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AISG’S boys’ and girls’ varsity volleyball team pose with their coaches after a big game. (Image provided by G11 Dana)
On October 15th, AISG’s volleyball team attended the Guangzhou International Schools Sports Association (GISSA) Volleyball Playoffs. This is an annual invite that is viewed as a “warm-up for (Asia Pacific Activities Conference ) APAC ” by some of our volleyball players.
12 girls and 12 boys traveled to Clifford International School (CIS) to compete for the championship. This event determined the league champions for the black division and consisted of four schools: American International School of Guangzhou (AISG), CIS, British School of Guangzhou (BSG), and Utahloy International School Guangzhou (UISG).
Based on the results, it was scheduled that our boys’ team would play CIS and our girls’ team would play BSG in the final. The boys won 2-0 to win gold and the girls lost 0-2 to take second place.
The boys took great pride in their game and described it as a positive experience. “The game was a resounding victory for AISG, as we won 2-0. This win was particularly sweet because we had lost to the opposing team, CIS, in an earlier competition. It was a great feeling to reestablish our dominance and secure silverware as a confidence booster before we traveled to Korea for Super APAC. “ says grade 9 Eduardo who is the reserve/backup setter for the team.
Itamar, a 9th grader, who played opposite hitter, celebrates his 9th grade classmate, Aedan. “The main highlight for me was Aedan’s performance in the last points of the second set. AISG’s team does not necessarily have a player that holds the title ‘serving specialist’ however in those last points, Aedan deserved it. The game was still pretty close with us having a small leed but Aedan took charge and had some amazing serves giving us some quick and easy points leading to our win.”
Anisha, an 11th-grade player said the girl’s team enjoyed every moment they played, though as it was tiring, this team sport further bonded the volleyball community. “My highlights is having fun with your team and enjoying every point you fight for together “ says Grade 12 Christine, our school’s setter.
Emphasizing the team spirit demonstrated throughout this game is cruical. Both girls and boys supported each other through the ups and downs of their game. “Our attitudes towards each other were good for example if one of us messed up we’d be there to encourage that player that they’ve got it” describes Grade 11 Mckenzi, who played middle blocker.
Dana, a 11th grade returning player and opposite hitter describes the strengths from each team member, and how each individual skill contributes to a stronger team. She says, “The competition was indeed high, but this made us play better. There were many highlights from the game, as our players played very well. I remember Christine (Grade 12) setting perfect sets, Euna (Grade 12) smashing balls every chance she gets, Elisa (Grade 12) diving for the ball, etc.”
Coach Schmidt enjoys watching and coaching through these games, as he believes that “Volleyball events, such as GISSA playoffs, are a great way for students athletes to grow as individuals. Competitive sports [teach] us resilience, focus, and cooperation. It is also an excellent environment for the athletes to meet new people and make connections.”
Despite their great win, this years boy’s volleyball team also faced difficulties and challenges that they had to overcome. 12th grade Luca, the boys captain and setter mentions the lack of communication within the group, “Some obstacles our team faced during the final was that at some points there was a lack of communication between our teammates which led to some mistakes and loss of points, but our team worked together throughout the game to fix those mistakes which led to our success.”
Luke, a 11th grade libero also highlights the technical difficulties faced while waiting on the bench. He says,“Part of being on the bench was filling the water bottles. However, the water dispenser was slow and difficult.”
Our volleyball team strove to overcome any setbacks that came their way, and even though the results for the girls were not to their expectations, they still demonstrated personal growth. “My personal achievements is learning how to jump float and play setter this year as well as leading the team as a captain” Says Christine, AISG’s Girls Volleyball team captain.
Similarly, the boys also further developed their skills throughout the game, coming back with more knowledge and overall spirit. “I was (and am) so proud of being able to impact this incredibly skillful volleyball team in whatever way possible, whether it be cheering them on, getting them water, or making a solid impact when I was subbed in. In this game, however, an obvious personal achievement was becoming a GISSA Black Division Volleyball Champ!” exclaims Grade 9 Eduardo.
Finally, 11th-grade Eddie, the boy’s volleyball captain, mentions the bittersweet ending to the GISSA playoffs, reminding players that each season seniors leave and freshmen join, and that with every season a new team is formed. He says, “The GISSA final at Clifford was the last volleyball game we played in Guangzhou this season. It was also the last time I’ll be playing with some of the seniors and people who are leaving.”
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