Xinmin B Division volleyball boys edge out Catholic High in five-set national semi-final thriller

By Ian Chew. Pictures by Marvin Lowe.

CCAB, Thursday, April 2, 2009 – Points count for a lot in volleyball.

Xinmin Sec capitalized on a miscommunication between two Catholic High players to establish a slim 11-9 lead in the fifth and final set before the Catholic High bench hastily called for a time-out to regroup.

But it was to no avail as Xinmin held on tenaciously to triumph 15-12 in an epic five-set semi-final battle. Xinmin spiker Gilbert Toh (#7) refused to yield in an extraordinary performance, smashing a shot for a morale boosting 13-11 lead in the final set.

Xinmin had started the game brightly when they quickly jumped to a 19-7 lead in the first set, on the back of numerous uncharacteristic errors from the Catholic High team. Two timeouts by the Catholic High bench failed to settle their nerves as they went down easily 12-25 in the first set.

However, things were different in the second set. Perhaps inspired by a change of courts, Catholic High’s combined schools player Qing Shan (#7) led his team with some immaculate smashes to put his team up 18-13. A timeout by the Xinmin bench failed to prevent Catholic High from storming back for the second set 25-19.

Switching back to their preferred side in the third set, Xinmin’s Gilbert Toh performed a series of jump serves to unsettle the Catholic High receivers. It worked to perfection as Xinmin broke out from an 11-11 tie to lead 14-11. A subsequent Catholic High timeout failed to produce its desired outcome as Catholic High lost the next five points to trail by a massive 11-19.

Xinmin then took the third set 25-19.

Strangely enough, the switch in courts again brought out a favourable outcome for Catholic High in the fourth. Led by some determined and accurate spiking from Koh Zuo Quan and and Qing Shan, Catholic High clawed their way into a 19-16 lead.

The 3-point gap proved too much to close for the Xinmin team, though Xinmin’s attacking player Dwayne (#11) tried hard to rally his team with some good plays to haul his team back at 23-23. But Catholic High won the next two points to set both teams up for a nailbiting fifth set!

The final game saw a see-saw battle by two teams who refused to quit. Catholic High had the slight edge with Qing Shan scoring with a thunderous spike for a 1-0 lead. Although Xinmin came back to lead 3-2, Qing Shan scored on another smash for a 3-3 tie.

A resurgent Catholic High team then won the next point when their libero Tan Jit Hao (#1) spectacularly saved a point to lead 4-3. What happened next though, was Xinmin coming back to level the scores at 4-4 with the longest rally of the game, where the ball went back and forth as least six times! It was that kind of a game.

Xinmin however, proved the stronger team in the end as they edged ahead for a match-winning 11-9 lead on a crucial mix-up in the Catholic High team. In the end, an exhausted Qing Shan simply could not muster enough reserves to overcome the deficit.

Xinmin Sec supporters duly erupted when they won the five-set battle 25-12, 19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-12. They will next face St Hilda’s Sec boys for the national title.

See exciting 2nd set Highlights:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcYPIGl0eHY

See exciting 3rd set Highlights:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBTDu47oktw

See exciting 4th set Highlights:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dhK_H-BIlg