It’s all about the volleyball

Last summer I spent 3-4 days a week playing sand volleyball. While this summer my schedule hasn’t looked like that, there is some good volleyball to be had. Three things on the agenda:

• Weekly, the ATXVB Meetup Group plays at the Krieg Complex, known before as the softball fields off Pleasant Valley and Riverside. Wednesdays from 5pm-dark and Saturday mornings from 10am-??

• Coming up not this weekend but next, Aussie’s hosts their popular El Sol tournament. From their website:

In 1999, Eric “El Sol” Solie tore his Achilles tendon playing indoor volleyball at ARC. The surgery had gone well but a couple weeks later, Eric died from a blood clot. He was 30 years old and taken away from us too early. Eric was extremely friendly to everyone he met. He could put a smile on your face just by being around him.

The Eric Solie Foundation was created in 1999 in honor of Eric and his love for volleyball, beer & boiled shrimp. This year will be the 10th Annual “El Sol” Blind Draw 4’s Tournament being held at Aussie’s Volleybar & Grill on Saturday, June 13th. Money raised from the El Sol Tournaments and from the Gemini & Halloween Poker Rides & Raffles goes to the Eric Solie Foundation. The foundation will benefit a selected junior volleyball player each year once the fund has reached its maintenance level.

Register by phone or at Aussie’s: 512.480.0952 or 306 Barton Springs Rd., 78704

Then I’ll just crib notes from an email a friend of mine sent detailing how much fun the tourney is:

“This is the biggest tournament they have each year, and it is followed by a shrimp boil.

Last year they had over 100 people, which is why they will have to spread out the games between Aussie’s and Krieg Field.

Since the tournament is so huge, it should take all day.

I don’t know if they have a lot of spots left, so I wanted to remind you guys to sign up since as we all know these tournaments are a lot fun, and even more so when you get to spike a ball at your friend’s face J

I just signed up yesterday, and the fee is the standard $25, or you can pay $35 (which is what I did) which includes the ticket to the shrimp boil right after the tournament. I think the boil also includes beer.”

• Don’t forget about the awesome Adult Volleyball Camps I told you about put on by Misty May’s dad. It’s a conflict with the El Sol tournament, but if you need to pick up some more skills, you should definitely look into this camp. It runs Friday after-workish through Sunday, June 12 – 14, at Austin Beach Volleyball Club in Manor. Their website is here.

So it looks like my summer calendar is filling up all volleyball-style again …