Note: Tom Witt wrote this article.
The snow is melting, the days are getting longer, it’s time to pile into your mom’s van or put those frequent flyer miles to good use, it’s that time of year again: roundnet season!
Whether you have spent all winter bearing the cold and practicing with your buddies, hitting serves against the wall when your roommate isn’t home, trying to find an indoor space to get your roundnet fix, or travelling the world playing in tournaments, IT’S ROUNDNET SEASON BABY!
The first tournament of the 2019 Spikeball Roundnet Association season and the first installment of the West Tour will be in sunny San Diego, CA. The tournament will feature multiple divisions: Open Premier, Advanced and Intermediate, Women’s Advanced and Intermediate, and a Youth Division. With back-to-back defending national champions Cisek/Showalter unable to make the trip due to a schedule conflict, the first premier-level pitchers of the year are ripe for the taking! Roundnet players from across the nation are ready to break off that winter rust, show everyone their fancy new serves, and compete against friends, old and new!
The Premier Division features a strong group of established teams, such as SubPar Team (Jacob Martinez and Josh Fragiacomo), Spikers Anonymous (Taylor Church and Spencer Schmidt), HOOPLA (Schon Siguenza and John Shurance), Elysium (Logan Cornelius and Brian Childs), and Death Eaters (Zac Vance and Marlon Fleming), who are looking to continue to climb the ladder to roundnet supremacy. The Death Eaters have some lofty goals for 2019 and practiced hard in the off-season to help achieve those goals.
Zac Vance of Death Eaters dives to set a ball at 2018 Nationals.
Vance told me, “In the off-season I’ve been working on playing defense more aggressively and cleaner hits off the net after getting a touch. As a team we’ve been working on consistent hitting from both of us, since offense is a weak point for us.” Vance also stated their goals for the San Diego Tour Stop and the season. “This tournament we want to come out swinging earning a top 6 seed and hopefully podium from there. We want to rely on our defense to earn us breaks and strong serving to put the other team on their heels. This season we’re looking to qualify for the Pro Division at nationals and give some of the top teams a run for their money.”
Along with those established teams, the field contains a few, dare I say EPIC, mashup teams right out of a roundnet fan’s wildest dreams. Some may even say akin to fantasy draft mode on NBA Live 2005. A few of the notable mash-up teams are:
- ChornaBoles - Skyler Boles and Chris Hornacek will combine craftiness with pure power
- Shouldn’t Have Pushed - The dashing duo of Shaun Boyer and Jarratt Rouse is sure to turn heads
- Shlong up & Slick hit - Former national champ Troy Mauk and Erik Schlick already have one tournament title under their belt this winter
- Two Equally Tan/Loud Individuals - Mauk’s former partner, former national champ, Chico State alumnus and aspiring pro-volleyball player: Preston Bies and nasty server Carter Clem
- Handsome Vacuums - Zach Zimmerman and Buddy Hammon (2018 West Regionals 3rd place finishers) are looking to clean up the competition
- Hibachi - Zach Wood and Zack Duffy are looking for a solid follow-up on their 2nd place finish at Santa Cruz in December
Skyler Boles sets a ball at 2018 Nationals.
This will be the first time Hornacek and Boles play together in a tournament. Though their game play styles differ immensely, they are looking forward to meshing their unique skills sets together for success. Hornacek continued “I’m excited to finally play a tournament with Skyler Boles. He's a legend in his own right and I'm glad that I’m getting to play with him before we truly get too old to compete at the highest level. We have completely opposite play styles, but I’m excited to see how we come together. Expect to see us on the podium.” Do opposites attract? We will see on Saturday!
Boles is looking to continue his reign as one of the top players on the roundnet circuit. “I am stoked to play with Chris. Never done it and the intensity will be fun. His power and my lack of it should be a fun combo,” Boles added. “My goal is to win a pitcher for the 8th year in a row and go for a 6th regionals championship in a row. But most of all, looking to play some tournaments, compete with the youngsters, and have as much fun as I possibly can.” That’s what the sport is truly all about.
