Sharks star in tournament as volleyball season draws to an end
The annual SISAC Volleyball tournament occurred on Saturday, October 13, 2018. Both Varsity teams and the JV Boys travelled to Concordia for their tournament, while the JV Girls ventured to Suzhou for the plate tournament. Each team’s season ended in a dramatic fashion, as they triumphed match after match, displaying their passion for the sport while striving to win trophies.
The Varsity Boys completed an unprecedented 9-match winning streak, ending the season undefeated on their route to the SISAC Championship title. Jason Qiu (12C) was full of praise for his teammates, saying, “Michael was setting beautifully, and we smacked [the ball] down. Max, Tim, [and] Alan [were all] smacking [the balls] out [of the park]. Humbert [was] leaving holes in the ground.” However, he clarified that the team was not reliant on any one star player. “I feel like it was a team effort; we played very well consistently throughout the season.” When asked about a positive element of the team this year, Coach Wesley Davis identified the team’s bonding and chemistry as a highlight, stating, “They really came together as a team and realized that they can rely upon each other. They developed a really great trust that allowed them to reach their full potential.” In regards to the team’s newfound approach to their games, Coach Davis explained, “When we first started this season and at the end of last season, a little bit of arrogance came into our team. That kind of character development, I don’t believe has any place in a sports team. One thing we always worked on was being humble because whenever we played arrogantly, whenever we assumed we were going to win, we almost lost. [Staying] humble was our #1 goal for the entire year.” Though some of the players could identify an area to improve on, Coach Davis confidently stated that there were no areas in need of improvement, saying, “They played absolutely perfectly. I’m so proud of everything that they’ve accomplished.”
Varsity Girls pose for a team picture Photo courtesy of Olivia Lu
The Varsity Girls recorded a hard-fought 6th place finish at the tournament. Despite a summer with no volleyball activity, Coach Kristin Pelaud was impressed with the girls’ focus. “This year, I feel like they shook that rust off rather quickly. They were focused and energized. We worked out the kinks very early in the season so they have been playing very well since the beginning.” Throughout the season, they focused on improving their offense, specifically with their services and hits, and communicating with each member of the team, which enabled them to focus and to work together efficiently. “We spent a lot of time working on our offense…Once we had the ball, [we] knew what to do with it and did it well. [We improved on our] aggression, positivity, effort, focus, teamwork, sportsmanship,” explained Coach Kristin. Jessie Wu (11B) especially cherished bonding with the team, stating, “We were able to bond and have fun on and off the court, which I think really enhanced our performance during games. Because of this, we were able to maintain a positive attitude and anticipate every single practice and game.” Both Coach Kristin and Jessie agreed that the team needs to strengthen defensively. “They get low and they’re in the right place. Now they need [to] dig those down balls. Covering hits and blocks can be improved. And running after everything.”
Varsity Boys and JV Boys celebrate their successes together Photo courtesy of Luke Chong
The JV Boys achieved title success as well, capping their season off with a 3rd place finish at the tournament, and losing only once throughout the entire season. Coach Rob Luo praised his team’s performance, stating, “Even though this team is quite new, all of them showed spirit. They worked together, worked very hard, and they improved a lot, so that’s the reason why they [were able to] get a good result.” “We hustle a lot, we are persistent to keep the ball in and play it, and I think we always have this goal to keep the ball and not give up even when you lose it and are falling behind,” added WenHei Wong (10A). WenHei believed that throughout the season, the players understood each other better, explaining, “[The] communication between our players within the game [has improved] and also how we mix and match the players in the game, [understanding] how we play and [how] to make the [most] out of it.” In regards to improvement, he highlighted services and a more efficient tactical plan as the main key areas. “First thing [is] our serves to get over for our games. We also need to improve on strategizing tactics to help move the game forward faster and more efficiently.” Both WenHei and Coach Luo encouraged the team to continue to practice by themselves in order to improve, Coach Luo adding, “Hard work pays off.”
The JV Girls pose for a group picture Photo courtesy of Nina Liao
The JV Girls went to the plate tournament in Suzhou and emerged with a 2nd place finish. Coach Kate Bruehler was extremely proud of them, especially taking into account the limited number of games in the season. “Because our season is so short, the team has to build up the trust in their teammates at the same time they are developing their volleyball skills, so it can take some time to get comfortable. Just before the tournament, the girls were really hitting their stride as a team and you could feel our momentum going into the Plate,” stated Coach Bruehler. She was particularly impressed with several players. “The captains, Jada and Nina, really stepped up this year to lead our team. There were also several players this year that were brand new to volleyball. I was impressed with how quickly Joyce, Hyewon, and Justina advanced. One of the things I most appreciate about this group of girls is how flexible they were. Nearly everyone played different positions at some point! Yolanda, Jessica, and YingYing especially were willing to try anything – and they did a great job!” Jada Xu (11B) praised the team bonding, explaining, “We were all really encouraging to each other, and rather than heavily criticizing mistakes, we worked together to build each other up and support one another. This caused us to grow much closer and develop some surprising but definitely not unwelcome friendships!” Both Jada and Coach Bruehler were in agreement that since JV is a place to develop individual skills and gain experience, practicing after the season will allow them to gain more experience. Coach Bruehler said, “The idea for JV is that we are trying to develop and build skills and gain experience that will prepare the players for Varsity.” “A few things we could continue working on would be to hone our skills in making plays, spiking, and tipping, but those are skills that require plenty of time and experience to master,” explained Jada.
Unfortunately, along with the end-of-the-season successes, teams will have to bid farewell to their departing players, whether they will be entering into Varsity or graduating at the end of the school year. Coach Davis of the Varsity Boys simply addressed the seniors saying, “Come back and visit soon”, while Jason left a simple message to his teammates, proclaiming “I love you guys, and keep playing volleyball.” Coach Kristi of the Varsity Girls left a deeply emotional and heartwarming note, praising them saying, “Thank you. It was such an honor to be your coach and to watch you grow from underhand servers to vicious hitters. You taught me more than I could have showed you in these 3-4 years. You showed me how to be dedicated to something, how to put your heart into something you really love. How to set realistic goals and celebrate achieving them. Coaching you all has been the best experience of my four years at SMIC-I.” Jessie sent off the senior girls with an inside joke, saying, “LOVE Y’ALL FLAT B’S!” For the JV teams, Coach Luo encouraged the JV Boys transitioning into Varsity to practice on their own, declaring, “They should continue to practice after the season. After they improve, I believe they will be better next year.” For the Girls, Coach Bruehler stated that she expects to have to rebuild the JV team next year, explaining, “I think several of this year’s JV players will be moving up to Varsity next year, so we will have to rebuild.” She encouraged the transitioning JV players to remember to have fun, reminding, “I always want my girls to enjoy their time playing volleyball, whether it’s on my team or Varsity.”
Over the course of this season, all four volleyball teams were supported by the fans, regardless of where they played. All the coaches and players were extremely grateful for the support. WenHei stated, “I feel like our school has the best school spirit is the best and even during tournaments, the other teams, both girls and boys, cheer for us and that is really good.” Coach Kristin, on the other hand, issued a challenge to the fans, saying, “Speak up, we can’t hear you from the court.” Only next year will reveal whether the fans are willing to rise up to the challenge, to cheer even more, and even louder than this year for the volleyball teams.
Featured Image – The Varsity Boys gather to celebrate their championship trophy Courtesy of Michael Lee