Sitting Volleyball Holds Successful A2 Camp

  USA Volleyball Staff Reports

“This was our second development camp for our sitting volleyball program, and the level of play we have seen this weekend has improved tremendously since the first camp,” USAV High Performance Director and Women’s Sitting Team Head Coach Bill Hamiter said. “We hope that a couple of these players will continue to train after this camp with the goal of reaching one of our national teams.”

Joining the U.S. participants at the camp were 11 members of the sitting volleyball team from the British program Battle Back. Battle Back is an organization dedicated to helping injured soldiers participate in sports and other physical activities. Attending the camp provided them with the opportunity to experience the U.S. methods for practices and play.

At the camp, the athletes from the HP camp and the British Battle Back practiced twice a day learning specific skills including ball control and team defense and offense. Along with the on-court training, the players took part in three classroom sessions which introduced them to the benefits of participating in high performance camps including the direct connection that it has to the national teams, the nomenclature used on the court and the basics to proper nutrition and strength and conditioning.

At the end of the camp, both the U.S. and British players participated in the 11^th annual Endeavor Games for Athletes with Physical Disabilities, which was also hosted by UCO on June 10-13. The Games brought together more than 500 sport participants in sitting volleyball as well as track & field, shooting, archery, swimming, wheelchair basketball and table tennis.

“UCO and the sitting program were delighted to have Battle Back join us for the camp,” said Sitting Volleyball Coordinator Elliot Blake. “When I first learned of their interest to come to the U.S., I knew this would be the best opportunity for them to come in to train and compete together as part of the UCO’s Endeavor Games.”

The U.S. and British players from the camp divided into seven teams for the Endeavor Games. The HP team divided into USA Red, USA White and USA Blue, with members of the U.S. National Sitting Volleyball Teams acting as court leaders. The British Battle Back split into two teams, Battle Back 1 and Battle Back 2. Local junior players helped Battle Back 2 fill out its roster. Two other teams, Skiatook and Team A, participated in the tournament.

Battle Back 1 defeated USA Red in the championship match.

In the first set, the teams traded points for almost the entire set, with USA Red pulling away the 25-19 victory. 

The second set saw Battle Back’s Sgt. Chris Teoh (Abingdon, England) serve his team up to a 10-0 lead over USA Red. USA Red point fought back to within five, 17-13, but dropped the set 25-17.

The teams traded points to start the third set, but USA Red began making several unforced errors allowing the Battle Back team to pull away for the 15-10 win.

Battle Back 2 finished in third after defeating USA Blue, 11-25, 25-17, 17-15.

“Our Battle Back team has trained and competed several times in the past six months, yet this camp really challenged us with some of the more advanced drills and high level of play which the U.S. team brought to the court,” Squadron Leader Sol Masawi said. “We had a fantastic time being here at the university and competing in the Endeavor Games and sincerely hope to return next year to train with the U.S. again.”

The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams are getting ready to compete in the Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Edmond, Okla., from July 10-18. The event is the first opportunity for 37 teams from 29 countries to qualify for the 2012 Paralympics in London, England.

To learn more about the U.S. Sitting Volleyball Teams or developing a sitting volleyball program in your area, please contact Elliot Blake at 405-974-3153 or at Elliot.blake@usav.org.

Rosters

Name       Organization/Military Branch/School, City, State/Country

USA Red

Latseen Benson   (Army, League City, Texas)
Travis Ricks (Challenged Athletes Foundation, San Diego, Calif.)
Richard Bacchus Jr. (Marines, Team Semper Fi, Bryan, Texas
SSG Paul Roberts (Army, San Antonio, Texas)
SGT Juan Alvicar (Army, Silver Spring, Md.)
Ed O’Neil (U.S. Men’s Sitting Team, Army, Edmond, Okla.)

