AFSPC All takes NORAD/NORTHCOM in volleyball championship

Published May 30, 2008
By Walt Johnson
21st Space Wing sports reporter

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- In what may go down as one of the best intramural volleyball championship games ever here, the Air Force Space Command/All team defeated North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Northern Command to claim the 2008 intramural volleyball competitive league championship.

AFSPC/All overcame a two game to one deficit to win the championship in five exciting games when it appeared NORAD/NORTHCOM was well on its way to victory. In the first game of the five-game match NORAD/NORTHCOM played with the urgency of a team with elimination staring it in the face. The NORTHCOM team exploded out of the gates and then hung on to claim a 25-23 victory and take a one game to none advantage. NORAD/NORTHCOM coach Jim Cronkhite said his team knew it was going to be important to get an early advantage on AFSPC and then try to build on that momentum to win the match. He said his team played game one like it knew what its mission was and got the job done.

"We were fired up for this match when it began. We had some very hard fought games prior to this match so we wanted to come in here and play hard and we were able to take it to them in the first game," Mr. Cronkhite said. "We were able to get a good tempo going and our mind set was we know we have to win so let's get fired up and let's go out and win."

The beauty of a match involving two heavyweight opponents is the other team also knows when it's time to put the pedal to the medal and get going, and that is just what the eventual two-time champions from AFSPC did.

Not wanting to have to win three straight games to avoid an "if necessary" match on May 27, AFSPC went to work in the second game and earned a 25-19 victory. With the games tied at one apiece the usual tension you might find in a contest of this nature was not evident. Both teams seemed at ease with their play and AFSPC/All coach Judy Kelley was so relaxed that when she turned in her lineup for the third game she joked to Cronkhite and the official score keeper that "they want to forfeit the third game." It brought a chuckle from everyone who heard it, but NORAD/NORTHCOM was in no laughing mood once the third game began.

NORAD/NORTHCOM played an outstanding game in the third game of the match and won it 25-22 behind some outstanding defense and an aggressive offense. With a 2-1 advantage going into game four it looked like the "if necessary" match to decide the title would be very necessary. NORAD/NORTHCOM stayed within striking distance of the AFSPC/All team throughout the match and it looked like it could pull off the match victory midway through the match. Suddenly AFSPC/All turned the momentum of the game in its favor and won the game 25-21 to set up a decisive fifth and deciding game.
AFSPC/All jumped quickly to begin the fifth game, building up an 8-1 lead at the midway point. Anyone who thought NORAD/NORTHCOM would go away quietly after that assault had another thing to think about just as quickly because the NORAD/NORTHCOM team scored seven of the next eight points in the game to pull within 9-8, and suddenly it was anyone's championship to grab. Unfortunately that would prove to be the last bullet in the chamber for NORAD/NORTHCOM as the AFSPC/All team would never surrender the lead and eventually won the contest 15-11.

After the contest Ms. Kelley said the victory was very sweet for the AFSPC/All team, which repeated as intramural champions here. She said the military values of hard work and perseverance were on display as the team looked the two games to one deficit in the face and then came back to grab the title.

"I think it was Winston Churchill who once said, 'Don't give up, don't ever give up.' And that is what we did today after we got down two games to one," Ms. Kelley said. "We lost our big hitter (Rusty Lorenz) during the match but we stuck it out. We also had two guys out there with injuries, but we dug down. The thought passed through my mind that we may have to play the 'if necessary' match, but we also were not going to give up and that got us through to the championship.

"This was a really tough league with some really talented teams. I think NORAD/NORTHCOM had some really tough matches prior to today and that may have worn them down a little at the end. I am just thankful to my teammates who played great," she said.

Fierce competition