Tall order: Skill remains the ultimate determinant of success, says S’wak Sukma volleyball coach

SIBU (Aug 16): In the world of volleyball, height is certainly a key advantage.

Sarawak volleyball men’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI coach Pang Sie Chuong is optimistic about his team’s prospects, highlighting the advantage of having several tall players.

However, he emphasised that skill remains the ultimate determinant of success.

“Having the height is certainly an advantage when it comes to blocking and attacking but the ability to jump and ball playing skills is still the crucial factor to determine how good a player is,” he said.

Historically, he said Sarawak’s Sukma volleyball teams have featured tall players, with average heights ranging from 180cm to 185cm for the boys, and 170cm to 176cm for the girls.

For the current state team, the tallest boy is 17-year-old Howard Liew San Hao, towering at 185cm, accompanied by teammates 18-year-old Ley Yee Wen (183cm), 18-year-old Kevin Kee (182cm), and 21-year-old Chia Yik Jie (182cm).

Among the girls, the tallest player is 19-year-old Siaw Yih Jing (179cm), accompanied by teammates 20-year-old Britney Tie Chan Xuan (176cm), and 16-year-old Nikki Yew Shu Qing (173cm).

With the exception of Britney, all the players are making their Sukma debut, said Pang.

He noted that beyond height, ball control skills and physical fitness are critical to the team’s success.

He said other teams like Selangor and Pahang also have tall players, and could pose significant challenges to Sarawak’s quest for medals.

“Selangor has at least three boys who are 190cm and above, while Pahang also has tall girls taking part this time around. On paper, nothing is easy,” Pang added.

Meanwhile, Britney, who is competing in her final Sukma, aims to finish her journey on a high note.

“This is my final Sukma and I sincerely hope to stand on the podium and showcase the gold medal to the people,” she said.

At the 2022 Sukma in Kuala Lumpur, Britney earned the award for the best outside hitter.

“The award means so much to me and I will capitalise on my experience to help the team to win the gold medal this time round,” she said.