U18 Inter-Regional Power League Update

The U18 Inter-Regional Power League is finally set and will be hosted by the Columbia Empire Region. The details and logistics are as follows:

When: Saturday - February 6, 2010
Where: The Courts in Beaverton
Who: The top-four seeded teams (from Power League #1) representing both the Puget Sound and Columbia Empire regions

Logistics:
*Coaches meeting @ 7:30am
*Play begins at 8:00am
*The Courts in Beaverton has a very strict food policy. NO outside food is allowed inside the facility.

Participating teams:

Puget Sound Region -
UPVBC 18
Sudden Impact 18 Tsunami
KJVBC 18 Baden
Island Thunder 17 Asics

Columbia Empire Region -
Oregon NW Juniors Air Elite
Portland Volleyball Club 18
Black Webfoot 18 Gold
Oregon NW Juniors Air Max

For more additional information, please contact:
Tifani Wendt - Commissioner
Columbia Empire Region
(503) 644-7468
tifani@columbiaempirevolleyball.com

www.columbiaempirevolleyball.com

PSR Adult Power League Series Information

The Puget Sound Region is offering to host both a men’s and women’s Power League Series for the 2010 season. A minimum of 8 teams must be registered for each gender in order for the events to take place.

Below are some of the specifics of the leagues.

1) Cost for the league is $450.00 for the 4 playing dates and the entry fee is due in-full prior to the initial play date. The dates and locations are:

Women

Feb. 7th, 2010 at Mariner HS

Mar. 13th, 2010 at Highline CC

Apr 18th, 2010 at Mariner HS

May 16th, 2010 at Tacoma CC

Men

Mar. 13th, 2010 at Highline CC

Apr 18th, 2010 at Tacoma CC

Feb. 14th, 2010 at Mariner HS

May 15^th, 2010 at Mariner HS

2) Points will be accumulated based on a team's finish at the conclusion of each individual playing date. The winner of each play date will receive one premium (bonus) point. For example, if there are 14 teams in the league, the winner of a play date will receive 15 points, 2nd place gets 13, 3rd gets 12, etc.

Movement up and down in the league will be based on the finish for each playing date. On the first play date, all teams will have an opportunity to win that date. Following the first date, teams will be placed into “flights” and movement up and down between flights will be based on that day’s competition. The philosophy is to have teams play similar skilled opponents throughout the day.

3) Teams will be allowed to drop their lowest score out of the 4 play dates. This will allow some flexibility in the schedule. It will also allow for a poor performance on one date to not severely affect good performances on the other three. The final league standings will be based on the total points of your three highest finishes.

4) Since some teams may miss a play date it will be the PSR Tournament Director’s determination where they should be seeded in the subsequent play date. The main consideration will be to place teams where they will be most competitive.

NOTE – IT WILL BE ASSUMED THAT YOUR TEAM WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN EACH LEAGUE DATE UNLESS YOU INFORM US OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT THE PSR ADULT COORDINATOR Bill Foote @ bill@sfvbclub.org IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO PLAY IN AN EVENT. THIS IS VERY HELPFUL FOR PRE-EVENT PREPARATIONS.

5) Roster limitations have been placed so that a player may participate in the last play date ONLY if they have played with that team for at least 1 out of the first 3 play dates. This does not exclude new players from being added to your team for the first 3 play dates, it only limits adding a player for the 4^th and final play date. If a team is not in the running for the top 3 spots in the league, and is in need of adding a player for the 4^th date in order to be able to participate, they may petition the region to do so. Any such requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

YOUR TEAM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING A CURRENT ROSTER, GENERATED BY THE USAV REGISTRATION WEB SITE, FOR EACH LEAGUE EVENT.

6) Prizes

1^st place – Reimbursed FULL paid entry to USAV Nationals = $900

2^nd place – Reimbursed half paid entry to Nationals = $450

Note #1 - Teams not going to Nationals cannot be paid ‘cash’. Should a ‘top two’ finisher choose not to go to Nationals, prizes get ‘bumped down’ to the highest 2 finishing teams according to their finish.

Note #2 – Whether your team is planning on attending Nationals or not, the Power League Series still saves each team money in entry fees. Teams will be playing in 4 events for $50 less than if they entered each tournament individually. The Power Series is designed to host the most competitive play for each team’s level as well as support the Puget Sound Region presence at the National Tournament.

Note #3 – Teams not from the Puget Sound Region will be allowed to play in the Power Series Events but are NOT eligible to receive financial assistance towards Nationals no matter where they finish. Should a team from outside the PSR win one or more events, that team shall receive award shirts for each of the team members for each tournament won.

