Instant Replay

The net swung with the impact of repeated bashings. The crowd was on their feet, cheering wildly, and yet, to Kaley, everything was still and silent. The players seemed to move in slow motion toward the rotating ball, bumping, setting- here it came, rotating slowly, white and perfect. High enough to spike, low enough to tip. In a split second, Kaley had to decide. Three steps- left, right left- pow! The ball suddenly flew into fast descent and landed on the floor on the other side of the net. The other team groaned and, without warning, the yells and cheers of the crowd washed back in to Kaley's ears. She stood tall, jumping and cheering with the rest of the team. One point more and they would win.

Whoever says volleyball isn't tough, Kaley thought, should watch one of our games.

The after party was amazing. All the players were in highest spirits. The game had been close, but they had managed to win by two points exactly. The only thing left now was celebration, and everyone was doing a great job at that. Only Kaley felt truly out of the celebration. She was happy, yes. They had won, yes. But still the thought of the last point weighed on her. It hadn't seemed right; something had gone wrong. But what?

The last point replayed in her mind. She saw herself going up and up toward the top of the net. As a short player, it was hard to block, but she was one of the best players on her team, and so was expected to at least try. The ball had been coming down, circling in the air slowly, almost as if it was waiting for her to clear the net. When it finally did connect with her hands, it did go straight down- but on Kaley's side of the net. Kaley had swung her arms wildly and only just managed to get the ball back up in the air. The setter had dived for the ball, which was only a couple feet off the floor, and pushed it up just enough for Kaley to get under it and free-ball it back over the net.

It was the other team that should have gotten that point, but it was as if they were all frozen, amazed at what had happened. The ball went high, plenty high enough for a player to get under it. And yet, somehow, it had fallen to the ground, touched by only one player, who dove for it at the last second.

Kaley smiled. Perhaps it wasn't so big a mystery, then. The other team had been in awe of the quickness with which Kaley and her teammate had acted. That had to be it.

Either way, they had won. They had.

Fair and square.