By Angie Kim
The YISS girl’s volleyball team placed second at the annual ACSC volleyball tournament that took place at Faith Academy in Manila. During the three days they were there, the girls worked hard and played to their best potential. Despite the tiring games the girls played, they fought hard till the end. This hard work prepared the girls for the KAIAC tournament, in which they earned first place for. “Working together, playing together, and growing together during ACSC really helped us to be united as a team at KAIAC,” Captain Jessica Jun said.
The girls lost a couple of tight matches in the pool play, resulting in 4th place. However, the team proved that this placing was not an accurate portrayal of their skills and abilities. The girls defeated 5th seed team Grace and 1st seed team Faith in bracket play, which ultimately brought them into the semi-finals. During the semi-final, they played a tough game, losing to Morrison. Their loss sent them to the loser bracket and in that bracket, they soundly defeated Dalat. The girls faced Morrison again, fought hard, but lost. “Morrison was the hardest team..they’re a 4 time champion team,” said Coach Heil. Even though the girls did lose to Morrison, they still managed to place second among all of the ACSC teams.
The Lady Guardians not only earned earn a high ranking of second place, but many players received individual awards as well. Jessica Jun (12), Rosse Han (11), and Hana Ikeda (11) were awarded with the All-tournament honors, which acknowledged their outstanding skills among all of the ACSC volleyball players. Hyerin Park (12) fulfilled her dream by receiving the Best Defensive Player. This reward is one that singles out one specific player as the best defense. Hyerin said, “Receiving this award was definitely an amazing way to end my last season”.
The ACSC Tournament was a time for the girls to not only get used to playing multiple games in a day, but also a time for them to bond as a team. The closeness of the girls was evident on the court, as they played with great cooperation and teamwork. ACSC prepared the girls for the KAIAC tournament that occurred on October 31 and November 1; the girls placed first. The Lady Guardian volleyball team ended their season with great results.