Finals of AVP Tourney in Atlanta

I was able to make the Men's and Women's finals of the AVP Tour stop in Atlanta on Sunday. The stands were full for the matches and they really got to see a great mens' match. The #1 men's team had been eliminated for the first time this tour, but the teams in the finals were both very athletic and very skilled and put on quite a performance in the hot Atlanta sun.

I was able to beat the heat, along with Adam and Angela by staying under the shade in the VIP tent. Here's a shot of Adam and Angela.

What was amazing about the match is the jumping ability of these guys. Of course this is coming from a guy with a terminal case of the white-men-can't-jump syndrome, but I tell you, watching these guys sky over the 8' net for the kill shots was amazing. Remember, this is two-man beach volleyball, so they're playing on sand which is tough enough. But the guy who's hitting the kill shot is the one that has just made a dig for the ball, which usually means he's been on his knees in the sand. Now, after bumping it to his partner, who is setting it up for him at the net, he leaps up from the sand, runs to the net, plants his feet, then leaps. All the while watching the ball, sensing where the other players are, listening to his partner tell him where the open area is, and timing his leap and arm swing to perfectly match the falling ball so he can spike it at a 100 mph down the opponents throat.

Take a look at this guy, Tony Medel. He's 6'3", which is on the short side for the tour. But look how high he his on his leap and where his head is in relationship to the net. See the ball up at the top of the shot? Tony, as you can tell from his form, puts his whole body into the hit. And he usually was able put them away. Here's a close-up of him.

Tony and his partner put up a good fight, but ended up losing to Gibbs and Rosenthall, who have won in Atlanta two years in a row now. As great an athlete as Tony is, Rosenthall is even more spectacular and powerful in his hits. Unfortunately I didn't get any good shot of him in action.

On the women's side, Kerri Walsh and Misti May easily put the competition away, extending their winnig streak to 40-0. They've won the AVP five years in a row and are unstoppable.