MS Volleyball Wraps Up with Grit and Gold

Matt Bailey
Mar 9
2 min read

by Matt Bailey

The middle school volleyball teams took to the courts around the island for the TISSA end-of-season tournaments, last Saturday. We reported on the team preparations last week here.

From the 8th-grade boys clinching the championship to the 7th-grade girls fighting their way onto the podium, the day was defined by the process as much as the points.

8th Grade Boys: Champions

The 8th Grade Boys capped off an incredible season by taking 1st Place. The gold medal was the result of weeks of high-intensity training, a fact not lost on the players.

"I felt pretty proud," said Edward Xiao after the final match. "I trained a lot for this."

While the trophy is a physical reminder of their success, for players like Magnus Wang, the victory was about the journey. "It’s not the result that matters. It’s the process of getting there," Magnus reflected. "Watching myself improve has been my favorite part of this."

For others, the reward was even simpler. "I felt happy. That’s all I care about," added Kwon Park, capturing the pure joy of the championship win. Coach Stella coached this team last year when they were in 7th grade. "Last year, we missed the semi-finals, which was a huge regret for us. But this year, these boys made it happen."

"They proved what they’re capable of and helped me secure my first middle school volleyball championship. I couldn't be prouder of their hard work. It’s time the world knows: these boys aren't just talented on the football pitch; they are champions on the volleyball court," she said.

7th Grade Girls: Third Place

The 7th Grade Girls showed the most dramatic improvement of the tournament, securing a hard-earned 3rd Place finish.

Coach Madison Kittleson noted that the scoreboard throughout the season didn't always tell the full story, but Saturday certainly did.

"The coaches are very proud of all the work the 7th grade girls team put into the season and how much they have grown as players because of it," said Coach Kittleson. "Our friendlies for the season didn't always result in wins, but we learned from those losses and played the best volleyball of the whole season on Saturday."