Student Voice: Volleyball Team Fall 2024 Chronicles

"United we stand, divided we fall; together, we make the perfect team." This quote has indeed provided our volleyball teams with the utmost inspiration. Indeed, volleyball, a type of team sport that involves six players on court, requires trust and collaboration in facilitating the overall cohesion of our teams.

For the past volleyball season, every player has witnessed their tremendous growth through the three major events: The Volleyball Community Cup hosted by Family Bridges, the tournament in BIBA (Beijing), and the ACAMIS tournament. More importantly, some players in both the boys' and girls' teams did not participate in any type of volleyball tournaments before, which means that these valuable opportunities helped them step out of their comfort zones.

Now, we are excited to share with you some important lessons that our players have acquired from these competitions as well as their messages for future volleyball players at DAIS/DHS!

Words From Players

Victoria L., DAIS Grade 12, Girls Volleyball Team Captain: "Personally, I developed greatly this season as a volleyball player and a captain role. I feel proud and happy for our 24-25 DAIS volleyball girl team. I also got to make lots of new friends along the way. They are all very nice and friendly, which made my last year on my high school volleyball team a wonderful experience. We bonded not only over volleyball games, but we also bonded through fundraiser events, for the volleyball team. I am also very happy that we got to go to Beijing and travel together and lots of memories were made, most importantly each and every single player grew skill wise, and communication on the court was improved greatly."

Victoria: "Then we had ACAMIS at our school, and as a new team I am very proud that we won some very strong games, and we all did our best for the more challenging games. As a captain, what makes me feel the most important part of ACAMIS was that we got the “Best Sportsmanship” Award for our girl team. Personally, I feel honored to get the MVP award for our team this year, I could not have done it without our awesome coaches Ms. Hopkinson and Ms. Yolanda who taught me how to become a better player and a leader throughout my journey. To sum up, this year’s volleyball season really was a wonderful experience for me, and I hope for all the players here next year the best! Thank you to all the teachers and peers that cheered for us in the games, we couldn’t do it without you guys!"

^{ACAMIS 2024 award}

Jonny Z., DHS Grade 12, Boys Volleyball Team Captain: "I was the team captain during this tournament. Whenever we won or lost a point, my role was to cheer them up and keep everyone mentally stable."

DAIS: "What did you learn from competing in this tournament that you can apply in future games?"

Jonny: "Probably using smarter strategies because sometimes, when we’re tired, we can’t perform at our best. Also, communication is important, and we didn’t communicate enough in this tournament."

DAIS: "What are some goals for the next tournament based on this experience?"

Jonny: "Don’t finish in last place."

Susan L., DHS Grade 12, Girls Volleyball Team Captain: "The meaningful nugget that I gained from this volleyball season was the importance of trust and encouragement as I have always been embracing the quote “We win as a team, and we lose as a team.” This basically indicates the importance of providing the necessary support for the players as a way to enhance our team cohesion."

Susan: "I am very grateful to see the growth of each player on the team, including myself. I still remember how I wasn’t able to spike any balls last year, but I overcame this challenge through more practices. Playing volleyball was definitely one of my shining points in my high school journey, and I hope we will have more passionate volleyball players who are willing to join this big family in the future!"

Jin H., DAIS Grade 11: "I struggled with playing against other teams because they were smart and strong. Additionally, their strategies were effective and well-thought-out. My goal is to work hard next time and support my team to win the game."

DAIS: "Who would you say was the MVP for your team, and what stood out about their performance?"

Jin: "I think everyone should be considered MVP because everyone worked hard, and their performance and attitude were great."

Anna Z., DHS Grade 11: "This is my first year to join the varsity volleyball, and the experience for me is interesting. Through season 1, I had a lot of improvement like how to better receive and how to block. I also realized the importance of cooperation in the team. My future goal is to keep improving my volleyball skills to become a better player."

Words From Coaches

Mrs. Dyanne Hopkinson, Girls Volleyball Coach: "I think that the volleyball season went well. We had a young team this year with only a handful of players returning from last year. I am glad we had an opportunity to head to Beijing this year to get some games under our belts which helped us prepare for ACAMIS. Unfortunately, we came in fourth this year in the tournament, but we can definitely build on the foundation we created and come back as a stronger team next year."

^{Joy (left), Victoria (middle), and Mrs. Hopkinson, All ACAMIS Team award}

Mrs. Sonya Boufath, Boys Volleyball Coach: "This was my second year coaching boys’ volleyball, and the season was full of surprises and growth. The athletes’ excitement was infectious - Coach Kaouthar and I shared their enthusiasm from day one. We came prepared three days a week, practiced over breaks, and embraced every opportunity to improve together. The boys showed incredible mental and physical resilience, making strides in both their skills and teamwork. One highlight was our successful trip to Beijing, where we played a series of friendly matches, winning most and tying in a few. It was amazing to watch them strengthen as a cohesive unit, supporting each other on and off the court."

Mrs. Boufath: "As ACAMIS approached, I was hit with pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. It was heartbreaking to miss such an important event, but I decided to break doctor’s orders to attend the games and encourage the team, hoping my presence would lift their spirits. Although we faced challenging matches, it was a powerful experience of learning. We didn’t win in the traditional sense, but the boys gained valuable insights into resilience, teamwork, and handling tough emotions as one unit rather than as individuals. These young athletes grew immensely this season, and I have no doubt they will continue to improve. We’re all looking forward to next year, ready to embrace any challenges and surprises that come our way!"

Based on the encouraging words from the players and coaches, we can clearly feel their strong enthusiasm for volleyball. Even though the results from the ACAMIS tournament were a bit disappointing, both of our teams are determined to come back stronger next year. Together, we make the perfect team!

Written by: Susan Li
Photos: Max Shen, Hazel Wu, Svetlana Ulyakhina, Xu Zhong