Thread Tools

Display Modes

**truebluefan** · 05-05-2008, 05:04 PM

Belmar Beach, NJ

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 07:58 PM

This weekend, the AVP Crocs Tour sets up camp in Belmar, N.J. While many players call the beaches of California their home, the only player to grow up on the Jersey Shore is eight-year AVP veteran, AJ Mihalic.

New Jersey is known for its pizza, nice suburban communities and beautiful changing seasons, and no one is more familiar with these characteristics than Mihalic. He grew up in Wall Township, N.J., and spent his summers on the beaches of Belmar.

As a kid in New Jersey, Mihalic remembers camping, fishing and hiking with family and friends. When he wasn't on the beach, he and his friends would set up a game of tackle football. "Well, it was tackle until the day that I got two and a half teeth knocked out," he explained.

As he grew older, the beach became more and more attractive after learning how much fun beach volleyball was. "One of my first beach volleyball memories was while playing some pick-up games in Belmar. I cut the bottom of my foot on a shell and had to get seven stitches. It made me wonder for a second if beach volleyball was really that much fun, but it didn't take long for me to get back out there again," recalled Mihalic. "The biggest thing for us as we grew up competing in New Jersey was to move through the rankings and beat the older veterans."

Source

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 07:59 PM

The AVP came back to Belmar and the top seeds made the two-year wait worthwhile.

The tour stopped at one of New Jersey's favorite beaches for 15 straight years, but took a two-year hiatus to Seaside Heights. Well, it's back and the first day came and went without any real upsets. First place is going to be a competitive race for the remainder of the field and even the top dogs say it's anyone's game.

This weekend will give birth to a new 2008 tournament champion with many of the tour's top teams (and previous tournament winners) in Paris this weekend for Olympic Qualifying. The teams playing in New Jersey and not across the pond, sense some blood in the water -- or as others say, meat in the mountain?

"There are still tons of good teams out here," said 6-feet-8 blocking machine Kevin Wong. "And there are teams here in Belmar that have beaten those teams playing in Paris. Every weekend on the tour it's like having someone throw a piece of meat in front of a pack of wolves and the question is which wolf will grab the meat."

Source

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 08:00 PM

For Jersey boy, A.J. Mihalic, playing in his own backyard is something special. The Wall High School native grew up just minutes away from the Belmar sand -- home of the AVP Belmar Open. Too bad his Friday was so short-lived.

Mihalic and teammate Scott Davenport, seeded No. 21, lost in three games to the No. 12 seeded team of Mike Morrison and Ty Tramblie in front of Mihalic's boisterous hometown rooting section. Some of the AVP's tour stops are double-elimination, but this one is not, at least in the first round.

Nonetheless, Mihalic has a fond appreciation for the tournament despite Friday's result.

"I love playing here," Mihalic said. "This is where I learned to play. I like the sand and I know how to move in it."

Another tandem to play only one match were Long Islanders Cindie Valeriano and Hilary Pavels. The native New Yorkers were ousted by No. 10-seeded Priscilla Lima and Angela Lewis in quick fashion. They, too, had plenty of support from the crowd.

Source

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 08:04 PM

Brothers and sisters with strong relationships are special people. One will often do anything for the other. And to Tracy and Katie Lindquist that means nothing comes between them in life or the sand.

The two five-foot six-inch sisters from southern California are the only ones of their kind on the AVP tour. There aren't any other sibling tandems and if there were, it would be hard to emulate the type of cohesion the Lindquist two have seemed to master.

Katie, now 30, used to make their mom take Tracy, 27, to the beach when they were teenagers. Who wanted their 12-year-old kid sister tagging along? Not Katie, that's for sure.

They both soon gravitated to the beach volleyball court during their younger years and it became plainly obvious that Tracy had serious talent. Her big sister took notice.

Source

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 08:05 PM

Day two of the Belmar Open is feast or famine for players. Win your first match and advance to the semifinals of the winner's bracket. Lose the match and you're looking at two more under the sun.

The top two seeds in the women's draw didn't drop a game and were able to take shelter in the shade while No. 3 seeds Holly McPeak and Angie Akers couldn't say the same. They were defeated in quick fashion by the No. 6-seeded sister team of Katie and Tracy Lindquist 21-16, 21-18 and forced into the loser's bracket.

On a day when the clouds and breeze parted ways, the sun beat down on the Jersey sand. It became a challenge for teams like McPeak/Akers to stay alive for the third and final day of the tournament.

However, day two, regardless of how many games you play doesn't carry the same pressure as day one.

"On day one, whoever plays in that first round of single elimination, those nerves are pretty high," said No. 10 seed Priscilla Lima. "You can tell because people were screaming their lungs out at nine in the morning on Friday. The thought of being out of the tournament if you lose that first game on day one makes it very intense."

Source

**truebluefan** · 07-19-2008, 08:06 PM

It's wasn't easy being No. 1.

Everyone was after them. The proverbial bullseye was glued to their backs once the seeding for the Belmar Open came out. And the high-flying combo of Kevin Wong and Matt Olson were clearly up to the challenge.

The newly-formed duo won their first AVP tournament together and it took three long days of hard work to do so.

Shortly before the finals, Olson spoke of his dream of winning his first tournament.

"I'd love to do it with Kevin and I'd love to do it this weekend," he said. "We'll get out there and play ball one point at a time and if it happens this weekend it happens and I'll be the happiest person in Belmar."

It's fair to say that no one in the stadium could match the size of Matt Olson's smile after the match.

Source

Thread Tools Display Modes

View more Volleyball photos

Thread Tools

Display Modes