Village Volleyball

I am usually in Tigawasa village at least once a week to check on the status of the completed water project and to visit with friends there.  They are pretty serious about their volleyball there, and I often will join in for a game.

When I first started playing there, I thought I could get by on the fact that I was at least 4 inches taller than the tallest guy in Tigawasa.  Turns out that isn't enough of an advantage for me, because I get smoked every week.  Their technique and knowledge of the game is really impressive seeing that they have never been coached or played in regular competitions growing up.  They say that they learn all of the formations, hitting and service techniques, etc from watching volleyball on TV. 

If you click on the picture to make it bigger, you can see in the background how the court is lined with bamboo fencing.  This is a newer court that was built onto the side of a mountain, so if a ball goes over the fence, you will be chasing that thing for a long time...