Practice Schedule

Wednesday, 12/03/2008

Thursday, 12/04/2008

Check the Club Calendar to view all scheduled practices.

Player Spotlight

More Player Spotlights will be coming this season. Keep an eye out for rising Tsunami Volleyball stars to be featured here throughout the season!

Archive 2007-2008

You are currently viewing the archive of the 2007-2008 season's web site and content. To return the most recent 2008-2009 season, click here or use any of the links at the top of the page.

News

– Ashleigh Wienbarg Commits to Western Carolina University
– Tsunami 18 Black at Nationals - Days 1,2
– Charmaine Kehoe Commits to Warner Southern College
– Taylor Buckner Commits to Southeastern Louisiana
– Chandler Ambrester Commits to Furman University
– Tsunami End of the Season Picnic
– Alumni Lauren Mason named Athlete of the Year
– Tsunami Volleyball Club shares love of the game with Special Olympians
– 14 Black is Headed to Nationals!
– Tsunami 18 Black Qualifies... Again
– Big Wave places 2nd in The Clash
– Terakka Walker Commits to Tennessee State University
– 13 Blue wins the Tri-Counties Southern Fire Tournament
– Tsunami Service Project - Special Olympics Volleyball
– Skills Clinic with Bond Shymansky
– 18 Black is headed to Nationals!!!
– Kendall Wilde Commits to Florida Southern
– Leigh Moyer Named to Big South Dream Team
– Casey Howett Commits to Armstrong Atlantic
– Lia Scott Commits to UNC Asheville
– 16 Black makes it 2 in a row with Valentine's Day Bash Victory
– Kristen Fleming named to the Prep Volleyball Frosh 59 List
– 2009 Commitments
– Tsunami Starts 2008 Season Off With a Bang
– 2008 Commitments
– Tsunami 17-black Wins 18-Power Chattanooga Tournament
– 13 Black Wins Impact Tournament
– 15 Black Wins Southern Draw Tournament
– 16 Black Wins Southern Draw Tournament
– Shanice Smith, Tsunami 18 Black, Honored at Jonesboro High School
– PO Box Address
– Katie Thornton, Tsunami Coach and Alumnus, Named Setter of the Year
– Player Handbook and Medical Release Forms Available
– Terakka Walker Named GHSA AAA Player of the Year
– Wendy Weaver and Donna Fleming Named GHSA Coaches of the Year
– 2007-2008 Head Coaches
– Commitment Night and Tsunami AADD Clothing Drive / BBQ Dates Set
– 2007 Georgia Senior All-Stars
– Tsunami 2007-2008 Try-out Dates
– Alumni Lauren Mason makes SI "Faces in the Crowd"
– Tsunami Volleyball, Inc., is Granted Not-for-Profit Status

A big congratulations to Ashleigh Wienbarg, Tsunami 18 Black, for committing to play at Western Carolina University. Ashleigh will join the Catamounts in the fall of '09 as a libero. Congratulations from your Tsunami family!

After years of hard work culminating in a great 18's season and a few qualifying tournament finishes, 18 Black finally had our time on the court at USAV Nationals.

We came in seeded in the middle of our 6 team pool, and had 3 tough matches the first day. Success was elusive, and our customary team chemistry was not with us as we stayed close in all games but were unable to get a win. The bright spots were that we finished with a very respectable 80% point differential, meaning that our matches against Performance (Colorado), A.C.E. (Ohio), and Kaepa FC (Wisconsin, coached by former Tsunami coach Joe Goodson) were all very closely contested. Another strong point was that we took the A.C.E. team to 3 games.

Day 2 started out with a well-balanced, dominant performance over Low Country (South Carolina). This set up for a great match with Virginia Elite. In another very close contest, we lost the first game 25-20 and responded well in the second game with a confident 25-18 win. The third game was as expected, staying close all the way to the finish. At 11-11, a poorly time streak of bad luck finished that game in favor of Virginia. Our pool play record ended at 1 win and 5 losses over the first two days, which is totally unrepresentative of our level of capability and performance.

We are now heading into the re-seeded pools, where we plan on regrouping and continuing our positive momentum to a strong finish through Saturday and Sunday. Expect another update on the site at the end of Saturday's competition.

Congratulations to Charmaine Kehoe, Tsunami 17 Blue, for committing to play at Warner Southern College in Lake Wales, Florida. Charmaine made history at Warner Southern for being the first junior to sign to the program. Charmaine will join the Royals in the fall of '09. Congratulations!