As with any sport, there are teams looking to retain their status as the best in the land and newcomers looking to ascend the ranks and surpass them. West region dark horse teams competing in the Premier Division, Kahooters (Jacob Payer and Ryan Baillargeon) and Big Bucks (Sam and Ben Buckman), have been putting up some INSANE videos of great serves, spikes, and a few foot blocks to boot. They have had the luxury of good winter weather to train outside in Southern California, and are ready to show the nation the dividends of their hard off-season work. Payer told me a bit about this. “Our off season training has been getting time to develop our serves with each other, learning how to play defense with the help of Chris Bradley, Erik Schlick, and Warren Foote, and our hitting with the help of Preston Bies.” Not a bad group of folks to learn from.
Payer continued, “Our aspirations for the college season is to take home the national title in Georgia next month, for Big Bucks, to go to all the west tour stops & make a name for themselves, and for Kahooters to hopefully play enough tour stops to swoop into the pro division!” It will be a hard fought tournament and season with many up and coming teams trying to make a name for themselves.
The Women’s Advanced Division features multiple tour stop champions and podium finishers. A few teams in that division that stand out are JK (Jordi Vigna and Kayla Ruiz), TBD (Christina Coppola and Jackie Yoo), THUS (Kayla Wu and Kalin Miramontes), and Helm/Ortlip (Mey Helm and Ashley Ortlip).
Jackie Yoo, 2018 Seattle Tour Stop Women’s Division champion, told me a few things she has been working on in the off-season, “For me service pressure has been pretty big, as well as working on different types of shots. I felt like before I was a pretty generic hitter, so definitely want to get more creative. Being able to read where the defense is and shot select based on that has been crucial for me in the offseason. Thanks Carter Clem for helping me.”
Jackie Yoo dives for a ball at 2018 Nationals.
When I asked Yoo about her goals for the tournament and season she let me know, “I think the overall goal for me is to just learn how to play with different types of players. I feel privileged because I get to play with a lot of different people, and that’ll hopefully allow me to grow and be a better overall support to no matter who I play with. Also high five a lot, dive a lot, and laugh a lot!”
The Open Advanced Division features 40+ teams and is composed of a few premier ranked ballers and some hungry advanced players looking to qualify for the Premier Division. Gucci Swagball (Gage Maddox and Jaren Gronberg), Murtle Gang (Warren Foote and Marcu Decouto), and Fry Guys (Ravi Kandula and Kai Pham) are strong contenders to make the podium. The top 2 teams from the Advanced Division will qualify for Premier.
One new, hotly debated rule change will be sure to incite some excitement this season. Rule 4.5.2.” If the server commits a Service Fault (see 4.6) the serving team has one more attempt to hit a legal serve.” That’s right, even if you hit rim or miss the net completely on your first serve, you’ll get a second chance to land a legal serve. This will be the first official SRA Tour Series event in which this rule will be utilized.
I personally cannot wait to see the intense competition, how the new rules play out, and what these roundnet athletes have cooked up in the off-season skill wise. I think Mey Helm sums it up nicely. “My main goal is to have fun with my friends in the roundnet community, and to make a bunch more friends! My favorite part about tournaments is seeing all of my friends and getting to cheer them on.” That’s what the roundnet community is truly all about!
With storylines a-plenty heading into the 2019 roundnet season, there are many burning questions on the minds of the roundnet world:
- What will the new double fault serve rule do to the game at each level?
- Will Cisek/Showalter continue their domination and overtake Chico Spikes as the most dominant/best open team in roundnet history?
- With Ogres Heroes splitting up, who may be the most dominant team in roundnet history, the number 1 spot in women’s roundnet is up for grabs.
- Will Skyler Boles add even more hardware to his massive collection and continue his streak of regional crowns, dating back to 2014?
And so much more! We will have to wait until October for most of these questions to be answered, but in the mean time, in the words of the roundnet legend Chris Hornacek, LET’S GO!!!!!