For a pdf file with this overview which includes an entry form, click here.

U15 Power League #1 Results

At the conclusion of the first Power League series event for the U15 age division, the Capital Ice 15's defeated PSVBA 15 National in the championship match earning the top-seed for February's second round.

The top-team teams after event #1 include:
1. Capital Ice 15
2. PSVBA 15 National
3. Narrows 15 Purple
4. Power Surge 15 Black
5. Cascade 15 Black
6. KJVBC 15 Baden
7. Puyallup Jrs. 15
8. UPVBC 15
9. OVC 15 RoShamBo
10. SIVBC 15 Typhoon

For a complete list of the final standings please visit the Puget Sound Region website.

The second event of the Power Leagues series for the U15's is schedule to take place on February 21st.

U16 Power League #1 Results

The Washington Volleyball Academy solidified itself as the club to beat in the U16 age division as three WVBA teams finished among the top-five at the conclusion of the first power league event of the series. WVBA 16-Shannon defeated WVBA 15 Mizuno in the championship finale to finish first and second respectively.

The top-10 teams seeded into Power League #2 for the U16 age division are as follows:

1. WVBA 16-Shannon
2. WVBA 15 Mizuno
3. UPVBC 16
4. WVBA 16-Chris
5. KJVBC 16 Baden
6. SIVBC 16 Thunder
7. PSVBA 16 National
8. Capital Ice 16
9. Twin Lakes 16 Green
10. All Out 16

The second event of the U16 Power League series is scheduled to take place February 21st.

MLK Team Classic Results

The first annual MLK Team Classic juniors volleyball event was held last weekend at the Moshofsky Center on the campus of the University of Oregon. Many teams from the Puget Sound Region competed in the event in one of three age-divisions (U18, U16, U14).

In the U18 division, UPVBC 18 lost a tough three-set championship match to Oregon NW 18 Air Elite (21-25, 25-18, 15-8) to finish second.

Other top PSR finishers in the U18 division included:
KJVBC 18 Baden, WVBA 18, WVBA17, Lake Tapps 17 Orange (tied-5th)
SIVBC 18-Tsunami (10th)
KJVBC 17 Baden (11th)
ITVC 17 Asics (tied-13th)

WVBA 16-Shannon swept the field throughout the weekend, earning the tournament championship with a three-set win over All Out 16 (25-15, 20-25, 15-11).

Other top finishers in the U16 field included:
WVBA 15 (tied-3rd)
KJVBC 16 Baden (tied-5th)
WVBA 16-Chris (9th)
UPVBC 16 (10th)
PSVBA 16 (tied-11th)
Northshore Jrs. 16-Black, OVC 15 RoShamBo, ITVC 16 Asics, Narrows Purple 15-1 (tied-13th).

In the U14 division, WVBA 14 won the championship with a straight set victory (25-22, 25-22) over Clark County.

Congratulations to all teams!

PSR Adult Tournament Schedule

The Puget Sound Region has now posted a complete schedule for adult men's and women's indoor competition.

The spring indoor schedule is highlighted by the following events for both men and women:

*A four-event Power League series
*Men's and women's masters level championships
*Regional championships for both AA/A and BB/B levels

Some events are still seeking a host. If interested, please contact the PSR office at: USAVPugetSound.Office@Verizon.net or (425) 673-4103.

PSR U16 & U15 Power League #1

This weekend kicked-off the first installment of the Puget Sound Region Power League series for both the U16 and U15 age divisions. Regional teams will compete in four Power League events to determine the seeding into the regional championship tournament to be played later this spring. A total of 16 pools will kick-off this first event for each of these age groups.

Here is a list of the top-10 teams (as seeded) heading into the weekend:

U16 -

1. WVBA 16-Shannon
2. Capital Ice 16
3. All-Out 16
4. PSVBA 16 National
5. KJVBC 16 Baden
6. UPVBC 16
7. SIVBC 16 Thunder
8. WVBA 15 Mizuno
9. Cascade 16 Blue
10. Northshore 16 Black

U15 -

1. Capital Ice 15
2. PSVBA 15 National
3. Narrows 15 Purple
4. SIVBC 15 Typhoon
5. OVC 15 RoShamBo
6. KJVBC 15 Baden
7. UPVBC 15
8. WVBA 14 Mizuno
9. Power Surge 15 Black
10. Northshore 15 Black

For a complete list of teams and opening day pools, please visit the Puget Sound Region website at: www.pugetsoundvb.org.

