Volleyball Dreams

by Jake Maddox

  I shook my head. I knew they didn’t want me there anyway.

  “You’re not being a team player,” Jack whispered at me. But I just glared at him.

  After they left, I walked toward the beach volleyball court. Two little kids were throwing a Nerf volleyball high in the air, giggling. They were having a lot of fun.

  “Can I play?” I asked. They nodded.

  I tossed the ball over the net. I didn’t care about form or stance. I didn’t even care about hitting the ball out of bounds. I just wanted to have fun in the sand.

  Soon, I was giggling just like the younger kids.

  As I walked home, I had a lot to think about.

  Maybe Bella is right, I thought. It was important to have fun. I liked to win, but not if it meant losing all my friends.

  Chapter Seven

  THE BIG MATCH

  It was the day of the big match against our rivals, the Hilltop Hornets. The weather was perfect. I was nervous but excited. Jack felt the same way.

  When Jack and I got to the park, I was amazed at all the people who’d gathered to watch us.

  “Wow!” I said to Jack. “I’ve never seen this many spectators before!”

  The Hornets were huddled by their coach. When they walked toward the court, I saw their shirts. “Save Lakeview Park!” the shirts read. The shirts were just like ours, but a different color.

  “Okay, team,” said Coach Kayla. “Let’s have a good attitude and have some fun. We can win this!”

  I knew she was talking to me. I vowed to have a better outlook. We got into our formation, and the referee blew the whistle to start the game.

  We were playing three sets. The first team to make fifteen points would win the set. The first team to win two sets would win the match.

  “Let’s go, Lakers!” I yelled. “This is our game!”

  Bella was the first to serve. The ball flew toward the back corner, but the Hornets were ready. One girl in the back passed the ball, and her teammate slammed it over. Jack lunged for it, but he was too late. The ball landed in the sand.

  “One, Hornets!” called the referee.

  “Come on, Lakers!” I yelled. “Let’s do this!”

  When I turned to rotate our formation, Bella was standing right behind me, offering her hands for a high-ten. I remembered my vow to have a better attitude. I slapped her hands and got into my place in the front row.

  The Hornets served to us again. Scott set the ball for Teesha, and she knocked it over the net. A Hornet spiked it, but I was ready.

  I jumped and blocked it. The ball swished to the Hornet side and fell through the Hornets’ arms to the sand.

  “One, Lakers!” cried the referee.

  “Excellent block, Ramona!” said Bella.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Jack served the ball to the Hornets. They volleyed it back, but Bella set it for Zac, who spiked it over for a point.

  We were ahead.

  We kept our momentum going through the rest of the set, winning it by five points.

  “They’re good,” I heard a Hornet mutter.

  After the set, we took a break. As Coach talked to us, Bella swigged water from her metal bottle.

  “I don’t use plastic bottles anymore,” she told me. “In protest of the factory.”

  I had to laugh.

  “Do you want to help me hand out these flyers?” she asked, picking up a stack of papers.

  I followed her through the crowd, handing out flyers to everyone, even the Hornets’ fans.

  “I’m worried about starting school in the fall,” Bella confided. “What if I don’t make friends?”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. Bella already had more friends than I did.

  “I know how you feel,” I told her. “I felt the same when we moved here last year. Volleyball helps, though.”

  Bella was silent for a minute. I took a deep breath and said, “And you already have one friend. Me.”

  Bella smiled at me. As we walked back toward our team, Bella whispered, “Can I tell you my secret? I really want to play beach volleyball in the Olympics someday.”

  “Really? Me too!” I said.

  “Who’s your favorite player?” she asked.

  “Kerri Walsh, definitely,” I said.

  Bella smiled. “I like Misty May-Treanor,” she said.

  “They’re Olympic teammates!” I said.

  “Maybe you and I can be like Kerri and Misty someday,” Bella said.

  “That would be awesome!” I agreed.

  Chapter Eight

  THE SUIT GUY

  I felt energized as we headed back toward our teammates. They were sitting near Coach Kayla, but she wasn’t talking to them. She was on the phone again.

  “We need a new coach,” I whispered to Bella.

