Beaches, Bags, & Bronze

Yi Yao Tan

Six boys position themselves on court, waiting for the whistle. Sweat dripping. Crowds cheering. This is it. Boom!! A finishing blow by Albert Jeong (12), as he settles the score 15-12 once and for all. Dalat is in the semis.

With a season full of ups and downs, some wins and many losses, Dalat’s varsity boys volleyball finally lifted their heads and saw victory in a 2-1 playoff upset of the original third seed, Faith Academy. Having lost to Faith in round-robin earlier in the week, the team was undeterred; with meticulous planning and strategizing, the Eagles gained their foothold to shut down their dangerous competitors. In the semis, Dalat fought valiantly, however, losing to the defending champions YISS in a hard fought 1-3 loss resulting in a bronze medal for Dalat.

A week earlier, the team had arrived fresh on the island of Guam after more than a day of traveling, ready to take on their opponents. The first few days before the tournament, however, were calm and filled with hours of beach time, exploring, shopping, and snorkeling.

“The best part about snorkeling is being able to refresh your mind in the nice, cold water, and in the end, you forget about your homework,” said Karl Chan (12).

Guam is not only known for its beaches but is filled with malls and outlets full of American goods and tourists looking for souvenirs to bring back. Almost every day, the boys had dinner and spent hours after games walking around malls looking for something “special” to bring back.

The tournament, ACSC Boys Volleyball, began with an opening ceremony on a Tuesday evening. There were many new faces, along with quite a few old ones of experienced players. For the next four days, six teams, Dalat, Faith Academy, Saint Paul Christian School, SPCS JV, International Community School of Hong Kong, and Yongsan International School of Seoul, competed to prove themselves as the best ACSC volleyball team.

The intense competition not only grew the individual players and different teams but also the relationships between players of different teams, as they also worked together in community service: teaching local children and mixed around scrimmaging on empty courts.

At the end of the week, the Dalat boys volleyball team returned with well-deserved medals, memories, shopping bags, and many new friendships.