposing libero in the face! Stephanie got some aces
towards the end of the stretch but it wasn't even in the end. The red team
lost the fifth 14-16. Hopefully tomorrow we will come out with more fight
and win in three. 
Today we went to the Temple of Heaven. This was a sacred place where the
emperor would go and pray for good harvest for the upcoming year. We went to
three different areas; the first was where the emperor would pray, second
where he would rest, and third where other people could join the emperor to
worship. The temples were very beautiful, all decorated with colors of
blues, greens, yellows and reds. Surrounding the temples were lush green
gardens full of people doing various activities such as tai-chi, dancing, a
Chinese version of hackie-sack, and even yoga. It reminded me a bit of
Central Park. 
Today was our last game in China. Although it didn't go as planned, we still
had a great experience playing here. We lost in three to Shandong, but we
still kept it to a close match. We started off slow (down 0-7 in the 1st
set) so it was hard to take control of the game, but we always managed to
make a run and be right back in it. Even though our line-ups switched
periodically throughout the game, there were definitely some positive
aspects. Through the rough moments we showed spectacular unity that we have
developed throughout our bonding times on and off the court. Although we are
leaving for home tomorrow, this experience and team will definitely be one I
will always remember. 