Good luck to all teams!

U18 Power Leage #1 Results

At the conclusion of the first weekend of Puget Sound Region U18 Power League competition, it was the UPVBC 18's defeating SIVBC 18 Tsunami in the finals to claim the early season position atop the regional rankings. UPVBC has started the season strong, picking up right where they left off last season and their run through the U17 Open division at the 2009 Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships held in Miami, Florida. In addition to capturing the first weekend of Power League, UPVBC also won the Sports For Youth tournament championship the previous weekend. UPVBC senior veterans Emily Cotter (Western Washington University signee) and Kayla Reno (University of Montana) are joined by senior standout Brooke Bray (University of Montana) in their quest for a regional title and another trip to the national championship event. UPVBC is coached by Michael Miller.

The highest finishing U17 teams were: Island Thunder 17 Asics (3rd-tie); WVBA 17 Mizuno (5th-tie); Lake Tapps 17 (10th); KJVBC 17 Baden (11th); and Olympia 17 RoShamBo (13th).

This year, the top four teams heading into each of the three remaining Power League events will play an inter-regional tournament against the top four teams representing another neighboring region. The remaining Puget Sound Region teams will comprise the six flights of local regional Power League competition scheduled to take place February 7th, March 7th, and April 3rd.

Official results from the first weekend of U18 Power League competition are as follows:

1. UPVBC 18
2. Sudden Impact 18 Tsunami
3. KJVBC 18 Baden
3. Island Thunder 17 Asics
5. WVBA 17 Mizuno
5. Island Thunder 18 Asics
7. Bonney Lake 18
8. Saturday's Warriors 18 TC
9. The Edge 18 Black
10. Lake Tapps 17
11. WVBA 18 Mizuno
11. KJVBC 17 Baden
13. Olympia 17 RoShamBo
13. Sudden Impact 17 Storm
15. Space Needle 18
16. NW Jrs. 17 Elite
17. Gig Harbor 18
18. High Velocity 18
19. Northshore 17 Black
19. Puget Sound 17
21. YMCA Blaze 17
21. Narrows 18 Purple
23. Rain City 17 Thunder
24. Lake Tapps 17 MSA
25. SIVA 17
26. Northshore 18 Black
27. Lake Tapps 18
27. High Velocity 17
29. Olympia 17 Black
29. Lynnwood Spike It 18
31. Aces 18
32. South End Jrs. 17-1
33. Club Wahine 18 Black
34. Twin Lakes 18 Green
35. The Edge 18 Blue
35. Mill Creek 18
37. Rain City 18 Passion
37. Smokey Pt. Vipers
39. SIVA 18D
40. South End Jrs. 17-2
41. Bainbridge Island 18
41. Cascade 18 Blue
43. Saturday's Warriors 17 Serendipity
43. Power Surge 18 Gold
45. Evergreen Jrs. 18 H/K
45. Club Wahine 17 Black
47. South Sound Ohana 17
48. Skagit 17 Bulldogs
49. NW Jrs. 17 Thunder
50. Puyallup Jrs. 17
51. Rainier VBA

It was a very competitive first weekend of Power League competition. Congratulations to UPVBC 18's!

PSR POWER LEAGUE BEGINS!

The 2010 Power League series for Puget Sound Region juniors began this past weekend. Leading the way this first weekend was the U18/17 division. The Puget Sound Region sponsors four Power League age divisions, U18/17, U16/15, U14/13, and U12. The first weekend event for each age division takes place over two days of competition. The remaining three events will all be only one day.

Throughout the course of the four Power League events, teams will compete to ultimately climb the regional rankings in order to secure a higher seed for the Puget Sound Regional Championships to be held in April and May. The regional champion for each age group also earns a bid to the Junior National Championships to be held in Reno, Nevada June 24-July 3, 2010.

The top 10 seeds heading into this past weekend's first event for the U18/17 division were as follows:

1. UPVBC 18
2. WVBA 18 Mizuno
3. SIVBC 18 Tsunami
4. KJVBC 18 Baden
5. WVBA 17 Mizuno
6. The Edge 18 Black
7. ITVC 18 Asics
8. Bonney Lake 18
9. Cascade 18 Blue
10. KJVBC 17 Baden

The U16 and U15 divisions kick-off their first Power League events the weekend of January 23rd, while the U14/13 and U12 teams will compete the weekend of January 30th. Seeding for these age divisions are yet to be announced.