Editor's Picks:
1st: Two equally tan/loud individuals
2nd: ChornaBoles
3rd: Shouldn’t Have Pushed
4th: SubPar Team
Check out the tournament action this weekend on Twitter/Persicope at @SpikeballRA!
Follow along with the Premier and Women's brackets here ->
Premier: https://challonge.com/SD19Premier
Women's: https://challonge.com/SD19Womens
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Federer v Soderling as industry
Federer 7 6 Soderling Mini break for Roger immediately as Soders just misses with a zipper to the far left corner. Fed holds easily however Soders cracks, trying an insane boomer of a second serve and missing with a 125mph thrasher to leave Fed 5 1 up. Soders steals one point back with a good deep forehand that Fed pops long but then nets a sleepy slicer to teeter at 6 2. Fed misses beyond the corner as the pair trade slaps but it’s his serve up next, And with shadows extending across the court he batters down a stinger that Soders can only flail into the net.
Job sustained, And the charmed crowd stand to applaud the truly amazing champ. He’s implies, And with Djokovic crashing out to Safin on the same court earlier this afternoon, many experts have a rather good day for Team Fed.
Federer 5 5 Soderling Crash bang wallop Fed breezes through his own service game to attract level. established ladyfriend Mirka beams next to her pal Stefani.
Federer 4 5 Soderling After a mistake to wobble at 30 30, Soders arises with ace no.6 to transport to set point. shoulder muscles then stiffen up as he realises where he is, And he thumps a backhand miles long and another in to the railway tracks. Break point Fed and Soders slaps a forehand wide to toss his big ability away. Heartbreak conventional. I feel like woman in the crowd still has her illicit ball, But I can’t be sure had my eyes on court for obvious reasons.
Federer 3 5 Soderling Federer, although piqued, Holds to like with moody menace. A woman in everyone else catches a stray ball and slips it into her lap, Hoping no one will notice. As the person two seats along frowns disappovingly, She goes somewhat pink.
Federer 2 5 Soderling He’s held onto it too enjoying the new balls to rattle through his alloted set. Roger returns to his seat and pulls some mineral water from his enormous white bag. The bag is like a souped up version of the type you might pick up in the pub, a little more chavvy sportswear emporium that shiny fake leather, embossed with gold crests.
Federer 2 4 Soderling Soders takes selling point of a Fed mental pause to work his first break points of the match. Roger saves one with a big serve but looks to be in deep trouble on the next when Soders lobs him only for the champ to sprint backwards and conjure up an impossible dipping passing shot facing the wrong method. Soders screams and slams the loose ball at an invisible demon, for the anger pushes him on, as soon as Rog mis judges a slicey backhand he’s stolen [url=https://datingspanishwomen.travel.blog/2019/06/13/get-to-know-spanish-women/]spanish dating sites[/url] a break. the competition go small bananas.
Federer 2 3 Soderling Soder takes the parent applause on board to edge in front on serve again. In the viewers, A man in a cowboy hat appear to be smelling his girlfriend’s fingertip. No [url=https://meetspanishwomen.wixsite.com/meetspanishwomen/]woman in spanish[/url] hold on she’s pulling a stray hair from his wispy goatee. not comfortable.
Federer 2 2 Soderling mr Soderling Snr Bo, To his others and Mrs Soderling (Britt Inge) Show no signs of being intimidated by the illustrious guests in front of them in the VIP slots. Mama stacks up to applaud a forehand ripper but Roger’s cru have the last laugh as he serves up three crisp bowls of fetch that.
Federer 1 2 Soderling everyone else are giving Soderling some decent backing here they had their break durirg the Kuznetsova match, and they are now bang into it. Soders finally finds his touch with a backhand volley to store his dreams alive.
Federer 1 1 SoderlingAnything you can perform, proclaims Federer, I can have eight times better. He holds with his finger on skip forward. if Posh Spice, She’s in the cheap seats for something different. And she’s put on a small number of weight around the chin.
