From close saves to lengthy points, the 2023 Charity Volleyball Tournament demonstrated the continued goodwill of the South High community. The event proceeds totaled almost $2,000 and will be donated to the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America. Thirty teams of four participated, each dressed in costume and prepared to compete in the seven-team single-elimination round-robin tournament. The first day allowed teams to participate without the threat of elimination. During the second day, 14 groups were cut, setting up the bracket of 16.
Highlights of the two-day tournament included balls flying into the crowd, solid sets, and incredible serves. To rally up the crowd and competitors, South’s PTO provided Krispy Kreme glazed or jelly donuts.
The team dressed up as Russell from Up, led by Tiffany Chen, won the best costume award. “The idea actually came from Tiffany. She was scrolling through TikTok one day and saw Russell,” said team member Jared Korn. The team decided to replicate the character, getting decked out in Russell gear, including balloons and individual badges on the sashes. Korn added, “Regardless of the wins and losses, it was a lot of fun to just be on the court and play.”
The support from the crowd electrified the players, driving the matches on the court to a whole new level. Captain Kira Nguyen said, “I felt super excited—adrenaline was really rushing through my veins. There were so many people in the stands cheering.”
While there were only t-shirts and bragging rights on the line, the event garnered massive support for the autism society and also created opportunities for learning and bonding. “We played to each other’s strengths and adapted when necessary: If one of us was more confident receiving the ball, we were able to effectively communicate that, sometimes even on the spot,” said Captain Dana Li.
Communication and trust were key elements of the game. “I decided to do charity volleyball because I enjoy playing the sport, and it gave me the chance to play with some friends,” said Captain Emily Chow.
“My team improved throughout the tournament because we learned to communicate and trust one another. We became more tenacious and dove for every ball,” explained Nguyen.
Darren Chang also contributed to the reporting for this article.
Top 8 teams of the Volleyball Tournament [captain indicated by *]:
1st: Johnny Roggendorf*, Matea Vukosa, Max Levinson, and Tyler Okui
2nd: Dana Li*, Eleanor Gau, James Klein, Matthew Liu
3rd: Jaeden Kim*, William Gleason, Liz Jung, and Leah Kusactay
Michelle Fang*, Zoey Ling, Eric Sodhi, and Brian Dai
4th: Khloe Chong*, Josh Chang, Vanessa Keilbach, Aaron Kim, Andy Wu, and Julia Xu
Christian Kim*, Olivia Soriano, Samantha Wong, and Bolai Zhang
Alex Lau*, Isabella Ng, Danwoo Song, and Bella Kong
Victoria Grossmann*, Chloe Wong, Tristan Harrison, Edwin Serpas, and Kelly Mckiernan
Best Costume Award:
Winner: Inspired by Russell from Up
Tiffany Chen*, Andrew Lee, Jared Korn, Abigail Varughese
Runner-up: Inspired by Bob Ross
Deirdre Chan*, Evan Cho, Nerissa Chen, Nathan Park
