HARMONY - How much do John and Suzanne Seitz enjoy playing volleyball?

The couple constructed a sand volleyball court on their property - and a grass volleyball court to serve as a backup.

"We host games at our home here every Tuesday evening," John Seitz said. "It's a good bit of social interaction for us and it's a fun way to exercise.

"We've played volleyball here against people of all ages, from a 72-year-old man to a 16-year-old girl."

Neither Seitz played volleyball in school. John Seitz ran track and was a swimmer in his younger days. He met Suzanne when both were students at Slippery Rock University.

When he was 30, John Seitz decided to take a volleyball class.

"I was getting a bit sedentary and wanted the exercise," he said. "Plus, I was self-employed at the time and worked alone. I wanted to do an activity that involved meeting and getting to know other people."

"He came home gushing about how great it was, so after a semester, I joined the class, too," his wife said.

At age 54, both are involved in the volleyball competition of the 2005 Summer National Senior Games in Pittsburgh as members of different teams in the 50-to-54 age division.

John Seitz is playing for the Pittsburgh Classics, a group of eight men from the Pittsburgh area.

The team tried qualifying for the Summer National Senior Games at Virginia Beach in 2003, but only won the bronze medal at the Pennsylvania Senior Games. Teams must win either the gold or silver to qualify for the national event.

On the other hand, Suzanne Seitz hooked up with a team in Harrisburg, with help from a friend, Margaret McEvoy of Ross Township, who knew a member of that team.

"There was no team around here and I wanted to play," Mrs. Seitz said. "The Harrisburg team let me play a couple of tournaments with them and took me on their team."

That team, known as the Keystone Slammers, won the gold medal at the Pennsylvania Games and took the bronze medal at Virginia Beach.

"I had to sit and watch (at Virginia Beach)," John Seitz said. "That was tough to do."

After the 2003 national games, however, the Slammers moved up to the age 55-to-59 age division. That left Suzanne Seitz, 54, without a team again.

But not for long.

"Again with the help of Margaret, we got some email addresses together and formed a new team locally," Suzanne Seitz said. "We got 10 women together of varying skill levels."

Seitz and McEvoy are the co-captains of this new team - known as the Pittsburgh Flash, "because we're of the age where we get hot flashes," she said, jokingly. That team won the gold at last year's Pennsylvania State Games to qualify for nationals.

John Seitz's team plays the Fairfield Fossils at 8 a.m. Monday at the University of Pittsburgh's Cost Center. Suzanne Seitz's team makes its tournament debut at 3 p.m. Monday.

"It worked out that we can watch each other's games and root each other on," she said.

Neither of their volleyball careers will end with this year's Summer Senior Games.

"The 2007 event is in Louisville (Ky.). … That's not too far away," John Seitz said. "We're intrigued by the badminton, too. We may venture into that as well."

Either way, the Tuesday night volleyball gatherings will continue at the Seitz residence.

"Anyone is welcome to play," Suzanne Seitz said. "All you have to do is enjoy it."