Tsunami is proud to announce the commitment of Taylor Buckner, Tsunami 16 Black, to Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. Taylor will join the Lions for their '09 season. Congratulations Taylor!

A big congratulations to Chandler Ambrester, Tsunami 17 Black, for committing to play at Furman University. Chandler will join the Paladins in the fall of '09 as an outside hitter. Congratulations from your Tsunami family!

When: Sunday May 18th, 2:00pm-5:00pm - Annual End of the Season Picnic
Where: The Bedford School field
Activities: grass court volleyball, snack food, fun, friendships!
Special Snack Food Arrangements: Introducing the "Taste of Tsunami" Festival

Taste of Tsunami Festival

• One of the best things about going to Tsunami tournaments is all the great food to be sampled at the infamous "team table". So, this year Tsunami invites each team to share some of their favorite tournament snacks with the club in the first (hopefully annual) "Taste of Tsunami Festival"
• each team will be responsible for providing 2-3 of their favorite tournament dishes/snacks for the picnic. Each dish should be enough to feed one team (10-12, hungry, ppl)
• Your team mom will be contacting you to coordinate who will bring what dishes
• This is your chance to share that all time great veggie dip, pasta salad, quesadillas etc... tournament treat! I can't wait to taste it all!!
• Tsunami will provide bottled water and all paper products and utensils for the Festival

Make plans now to attend this fun filled event! You won't want to miss all the delicious snacks and fierce grass volleyball battles! Let me know if you have questions or if I can help with anything. See you all next Sunday!

Last Saturday, May 10th, Tsunami Volleyball teamed up with the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) to host the Special Olympics Volleyball Invitational. This event marked the third year that Tsunami has provided volunteers at the annual invitational held by the AADD. Over 40 Tsunami players, coaches, and parents volunteered last weekend to help run the event that draws Special Olympics teams from all over Georgia. Thank you to all who volunteered - it was an outstanding act of service to our community!

Tsunami 18 Black qualified for Nationals once again this past weekend at Regionals. The team had a great weekend dropping only one match (2 games) all weekend. They breezed through pool play on Saturday defeating A5 18 April, Sting 18 Gold, and Williamson County Select 181. Sunday was more of the same, confidently defeating On Court 181, Impact 18 Pink, and Birmingham Juniors 181 before meeting A5 18 Bob in the finals. 18 Black played a tough match against 18 Bob, but a couple of poorly timed errors would bring an end to the match and the undefeated record. Tsunami lost to 18 Bob in 3 games (18-25, 25-17, 10-15). The loss gave them a 2nd place finish and another bid to Nationals. What a great season for these girls. Dallas here we come!

Diane Humphreys, Jill Steinwedel, and Maya Mitchell placed second in The Clash outdoor volleyball tournament in Lexington, SC, sponsored by the Columbia Volleyball Club. Their name, easily determined, was "Big Wave." It was a three-on-three grass tournament that endured heat, wind, rain, thunder, lightening, and then humidity!

Big Wave finished pool play with 7 game wins and 1 loss (as the rain was starting). This put them into the Gold Bracket for playoffs. After two playoff wins (each was one game to 21), they moved into the finals against a Club South Team. The Club South team of two 15-year-olds and one 14-year-old were highly skilled volleyball players whose club team had already won a Bid to Nationals. Big Wave went down in the first game and rallied in the second, led most of the game, and finally went down 21-19. What a match! Several teams who had lost to Big Wave during pool play and the playoffs stayed to cheer the team through the Finals.

It was a long, hot day, but the girls were ecstatic. Considering this was the first time these players had ever played outside, and the fluctuating weather conditions, this was an awesome finish. The second prize, in addition to tournament t-shirts, was $100 to the club of your choice. So, of course, Tsunami will be receiving a $100 check courtesy of the girls.

What a day!

Congratulations to Terakka Walker, Tsunami 18 Black, for committing to play at Tennessee State University. Terakka has contributed greatly to the success of the 18 Black team this season, and will no doubt provide a big contribution to the Tennessee State University Tigers. Congratulations!