The following are the Power League series event schedules for each of the combined age groups:

U18/17 -
January 9-10
February 7
March 7
April 3

U16 & U15
January 23-24
February 21
March 6
April 11

U14/13
January 30-31
February 20
March 7
April 10

U12
January 31
February 20
March 7
April 10

At the conclusion of the Power League series, the age groups are separated and a regional championship will be held for each age division. For instance, the top qualifying U18 team will be seeded #1 into the U18 regional championships, as the top finishing U17 team will earn the #1 seed into the U17 regional championship event.

The regional championship dates are as follows:

May 8
U18 & U17

May 1-2
U16 & U15

April 24-25
U14

April 25
U13 & U12

Rankings and results will be updated and posted shortly after the conclusion of each event.

Please visit the Puget Sound Region official website (www.pugetsoundvb.org) for detailed information.

Good luck to all participating teams!

W.A.T.N.? - Courtney Thompson -

FROM THE SOUTH SOUND...TO THE RED, WHITE, & BLUE!
CATCHING UP WITH COURTNEY THOMPSON!

In the first installment of "Where Are They Now?", it made a lot of sense for us to reach out and connect with one of the most decorated and well-known athletes to hail from the Puget Sound Region. Courtney Thompson helped to elevate the training and competitive standards of the sport, not only locally, but on both national and international levels.

As a prep phenom, Courtney was a standout multi-sport athlete from Kent, Washington, having honed her skills on the volleyball courts at Kentlake High School and with the Kent Juniors Volleyball Club. After multiple state championships and helping KJ teams repeatedly qualify for the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics, Courtney helped catapult the University of Washington women's volleyball program to national prominence as the team's captain and starting setter throughout the duration of her four-year career. While at UW, the Huskies won their first Pac-10 and NCAA Division 1 championships, with Courtney earning multiple all-Pac-10, all-Region, and all-America honors. Additionally, at the conclusion of her senior season, Courtney was a finalist for the Honda-Broderick Award and was nominated for an ESPY, both of which select the NCAA's Female Athlete of the Year.

Immediately following her illustrious collegiate career, Courtney traveled overseas to begin her professional career, of which led to an invitation to train and compete with USA Volleyball's women's national team. Courtney currently trains and resides in Anaheim, California, home of the USA Volleyball training center.

Courtney recently returned to the area to be with her family during the holiday season. Additionally, she had the opportunity to host some clinics and visit with some local club teams and athletes around the region. We were very fortunate to be able to sit down and chat with Courtney recently to discuss her life and career as one of the world's best volleyball players. Here is a transcript from our recent chat:

PSR: Hey Courtney! Thank you very much for taking time to chat with us here at the PSR.

CT: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here!

PSR: How are you?
CT: I'm doing great thanks. I had a great holiday with the family and am excited to start training again.

PSR: So, the PSR is making efforts to reach out to our athletes through a recent new blog that we have created. Part of that blog is an opportunity for our members to catch up with former athletes that have come out of member clubs and organizations representing the PSR. It was an easy choice for us to select you as our inaugural "W.A.T.N.?" profile, as many of our members, as well as other local volleyball enthusiasts, followed your career very closely while you were here in the area.

CT: I am honored to be apart of the new blog, and proud to be from the Puget Sound Region! One of the best things about my career has been meeting so many great people along the way, so I enjoy staying connected to where I came from.

PSR: What have you been up to the past few months?

CT: I've been with the USA team since April, and have been training and competing a whole lot since then! We have an awesome coaching staff, and a really great group of girls training so it has been a very fun experience. I also finished writing a book for younger volleyball players, and am coaching a club team down in California. You can check out the book at courtlessons.com!

PSR: Had it always been a goal or dream of yours to compete with the USA national team?
CT: Yes, but I never thought it would be in volleyball! Once volleyball became 'my sport' in high school, winning a national title in college and winning a gold medal for Team USA became my dream.

PSR: When did you first realize that that may become a reality for you?
CT: In junior high and high school I would have never imagined in a million years that I would be getting to do what I'm doing now. It wasn't until my junior year at the University of Washington, that deep down inside I thought that if I kept working hard and improving I could have a chance to make the national team.

PSR: How was the transition for you from the collegiate level to the international scene and competing with and against the best athletes in the sport?
CT: It's similar to the jump from high school to college, in that it's a lot faster and you don't get away with plays that you would while playing at the previous level. It took me a while to adjust, but competing with and against some of the best players in the world has been more fun than I could have ever imagined. I am thankful everyday I get to compete at such a high level. It is truly a dream come true!

