Victoria School clinch their first C Div boys’ volleyball title by beating Xinmin Secondary
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Victoria School players celebrating after winning their first-ever C Division boys' volleyball title on Aug 27.
ST PHOTO: LIN TIANBAO
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SINGAPORE – A saying by ancient Chinese war strategist Sun Tzu came into play as Victoria School (VS) clinched their first National School Games C Division boys’ volleyball title on Aug 27.
For ages, Sun’s adage, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles”, has been adopted by successful businesses and entities.
VS showed how it could also work to their advantage as their familiarity with their opponents Xinmin Secondary School helped them clinch a 25-20, 25-22 win at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
To make sure that they knew Xinmin’s strengths and weaknesses well, the VS team watched their opponents’ matches and observed their playing style.
Captain Samuel Kerk, 14, said: “We consistently look at other teams’ performances, and trained very hard for this final including by looking at how Xinmin play.”
Vice-captain John Preetham added that they also looked at how their strengths could give them an edge.
The 14-year-old explained: “(We look) at who to serve to and what is the weak point of the opponent, and how we can use our strengths to overcome them… It’s not just about spiking, it’s about looking at our surroundings and playing the right ball.
“Firstly, we used our first ball, which was our defence from service, and, secondly, we were able to use their weaknesses in the blocking to spike right through their blocks, and that’s what gave us victory.”
The strategy worked a treat as VS stormed to a 5-1 lead in the first set and never looked back, despite a strong response from the 2023 runners-up. In the second set, Xinmin claimed three straight points to reduce the deficit to 21-20, but VS kept their composure to seal the victory.
VS coach Yeo Engsen, who has been in charge of the team for three years, revealed that they also watched videos of their own matches to analyse their own performances and identify areas for improvement.
He said: “I will analyse how our team play. The most important thing is to work on ourselves and also do situation-based training. I will sit down with the players and propose a game plan, and they will give feedback so there’s two-way communication.”
Yeo reserved special praise for his skipper and hitter Samuel.
The 33-year-old added: “The players all look up to him, and he’s my middleman for communication. He works very closely with the coaches, the teachers and between the players.
“On the court, he’s the pillar. He can stand strong for the team, especially when they look to him to get the points.”
Samuel believes the team’s support and chemistry are key to their success.
Captain Samuel Kerk (holding trophy) is the "pillar" of Victoria School's C Division volleyball team.
PHOTO: VICTORIA SCHOOL
He said: “I did pretty well and I’m encouraged by my teammates as they cheer me on whenever I have good spikes and, with the team spirit, I performed as well as I did.
“Winning this is really memorable, and we have such a close bond... which helped us today.”
John echoed those sentiments, explaining that everyone played a part in their unprecedented triumph.
The middle blocker said: “This team is not just about one player... From the smallest to the tallest, every person plays an important role and that’s what led to our victory.
“This will go into the history books and this moment will be etched in our minds forever.”
Xinmin captain Jovan Lum admitted they were surprised by VS’ approach. The 14-year-old said: “We didn’t expect Victoria to know our weaknesses. But everyone played well and, even though, there were a few mistakes, we still did our best.”
