Mike was new to Fairbanks and was excited to hear that there was some outdoor volleyball in Alaska! He met three other people to play doubles on Friday afternoon when Jess rode up on her bicycle to say hello on her way home. Mike immediately noticed Jess and kept asking her to play. Jess politely declined to play because she was tired from biking all day and didn’t want to force someone to sit out. Jess was excited to see some new faces, assumed Mike was dating the girl he was playing with, and didn’t think much more of the interaction. The following Sunday, Mike and Jess joined a large group of regulars and played round robin style doubles all afternoon. Mike was making conversation with Jess awkwardly through the net most of the day. This probably made people uncomfortable, but it made Jess laugh and she thought it was sweet. Jess and Mike finally played on the same team and had a lot of fun! As the group was leaving for the evening, Mike asked Jess for her phone number. He called her later that night and they talked for hours. They went on their first date on the following Tuesday...and the rest is history!