Bowling Green State University Athletics
Van De Walle Blogs From China - July 15
July 17, 2007 | Volleyball
July 17, 2007
CHINA -
July 15
Our first match today was against Mongolia and really wasn't much of a
match. We were able to let everyone play. Brenda has been playing this
whole trip with a fractured wrist so we sat her out and let Heather
play the whole match. Heather is the newest addition to the team and
the youngest. She is only 14! We won in 3 which set us up for the
championship match with China. We left the gym and headed back to the
hotel for lunch and a quick change then back to the gym for the
showdown with China. I watched them warm up and it's like watching a
machine. They ball handle better than most collegiate teams I know.
That is really hard to do from a seated position. The crowd grew as we
were both getting ready. It was really kind of neat to see a lot of
the fans were cheering for us.
We started the match with great intensity and for the first time all week I felt we had a chance to win a set. We are so much taller than they are and our blocking was finally on. We fell short losing 25-19 which is the most points anyone has scored on them all week. The second set started out in our favor as we jumped out to a lead and got to the technical time out before they did. (There are technical time outs at 8 and 16 points.) That was definitely the first time that has happened to them and the Chinese coach was not happy. We battled back and forth but fell short, 25-17. The third set was not good. It is apparent that the Chinese have another level they can get to when they need to and they did. The coach was visibly not happy and before you knew it the match was over and we lost 25-8.We felt pretty good about the match in general but not the way we fell apart at the end.
We gathered all our things and were ushered over to the second court where closing ceremonies took place. All the dignitaries that were at opening ceremonies were back to say good bye and wish us all safe travels home. Our captain, Lora Webster, was called to the front to receive the second place trophy. It was really nice. Because this was a qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and we have already qualified, Japan was given the bid with the next best record. It was so great to watch them cheer when they received the bid. They are always so gracious and humble in their demeanor.
China hosted a final team dinner party on a river boat on the river that runs right along the downtown area. It was amazing. All the teams were there with their coaching staffs. It was a requirement that after dinner every team perform. It was fun to watch the different countries get up and either sing or do a skit. Team USA did a skit that we have done many times at BG Volleyball camp. It's hard to explain but it was really funny and it appeared that everyone loved it. We cruised the river and took tons of pictures. The skyline was gorgeous and it reminded us of New York City. I hope to get some pictures on line so that you can see what I'm talking about.
This has been a tremendous trip for all of us. When we first arrived it seemed that it may be a long week with all the adjustments we needed to make. The time change, the food at times, the pollution, the people smoking everywhere, and just being away from home in a country where hardly anyone spoke English. However, from my point of view it was incredible. It always amazes me how sport transcends any differences there may be between countries. International travel can be difficult. But I find that every time I return to the USA it is so apparent how spoiled we truly are and we really have no idea. We have it made here in so many ways. The biggest thing that I will take back from this trip is that Chinese could give us a lesson on customer service. Everything they do is first class...everything. From the way they greet you at the front door, to how fast they are at your hotel room to fix something if you need it. It was truly unbelievable how gracious they are. They are wonderful people! The End.
