BEST AT THE BEST
Albrecht, Goldsmith take top prize at 30th Pottstown Rumble
Nolan Albrecht believes the Pottstown Rumble is the ‘best volleyball tournament out there.’
It’s hard to argue against the Pottstown Rumble, the largest grass volleyball tournament in the country that celebrated its 30th year over the weekend.
On Sunday, Albrecht and partner Tomas Goldsmith were just like the Rumble: the best out there.
Albrecht, of Charlotte, N.C., and Goldsmith, of Milwaukee, Wis., were the champions of the Men’s Pro Open division, capturing the title after a 15-11 win over Pennsylvania duo Ian Capp and Nate Miller on center court in Memorial Park to highlight the final day of the four-day festival.
The ever-growing Rumble, the brainchild of organizer Ken Kaas, featured more than 4,000 players and 200 courts at multiple sites, including Memorial Park, PAL Field and Coventry Field.
It was the second Rumble appearance for both Albrecht and Goldsmith, with Albrecht finishing runner-up a year ago with Marc Fornaciari.
“I feel tired, and I feel accomplished,” said Albrecht, who played collegiately at Belmont Abbey College where he led the NCAA Division III in kills as a senior before becoming head coach at his alma mater in 2017. “This is the best volleyball tournament out there. It is a slog and grind and you play so many matches in the heat against some of the best players in the country. To have the privilege to come out on top, I feel a little emotional about it. This is the best win I’ve ever had.”
The feeling was similar for Goldsmith after the biggest outdoor win of his career that dates back to playing pro-level events since 2011.
“They talk about ‘the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat’, this is the most ‘thrill of victory’ I’ve ever felt. I’m absolutely on Cloud 9 right now,” said Goldsmith, 31, who was an All-American at Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2016 graduate).
“I played (Pottstown) in 2019 with the great Jasmin Cull and we had a good run, but to put it all together with Nolan was something special.”
The duo only met last year in South Carolina and were playing just their third tournament together. In their first, in April at The Clash in Lexington, S.C., they won the men’s open triples title.
Albrecht and Goldsmith shared the $10,000 winner’s prize after going 4-0 in pool play and 5-0 in the playoff rounds Sunday, a taxing run especially playing side-out scoring, ‘old school’ rules as the Rumble phrases it. (No let-serves and a block not counting as a hit also figure into the ‘old school rules.)
The format, plus a sunny, mid-80s day like Sunday in Pottstown, requires the tournament to be more marathon than sprint.
“Some people were joking about my serve earlier in the day: ‘You got more? That’s it?’ but I was like, ‘Just wait,’” Albrecht said. “You have to turn it on when you need to turn it on.
“Having a partner like Tomas who brings that energy out and brings that high performance out of you is crucial.”
Albrecht and Goldsmith denied the championship from staying in Pa. with Capp and Miller, who reside in Telford and Lititz, respectively.
Capp is a Mechanicsburg native who played in college at Kean University while Miller competed at Lancaster Bible College. They’ve paired with regularity since 2019, this year their third time competing in the Rumble as a pair.
Defending champions Eric Lucas and Andrei Belov were ousted in the quarterfinals by Angel Dache and two-time champ Andrew Dentler, 15-4. Capp and Miller bested Dache and Dentler 15-12 in the semifinals.
Aside from their allaround excellence and devastating serves that tipped every match in their favor, Albrecht touted the team’s mentality and cerebral approach, which helped their focus amid the festive atmosphere around the Rumble’s center court.
“Tomas is a deep thinker and I’d say I am too,” Albrecht said. “I think it not only makes the car rides faster but they often have some existential discussions in them. That philosophical side he and I have allows us to be centered on the court. That’s something we both have been working on.”
On Saturday, Aurora Davis and Teegan Van Gunst topped Jessica Crum and Kelly Vieira 15-8 in the Women’s Open title. It was
Davis’ second straight title. She is from Groveland, Fla.; Van Gunst is from Fayetteville, Ga.
Pottstown is the second stop on the six-event AVP Grass Tour, which was formed in 2021. The Rumble is a foundational event that contributed to the formation of the tour that also includes events in Connecticut (July 3031), Manheim, Pa. (Aug. 5-7), Greenville, S.C. (Sept. 10-11) and Chattanooga, Tenn. (Oct. 8-9).
*** Speaking of foundational, volunteerism is the pillar of the Rumble that has allowed it to grow from the one-day, 200-player event it was in 1991 to the 2022 version featuring four days of play, 225 grass courts across three sites and a party atmosphere with food trucks, a beer tent and DJ that has become an annual reunion for the volleyball-playing community around the country.
It begins with the leadership of Kaas, but putting on an event of such a scope requires a large team of committed personnel.
“We do this as a team effort,” Kaas said. “There are people that have been helping 25-30 years and we’re all friends.
The Rumble’s board of directors also includes son Seth Kaas, Jen Moore, Scott and Kim Long and Rich and Rebecca Russ.
Then there are those like Van and Laura Scott, who have volunteered at the Rumble since its inception.
“I get excited about it, I really do,” said Laura Scott. “The greatest thing about the Rumble is the people come from so far to be a part of it. And they’re a part of it because it is such a wonderful, wellrun and organized tournament.
It’s like a family; everyone is here to have a good time.”
The Scotts have been longtime servants of youth sports in Pottstown with Van Scott serving as the first president of Pottstown Little League while Laura occupied many administrative roles over the years.
Their involvement dates back to when Seth Kaas was a tee-ball player and Ken Kaas offered up his bulldozing services to help build a field at the Novak Field Complex on Manatawny Street.
“He came in and helped us build a tee-ball field,” Laura Scott said. “My husband said, ‘If you ever need any help on anything, let us know.’ And here we are.”
Their contribution was recognized as part of the Rumble’s inaugural Hall of Fame class, the Scotts joining Don Bauer and Larry Farman as inductees as contributors.
The first Hall of Fame class also included former Rumble champ and 2008 Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Phil Dalhausser, the Rumble’s most accomplished team Rob ‘Beetle’ Baily and Jason Robertson (six-time champions and eight-time finalists), inaugural event champ Adam Brosius and five-time women’s champs Sara Brenner and Ann Traxler.
The organization has become a family for its long-serving helpers.
“The people who organize this, we call it our ‘Rumble Family,’” said Laura Scott. “We have strong leaders and everybody is dedicated to making this happen. We (have conflict) occasionally but we’re each other’s best friends when we need to be. It’s amazing to see how it’s grown.”