PSR: What is your typical day like when you're training with the national team?
CT: I get to the gym around 8:30 a.m. We have practice from 9-12:30 or 1:00. Then, we lift weights and do agility training for about an hour. Next is lunch and a shower. Then, we head back to the gym for practice from 3:00 to 4:00 or 4:30, then maybe watch some film or do some rehab. In the evenings we eat a lot, try to relax and get ready for the next day. I love it.

PSR: Throughout your career in the state of Washington, you have always set the benchmark for training hard, as well as displaying incredible work ethic and leadership. Has much changed for you in those areas now that you're competing at the highest level, among some of the greatest athletes in the world?
CT: I've tried not to change at all. That has been, and hopefully always will be, what I'm about. If anything, it's more important for me to try to do everything related to volleyball the best way that I can, whether it's getting extra reps in the gym, eating right, recovering right, working out right, watching more film, etc. That is what got me to this level, and I just believe that if you want to be the best you have to outwork other people. And when you love something, working hard is worth it.

PSR: What have been some of your greatest experiences so far competing with the national team?
CT: Traveling to some of the places that we have has taught me a lot outside the game of volleyball. I knew we were lucky in America, but didn't realize to what extent until I started traveling more. Those experiences are all ones that stick with you. As for volleyball, probably playing Brazil, the best in the world, in Brazil with 17,000 people all 'booing' USA. It was pretty surreal and is always so fun to play the best team in the world.

PSR: What are some of your fondest memories when you were competing throughout the PSR and with your KJ club teams?
CT: That's a tough one. We had some great times! Probably those long days at tournaments where you play a tough match, then have your parents bring you lunch. You just get to have fun with your teammates until you play again. Yeah, I miss the parents bringing lunch! Traveling with your club team for the first time is always special, and I was really lucky to have played with some great people throughout my career. And, I am still friends with all of them!

PSR: If you could offer a message or bit of advice to juniors or young volleyball enthusiasts to help motivate and inspire those that have great aspirations in their own volleyball careers, what might that be?
CT: I would tell them to never let someone else's expectations or opinion of you determine what you believe you can accomplish. Keep working to become the best they can be, and enjoy the journey it takes you on!

PSR: If you could give a shout out to your biggest mentors or fans that have influenced and/or supported your volleyball career, who would you like to recognize?
CT: Whew... I don't think we have enough time for me to name them all. I've been so fortunate to have amazing coaching my entire career. I would have to start with my family for sure, my parents and my two older brothers have had more influence on me than anyone. Dawn Colston, Drew Terry, Tom Champoux, Jim McLaughlin, and my coaches now Jamie Morrison, Karch Kiraly, and Hugh McCutcheon, have all had an enormous impact on my career, as well as my life. I am so thankful for them all!

PSR: Alright, so I'm sure many would like to know a little bit more about who Courtney Thompson really is. I have a few random rapid-fire questions for you...answer at-will:

PSR: Favorite athlete(s)?
CT: Peyton Manning, Karch Kiraly, and Pat Tillman

PSR: Favorite movie(s)?
CT: Gladiator and...The Little Mermaid

PSR: Favorite holiday?
CT: That's easy, Christmas! Of course!

PSR: One food you could not live without?
CT: Does green tea count?

PSR: If not playing volleyball, what would you be doing?
CT: I'd probably be on the professional bowling circuit.

PSR: Favorite thing that comes with being an elite-level athlete?
CT: Getting to compete at such a high level every day and...also getting free sweats.

PSR: Any one thing you will not miss once you decide to move on from playing volleyball?
CT: Oh yes...jump training of any kind!

PSR: Favorite place you have been while playing professionally or with the USA national team?
CT: That's a tough one, probably Switzerland. The country is beautiful and their food is great!

PSR: Best competitor you've ever played with or against?
CT: I've played against Karch Kiraly in practice, so that's an easy one to answer. He is certainly as good as advertised!

PSR: Any pre-game rituals?
CT: I usually listen to the same music on my I-Pod. It's a lot harder to have routines when you play international volleyball because you have so little control over things like your schedule, what you eat, where you train, etc. So, I don't have as many routines as I did in college. I have learned to be very flexible!

PSR: Share something that your fans may be surprised to know about you?
CT: I have my own bowling ball.

PSR: Courtney, thank you very much for being here and taking to chat with us. We really appreciate your representation of the Puget Sound Region and efforts to help grow the sport of volleyball. We wish you great success as you return to your training with the national team, and with your new book! You have connected with many people, especially among the volleyball community in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm sure that everyone is both grateful and proud! Thanks again!
CT: You're very welcome! Thanks for having me here and also to everyone for all of the continued support!