Varsity volleyball begins season with a hit

Blood-boiling. Riveting. Intense. Heart-stopping. These were just some words used to describe the two Varsity volleyball opening home games against Concordia on September 12, 2018. People watched in anticipation with every point. Fans enthusiastically chanted out the school mascot’s name while singing the familiar song, “Let’s go Sharks! Let’s go!”

The girls produced an entertaining but unfortunate 0-3 loss to Concordia, losing 18-25, 20-25, and 11-15. The Varsity Girls started each set in dominating form, but it wasn’t enough to deliver a win. Despite the loss, each team member displayed their individual skills, their passion for the sport and for the team, and their intent to win. “The girls really gave their all. They were alert, they were practicing a lot of things that we have been going through with them, and we were just really enjoying the game,” commented Coach Asta Fu. “Before our season started, most of our players couldn’t do overhand serves. And now in the game, they’re trying really hard to do overhand serves and some of them made [it], which is very impressive. I’m very proud of them,” noticed team captain Sophie Chao (12C).

Varsity girls rally together to discuss their game plan Photo courtesy of Mr. Kevin Olson

There is a lot to be excited about in the upcoming season as the girls look to improve. “We’re focusing a lot on rotations because we’ve had [a] short time in practicing so that is something that we want to be clear about,” explained Coach Fu, “[we’re] also working on coverage.” Additionally, Sophie stated that the team wanted to concentrate on “making overhand serves.” When asked about their season ambitions, Sophie and Coach Fu responded, respectively, with competing in and winning the tournament.

Meanwhile, the boys edged out a narrow win against Concordia, winning the game 2-1. The boys took the lead by finishing the first set on top with 25-22. However, Concordia mounted a comeback in the second set, winning by the narrow margin of two points, scoring 25 against the boys’ 23. Ultimately, the Varsity Boys emerged victorious with 15-13 in the final set. Even before the game began, there was already tension between the two teams. “This was the championship game last year, and we lost by one point in a very bad call. So, that’s left a taste in my mouth since last year, and my team has been training all year to get that one point back,” explained Coach Wesley Davis. Team captain Michael Lee (12C) gave his opinion, stating, “Our serves [were] really on point. Our defense was better, our passes were on point, but it still wasn’t the best. We need more practice. I need more practice.”

Max Zhang (11B) rises to spike the ball Photo courtesy of Mr. Kevin Olson

Coach Davis, on the other hand, noted an immense improvement in the team’s collectiveness and communication. “One thing we were struggling last year was that we just didn’t have our voice. We needed to become one breath, one team. And that’s one thing that we’ve been working really hard on. It’s just trying to be a cohesive unit. Many of these kids have been going to [this] school since kindergarten, so they have this natural telepathy with each other. But with the newer players, they don’t have that, so they always have to keep working on that one team.” When inquired about the team’s season ambitions, Coach Davis firmly stated, “[We want the] championship, nothing less than the championship.”

Both teams’ coaches and captains were unanimous in their praise and appreciation for the fans coming out to support them. “Thank you always for coming out! Come to every single game we have!” exclaimed Coach Davis. “Thank you for coming. Honestly, we weren’t too sure about the turnout since there are no bleachers in the gym. But there were a lot of people that came and people were cheering for us, and that really boosted everyone’s morale and really encouraged us, so thank you so much!” explained Coach Fu. Let’s continue to support our volleyball players and coaches!

Featured Image – The Varsity Boys rally together to celebrate Courtesy of Mr. Kevin Olson