Yang Mei yangmei_szdaily@163.com The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen (ISNS) hosted its first-ever Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) Gold Division Volleyball Tournament comprised of top student-athletes from five other international schools from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Dalian and Shenzhen this week from October 24 to 26. After a round-robin competition and semifinals against Hangzhou International School, both ISNS teams went on to the finals to face the solid Xiamen Dolphin teams. The atmosphere was electric with the home crowd buzzing from the stands and drummers banging out a Phoenix rhythm. ISNS’ school spirit was on full display with kids, staff members and parents of all ages coming out to support the Phoenixes. The competition proved to be tough for the ISNS boys’ and girls’ teams, however, both tteams made ISNS proud through their demonstration of great commitment and determination and achieved strong results on their home court. For the boys’ team, winning a close first set gave them momentum heading into the second set. They were ruthless in their execution and managed to get off to an early lead and then never looked back. With confidence and finesse, the boys won the final 2-0 against Xiamen International School. On the girl’s side, the Phoenixes took the first set after strong offensive plays. However, the Xiamen Dolphins proved to be a formidable opponent. Never giving up, the Dolphins managed to claw their way back into the match by winning the second set. Going into the third set, the game was up for grabs. The Phoenixes fell behind early but eventually managed to get back in the game. Unfortunately for the Phoenixes, they couldn’t finish the job and lost the final set. ACAMIS is a membership organization that aims to provide learning opportunities for students through holistic education programs, especially through sports competitions, the arts and culture. ACAMIS currently has 76 member schools that represent over 63,800 students and over 8,200 teachers involved in a variety of learning experiences. For many student-athletes, the ACAMIS tournament is the crown jewel of their sports year. It’s the season-ending tournament against other international schools. Gold Division members come from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Dalian and Shenzhen. These schools go head-to-head in volleyball, basketball and soccer, striving to be the best in the league. | 