TONY'S TOP 5 GREATEST VOLLEYBALL MEMORIES #1

I could wait until later to submit the #1 Greatest Volleyball Moment of all time...but why would I want to do that??

TONY'S TOP 5 GREATEST VOLLEYBALL MEMORIES OF THE PAST 13 YEARS


#1: DROPPING THE A BOMB ON LUIGI

The crew (D, Andy and I) began our humble USVBA (United States Volleyball Association) career with Raft to Rafters...a team helmed by Rich Gold. Rich had his crew of Bruce Giggy, Bill Manler, and the Mackauly Culkin of volleyball...Miles Andrews.

Miles had college commitments for the first several tournaments, but when he finally showed, he was immediately inserted as the starting setter. The tournament was at the now defunct Circle City establishment in Indy. We were doing our mediocre norm. Rich was on strong side, Miles was setting and Andy (without a doubt our biggest hitter) was on weak side. Well, Miles was a creature of habit, and his habit was setting Rich. For 3, 4, 5 sets in a row, Miles set Rich in vain. Rich just couldn't get the ball down. Remember the fire in D's eyes when he smoked Sam Koester in #4? Well, Andy had the same look in his eyes. I know, I was on the sidelines when a time out was called and saw steam coming from Andy's hair, which was very long at the time.

In the time-out Rich was stomping, crying about something. D grabbed Miles and said "Set Andy the ball!!" Miles came up with a lame excuse about the passing, to which D took offense, because he was passing...and, of course, he let Miles know it.

The first play out of the huddle, Miles did what D asked. Andy jumped up and brought down the thunder. The "A Bomb" unleashed a viscious leather bomb onto the head of this little guy we called Luigi. The ball bounced off Luigi's head, went straight up, and busted out 2 flouresent light bulbs THROUGH a metal mesh cage! Yes, it bent that metal cage and busted out the lights.

Shards of glass rained onto the court. Everyone was running, except for Andy. He turned as the glass rained, flipped his hair back, looked straight at Miles, and said, simply, "I told you to set me the ball." Then he proceeded to sit down on the bench quietly until the glass was cleaned up, and play resumed.

I will never forget that. It was the most powerful hit I've ever seen.

HONORABLE MENTION

Since #5 wasn't really a volleyball play, I would like to add:

WESTVILLE - It was the first real tournament I played in as a kid with some High School friends. We played the defending champion Westville squad down to the wire. The whole gym stopped to watch us play. It was the largest crowd I ever played to. We lost, but it was like Rocky losing to Apollo Creed...