Ariel may have mentioned a while back that I’d managed to weasel my way onto a team in the social volleyball league that takes place every Wednesday at The Shack (aka the entire Wednesday night “scene” in Lilongwe). But did she convey the awesomeness that is (are?) the Chambos? No, I’m afraid she did not. Clearly the time has come to rectify this oversight.
When I joined up, back in November, the Chambos were still a B-league team. Great, I thought, competitive but not ridiculous – the perfect fit for my type-A, but haven’t played since high school self. Little did I realize that the team had come number one in B league for the season and would thus be getting a “promotion” to A league come this year.
Our first game started out so promisingly; most of us had made it to a practice, we’d decided to try the tricky but strategically superior 5-1 rotation, and (after a few whiffs, duds, and power-drives to the net) both my serving and hitting were starting to come back. We led by a large margin until 17, then suddenly (maybe they’d finally gotten warmed up) it seemed as thought the other team grew springs in their legs. They were all over the court, guys who couldn’t be more than 5’ 3” soaring above the net to smash spikes down on us as we feebly tried to mount a defense. It wasn’t pretty. Nor was the second game. Chambos, down in two. Still, we didn’t feel too bad: first game of the season, new players, first time in A league, yadda yadda. Next week, we swore, would be different.
Well… we put up a good fight, but once again it was Chambos down in two. Replenishing lost electrolytes with Carlsberg Green post-match, the analysis varied:
“We lost on their serves – have to get them up higher.”
“I think there’s still confusion about the rotation. We need to run through it again.”
“You realize they won the tournament last season and two of those guys are on Malawi’s national team, right?”
“….”
“And we got to twenty points?! Another round of Greens on me!”
Next week…. Chambos: keeping the hope alive.
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