  “Why?” she said. “Coach is doing all she can.”

  I turned to ask her what she meant, but the ref blew the whistle to signal the start of the second set.

  As we tromped onto the court, I turned to the team with a smile. “Great effort last set!” I said. “Let’s keep it up!”

  “What’s gotten into you?” asked Zac. “I’ve never seen you smile before.”

  “It’s because we’re winning,” Scott said.

  My smile dropped to my usual frown. “That’s not —” I started.

  “Stay positive!” interrupted Bella. “Let’s grind the Hornets into the sand!”

  But our momentum was gone. Even though we scored on the first rally, the Hornets blocked every attack we made for the next three rallies.

  “Pay attention!” I growled to the team as we started the fifth rally.

  “Work together!” said Bella.

  The Hornets served the ball and Scott sent it back to them for an easy kill.

  But the Hornets came back full force, knocking out three points. We managed to score four more, but before we knew it, they’d gotten fifteen.

  We slogged toward Coach, exhausted.

  But Coach didn’t look exhausted. She didn’t even look concerned. She had a bright smile on her face and was waving excitedly. “Ramona!” she called.

  I noticed she was standing next to a man in a gray suit. Who would wear a suit to a beach volleyball match?

  I walked toward them.

  “So you’re the one who’s causing all the trouble,” the man said to me.

  I looked worriedly at Coach, then back to the man.

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  “I got your letter,” he explained.

  “What letter?” I asked.

  Coach stepped forward. “Ramona, this is Matt Matterhorn,” she said. “He’s the owner of Matterhorn Plastics.”

  “Oh,” I said. “But you must be mistaken. I didn’t write a letter to you.”

  Mr. Matterhorn laughed. “No, you addressed it to the city commission. But it wound up in my mailbox.”

  But the letter was in my wastebasket at home. I hadn’t mailed it. Unless . . .

  I turned and saw Jack lingering nearby. He raised his eyebrows.

  “Sorry, Ramona. I had to send it,” he said. “It was too important to just throw it away.”

  “I agree! You have some big dreams,” Mr. Matterhorn said. “The Olympics, even! But it’s good to dream big. That’s how I’ve achieved everything I have.”

  And by stealing people’s parks, I thought.

  “Your coach has been making some phone calls,” Mr. Matterhorn went on.

  “A lot of phone calls,” Coach corrected.

  “And she’s convinced us to hold off construction until fall,” Mr. Matterhorn explained.

  Now it was starting to make sense why Coach was always on the phone.

  “So we can finish the season!” I exclaimed. “But what about next year?”

  Mr. Matterhorn shrugged. “My company is going to donate the money to build another park,” he said. “People need a place to play volleyball, and you need to practice if you’re going to make it to the Olympics.”<
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  “And for now, we have a volleyball match to win,” Coach said, steering me toward our team.

  “Good luck,” said Mr. Matterhorn. “I’ll be cheering for you.”

  Chapter Nine

  ON A ROLL

  “We didn’t save the park,” I told our team. “But we can finish the season, at least.”

  “Hurray!” said Scott.

  I pulled Bella aside. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for our team. And our court,” I said.

  “It’s my team now, too,” Bella said. “And really, it was your letter that helped the most.”

  “I only wrote the letter,” I said. “Jack is the one who actually mailed it.”

  I smiled at my brother, and he smiled back.

  “Let’s play!” I said to the Lakers. “And let’s have fun!”

  Teesha looked at me, surprised, and then gave me a high-five.

  Maybe my team would end up liking me after all. As long as I kept my new attitude, anyway.

  The set started. The Hornets served the ball and we sent it back to them.

  A Hornet bounced it easily off his elbow, and his teammate launched it to us.

  The ball plummeted quickly into our side. I ran forward. I would have to dive to hit the ball before it hit the sand.

  I dove face-first, arms outstretched. I hit the ball as hard as I could. I had a mouthful of sand, but the ball was still active. But would anyone else get to it in time?

  Jack was there. He set the ball and then Bella spiked it over, right into a Hornet void.

  The first point of the set went to us.

  “Awesome play, Ramona and Jack!” said Bella.

