Reid Priddy

http://www.lokovolley.ru/photo/Foto7/

It was a grueling 3 days.  We had to play back-to-back-to-back nights.  Tonight’s match wasn’t a clash of the titans per se but our side was so exhausted form the previous two days that it definitely caused some concern. But we weathered the storms and came out on top!  Makarov won best setter of the tournament, Pavlov won best spiker and I was awarded MVP though the load on our team is very equally spread!  It is a great first step into this season.  We will get a few days rest and then it is time to prepare for the long season ahead.  Here are some photos from tonight.

From left:  Lindsay and Camilla, Stas (our translator/friend, Mimi and Camilla, Picky and Reid  

It was a good match…back and forth in the beginning but we outlasted them.  I think we had an advantage in that we have a full season of playing together as a team.  Belgorod has made some big personnel changes over the summer and have formed a really nice team.  However, this tournament is the first time they have played together as a team.  So I think it helped that we have a history together and its a HUGE way to start the season!!  If we can edge out Ekat. tomorrow night we will advance to the CUP Final Four!!!  

3-0 Victory.  Tonight is the BIG match versus Belgorod.  We should have been the top seed in the tourney based on last years results but Belgorod bought a lot of new players and trumped our seed.  Huge match tonight….I’ll let you know how it goes.

Hi Reid, I read your newest post on your site. The website which streams matches of the Russian Superliga is “www.sportbox.ru“, but from 1st round they’ll show only the match of Lokomotiv Belgorod versus Gazprom-Ugra Surgut.  There are available 2 matches of LN from last season 2007/2008 against Dinamo Kazan Click here for Video against Iskra Odintsovo Click here for Video All Star Game Click here for Video and some matches of USA National Team also.

Take care, Justyna (Inside-Volley.com)

It is a BIG day when the internet gets hooked up for the first time at the start of a new season abroad.  With each year it fortunately seems to get hooked more swiftly and this time holds the record…4 days.

We arrived Monday morning after leaving LAX Saturday afternoon.  I had no trouble at all sleeping the entire flight from LA to Moscow after the craziness of this past month.  It has been a nice change of pace to not try and fit a week into a day.  Many who observe the pace of life I lead in the States, often comment on my inability to sit and be still…but what they have to realize is that for 7 months of the year, things are much different; quiet and slower.

I am back in Novosibirsk with the same team I played for last year.  The players are virtually the same but the major difference is that we have a new coach.  Our coach last season was extremely demanding and very difficult to be around.  He knew a lot about vbolleyball and I believe brought out the best in our team for the majority of the season but crossed a line at some point and things deteriorated fast.  This year we have a new coach and things are much different.  Its hard to say more than that being that I have only be in the gym 3 days.

We kick things off in a hurray.  We begin a series of 3 matches tomorrow that are extremely significant.  The winner of these three matches will advance to the Russian Cup Final 4 at the end of the year.  This is a seperate tournament from the regular season and one that our club has placed BIG significance in.   The team looks a bit rusty and it is a big shift from playing with the National Team.  Language, team culture, strategy is all different.  It is all about finding common ground and at the end of the day, just playing as hard as you can and doing the best you can to encourage the others around you.  So that is the goal.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Our team website is http://www.lokovolley.ru/ and the league site is http://www.volleyservice.ru/.  

Volleyball is a bigger deal here in Russia than we are used to in the States and often matches are streamed on the internet.  As I find out more about those sites and dates, I will do my best to keep you informed.

The above photo was taken at the airport by a member of the press at the Novosibirsk Airport, Siberia, Russia.   

To sum up the last 3 weeks….UNBELIEVABLE!!!!  I have done a terrible job at taking pictures and sharing all that has been going on.  In fact, this photo I pulled from Facebook (thanks Angel).  I have always lived an overcommitted, fast pace life but this summer was way over the top.

The last few weeks has been so much fun spending time with family and friends and celebrating the summer’s accomplishments.  But reality is setting in and its time to go back to work.  I got back on the court this week in Anaheim to prepare for next week.  Lindsay and I are heading back to Russia to rejoin my professional team in Novosibirsk.  I fly out on Saturday and arrive in Novo on Monday morning!  Such a long flight day.  Next Thursday we start the Russian Cup Qualifier and its a pretty big deal so I literally have to hit the ground jumping.  2 more days to get on all our favorite meals and pack all the necessary things.  I wonder if I should take my XBOX…any thoughts?

 Today was amazing!!  Started with the tradition men’s breakfast at Mimi’s followed by an hour surf session.  Then off to work out for the first time since the games with Brandon over at the ROCK Institute.  From there I went over to Hurley to show my medal to some friends and ended up having the opportunity to meet one of my favorite surfers Timmy Curran!  I had a blast showing off my medal and it was fun to meet more people over there.  I left a few hours later with a bag full of goodies and like 30 hats!  Thanks boys!

 I caught up with my lovely wife and my parents over at one of our favorite local spots, Big Belly Deli for a bite.  Then it was on to Fletcher Jones Mercedes to pick up a car for the day…S 550!!!  Are you kidding me!!!  It is a truly sick car and seriously, so sweet for them to loan me a car for a day, thanks Matt!  From there we raced, I mean, resonsibly drove over to the Winery where a friend (part owner) set us up at the “Chef’s table”.  Could this day get any better???  They took care of us in rock star fashion and I had the best steak of my life (bone-in filet) and some incredible wine.  Thanks Windell!!  And for real, JC and William treated us like family.   

At that point I was already claiming this to be one of the best days of my life, famous surfer, free booty and bites and a killer ride…couldn’t get better, right????  Wrong, from there we walked over to the Lucky Strike bolwing alley where Mikasa Sports threw a party called the “Beijing Bowl”  with the help of Scott and Sambazon to celebrate the medals won in China.  Teammates, family, friends were all there having a great time celebrating together.  What an amazing topper to an amazing day!!  Thanks Jordan, Richard, Scotty N., and all the people that made tonight possible.   

I am crossed eyed at this point…must get to bed…I have to wake up to workout at 8am and then head down to the Boost Mobile to do a webcast interview with Pat Oconnell!  Another surfer I idolized growing up!  All this begs the question…why didn’t we win the Gold Medal earlier, THIS IS AWESOME!!  

We had a great time today in Chicago today!  Oprah hosted an Olympian Homecoming celebration and it was definitely festive.  Haven’t had too much sleep in the last few days but all well worth it.  All the Athletes met at 7am downtown, boarded an open air double-decker bus and paraded down to Millennium Park.  There was an estimated 11,000 people there and it was a blast.  I was able to meet Oprah and though it was brief and mere seconds, she gave me the feeling that she was engaged for those moments.   That in contrast to shaking my hand while already looking at the next guy. I was impressed and am very happy to have had the opportunity to meet her.  Given that the group was all medalist, it was a celebratory-mood indeed.  Phelps, Kobe and gang, soccer, softball, track…all the big stars where there.  The show will air next week September 8, 2008. Check it out!

Finally!  The surf is awesome this morning and I still have salt water pouring out of my sinuses from getting slammed!  But well worth it.  Tomorrow is the taping of the Oprah show in Chicago so we are on a flight out today.  I am looking forward to meeting her, but also to celebrate some more with my teammates;)