Tsunami 13 Blue played in the Tri-Counties Southern Fire tournament this weekend. We traveled to Smyrna only to find out that the gym had overbooked and volleyball was going to have to find somewhere else to play. After Tri-Counties was unsuccessful in finding a gym, Coach Betsy called and secured Landmark for the tournament. The team went 2-1 in pool play losing only to Tri-Counties 131. We met Tri-Counties again in the finals and easily won the first game but struggled in the second. We were down 17-24 when Maya Page stepped back to serve. She was nothing short of awesome serving to win the game 26-24. We are looking forward to Regions next weekend. Go Big Blue!!!

SAVE THE DATE - Saturday May 10th - Tsunami hosts the Special Olympics Volleyball Invitational Tournament!

At the end of our season each year, Tsunami teams up with the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) to host the Special Olympics Volleyball Invitational Tournament. This is an exciting day of service to our community! Keep an eye on the website and email for more details.

Bond Shymansky, the head coach of Georgia Tech's Women's Volleyball team, will be putting on a skills clinic on Wednesday, April 23rd from 7:30pm – 9:30pm. There is a limit of 40 participants and they must be between the ages of 11 and 14. Registration will be on a First-Come, First Served basis.

Location: Our Lady of Mercy High School

Registration: Send an e-mail to Eric Hawes at eric@tsunamivolleyball.com. Include your name, the position you normally play and your birthday (month, day and year).

Cost: $10 per player, paid at check-in. Cash or checks made out to 'Tsunami Volleyball'.

Check-in: Please arrive at the gym between 7pm – 7:10pm.

Congratulations to Kendall Wilde, Tsunami 18 Black, for committing to Florida Southern in Lakeland, Florida. Kendall is a smart setter who knows how to run an offense. She is sure to have a successful collegiate career. We're so proud of Kendall and and can't wait to see how she develops over the next four years. Congrats Kendall!!

Congratulations to Leigh Moyer, Tsunami 18 Black, for being named to Prep Volleyball's Big South Dream Team. Leigh was chosen over approximately 225 other right sides at the Big South. Leigh is headed to the University of Alabama in the fall. This is a huge honor. Congratulations Leigh!

A big congratulations to Casey Howett, Tsunami 18 Black, for committing to play at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Casey is such a consistent and calm libero that she is sure to make a big impact at Armstrong Atlantic. Congratulations and your Tsunami family will be in the stands to cheer you on in the fall!

Tsunami is proud to announce the signing of Lia Scott, Tsunami 18 Black, to the University of North Carolina Asheville. Lia will join the Bulldogs as an outside hitter for their upcoming '08 season. Congratulations Lia! We can't wait to watch you play next season.

Congratulations to Kristen Fleming of the 16 Black team, for making the Prep Volleyball Frosh 59 List (a paid registration is required to see the full list). This is a collection of the best players in the country based on their achievements during their freshman year of high school volleyball. Kristen was part of the Columbus team which won the Georgia AAA state title.

Tsunami has started the season off right with fantastic finishes across the board in our season opening tournaments.

Southern Draw - Suwanee, GA (1/19 - 1/21)
16 Black - 1st Gold
15 Black - 1st Gold
18 Black - 2nd Gold
17 Black - 2nd Gold
17 Blue - 3rd Gold
14 Black - 3rd Gold
13 Black - 3rd Gold

Impact - Nashville, TN (1/26 - 1/27)
13 Black - 1st 13 Power

Choo Choo City - Chattanooga, TN (2/1)
17 Black - 1st 18 Power

Valentine's Day Bash - Birmingham, AL (2/9 - 2/10)
16 Black - 1st Gold
18 Black - 2nd Gold
13 Black - 2nd Gold
15 Black - 3rd Gold
12 Black - 3rd Gold

Click here for a complete list of all finishes so far this season.

Great job girls!

Shanice Smith, Tsunami 18 Black, was recently honored by having her volleyball jersey retired at Jonesboro High School. Shanice and two of her teammates, June Hypolite and Bobbi Boyer, were noted as being key contributors to the Lady Cardinals success this season. They helped the Lady Cards to a 38-7 record and the Region 4-AAAA title. Jonesboro advanced to the second-round of the playoffs, but fell 3-1 to St. Pius. Congratulations Shanice on this big honor!

Click here to see the full article.

The Tsunami mailing address is:

Tsunami Volleyball
PO Box 450783
Atlanta, GA 31145

Please use this for all payments, with checks made out to Tsunami Volleyball.

Tsunami coach and alumnus Katie Thornton has been named the Region XIII 2007 Setter of the Year. Katie is a senior at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. She was also named to the 2007 All-Region team. Katie will be joining our 17 Black coaching staff after graduating this December. Congratulations Katie!