USA Blue

SGT Jen Lee Young (Army, San Antonio, Texas)
Brad Walker (Marines, Team Semper Fi, White Pine, Tenn.)
Paul Taylor (Emporia State University, Kansas City, Kan.)
CPL Christopher Strickland (Army, Oneonta, Ala.)
CPL Kelvin Rosado (Marines, Team Semper Fi, Camp Lejune, N.C.)
Sam Suroweic (Seattle Adaptive Sports, Everett, Wash.)
Dan Regan (U.S. Men’s Sitting Team, Army, Edmond, Okla.)

USA White

Monique Burkland (University of Central Oklahoma, Ardmore, Okla.)
Tia Edwards (Skiatook Volleyball Club, Skiatook, Okla.)
Angela DeHaan (Cal Synergy Volleyball Club, Yuba City, Calif.)
CPL Britney Hutchins (Marines, Team Semper Fi, Vista, Calif.)
Sara Koehnke (Knox College, Highland Park, Ill.)
Brenda Maymon (U.S. Women’s Team, Edmond, Okla.)

Battle Back 1

PTE Derek Derenalagi (Battle Back, London, England)
TPR Corie Mapp (Battle Back, London, England)
PTE Apisolome Matiyavi (Battle Back, London, England)
SGT Chris Teoh (Battle Back, Abingdon, England)
PLT OFF Rich Valentine (Battle Back, Odiham, England)
SQN LDR Sol Masawi (Battle Back, Oxford, England)
LCPL Netra Rana (Battle Back, Cantebury, England)

Battle Back 2

SGT Colin Hamilton (Battle Back, Scotland)
LT COL Paul Meldon (Battle Back, London, England)
SGT Lat Sooks (Battle Back, Abingdon, England)
MJR Martin Colclough (Battle Back, London, England)
Tom Middleton (Great Britain Sitting Volleyball, Kent, England)
Rachel Manriquez (Oklahoma Peak Performance Volleyball Club, Edmond, Okla.)
Christine Moore (Oklahoma Peak Performance Volleyball Club, Edmond, Okla.)

Results

Final Finish

Gold – Battle Back 1 (6-0)
Silver – USA Red (5-1)
Bronze – Battle Back 2 (4-2)
4^th – USA Blue (3-3)
5^th – Skiatook (2-4)
6^th – Team A (1-5)
7^th – USA White (0-6)

Match 1                Battle Back 1 def. Team A                           25-21, 25-18
Match 2                USA Blue def. Skiatook                                25-16, 25-21
Match 3                USA Red def. USA White                              25-19, 25-14
Match 4                Battle Back 2 def. Team A                           23-25, 25-21, 15-9
Match 5                Battle Back 1 def. USA Blue                         23-25, 25-10, 15-12
Match 6                USA Red def. Skiatook                                25-16, 25-14
Match 7                Team A def. USA White                               25-17, 25-13
Match 8                Battle Back 2 def. USA Blue                         11-25, 25-17, 17-15
Match 9                Battle Back 1 def. USA Red                         19-25, 25-18, 15-10
Match 10             Battle Back 1 def. USA White                        25-13, 25-18
Match 11             Battle Back 2 def. Skiatook                          25-19, 25-21
Match 12             USA Blue def. Team A                                  25-19, 25-23
Match 13             USA Blue def. USA White                              25-16, 25-18
Match 14             USA Red def. Battle Back 2                          25-20, 25-23
Match 15             Skiatook def. Team A                                  18-25, 25-21, 15-12
Match 16             USA Red def. USA Blue                                 25-15, 26-28, 15-13
Match 17             Battle Back 1 def. Battle Back 2                    25-23, 25-20
Match 18             Skiatook def. USA White                               25-17, 19-25, 21-19
Match 19             USA Red def. Team A                                   25-15, 25-17
Match 20             Battle Back 1 def. Skiatook                           25-17, 25-16
Match 21             Battle Back 2 def. USA White                         28-26, 25-19

Tags: Brenda Maymon, Dan Regan, Ed O'Neil, Sitting Volleyball, U.S. Men's Sitting Volleyball Team