"Another Blog on the Fire"
Michael Dashiell
Contact Mike at miked@sequimgazette.com
Michael Dashiell (that's me) is editor of the Sequim Gazette. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Western Washington University, has worked at the Sequim Gazette for about 10 years and enjoys writing — occasionally. He and his wife Patsene live in Sequim; their two daughters are in college. He will write about anything, but particularly enjoys sports, arts, breaking news and news-of-the-weird. He also enjoys writing about himself in the third person.
We’re number five! We’re number five!
Published on Fri, Mar 2, 2012 by Mike Dashiell, EditorRead More Dashiell
Pancake anyone? Team High Energy Metals — from left, Patsene Dashiell, me, Mo Brasher, Richard Carter, Kourtney Carter, Ivan Sorensen and Christie Lassen — celebrate a Gold Division volleyball title at Baskin & Robbins in Port Angeles Wednesday night. The significance of the hands? Christy had a “pancake” hit during our title bout, and Kourtney followed with the same hit on the same play. Also, we’re nerds.
I love this game. And I love my team. I’m not too proud to say write it.
The 2011-12 Port Angeles Recreation volleyball season is done, and I can proudly say we won a championship. So what if it was in the lower tier of the league? We still won.
“We’re number five! We’re number five!”
My teammates — wife Patsene Dashiell, Mo Brasher, Richard and Kourtney Carter, Ivan Sorensen and Christie Lassen — and I battled through a rough start (1-4 to being the season) to even it out at 7-7, fifth in the league’s regular standings.
With the top four teams playing in the Purple Division, we got the Gold Division’s top seed. After a first round bye, we topped Fitness West in the semis, semi-comfortably, on Monday night.
That set up the Wednesday championship game with A Brewed Awakening Espresso, a solid team we’d played and beaten before, but not by much.
At first it looked like we might not even get the game off the ground, as they were missing one girl. In this league — coed sixes — teams can’t have more men than women on the court. So they started with four players on the court and rotated a guy in.
Sensing a bit of a mismatch, we played strong for much of the first set. Even when their third female showed, it wasn’t enough.
First set: High Energy Metals 25, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 13.
Second set, we play even. Apparently, the other squad is meeting our “High Energy” with some caffeine-induced energy of heir own. We’re down five latte, but rally. Patsene’s serve is on. Richard is a maniac at the net. Christie wipes the floor clean with crisp passes. Ivan’s opposite-side hits are finding holes. Monique’s sets are perfection. Kourtney has the drop shots covered.
And me? I’m just lovin’ it.
Second set: High Energy Metals 25, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 22.
We’re feeling good, but the momentum is clearly brewing on the other side. I’m worried. Why do I worry? We’re up 2-0, best of five. One more and we can go get ice cream.
We gather in a team huddle. Mo, the team captain, encourages us time and again to stay positive, communicate well, remember to have fun, etc. Beats my time as captain a few years back. I only had two rally cries. 1) “Don’t suck.” 2) “Don’t screw up.”
The Brewed Awakeners take an early lead. We come back to tie and they pull ahead again. I’m sweating it. We can’t seem to get closer than 2-3 points late. I’m already feeling that ice cream melting away.
A hitting error gives A Brewed Awakening a 24-21 lead. Gulp. It’s not do-or-die — rather, do-or-go-to-a-fourth-set — but it feels bigger than that. It’s like being up 3-1 in the World Series and having a chance to clinch at home; if you lose, you still have two more shots, but all the momentum is gone.
We get a side out, and Patsene starts ripping off her magical underhand serves that twist and turn. All of a sudden, we can’t miss. It’s 24-23 them. Then 24 all. Then 25-24 us.
Third set: High Energy Metals 26, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 24.
A hitting error on the other side gives us the match, the title, the championship-winning T-shirts and bragging rights: “We’re number five!”
I’m not sure exactly what kind of milkshake I got. All I know is, I think I have a heart murmur now.
But it was worth it.
As a side note, in the Purple Division championship, Nuts & Honey topped Hutchison Construction 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-22). Congrats to Rick Ross’ squad. Greg and Phil, there’s always next year.
The 2011-12 Port Angeles Recreation volleyball season is done, and I can proudly say we won a championship. So what if it was in the lower tier of the league? We still won.
“We’re number five! We’re number five!”
My teammates — wife Patsene Dashiell, Mo Brasher, Richard and Kourtney Carter, Ivan Sorensen and Christie Lassen — and I battled through a rough start (1-4 to being the season) to even it out at 7-7, fifth in the league’s regular standings.
With the top four teams playing in the Purple Division, we got the Gold Division’s top seed. After a first round bye, we topped Fitness West in the semis, semi-comfortably, on Monday night.
That set up the Wednesday championship game with A Brewed Awakening Espresso, a solid team we’d played and beaten before, but not by much.
At first it looked like we might not even get the game off the ground, as they were missing one girl. In this league — coed sixes — teams can’t have more men than women on the court. So they started with four players on the court and rotated a guy in.
Sensing a bit of a mismatch, we played strong for much of the first set. Even when their third female showed, it wasn’t enough.
First set: High Energy Metals 25, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 13.
Second set, we play even. Apparently, the other squad is meeting our “High Energy” with some caffeine-induced energy of heir own. We’re down five latte, but rally. Patsene’s serve is on. Richard is a maniac at the net. Christie wipes the floor clean with crisp passes. Ivan’s opposite-side hits are finding holes. Monique’s sets are perfection. Kourtney has the drop shots covered.
And me? I’m just lovin’ it.
Second set: High Energy Metals 25, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 22.
We’re feeling good, but the momentum is clearly brewing on the other side. I’m worried. Why do I worry? We’re up 2-0, best of five. One more and we can go get ice cream.
We gather in a team huddle. Mo, the team captain, encourages us time and again to stay positive, communicate well, remember to have fun, etc. Beats my time as captain a few years back. I only had two rally cries. 1) “Don’t suck.” 2) “Don’t screw up.”
The Brewed Awakeners take an early lead. We come back to tie and they pull ahead again. I’m sweating it. We can’t seem to get closer than 2-3 points late. I’m already feeling that ice cream melting away.
A hitting error gives A Brewed Awakening a 24-21 lead. Gulp. It’s not do-or-die — rather, do-or-go-to-a-fourth-set — but it feels bigger than that. It’s like being up 3-1 in the World Series and having a chance to clinch at home; if you lose, you still have two more shots, but all the momentum is gone.
We get a side out, and Patsene starts ripping off her magical underhand serves that twist and turn. All of a sudden, we can’t miss. It’s 24-23 them. Then 24 all. Then 25-24 us.
Third set: High Energy Metals 26, A Brewed Awakening Espresso 24.
A hitting error on the other side gives us the match, the title, the championship-winning T-shirts and bragging rights: “We’re number five!”
I’m not sure exactly what kind of milkshake I got. All I know is, I think I have a heart murmur now.
But it was worth it.
As a side note, in the Purple Division championship, Nuts & Honey topped Hutchison Construction 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-22). Congrats to Rick Ross’ squad. Greg and Phil, there’s always next year.
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