WEEK 11

The Rockaway Beach Volleyball League completed the final match of the 2015 season on Wednesday night and all ten divisions crowned regular season champs – Freedhand’s, JG Electric, Kobeyaki Got Kills, Rat Pack NYC, Breakaways, Rockaway Breakers, White Horse Tavern, It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere, the Channimals and the Harbor Light Sandhogs. Congratulations to all. Now the real work begins. The last Wednesday night became one of the best nights of the year, weather-wise, with a mild breeze, no dampness, no ominous cloud formations and only beautiful skies. Players are hoping for more of the same on Saturday.

The RBVL 2015 Playoffs will be played by all divisions on Saturday, August 8^that 10:30 a.m. sharp. 10:30 is both the start time and the forfeit time for game #1. Nets will be available for set up and practice at 9:30 a.m. and must be up by 10 a.m. Just as a reminder, when the matchup is 1 vs. 8, the 8 seed is the home team and responsible for setting up the net. So the lower seeds are stuck putting up the nets. It’s good to be the King (higher seed)! All matches are best of 5 games to 21 points – win by two points and no cap. Round 1 - 10:30 a.m.: 1^st place vs. 8^th place, 2^nd place vs. 7^th place, 3^rd place vs. 6^th place and 4^th place vs. 5^th place. Round 2 - 12:00 p.m.: 3^rd/6^th winner vs. 2^nd/7th winner and 4^th/5^th winner vs. 1^st/8^th winner. Round 3 - 2:00 p.m.: CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. The Sun and Moon Divisions have slightly different schedules in that the top two teams in those divisions have a first round bye. In their round 1, 3^rd place plays 6^th place and 4^th place plays 5^th place. In round 2, the 3^rd/6^th winner plays the 2^nd place team and the 4^th/5^th winner plays the 1^st place team. Round 3 is the Championship.

Some sandwiches will be provided for lunch. Please bring any other beverages you require but remember that, officially, alcohol and bottles are not allowed on the beach. The RBVL committee would like to thank the overwhelming number of players who have cooperated with the “no bottle” policy. And the beach has not been spotlessly clean the last two weeks. Make sure to clean up when you leave and help out by picking up any stray garbage even if it wasn’t yours. Everyone is in this together. When we leave the beach Saturday for the last time the grounds should be just as pristine as when we entered Gateway on May 20^th. A rainout on Saturday is very rare. We may be under the buildings for a while if there is lightning but we are likely to play through the rain. With 40 6-ft. heroes ordered, 38 referees contracted and a DJ it is very hard to postpone. Of course, check your e-mails and the website for updates. The RBVL then concludes its 2015 season. Say it ain’t so, Joe.

The RBVL wrapped up the regular season schedule Wednesday night and four pennant races could not have been any tighter. The Beach division saw Rat Pack NYC nose out Edison Place by a single point and the White Horse Tavern do the same to Perfect Settings in the Sun. But the Ocean Breeze Division was even closer and found JG Electric and Casino Auto Body tied at the top with JG getting the edge due to a 4-1 regular season victory over Casino. In the Boardwalk, two Rockaway teams tied for first – the Rockaway Breakers and the Rockaway Gliders with the Breakers winning the head-to-head 4-1 to take the regular season crown. Son of Steinbrenner was very proud and is getting a hanger ready for another sweatshirt. Easy big guy. The Beach division saw Average Joes and All American Heroes tie for 4^th with 24 points. In their head to head battles they went 5-5. The next tie breaker, head to head point differential, had to be used and the Joes have it, scoring 15 more points in their 10 games. It doesn’t get any closer than that. Of course, they would be playing each other either way in the 4 – 5 matchup but now the Heroes must set up the net. Many longtime friends and players are concerned with Cement Shoes recent calf (cow) injury and we would like to clear the medical mystery up. Dickie has suffered a partial tear of the gastrocnemius muscle. Wikipedia tells us that the gastrocnemius is located with the soleus in the posterior compartment of the leg. The lateral head originates from the lateral condyle of the femur, while the medial head originates from the medial condyle of the femur. That clears everything up, no? The doctor said rest the leg but regular activities are fine so It’s All Good will have their coolers, music and lighting Saturday for the playoffs. Oceans 12 will be waiting for them in round one. Beware the Goldberg Youths. The Beach House completed an unusual season in that they went totally digital for 10 weeks. They scored 0’s and 1’s, never a 2, 3, 4 or 5.

How did the last regular game of the season shake out? Beach Orphans played some team they couldn’t remember. “EZ something?” (EZ Company.) Nobody paid attention. They also didn’t play that well, taking only one out of five. One player said, “I didn’t even play, I just sat there and drank!” which is more fun than playing. Nice dives for Eddie, who usually lifts his feet. Tonight he had an especially good move, and the Orphans are feeling hyped for the playoffs. Although the Beach Orphans had a challenging season, they’re ready for Saturday.

