Photo By Sgt. Danielle Rodrigues | Lt. j. g. Abbie J. Merkl (center), a medical service corps healthcare administrator...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Two sailors won the silver medal for the All-Navy Beach Volleyball team during an Armed Forces Volleyball tournament at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, May 2 through 6.
Lt. j. g. Abbie J. Merkl, a medical service corps healthcare administrator for 2nd Dental Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, was one of the sailors who took the challenge to represent her unit, but most of all the Navy.
“It was awesome [because] I love volleyball,” said Merkl, an Upper Marlboro, Md., native. “It’s great to be back and to get to do something you love. This is what we get to do to represent the Navy, and that was awesome.”
Beach Volleyball is played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net. To join the All-Navy Beach Volleyball team Merkl first had to try out and compete against 20 other prospects.
“We had to put together references and almost make a resumé to try out,” said Merkl. “Out of the 12 females who make it, only four can try out for the beach volleyball team.”
After three days of try outs a list of names was posted on a wall to announce who made the team.
“It was pretty exciting making the team,” said Merkl. “There were some girls who made the team in the past, so it was intimidating when it came to fighting for a spot.”
When the roster was finalized, the All-Navy Beach Volleyball team trained for two weeks at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., before venturing to Hill AFB, to compete in the championship.
The All-Navy Beach Volleyball team contended in 14 games. Merkl and her teammate Lt. j. g. Jesselynn LaValley, who is stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., won the silver medal for finishing in 2nd place overall, beating out the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
“To win silver means you lost the championship, so I was kind of heartbroken,” said Merkl. “I got over it once they had the medal ceremony. It turned into a great feeling to come back to my command to tell them I was successful, and to say thank you for letting me do this.”
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2013 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 108158 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Navy wins silver medal at Armed Forces Beach Volleyball Tournament, by GySgt Devin Nichols, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
