A Hit Start?

Rebekah Lee

With a blow of the whistle, the game started. The volleyball match against Youth Park was the very first game of the new school year and the first for the new varsity boys’ team. 

The first game, in any sport, can be both meaningful and stressful for players because they believe that the first game will determine how the rest of the season will play out. This game was most likely nerve-wracking for the new volleyball players as they didn’t have much experience playing in an actual game.

Aaron Worten (12) commented, “I thought I wouldn’t be nervous because I play basketball and I’m always on the court, but as soon as the game started, I realized that this was very different from basketball, and I started to get a little anxious.”

The Dalat varsity volleyball boys were up against the Youth Park team which consists of highly skilled players with a wide age range. Yi Yao Tan, a former varsity player, joined the Youth Park team and played against his old Dalat teammates for old time’s sake. The Dalat boys grinned and chuckled every time they lost a point to Yao’s ruthless spikes.

The two teams played against each other for three matches. In the first game, Dalat was falling behind Youth Park and they failed to close the gap between them. Despite losing in the first game, the boys were not disheartened. Instead, they were more determined to make a comeback in the second game. After many bumps and spikes, the Dalat team lost to Youth Park with a close score of 23:25. The varsity boys lost with dignity and were satisfied with their play.

Although the varsity boys lost their first game, they were in high spirits and did not care about the fact that they lost. John Kim (11) said, “I was very hyped, and I was glad that we played against Youth Park. I wasn’t playing to win; it was for the experience and to build teamwork.”

Kim brought up a good point on building teamwork. To have a successful and satisfactory match, you need teamwork, the most important aspect when playing any sport. Players need to form a strong relationship and must learn how to cooperate and support each other. They also need to learn how to communicate with their teammates efficiently.

Win or lose, the varsity boys got a great experience and learned more about themselves and their teammates. We should be proud of the Dalat varsity boys volleyball and encourage them to keep growing in their skills and mind as the rest of the season plays out.