Despite facing challenges due to limited training, the team finished second in the group stage, nearly missing the finals versus Xiamen but finishing 3rd runner-up at the end of the game.
The Asia Pacific Technology & Innovation University (APU) Female Volleyball team performed well, finishing 2nd place in the group stage and 3rd runner-up overall in the MMU Inter-Varsity Girls’ Volleyball Cup (MIGVC) 2024.
The team, consisting of Cheong Jia Yao, Aimy Cheong Mun Way, Nayako Mori Widjaya, Wong Xuen, Gladys Tan Wei Chi, Lim Ka Huey, Chia Jia En, Tan Shu Rou, Chloe Tan Jia Xin, Lee Yoon Jae, and The Yin Xin.
They battled it out against teams from Multimedia University (MMU) Cyberjaya & Melaka, International Medical University (IMU), Taylor’s University, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP).
The Girls’ Volleyball Cup, held on 25th and 26th May 2024 at MMU Melaka Volleyball Court, began with a group stage.
APU is in group A with MMU Cyber, Taylor and IMU; while group B includes MMU Melaka, UniKL, Xiamen and UTP.
APU faced Taylor’s University in their opening match but fell short in both sets (9:25, 17:25).
However, they bounced back in their second group stage match against IMU, dropping the first set (22:25) before clinching victory in the following two sets (25:22, 15:10).
This wins advanced APU to the semi-finals, where they faced the Xiamen team. Despite a brave attempt, APU lost to Xiamen in straight sets (21:25, 18:25).
This achievement marked the APU Girls Volleyball team’s debut at the MIGVC as the 3rd runner-up winner.
Team leader, Cheong Jia Yao (Cyber Security student) acknowledged the challenges they faced due to limited training time.
The team typically practices once a week in March and April, and twice a week in May, all at the APU outdoor court.
“We are thrilled with our results despite the lack of training,” said Cheong added that, “Honestly, we were not expecting to place 3rd runner-up. Given another opportunity, we would absolutely participate again to represent APU.”
Their performance at the MIGVC 2024 bodes well for future endeavours, and with more training time, they are sure to climb even higher in the rankings.