Starch Madness
On Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 E-Pa played in what is presumed to be his final volleyball match in Raleigh (for a couple of years at least). DG and I were there to witness the occasion. What follows is my account of how it all transpired.
The night is perfect. It’s one of those early autumn nights where summer lingers, not yet ready to cede its warmth to winter’s slowly approaching chill. The sand squishes below foot, and the bumps and booms preclude the abrupt thud that accompanies the end of each and every crucial point. The setting is familiar, but the night is like no other. It’s championship night at Jaycee Park for 2v2 Co-Ed Beach Volleyball.
Eight teams. Four courts. Three matches. Only one victor.
As DG and I walk up, we search for our hero, our icon of the sands. It takes us not quite too long to find the bearded one – the one we know affectionately as … Starch Kiraly. Starch and his teammate are deeply enthralled in their first round match. They fail to take notice of our arrival at first. After the next successful point, however, our faint “Yea Starch” reveals our presence and Starch turns to us and smiles. As the points pile on, it’s obvious that this first match is a mere formality for Starch and his teammate. The match winds down and Starch walks over to the stands (in this case, a picnic table under a small shelter) and we congratulate him on his victory. The next match, and every possible match after will be tougher he assures us.
During the first match, DG gets a call from his boss so I take him home so he can do whatever it is he does. I hit up a Starbucks to get some iced crack and make my way back to the courts. Rumor has it that Starch’s final match in Raleigh happens tonight.
By the time I make it back to the tournament, Starch’s semi-final round match still hasn’t started. The quarterfinal match is in the midst of a deadlocked third set after a grueling 60 point first set and equally competitive second set. The worry on the sideline now is whether or not Starch and his teammate are getting “cold”. They do what they can to stay warm and the seemingly endless match finally finds its end.
Round 2nd to last is more competitive than the first round match for Team Starch. Team Black Shorts starts off hot, placing the ball well and taking advantage of Team Starch’s long rest between matches. Ten points in the match, however, the tide starts to turn. Team Starch never panics. They play through the rust, knowing their strategy is right, they just need to work on their execution, and more specifically their mechanics. Things start clicking, and Team Starch finds themselves in the championship match without dropping a set.
Again the respite is long for Team Starch, as the semi-final match on the other side of the draw is fiercely contested. DG makes his return as the battle rages on. It’s always hard to watch a match like this end with a losing side but this, of course, is the essence of competition – only one winner. After a long battle, the challenger to Team Starch is finally decided.
After a short break, the championship match finally begins. I’m amazed at how much ground, especially squishy ground, that two people can cover. The ball tries its best to find the soft bed of sand, encountering a conflict of insistence and resistance along its way. Team Starch struggles early to find their groove. The touch and consistency that came so easily in the first two rounds eludes them and their opponents’ power and quickness overwhelms them. Though they show signs of getting back on track, they lose their first set of the tournament. Time to regroup.
The second set starts more evenly. As the teams battle back and forth, neither team holds serve very long. Team Starch is fighting to keep their championship hopes alive as their opponent anxiously fights to close the door. Team Starch wins the battle and forces a third and final set.
With their undefeated season and championship dreams on the line, Team Starch know that it all comes down to this moment in the sand. They elect to play from the far court, deferring serve to their opponent. The final set begins much like the second – neither team seems willing to budge. The points are bigger, and each player rises to the challenge. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than to be good, but luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Both teams are prepared to be champions.
Team Starch find themselves with the advantage at 14-12, game point, but they’ve just lost serve. Their opponent serves and the ball bounces back and forth over the net. And then a thud. The ball hits the sand and Team Starch celebrates. The championship is theirs! A perfectly placed ball, a perfect point, a perfect night – a fitting end to a perfect season.
October 29th, 2009 at 2:42 am
excellent post