V-BALL!

I feel as though I should be blogging about things present… but this is a thing past that definitely merits a blog. Two weeks ago CVM Tomis Constanta left on a bus for Turkey, headed for Izmir via Istanbul, to play in the final four of the CEV Challenge Cup. They trained and played an exhibition match before the meeting a strong Polish team in the semi-final on Saturday afternoon… and oooooh what a game! It was clear that Team Poland thought they had it in the bag – they were a bit shocked when the team from Romania actually put some pressure on them… and made them run for their money (or, er, points). It was a great game; they lost set one by two points (25-23) and set two (and the match) could have gone either way, as both teams battled until the Polish team won 35-33… yikes. Tomis won the third set and in the fourth it just kind of slipped away; Tomis made some serving errors and Poland didn’t… and in the end we lost 25-21. It was really a great game though, and the team continued on to beat EAP (Patras, Greece) 3-0 in the bronze medal match, making history as the first Romanian volleyball team to clinch third in a European Cup. So, of course there were celebrations on Sunday night, and again here in Constanta after their quarter-final win against Dej on Saturday night. The Romanian Minister of Sport showed up (she was in town to watch Romania’s men’s soccer team get downed by Serbia in a European qualification tourney) and congratulated everyone; the guys were looking dapper in their team suits, and there were speeches and presentations and plaques and champagne and food. We stayed for the appropriate amount of time and came home and watched movies and drank hot chocolate and ate cookies… it was a perfect Saturday night. So anyways, the guys have a big game on Wednesday – the Romanian Cup Final, and if you’re interested in watching it will be on Netzone; I think the game is at 6pm here, which is 11am in Toronto and 8am in Vancouver. Their semi-finals series starts on Saturday, and if all goes well the finals should start soon after. It’s kind of crazy that another season is already drawing to an end… time sure does fly. Anyways, some pics…














And from Saturday night...

Arvis, Steve and Seb - lookin' good!

Me and Steve ")

Steve and Arvis again...