Spike and Strike: My Mom Said So

Aaron Tan

Locking his eyes on the volleyball in the air, Daniel Kim (12) braces himself to make an accurate set to Simon Jeong (12). The ball falls into his hands for less than a second before it's sent flying directly above the spiker. Launching himself into the air, Jeong swings his arm down on the volleyball as the spectators watched in suspense.

Spike and Strike started on September 29th and ended the next day. The school’s volleyball teams challenged many teams from other schools. For the tournament, the varsity boys volleyball team challenged players with calibers as high as state level. The team fought hard, even though some of the other teams played with higher skill levels.

“It was a real hassle to deal with the top three teams (Chung Ling, Perai, and Heng Ee) because there were Penang State players spread throughout those teams,” said Yigal Ang (12). “They had really good fakes, quirks, and spikes. The matches made me realize how far I was from being a good player and that I needed to work much harder than I did.”

The girls had a similar experience. They challenged strong schools and got fourth place. The girls beat ICS Singapore and VPM and had a close game with Chung Ling. They fought hard against Heng Ee, which consisted of multiple state players.

“Even though we didn't get a medal, everyone improved their skills and I know this because the coach, my mom, said so,” said Julia Munson (12). “We had a great time, but I wish my fellow senior, Ke-erh, didn’t leave me.”

The ball left Simon’s hand and made and flew like a bullet towards the opposing court. He watched his opponents dive for the ball, but he did so with a smile forming on his face. The ball landed on the court, inches away from the fingers of his adversaries. He returned to the ground and was met by the excited cheers of his teammates.