VOLLEYBALL IS BIG AT

           TURTLE LAKE

 

 

 

 

Volleyball is played every weekend at Turtle Lake. There are three grass courts, one sand court and one lighted hard court. On most weekends play takes place on two of the grass courts and on holiday weekends all three of the grass courts are in use. The play is both competitive and recreational, occasionally both at the same time. On both Saturday and Sunday play usually beings at ten AM with a volleyball clinic. Two long time volleyball players, who have experience at both coaching and managing competitive leagues in the textile world, run the clinic. The size of the clinic is generally somewhere between twelve and twenty. After some warm up passing, the group is split in two, between novice and experienced players. The experienced players get plenty of opportunity to improve their existing skills and the novice players learn how to pass, set and use three hits during regular play. After an hour or so the clinic gives way to an afternoon of volleyball.

 

 

More players show up (the ones that didn’t get to bed early enough the night before), teams are formed and the fun begins! Most of the time there are both experienced and novice players on the same teams. The experienced players both coach and guide the novice players. Other times there will be a couple of games with just the experienced players on the court. When the experienced players go at it, things truly get competitive. Play goes on all afternoon. When a player needs a break they sit out a game or two. When suppertime comes play usually breaks up. There have been numerous evenings when play resumes after dinner and continues until dark. On several occasions the lights have been turned on (on the hard court) and play continues after dark.

 

 

On the holiday weekends there are mini tournaments on Sunday afternoon. The two clinic instructors divide all interested players into even teams of four, five or six. Anyone can play, just let one of the clinic instructors know you are interested in playing in the tournament. All of the teams play each other in a round robin format and then the teams are seeded for a single elimination playoff.

 

These mini tournaments are a lot of fun to play in and even to watch if and when your team gets eliminated. Turtle Lake also has two weekend tournaments each year. Anywhere from forty to seventy volleyball players show up on these weekends. Both tournaments have a unique format. In both tournaments you sign up as an individual and are placed on a team. The first tournament is known as the “KING OF THE GRASS”, the second tournament is “THE ANNUAL FOURS”.  Both tournaments are open to novice and competitive players.

 

Turtle Lake has a lot of volleyball experience. At last year’s MSA tournament Turtle Lake had nine teams. The men’s AA team took the AA championship. The men’s A team (which included the two clinic instructors) took the men’s A championship. One of the two women’s teams made it to the third game of the championship match in women’s division. Four of the five B teams were co-ed; one was a “kids” team that did very well. One of the B teams also made it to the third game of the championship match in the B division.

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLLEYBALL IS BIG AT TURTLE LAKE!  We have a lot of fun and meet a lot of GREAT people. Come on up to the courts and join us some weekend. OH YAH!  Coming in June “Bruce and Keith’s Weekly Volleyball Tip”. Each week there will be a paragraph or two explaining a different aspect of the game. Don’t miss it. It could improve your game.