The middle school girls ventured to Busan Foreign School (BFS) for the Southern Korean Activities Conference (SKAC) volleyball finals on Feb. 26. Varsity showcased remarkable effort and teamwork and clinched the coveted trophy, while the junior varsity (JV) team navigated an emotional journey and placed fourth. DIS sportsmanship knew no bounds, as the Jets helped fill the rosters for teams from smaller SKAC schools. 

Varsity girls started off with a big win against the International School of Busan (ISB) and triumphed with a score of 2:0. “All the teams were challenging to win, but our teammates were there to encourage each other and give feedback. I think we had good communication in the first game. Our coach, Mr. Balint, helped stabilize our mentality throughout the tournament so I think that was really helpful,” said Becky Cho, eighth-grade middle blocker and captain of the varsity squad.

The Jets encountered a setback in their second game of the round-robin tournament. An intense bout against BFS went to the full 3 sets. DIS took the first set with ease but faced a bitter defeat in the second and third: 13-25 and 8-15.

“The games went well but our emotions were controlling us in the second game because we weren’t expecting it to be that intense. We were getting overwhelmed as the game went on but our captain Becky calmed us down,” said Agnew Kim, eighth-grade varsity setter. Despite the loss, the girls remained determined to win their next match.

DIS faced Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS) for their last round-robin game. With precision and teamwork, the Jets dominated the court with set scores of 25:15 and 25:8. “We got a lot of experience throughout the day, which helped us improve our individual skills. I think we underestimated some teams, but it went smoothly,” said Yul Sakong, seventh-grade outside hitter.

Due to low numbers on the GIFS roster, DIS players plugged the holes in their lineup. “After varsity played their first game, Mr.Balint asked me to play for GIFS so that I could gain more experience. It was okay at first, but the GIFS coach kept asking me to play for them. I played 6 sets [with GIFS] and when Mr. Balint asked me to play for them again against DIS, I was really upset. I came to SKAC to play for my school team but when I had to play for the other team, I felt left out and thought that I was useless for the team. It felt like I was representing GIFS, not DIS,” said Minji Kim, eighth-grade varsity sub.

With unexpected fortune, the girls proceeded directly to the finals and skipped the scheduled semis against GIFS. The reason why the Tigers departed remains a mystery, but people speculated that their low number of players (only 4) contributed to the early departure. 

“If small schools don’t play well it doesn’t feel very good for the kids, and sometimes whether it’s because the kids aren’t having fun, a lot of them leave early and don’t play in the playoffs. It technically benefited us since we didn’t have to play the semis and went right up to finals,” said Mr. Balint, the DIS girls’ coach. The jump brought the Jets closer to their ultimate goal. 

The Jets matched up against the ISB Bears in the finals. The tension filled the gym as both schools gave their all on the court, each vying for the championship title. DIS took the first set with a tight score of 25:23. However, small mistakes held them back and led to a loss in the second set. They held their composure and jumped back into the finale. After an intense match, the day ended with Becky Cho’s ace serve as the scoreboard blasted: Jets 26 and Bears 24. 

ISB setter and all-tournament team medalist, Violet Meusiri (number 8), said, “The finals were really intense and there were a lot of emotions at the end but I’m really proud of how our team played. We had some communication errors and I think DIS had really good serves.” Fair play, respect, and good sportsmanship capped off a long day of volleyball.

The two DIS squads immediately began preparation to face their next challenge at Korean International School Jeju (KISJ) for the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament. The girls barely had enough time to catch their breath before they caught a flight to Jeju on the day after SKAC. But the experience gained at BFS assisted the girls in a better performance throughout the KISAC tournament. Highlights from KISAC will be published on the Flyover Sports page soon. 

Gallery • 9 Photos

Eugene Sung

Luisa Silva, Minju Koo, and Erin Moore create a wall to hinder the vision of the opponent receivers. The three-front row players transition into blocking as soon as the serve goes over.