The DIS girls’ volleyball team wrapped up their season with a journey to the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) at North London Collegiate School Jeju (NLCS) from Nov. 17th to 18th. The players pushed through and ended the season in 6th place. Both the varsity and JV teams brought meaningful experiences and unforgettable memories back home to Daegu.

The league kicked off against NLCS. Unfortunately, the varsity girls lost their first game 2:1, and the junior varsity girls lost their match 2:0. “We had some issues with receiving at the beginning of some of the games, which caused us to lose a lot of points and dragged us down,” sophomore varsity co-captain Minori Kojima said. The varsity girls ended the first day of preliminary rounds with 1 win and 2 losses and the junior varsity with 2 losses.

Regardless of the disappointing results from day one, both teams stayed determined and powered through the second day of elimination rounds. The girls A team made a comeback with a win against Fayston Preparatory School (FPS). “There were lots of ups and downs, but I love how we didn’t give up and made improvements throughout the day. As a team, I think we still have to work on communication and covering tips,” 11th-grade varsity captain Sunny Oh said.

Throughout the tournament, players faced various hardships. The absence of the NLCS athletic director brought confusion and chaos to the event. 30 minutes before a game, officials modified the schedule. As a result, some players had to hit the court without warm-ups. Additionally, a leak in the gym ceiling led to slippery floors and wet courts. “The tournament was pretty poorly organized. The fact that we were in 6th place because we lost one game at 8 am was very unfair,” freshman junior varsity outside hitter Shannon Moore said.

Despite the obstacles, the Jets enjoyed a weekend full of fierce competition and improvement. “I was really happy that I got to experience that kind of like playing in a tournament and just having lots of playing time playing volleyball since last season was really challenging for me. And I’m really sad about leaving in this being my last season but I’m hoping I can play more in my next school,” Moore said.

Although the teams came up short, students showed passion and resilience throughout the tourney. With the conclusion of volleyball, the high school Jets transition to basketball. They aim for another successful season.

Gallery • 16 Photos

Tiffany Lee

Varsity players Sunny Oh, Bonnie Kim, and Leewen Wang show their support for the JV team. They energize the atmosphere and boost team morale.