Federer 0 1 Soderling There’s a girl in the crowd who usually have come as Posh Spice. Good Lord you don’t think it Posh Spice, don’t you? Soders serves solidly set up the set.
SECOND located
Federer 6 4 SoderlingThe shadow from the roof has now crept significantly the Fed baseline as he serves for a two set lead. Two aces take him close and a Soder backhand trips and dies on-line before Soder drives mightily into the corner to delay the inevitable. can be 20 seconds, the fact is boom boom goes the skiddy serve, And Soders is as powerless as a Russian peasant.
Federer 5 4 Soderling Two of the best shots of the match from Fed a curving pass off the forehand which heads wide before dipping in like a Roberto Carlos free kick, And a bulleted return off the backhand which is past Soderling before he’s completed his keep going. Soders stays afloat by firing down two life saving boomers and lucky when Fed completely misses with a wafty forehand. Gaps of disbelief, not least from Roger himself.
Federer 5 3 Soderling 40 0 in the time it takes me to type the text. Rog duffs a volley at the net and appears briefly sick before crashing a big serve out wide to move to within four points of a two set lead.
Federer 4 3 Soderling Sweet backhand pass from Soders as Roger purrs to online. Fed then nets with an ambitious backhand and Soders goes to within a game. The Swede then calls for the trainer sounds like he’s got a blister on his left foot. On comes the man within the Elastoplast, And as Soders places his foot gingerly on a chair the instructor mummifies the ball of his foot.
Federer 4 2 Soderling Lordy Soders runs onto a short one and drills a forehand in a straight line at Federer’s nose. Fed rears away like KP dealing with a bouncer and punishes the cheek of his opponent with ace no.6.
Federer 3 2 Soderling Troubled at 30 30 and together with first serve gone, Soders gambles on a second boomer and draws off a 120mph acer. Fed’s backhand is flowing regally and he drives Soders back to travel to deuce. Soder drills a big serve down the middle and clatters a line judge on the lower cheeks, But that patsy backhand volley lets him down as soon as again. Fed lets him free with a netted backhand driller of his own and he stays in touch.
to become fair, If Wintour does hatred the cardigan, I can hardly see her giving Roger both barrels when he’s got her in on one of his Centre Court concert tickets. Expect a toadying article in the autumn trends edition.
Federer 3 1 Soderling Two crazy forehands from Soders, The ball hit so hard that it’s a surprise to see it still round as thinking about rest against the backboards. Fed doesn’t care he pulverises two of his own to maintain the gap. Vogue editor Anna Wintour next to Rossdale in the VIP slots, Looking hugely Edna Mole. Wonder what her thoughts are on the cardie.
Federer 2 1 Soderling Grass warm serving from Soders, An ace thudding into the green screens behind Federer and two others clanking off the frame. Roger goes to his seat and appears a fraction sulky.
Federer 2 0 SoderlingThat’s how you will volley, tells Roger, Pinging away a full stretcher with trouble-free ease. Two slammers later he’s throwing the spare ball away and wiping a brown brow on the fluffiest of towels.
Federer 1 0 Soderling slack from Soders, Boffing a backhand long for an early break nibble. Fed hurt him to glide a backhand slice cross court but meets tape, Only for Soders to slap a simple volley into the divider utilizing open court winking suggestively. A Fed forehand flies wide with a big gap gaping before a dipping pass there’s lots of backhand leaves Soders flummoxed. a particular Swede clatters another makeable volley way out, He’s stopped working again. Uh oh yea.
FIRST fit
Federer 6 3 Soderling Whispers of consternation around Centre as Fed is fooled by the gusty wind and goes long to ship his first break point. Barely has Soders realised as compared to the tiny glimmer is gone, A sliced backhand drifted and into the corner to seal the set.
Federer 5 3 Soderling Super hold via your lanky Swede, Pinging Fed back to love having the fuzz free new balls. Bright direct sunlight again overhead, And Pimms features been gargled in all corners.
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