  “You too!” we answered.

  We scored on the next four rallies. It was 5-0.

  And then it was my turn to serve. I slapped out an overhand serve, aiming for the far right corner like Bella had done during practice.

  The ball dropped in bounds. My first ace, and another point for us.

  We slapped hands as we got into position. The crowd was cheering. Mr. Matterhorn was cheering the loudest.

  Our momentum was back. We were on a roll, and it wasn’t going to stop any time soon!

  About the Author

  Jessica Gunderson grew up in North Dakota. She is currently a writer and teacher in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and cat.

  About the Illustrator

  Katie Wood fell in love with drawing when she was very small. Since graduating from Loughborough University School of Art and Design in 2004, she has been living her dream working as a freelance illustrator. From her studio in Leicester, England, she creates bright and lively illustrations for books and magazines all over the world.

  GLOSSARY

  ace (AYSS) — a serve that can’t be passed by the receiving team

  dispersed (diss-PURSST) — scattered

  formation (for-MAY-shuhn) — the way the players on the team are arranged

  kill (KIL) — a spike that results in a point

  match (MACH) — a volleyball game, usually consisting of three or five sets of fifteen points each

  momentum (moh-MEN-tuhm) — the force or speed that something is moving

  protest (PROH-test) — a demonstration or statement against something

  rally (RAL-ee) — a series of passes between teams until the ball is grounded and a point is awarded

  rival (RYE-vuhl) — someone you are competing against

  spectators (SPEK-tay-turz) — people who watch an event without participating in it

  spike (SPIKE) — a forceful hit designed to drive the ball to the ground on the opponent’s side of the net

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Ramona has troubles with bossiness.Why do you think she is so bossy to her teammates?

  At first, Ramona resents the new girl, Bella. Why?

  After Bella joins the Lakers, the team pulls together. Why do you think Bella’s presence helps the team’s attitude?

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Ramona and Bella dream of becoming Olympic beach volleyball players. Write about a dream you have for the future.

  Bella is positive and friendly when she joins the team. But being the new kid isn’t always easy. Write a scene from Bella’s point of view.

  In order to win, the Lakers have to work together as a team. Write about your experience on a team.

  BEACH VOLLEYBALL FACTS

  In 1895, William Morgan invented volleyball. Beach volleyball was originally played in the 1920s by surfers who were on the beach, waiting for good surfing waves. It was played with six players per team.

  In 1930, Paul Johnson organized the first game of beach volleyball with doubles in Santa Monica, California. This changed beach volleyball forever.

  Beach volleyball is similar to indoor volleyball, except that it is played on sand and the players are barefoot. Professional teams have two players rather than six.

  American teammates Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

  Beach volleyball became an official Olympic sport in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

  Beach volleyball is a popular summer league sport. Summer leagues are usually coed and have six players per team.

  In the 1970s and 1980s, beach volleyball became more popular. It became a professional sport and spread worldwide.

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  Jake Maddox books are published by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Copyright © 2012 by Stone Arch Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole

  or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by

  any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

  without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Maddox, Jake.

  Volleyball dreams / by Jake Maddox ; text by Jessica Gunderson ; illustrated by Katie Wood.

  p. cm. -- (Jake Maddox sports story)

  Summary: Ramona is very serious about beach volleyball, and she is frustrated with her summer league team--but when she learns that a plastics company is going to build a factory in their park, she realizes that it will take the whole team to try and save their court.

  ISBN 978-1-4342-3292-2 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-3907-5 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-8918-6 (ebook)

  1. Beach volleyball--Juvenile fiction. 2. Youth protest movements--Juvenile fiction. 3. Urban parks--Protection--Juvenile fiction. [1. Beach volleyball--Fiction. 2. Volleyball--Fiction. 3. Protest movements--Fiction. 4. Teamwork (Sports)--Fiction.] I. Gunderson, Jessica. II. Wood, Katie, 1981- ill. III. Title. IV. Series.

  PZ7.M25643Vol 2012

  813.6--dc23

  2011032226

  Designer: Heather Kindseth

  Production Specialist: Michelle Biedscheid