Right after a tough loss at DMHS (Daegu Middle High School), the high school boys’ volleyball team traveled down to Jeju for the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) championships organized at St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju (SJAJ) and Korea International School of Jeju (KISJ) from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25. Both varsity and junior varsity (JV) claimed silver at the end of the day.
At SJAJ, varsity kick-started their match against the back-to-back champions, KISJ Dragons. The Jets struggled in adjusting to the new court and suffered from poor tip coverages. The Dragons, on the other hand, played with precision and composure, taking the first lead (25:19).
Despite a gloomy start, the boys energized themselves for set two. They began to communicate with each other, and the Dragons faltered to penetrate the Jets’ defensive coverages. While nail-biter rallies intensified the match, outside hitter Evan Rossmeisl (2) ended the set with a straight down the line (22:25).
“We were all excited to beat KISJ, especially because the team last year lost to them. We knew it was going to be a hard match, but we managed to pull off the win,” said Rossmeisl (2).
The third set started off in no time. The squad managed to carry on their momentum, taking off with a 4-0 lead in the 15-point tiebreaker. However, KISJ fought back, utilizing their height advantages to form walls at the net. Despite the pressure, the Jets shut down the Dragons 15:7, claiming victory.
Due to the absence of the semi-finals, the outcome of the prelims held a significant impact. “Us beating KISJ was so important, and beating them was one of the only ways we would have reached the finals,” said varsity setter Bryan Lee (9).
Moving on, the crew faced another Jeju school: SJA Hilltoppers. While the Jets’ confidence boosted after beating KISJ, the SJA Hilltoppers stood too strong. Powerful float and top-spin jump serves shattered the boys’ receives, giving free ball opportunities for the Hilltoppers. The squad gave away the game 2:0 with set scores of 25:20 and 25:18.
For the last game of day one, DIS squared off against the North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Orcas. The Orcas’s roster consisted of a powerful right side and a skilled setter, but the boys performed more like a team. Captains Brandon Hyun (11) and Chris Ryu (7) kept the team alive and led their offense and defense (25:21).
Set two flared with more intensity. The game moved on to a deuce battle, with a maximum score cap of 27. The back-and-forth rally kept the crowd on edge, but right side Justin Son (25) sealed the game with a deep push towards the left corner (26:27).
At the same time, JV flared their matches against the Jeju schools at the home of the Dragons. As the only non-Jeju school in the division, DIS entered the tournament as underdogs. However, unexpected turnarounds occurred, as junior varsity secured the first seed for the second day.
On day two, varsity matched up against the remaining two teams in the table: Fayston Preparatory of Suji (FPS) Eagles and Busan Foreign School (BFS) Sharks.
The match against the Eagles turned into a lopsided match, as DIS showed an immaculate performance, from offense and defense. The Sharks went neck-and-neck after taking the first set (21:15), but Son and Rossmeisl proved unstoppable in the remaining sets, allowing the boys to claim victory (25:14, 15:7).
With a 4-1 standing in the round-robin, the Jets entered the finals against the SJA Hilltoppers.
Despite the Jets initial loss against the Hilltoppers, set one prevailed to be a down-to-the-wire game. Both teams traded points through kills and serves, but SJA came out on top in the end, taking the set 25:21.
In the second set, the boys bounced back with renewed energy. Lee spread the offense efficiently to create opportunities for hitters to break through SJA’s block. The team’s chemistry shined, allowing them to overcome fierce rallies. In a tight situation, Hyun delivered clutch serves and evened the match with a 25:22 win.
Unfortunately, the final set unraveled a different story. The Hilltoppers quickly built a commanding lead, overcoming the pressure with ease. DIS fought to recover from their blunders, but the momentum slipped away due to SJA’s powerful offense. Despite the Jets’ hustle, SJA sealed the championship with a 25:16 finish.
“The game was so nerve-wrecking, and I didn’t know how the game would go until the end. All the players in the Jets played so well as a team, and the libero was especially really good, digging up lots of our attacks and tips,” said SJA varsity boys volleyball coach, Carissa Christensen.
On top of the silver medal, Rossmeisl and libero Noah Hwang (20) earned their first-ever all tournament team award. “I could not be any happier. I’m proud of the team, my teammates, and the coaches who supported me throughout the season,” said Hwang.
Alongside their performance, they received commendations for their sportsmanship. “It was really fun playing against DIS in the finals. Not only were they good, but they were really kind throughout the tournament,” said SJA varsity setter, Yul Cho.
Meanwhile, the JV team entered the finals against the KISJ Dragons, once again like last year – after crushing SJAJ in the semis 2:1. In the best-of-five championship match, the Jets fell short slightly, as the back-to-back champions claimed the gold (23:25, 23:25, 22:25).
With the SKAIS (South Korea Association of International Schools) tourney left to go, the DIS boys managed to prove and prepare themselves in the big leagues. The invaluable experience locks them in for future tournaments and seasons.
