Team Colorado presses forward during volleyball season Published April 14, 2008 By Walt Johnson The Peterson Sports Guy PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- On April 10, Team Colorado was cruising through the Peterson intramural competition undefeated and the odds on favorite to stay that way through the regular season according to most volleyball experts here. What those experts failed to notice was there is a very talented team that represents NORAD/NORTHCOM. That mistake will not be made any more as the NORAD/NORTHCOM team defeated Team Colorado in two games to pin the first defeat of the season on the league front runners and bring some excitement to the regular season title chase. NORAD/NORTHCOM's Jimmy Shaw and Tim Lundberg led an impressive display of team volleyball during the match that, frankly, wasn't as competitive as many would have predicted coming into the match. Without question Team Colorado is deservedly considered the top team in the league based on its consistency over the past few years of intramural play. Team Colorado can relate to professional sports teams like the New York Yankees or NBA and NFL champions in that they know they are going to get their opponents best game when they play and that was the case when it met NORAD/NORTHCOM. Everything Team Colorado tried to do to gain an advantage was quickly stalled by a great defensive effort from NORAD/NORTHCOM and some of the finest offensive sets any volleyball would want to perform. So crisp was NORAD/NORTHCOM on offense the team had less than 10 offensive possessions for the match that didn't turn into points. Paul Matheny, Team Colorado coach, concurred that it was a great effort on NORAD/NORTHCOM's part that was a key to its victory over his team. "They had a lot of great hitting, they passed well and they picked up everything else we sent over the net very well. I would have to say their height had a great deal to do with defeating us today. We haven't played against a team this year that had four of five hitters like this team had today with the kind of height they have," Coach Matheny said. To be fair, that was not the only reason NORAD/NORTHCOM won the game. This is one of the more solid intramural teams you will find in any sport. The team is loaded with agile, athletic people that also bring a great knowledge of the game to the court which makes this a combination that Todd Thornton, NORAD/NORTHCOM coach; thinks will be a great asset to his team for the rest of the season. "We have a very experienced team and that makes such a huge difference in volleyball. We are a lot older than most teams and we have a ton of experience. That experience helps us in areas like knowing where to stand and where to be at on the court (to make a positive play)," Coach Thornton said. In its only loss this season the NORAD/NORTHCOM team had to play a very good Air Force Space Command team short-handed as only five players were available for the game. Thornton said people got stuck at work and meetings so it could only field a team of five players. He said with six people you can kind of stand around and be in the right spots but with five people you have to cover more ground. When you have an older or more mature team like they have it's a little harder to cover those spots. No matter what happened April 10 the team was determined to have a full contingent for its game with Team Colorado because it has turned into the Peterson version of the Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox. "We want to play well every time we play but this game was different because it was Team Colorado and we have had an ongoing rivalry with them for at least the past two years that I have been here. If they had come into this game this year 0-7 we still would have been pumped up to play against them," Coach Thornton said. Matheny said his team expected to get the best game NORAD/NORTHCOM had because that is what happens each time it takes the court no matter who it plays. "It certainly is tough when every team is keying on you. It's fun because a lot of us in the league on the various teams are friends and a lot of us play with and against each other in leagues in Colorado Springs. It's sometimes a little hard when everyone always talks about or the paper always says Team Colorado this or Team Colorado that. Everyone comes into the gym and gives you a little razzing about being the big guns so it's fun but can be a little nerve wrecking at times," Coach Matheny said. Matheny said the defeat could really be a blessing in disguise for his team since it has enough time now to understand what areas it needs to improve in before the end of the season and the start of the championship run. "It was a real test for us today. We have a little bit of work to do to get ready to face them again in a couple of weeks and of course when we begin the playoffs. Our team was a little out of sync today and we never could get comfortable. We know we have a little tightening up to do and we will have a few matches where we will be able to hone our game and get our stuff down. NORTHCOM is a tough team and they are a bunch of great guys. We will see them again no doubt about that. Seeing them at this point in the season certainly lets us know that we have some work to do, work on something, adjust our passing and hitting. We are in a good place right now and I think we will make the necessary adjustments so that we get ready for the tournament," Coach Matheny said. As for NORAD/NORTHCOM and its needs for the rest of the season Thornton said there will be a simple formula for his team if it hopes to be the most successful team when the league champion is crowned. "We have to stay healthy. We are the more senior team in the league and we have to guard against having the little nagging injuries that you can get over the course of a season," Coach Thornton said.