Written by: Jayna Wu and Benjamin Khoo
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: EusoffWorks
On the final day of Eusoff’s Inter-block games was the gathering of Volleyball pros and Haikyuu-wannabes alike at the MPC, with each block sending their best setters and spikers to face-off in the showdown for IBG champion. Clad in their shiny new block tees (or maybe not too shiny since they’ve been wearing it the last few days), each block gave their opponent a run for their money, with matches running overtime as points were fervently exchanged. Let’s see who emerged champions!
LINEUP:
A Block
A1: Sheena, Shak, Bobby, Irfan
A2: Wan Lin, Ching Yee, Michael, York Tat
B Block
B1: Ashley, Yue Ting, Shem, Zhao Xiang
B2: Siyi, JJ, Shyun, Zhao Xiang
C Block
C1: Yunxi, Zonghan, BenKhoo, Jerry
C2: Yunxi, Bik Jeun, Ryan Tan, Joel Tan
D Block
D1: Brandon, Erica, Chen Hsin, Peijie
D2: Lucas, Joel Neo, Michelle Lee, Erica
E Block
E1: Chao Zhou, Nikki B, Wen Kai, Jolene
E2: Khan, Mark, Aileen, Szehan
D2 v C2: 21-19
The first match of the night was an intense fight between D and C block, with both sides slipping and sliding to save the ball and their team from conceding a point. Notable falls include ones from Lucas from D2, who had previously fractured his foot because of Haikyuu (It’s a long story). Now fully-recovered from his injury, this volleyball superstar showcased his dedication to the sport as he dove for and blocked many of C block’s attempted spikes. Lucas was not the only one who could block a spike though, as C block’s Ryan gave him a taste of his own medicine as he blocked Lucas’s spike, sending the ball flying to the ground. The teams exchanged points back and forth, with D2 eventually emerging victorious.
What looks like an impressive block by a player not in their block colour...
B2 v A2: 21-13
This match features A Block’s almost-comeback story, with A2 conceding 6 points in a row to B2’s seasoned players at the start. Shyunyin, dancer, frisbee player and now volleyballer made serves and saves gracefully, dancing around the court effortlessly. Zhao Xiang, a key player in B2’s already stacked team, showcased his years of experience with his steady serves and rallies. Not giving up yet, A2 managed to turn the odds in their favour as they started to rack up points due to unforced errors by their opponents. As A2’s Michael serves the ball, it tips over the net at the last second, falling into B block’s court, earning A block their 7th point in that abrupt turn of events. Suddenly, there was no clear winner. The heat was turned up as players began to do whatever it took to save the ball, even if it meant scraping your knee or knocking the ball out of the court in an attempt to save it. Eventually, B2 regained their groove and thus their lead, winning with a score of 21-13.
E2 v B1: 21-13
The battle of the volleyballers began as B1 and E2 walked onto the volleyball court. The game was full of hard spikes by not just the boys but also the Very Tall girls, with the ball hurtling to and fro throughout the game. I could barely keep up with this game to be honest because it was so fast-paced, with the voices of B1’s Ashley and Yueting calling for each other melding with the cheers from E block supporters. Szehan was E2’s lucky charm, as it seemed like every time she served the ball, E block would bag another point to it’s name. Eventually E2 served their winning ball, concluding the match at 21-13.
D1 v E1: 21-19
This game started off more like a takraw match, with Chao Zhao from E1 saving the ball with his leg repeatedly. Watching this game was like a rollercoaster ride, with insane saves and impeccably controlled spikes from both teams. Our very own Pei Jie, showed us just why he is the director of all sports in Eusoff as he directs the ball effortlessly into the other teams’ half of the court with his accurate services. The multitalented E block bashee was also not to be missed - Nikki put her volleyball skills on display as she dashes around the court saving balls, all while her hair held perfectly in place. The teams exchanged points throughout the match but eventually, D1 snatched their last 2 winning points that earned them the winning title.
Immaculate teamwork on D1's side earns them the W in a tight match against E1.
A1 v C1: 21-7
This last game was A block’s chance of redemption, and redeem themselves they did. The team spiked and served expertly, throwing C block off and earning points to their name. C1 made sure they did not go down without a fight though, with Ben Khoo returning A block’s spikes with spikes of his own, surprising everybody even the commentator herself. (I quote, “I didn’t even know he can play volleyball, shocker really.”) They retained their fighting spirit until the very end, scoring points as A block suffered several out-balls. The fight was brought to a close as A block scored their last point, wrapping up IBG Volleyball!
