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(The AISG Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team after winning a friendly game at home against NCPA. Photograph: AISG)
By: Henry L.
Season 1 athletics at AISG have commenced once again and the Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team have just won their first competitive game against Nansha College Preparatory Academy (NCPA) in a statement 3-0 scoreline. The team has been refreshed from last year with new players making up nearly 60% of the team. With the Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC) tournament on their sights, many are convinced this is the season they will win the highly anticipated international tournament.
Last year, Boys’ Volleyball traveled to Seoul Foreign School in South Korea to Last year, Boys’ Volleyball traveled to Seoul Foreign School in South Korea to participate in Super APAC Volleyball, with all 12 APAC schools present in one tournament and not divided into two divisions as usual. They ended up with a less than satisfactory result, finishing 10th out of 12 teams. Initially aiming for a top 3 finish, the reality was not exactly the result the team was hoping for.
(Matthew H. receives a serve during a game against SASPX at Super APAC 2024. Photograph: Seoul Foreign School)
“Every little mistake or defeat is a learning opportunity,” said Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Coach Buchheim. “Having the season we got last year where we didn’t accomplish some of our goals taught us a lesson about resilience, that is a true ongoing decisive skill that needs to be always improved.”
After a 9-month hiatus, the volleyball team resumed team practice in August this year. Last Thursday on September 4th, they faced NCPA in a competitive friendly, and won their first game of the season 3-0, even denying the Nansha Pulao the ability to score above 16 points in any single set.
“I can feel the team bond and chemistry,” said G11 Matthew H., who played in the game as libero, right after the game. “We did run some unique plays like what we call X and some back-row attacks, which was pretty successful.”
A refresh of players might’ve contributed to the resurgence in confidence. The Boys’ Volleyball team has had a significant change from last year’s roster. Out of the regular squad of 12, there were 7 newcomers.
Grade 11 student Ezra J. is one of those additions, joining AISG this year from Harare International School (HIS). According to Ezra, the atmosphere was “very inviting and open” to newcomers. “After a few trainings I [could] feel that we were a team,” the setter said.
Comparing AISG to his old school, Ezra said, “While I was in HIS the team did not have tryouts because the school was so small… Here the athletes are exceptional, so we work more on skills and techniques during trainings rather than stamina and strength.”
Ezra played a role in the team’s Thursday success, as he debuted as starting setter. The emphatic home win against NCPA could’ve acted as affirmative motivation for the entire team, though, as the squad is in the middle of a season-long preparation for APAC.
The Asia Division Boys’ APAC Volleyball tournament this year is being held at Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) in Taejon, South Korea in October. Often, APAC is split into two divisions of six schools and therefore two tournaments, except for the quadrennial 12-school Super APAC, which happened last year. This year’s six Asia Division schools, consisting of Canadian Academy of Kobe (CA), Concordia International School Shanghai (CISS), Shanghai American School Puxi (SASPX), Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), hosts TCIS, and our own AISG will be gracing the court on the Korean peninsula.
Even this early in the season, talk has begun within the team about a big goal they want to achieve at APAC this year.
“I believe a realistic and ambitious goal for us is to win first place. We have the talent and drive to win it all this year,” said Grade 12 student Eddie L., captain of the volleyball team.
Ezra backs up this claim by saying, “Although I’m not sure how steep the competition is, I believe we will be able to compete.”
Building up to this ambition, a key focus will not only be on improving our own ability, but also analyzing potential rivalling teams.
“There’s actually two teams that we think would be a tough opponent to play against, Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) and Canadian Academy (CA),” said Matthew.
Last year, AISG faced WAB three times, losing to the WAB Tigers twice at the TriCities tournament, ultimately conceding the championship, and once tasting victory against the Beijing outfit during APAC. It is safe to say that both teams have faced each other many times and fixtures between the two have always turned out intense but crucial.
Eddie, with these memories still fresh in his mind, says, “I expect WAB will be one of our toughest rivals again this year.”
However, Coach Buchheim reminds the team to be cautious of every team going into APAC, “Every single team in our conference is a potential rival, we need to understand that everyone wants to win, and they are working really hard to succeed on this task.”
Despite the confidence that is already buzzing throughout this year’s squad, the players highlight the importance of consistency and composure.
“The first game was a fantastic starting point,” Eddie said, “While it definitely boosted our confidence, it also clearly showed us the areas we need to work on.”
“The only thing that will bring us to victory in the future, would be to stay calm and not get cocky,” said Matthew.
To the volleyball team, it is of utmost importance to keep building on top of what they have to lift the title this season. From the difficulties and disappointment in the past to present-day success, the volleyball team has made a significant comeback and with that, developed a mentality of retaining humility while growing stronger while looking toward the future. This ideology is truly inspiring as everything is a work in progress and there will always be new challenges to overcome in everyone’s lives.
(The volleyball team celebrating during a pause in the game against NCPA. Photograph: AISG)
Coach Buchheim concludes by sharing his ideas on the team’s mindset for APAC. “I think we can do a phenomenal job at APAC this year, but it all depends on how humble and determined we can face our challenges that are coming our way, always keeping our head cool in face of adversity and celebrating every single point like [it] is the last one.”
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