Wharf Rats took two out of five from the last place team, who were still playing well. It shows how close the divisions are. Patryk was the night’s standout player, excelling at overall skills and picking up the slack from other players. Every team can take it on Saturday, and it’s anyone’s championships – but the Rats hope to bring a hoodie home. Ocean’s 12 is feeling confident. They already submitted their hoodie sizes to the league. They played the Stanii and took three out of five, but are saving their skills for Saturday. The games were competitive, and no one stood out. Everyone played equally well – it was Bump, Set, Spike City on the court. The Stanii said they may have lost three but are getting ready for Saturday. And by “getting ready” they mean picking up their beach provisions – food, beer, wine and more – and enjoying the beautiful day. On the court, Tommy Woods was a block monster. They actually played real volleyball, with bump, sets, spikes, blocks and digs – finally getting it together in the last game of the season.

The Freaky Tiki All-Stars fell to a Richie-less Freedhand’s, losing all five games. Onward to Saturday, where they hope to do better. The Harbor Light Sandhogs took four out of five from Serves ‘Em Right, thanks to the dynamic duo of Martin P. Egan (The Flash) and his sidekick Tommy Hayes (no nickname.) The Sandhogs are in first place and feeling confident going into the championships on Saturday. They hope to lift the championship trophy and hoodie to hang into the bell tower of the newly-rebuilt Harbor Light, as soon as it’s finished. It was all, “shoulda, coulda, woulda” for Last Call tonight. The team is hoping for a winter rebirth or rebrand or something to change up their standings for next year. There may not be hoodies on Saturday but there will definitely be watermelon margaritas. Suns of Beaches didn’t do too well. They played Roger’s and took two out of five, but are mostly excited for Saturday – and for the four-week league being run by the Beach Bazaar. They also admit they didn’t play that well on the court but they helped Rocky move a stage. Roger’s Irish Setters played well tonight under pressure against Suns of Beaches. They stepped up to get a few more wins to improve their standings in the playoffs. They wish the rest of the league well on Saturday in their endeavor to beat them. They’re gunning for it and looking for 5 O’clock Somewhere, who they hope to see in the finals.

EZ took 4 well played games from the Beach Orphans. Mikey Montreal likes his train sleeper cars but can't wait to see Lancaster Levy. Precious moments await at the rumored karaoke festival. Hipster Fitz lent his unwavering support to the squad. Sheila EZ should be rested, ready, and thirsty for Saturday. DQ was signed by GQ after a quick shot of him from Citi Field. Old Dan can't believe the Devinator's age but somehow believes that he, himself, can be 28. The Big R made it clear that he would rather "Have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” Sure hope The Bash comes Saturday. Fearless leader is practicing her coin toss for Saturday morning. MF put on the usual passing clinic while C-Eth continued her winning ways. Lady Spike would trade it all for the recipe to a Leon's Chocolate Marble Ring. B-Fitz hunkered down some prime realty for her mates. T-Ribs looks ready to flatten unsuspecting teammates on Saturday. The author of This Stairway Is Closed will be taking questions after the first round.

Every year the players patiently wait for the final night of Wednesday volleyball at the Yacht Club. All winter they dream about the grill, the Ludwig’s sausage and peppers, the DJ and the vicious musical chair competition. As usual this year’s night was no different. Thanks to DJ James Tubridy, the bartenders, the grill masters and everyone at the BHYC for making the last after-party another standout. Are you ready for Saturday? Commissioner Patty will be on sandwich duty on Saturday, making sure that only the volleyball players get the sandwiches. She’ll be the “Sandwich Supervisor” to ensure only the hardworking RBVL players eat the spoils of the wraps, sandwiches and salads.

Katie Honan stepped up big time this season and became a fulltime reporter for the RBVL. She contributes and writes weekly so your stories and tales get printed. Keep up the good work, Katie. The Riis Park Beach Bazaar wants to keep the fun going on Wednesdays, for another 4 weeks of beach volleyball. Starting Wednesday, August 12, they will begin a rec league designed to be a competitive but fun extension of the RBVL momentum. They'd like to encourage full or existing teams to sign up this Saturday at the sign-up table they will have present. Individuals are welcome too -- solo players will be placed appropriately on a team based on skill level. Email Alex Moule or Ruth Gilwit for further information: alexandermoule3@gmail.com. rgilwit@rpbeachbazaar.com. Captains are reminded that they can have team items entered in the weekly Wave article by showing up at the sponsor bar or by e-mailing Joe at jmcgivney2@nyc.rr.com. But this is your last chance to do so, after the playoffs. The RBVL has a Facebook page and, if you like it, you will receive timely updates, whoever you are, captain or not. Your RBVL Committee members will be around each and every week to help out on any matters and answer your questions. If you have any questions please call Patty Moule at 917-613-0908. (Call between 10 AM and 9 PM.)

See you on the beach 8/8 for the Grand Finale!