Agape set for historic title

An Agape Christian School 1 player goes for an underhand serve during a regular season game in the CCOPSA middle school volleyball league at the ACS court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Agape School Christian School has already made history by advancing to the finals of the 2018-2019 Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools Association Volleyball League, but is looking to further cement its legacy in the competition by bringing home its first championship trophy.

The Torchbearers are looking to give Agape its first volleyball crown in the school’s 25-year history when they take on elimination round top finisher Grace Christian Academy 1 in the title match this week. Agape is considered by many as the underdogs in the matchup, as it will go up against a squad that has been undefeated in the last three seasons and has a rich championship experienced, having been in the finale several times and snagging the division title in the last two editions of the competition.

Despite facing the challenge of the intimidating middle school volleyball program of the Eagles, Agape 1 team captain David Zheng is confident that their team still has a good chance against the heavily favored GCA 1.

“We feel that we can win,” Zheng said. “I think that both teams are quite equal.”

When asked about the secrets to the team’s growth in maturity and skill in the last three years that led to Agape’s first finals appearance in the league, Zheng boiled it down to two main ingredients: unwavering faith and a solid work ethic.

“First and foremost, we trust in God, and secondly, we also train hard,” Zheng said. “We always pray to God that He would be with us.”

Because Agape Christian School’s campus was left relatively unscathed by Super Typhoon Yutu, their middle school and high school teams were able to resume practice a week after the storm ransacked a majority of the island. Most remarkably, Agape’s school operations didn’t miss a beat and it resumed classes on Oct. 26.

“On one hand, we felt really saddened by the typhoon situation,” Agape head coach En Yang Pang stated. “On the other hand, we were also very thankful that we were able to get back right into the swing of things.”

The Torchbearers are grateful for their ability to weather the storm, as well as the rare opportunity to compete in a winner-take-all championship game.

“Our biggest emotion right now is probably just thankfulness,” Pang said.

ACS 1 is approaching this historic sports moment with confidence in their skills, faith in God, a blue-collared work ethic, and gratefulness. With these winning team qualities and about a month of volleyball training and strategizing, the Torchbearers are primed and ready to make another history.