Saturday, November 1, 2008

Fifth is better than sixth

As I predicted yesterday, the Patriots had little trouble beating Riverdale of Upper Marlboro, Maryland today in the fifth place match at the NSCAA volleyball championship.

The Riverdale team is a perennial power in basketball, and it seemed like they treat the volleyball season as a warmup for the basketball season. The girls are big and athletic, but not very skilled. Cal/Cal opened up with a methodical 25-14 win, followed that with a similar 25-15 win and closed it out with a 25-11 final game clincher.

Following a strange and short awards ceremony, we headed back to the barracks (excuse me, dorms) to load up and head home. Well, most of us anyway. The Choates went to relatives near Cleveland and Nathalie took Taylor, Faith and Amy to see Niagara Falls, which was about two hours from the tournament site. The rest of us got into the two vans and started west on I-90. Seven hours or so and a couple of stops later, we arrived at Coach Carr's house to sort out luggage and to head our separate ways. The parting was significant for Elizabeth, as she has played her last game for Cal/Cal.

So another season ends. The fifteenth I think for Coach Carr, and the twelfth for Coach Carr with Coach Casey. I don't know if this is a record, but the Patriots won forty games this year. The final record was 40-13-3. Tournament finishes this year included fourths in the Christian Liberty and Calumet tournaments, a second at Quentin Road, and the fifth in the NCSAA. Last year the team lost in the quarterfinals in the Calumet and Quentin Road tournaments, and finished second at NACA in Division II.

Overall, a very good year. Next year we're hoping for great. See you at the Fall Athletic Awards Banquet on November 13. Future posts will include all the reasons why we aren't going back to PA next year.

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