Overall Scores:
D2 v C2: 21-19
B2 v A2: 21-13
E2 v B1: 21-13
D1 v E1: 21-19
A1 v C1: 21-7
After the night's volleyball matches, it was time for the final determining event of the Inter-Block Games. IBG this year saw several tradition-defying (esports) games being played such as Mario Kart, Overcooked and Mobile Legends. This gave rise to many hidden talents within our hall as they stepped into the spotlight to claim glorious victory on an unprecedented battlefield. To end off IBG this year, we saw each block sending their finest summoners to compete in the Rift. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mobile Legends, it is a 5v5 Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) where the goal of the game is to reach the enemy’s base and destroy it while defending your own base.
LINEUP:
A Block
A1: Javier, Brenda Tamelly, Kenson, Derek
A2: Jia Shen, Yorktat, Joelle, Jayna, Ching Yee
B Block
B1: Ian Chin, Lim Shern, Angela, Hui Ling, Peng Hao
C Block
C1: Benji, Ivan, Jared, Tianyi, Yuen Sheng
C2: Clae, David, Joel, Jeremy, Nicolai
D Block
D1: Joel Lim, Lucas Lim, Brendan Lee, Chung YunSeong, Wen Qi
E Block
E1: Chao Zhou, Adam, Jovi, Joash, Yu Hsiang
E2: Elvis, Farah, Daryl, HaoTing, Matt
At the start of the game, players go through a summoner picking phase where each player from each team picks a summoner to represent themselves in the game. Players are also allowed to ban certain summoners before the picking phase to try to get the upper hand as they try to prevent the opponent from picking summoners that would disrupt their game plan. This is the time where I could hear a flurry of activity where players started to discuss and sometimes even argue on which summoner to pick to complement the team dynamics.
By the end of the picking phase, I could see the laser focus in everyone’s eyes as they stared intently into their phone (or iPad for the tryhards) whilst waiting for the game to commence.
The moment I heard the iconic "Five seconds till the enemy reaches the battlefield, smash them!", i knew the action had begun as players rushed their summoners to different corners of the map to defend their external turrets. A typical strategy consists of 4 players defending the three different lanes (top, middle, bottom) and the last player (Jungler) fighting monsters in the jungle. With such a strategy, junglers may choose to team up with a summoner from a lane to gank/ambush the enemy summoner on the same lane, which is often successful when coordinated well.
The first 5 minutes of the games saw multiple ganks as some teams went on full aggressive mode as an attempt to finish up the game as quickly as possible, some to the desired effect and some not so much as their aggressiveness resulted in casualties on their part as the enemy summoners managed to counterattack their ganks.
As the game progressed, teams on both sides saw casualties but eventually, a lead started to grow for either team as they saw better attacks and defensive plays, resulting in greater gold and experience advantages. Some teams managed to use this advantage to close out the game early as they pushed into the base of the enemy while others decided to play it safe and extend their lead even further so as not to get complacent.
As turrets and enemy summoners fell, cheers and words of encouragement went around the table as they attempted to extend their lead or narrow their loss. Teamfights were the most exciting to watch as both teams clashed head to head, often leading to major casualties on one side, which more often than not , leads to a close out of the game. The unpredictability of teamfights and the endless possibilities for a comeback made it so much more interesting, which lead to countless sighs and cheers depending on the side they were on.
Round 1: A1 vs E1 (W)
(W) B1 vs D1
A2 vs C2 (W)
(W) C1 vs D1
Round 2:
(W) A1 vs C2
E1 vs B1 (W)
(W) E2 vs A2
(W) C1 vs D1
At the end of the day, some teams saw clean sheets as they boasted experienced players (I heard some teams had mythic glory players) who carried their teammates to victory, while other teams saw it as more of a fun bonding activity with their block mates. Nevertheless, everyone had a fun time as they demonstrated their competitive nature and the spirit of sportsmanship, at the same time forging stronger friendships with other Eusoffians. Therein, the outcome we all hoped for was realised, thanks to all Eusoffians' eager participation. Naturally, it's come time to announce this year's winning block... *drumroll* With grit, spirit and good cheer, E BLOCK emerges our CHAMPIONS OF IBG! Great job to all participants this year!
🏅OVERALL PLACING:🏅
1: E (17 points)
2: A (15 points); C (15 points)
4: B (13 points)
5: D (11 points)
Lastly, on this final day, the end of IBG synonymously marked the end of the long season of IHG, and we congratulate the athletes and supporters of Eusoff on all the well-played matches, the friendships found, and the memories made along this journey.
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