The varsity boy’s volleyball team played in the KAIAC tournament on Oct. 25, concluding their volleyball season. After falling short at the AISA competition, this tournament was their last chance to represent their school.

“The AISA tournament results were not what we expected,” Jaewon Kim (11), varsity volleyball player, said. “We played badly and performed half of what we usually do. Since KAIAC was our last chance, we were focused on pulling out our full potential.”

The team was determined to do better at the KAIAC tournament. It was the team’s last set of games before the end of the season; however, the team placed 7 out of 8 teams.

“Jokingly we always said to just beat KIS,” Jaewon said. “However, I think we all wanted to be ranked high. But as expected, the games were hard. Our first game was against SFS which was a total disaster. Against HHS, we fought well but couldn’t seem to anticipate their next move, resulting in our loss. Compared to the other two games, KIS was rather an easy match which we won 3-0.”

However, this event helped the team better understand the importance of teamwork, especially aspects of the game such as communication and strategy.

“Individually, I think our team is almost one of the best,” Jaewon said. “But volleyball is a team sport. A team that consists of elites who don’t engage in communication will have limits against a slightly worse team. During the game, I noticed that we should have learned how to play together and communicate. Thinking about all the games we lost, we could have won if we had a better strategy, better communication, and better analysis of the opponent.” 

As the season comes to a wrap, the players reflect with a mix of regrets and memorable moments, capturing team-bonding moments players experience throughout the season.