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"Twin Towers: Volleying Through the Weekend" by Ashlyn Ho

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Traveling four hours down the peninsula, the Dalat varsity volleyball and soccer teams traded Penang for Kuala Lumpur last Friday to compete in the annual Twin Towers x FNL tournament hosted by ISKL. The early-morning bus ride was filled with groggy and sleepy athletes, but as we neared our destination, a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement set in. 

The gymnasium buzzed with non-stop energy throughout Friday and Saturday. Every match we played came with intense rallies, stressful huddles during timeouts, and an incredibly loud bench. 

Edyn Roylance (12) said, “My favorite part about the ISKL trip was when Avery and I started barking at the sidelines.” Along the sidelines, the bench grew to be an unstoppable wave of noise and encouragement, bursting into cheers and chants after every single point. They were the backbone that carried the players through tough moments and lifted our team spirit when morale was low, unifying everyone. 

With international teams coming in from across Southeast Asia, the competition was tough, but both the girls and boys fought hard through it all. Ivan Chan (12) expressed, “We fell short of our expectations, but we encouraged each other and cheered each other on until the end, and that’s all that matters.” 

After hours of long games and the final whistles blew, our team returned to the hotel and left their competitive, tired spirits on the court, bonding over late-night talks and shared laughter. Food, jokes, and stories were shared, and lots of people were squished on the two beds in one room.

For some of us seniors, this tournament carried extra weight as it was one of our final trips to ISKL. Every single moment felt a little bit more meaningful knowing that a year from now, we would look back at this like a distant memory - it was bittersweet. We continued to reminisce about how we’ve come full circle, remembering our very first ISKL trip in middle school as if it were yesterday. We tried to cherish those memories to make the present moments last a little longer, even if just for a short while. 

PC: Mrs. Riffey


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