Read the full story from Lee University's athletic department.

The 2007-2008 Player Handbook and Medical Release Form are now available on the Documents & Forms page. Remember, you must sign and turn in both of these to your head coach at the picnic or your team's first practice.

The Tsunami family sends a big congratulations to Terakka Walker of Columbus High School who was named the GHSA AAA Player of the Year. We are extremely happy and excited for Terakka. She is an amazing athlete and has a long volleyball future ahead of her. Congratulations, Terakka, on an outstanding performance this season!

Tsunami is proud to announce that our very own Wendy Weaver, McIntosh High School, received the distinguished honor of being named the GHSA AAAA Coach of the Year for the 2007 season. We are very proud of Wendy and her accomplishments this season. Wendy has been the head coach at McIntosh High School for 4 years now and is on her 5th season with Tsunami. We couldn't be happier for Wendy. Winning the GHSA AAAA State Championship and being honored as the Coach of the Year... What a great season!

Coach Donna Fleming of Columbus High School was named the GHSA AAA Coach of the Year for the 2007 season. Coach Fleming took her team to the GHSA AAA State Finals and came out with a big win. In addition to being the head coach at Columbus, she is also a Tsunami parent. Congratulations, Coach Fleming, on this incredible accomplishment.

Here are the 2007-2008 Tsunami Head Coaches:

• 18 Black - Sarah Roberts
• 17 Black - Tad Sahara
• 17 Blue - Kirbie Wallace
• 16 Black - Eric Hawes
• 16 Blue - Jason Flemish
• 15 Black - Beth Tarasawa
• 15 Blue - Duane Holben
• 14 Black - Wendy Weaver
• 14 Blue - Susan Coole
• 13 Black - Ginger Houin
• 13 Blue - Betsy Weaver
• 12 Black - Kristin Nameney

Mark Your Calendars...

Commitment Night for the 2007-2008 season will be held on Wednesday, 11/14 at 8pm at the Landmark Christian School Main Gym. Click here for important information regarding Commitment Night. If you are unable to attend, please contact Jeff McClellan.

In addition, our season kick off BBQ/AADD Clothing Drive is set for Sunday, 11/18 at the Bedford School Pavilion at 2 pm. This should be a ton of fun and benefits a good cause so please plan to attend.

Congratulations to all of the 2007 Georgia Senior All-Stars! The Senior All-Star Match will be held at Wesleyan on Saturday, November 10th at 3:30pm. Please come out to support all players participating in this big event.

A big congrats to the Tsunami athletes named to this list!

Jeune Hypolite - Jonesboro
Leigh Moyer - McIntosh
Alexis Shaffer - Starr's Mill
Terakka Walker - Columbus
Kendall Wilde - McIntosh

Here are the remaining try-out dates and times for the 2007-2008 season.

Thursday, November 8 –Our Lady of Mercy

Please check here often to account for possible time or location changes. If you have questions about which try-out age group your child should attend, use the Age Group Calculator below. If you have questions about this information, please email our Director Jeff McClellan. Thank you, and see you at try-outs.

Age Group Calculator

Not sure what age the player qualifies for? Enter their birthdate here:

Lauren Mason, a former Tsunami player and graduate of Landmark Christian was recently featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" for her exceptional play. Lauren is the daughter of Brad and Barb Mason (the Landmark Christian Varsity volleyball coach and Athletic Director). Congratulations Lauren!

Tsunami Volleyball, Inc., a Junior Olympic Volleyball Club based on the south side of Atlanta, is pleased to announce the official granting of their Not-for-Profit status as of December 2006. The 2007 season marks Tsunami Volleyball's seventh year of existence. Tsunami brings together athletes from Landmark Christian, McIntosh, Northgate, Our Lady of Mercy, Sandy Creek, Stars Mill and other local schools to compete across the nation. Tsunami emphasizes the spirit of volleyball by developing technical skills, cooperation, and teamwork. As a club, Tsunami strives to instill exemplary values in its teams, including community service, which transcend volleyball. Through its not-for-profit status Tsunami Volleyball, Inc., strives to fulfill its short term goal of cost-effective volleyball opportunities for young athletes as well as its long term goal of providing its own quality athletic facility on the south side of Atlanta. For more information on Tsunami Volleyball, Inc., or for information on how to support Tsunami Volleyball, Inc., please visit www.tsunamivolleyball.com.