Written By: Evangeline Boo Edited By: Valerie Chua & Jolene Wong Photographs By: Eusoffworks
LET’S GO EUSOFF, LET’S GO! Drum rolls and cheers permeated the UTown Sports Hall this evening as we witnessed the semi-finals unfold. The overwhelming support from both halls was undying throughout and spirits were high as we watched a VERY intense match between Eusoff and King Edward (KE) VII Hall. It was an extremely crucial match as it would determine which team would advance to the finals and a huge step towards being champions. The semi-finals were played according to the best of 5 sets, slightly different from the preliminary rounds which were best of 3.
KE started off on a good note with spikes that caught Eusoff off guard, scoring the first point. However, their service was not on their side as several of their serves did not successfully cross the net. KE was on a roll with their thunderous spikes. Our girls dived for the balls but were unable to receive or send the ball back to the other court as the angle of the dives were too steep. Captain Yenyi, with her quick reflexes, once again proved herself and received one of KE’s spikes, converting it into an easy score for Eusoff as KE panicked and failed to hit the ball over the net! COOL! Jolene started the serve and KE went for another smash, which was blocked by the Great Wall of Eusoff. The ball was too sudden and quick for the KE players to respond. Another point to Eusoff!
No ball is going to get past the Great Wall of Eusoff!
KE picked themselves up and were on fire as they scored thrice in a row, bringing the match to a tie at 10-10. Eusoff continued to fight hard and freshie Mabel managed to block a spike and scoring a point to break KE’s scoring streak. Despite the brilliant spike by KE that sent the ball flying straight to the floor, Yenyi saved the ball yet again with one of her signature dives. WOW simply amazing! KE was unable to respond with enough force to send the ball across the net and Eusoff bagged another point. Volleyball sensation Yenyi was one to look out for in this game as she was almost everywhere — diving, setting, serving and spiking, proving herself to be an offensive and defensive threat.
It was not an exaggeration to say that the game brought the supporters on a rollercoaster of emotions. The score was constantly tied, leaving the audience at the edge of their seats as they continued to cheer on for their respective halls. Eusoff was able to break out of the tie, leading at 17-16 as the ball service by KE went out of court. Freshie Jolene Teo set the ball well, allowing Mabel to convert it into a spike! The KE players did not anticipate such a sudden sharp spike, hence was unable to save the ball (despite diving for it), bringing the score to yet another tie at 21 all! Unfortunately, the first set ended with a score of 22-25 to KE eventually.
The second set started and our girls were fired up! However, KE was yet again on a roll, earning points from several aces. Just then, superstar Yanshan pulled a sick dive and managed to save a shot, drawing huge applause from the audience. Simply sensational… what a sick save! Freshie Mabel struck again with her spikes, bringing the score to 8-6. We managed to score twice in a row catching up and bringing the game to a tie again. KE slipped up in their service as the ball hits straight into the net and another out of court bringing the score to 17-14 to Eusoff. The set’s victory was claimed by KE as they managed 2 aces towards the end of the game.
Freshie Mabel sending a powerful spike into KE’s court
And we were on to the third set, it was a make it or break it set for both halls! The atmosphere was tense. KEVII again dominated the start of the set, an unexpected spike by KEVII caught our girls off guard bringing them in the lead at 12-9. Aileen displayed many good saves which continued into a rally allowing for Yenyi to smash and KEVII panicked hitting the ball upwards and out of court.
The excitement peaked during a rally as KE saved a ball that was literally inches off the ground. There was a MAD frenzy as the rally continued however we fumbled and missed the ball. This set was a game changer for Eusoff as we managed to lead by a fair margin of 22-19. KEVII however, managed to catch up bringing the game to a nail-biting TIE again, 23-23!! The intense pressure might have gotten to their heads as we served out of court giving KEVII the lead. However, we managed to get it back and Eusoff won the third set at 26-24!
Despite an exhausting 3 sets, our girls were still driven to win. KE was unable to defend several of our spikes giving us an edge at the beginning of the set. However, KE managed to pick up their momentum and took the lead at 10-3. After a few miss serves, widening the score gap, it inevitably affected our team’s morale but we managed to keep our heads up. At 21-10, one of the KE players suffered a cramp and a timeout was called. There was a huge turn in events as Eusoff managed to catch up greatly bringing the score to 23-16. Captain Yenyi’s power spikes continued to close the score gap.
It was exhilarating to see Eusoff bag so many points towards the end of the set, however, KE still emerged victorious. It was indeed heartwarming to see how Eusoffians continued to cheer them on. We may have lost the game but witnessing how hard the girls fought and the display of resilience, Eusoff is still a winner in many other ways.
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