Toronto NACVIT + Citrus Smash

I’m totally overdue on some of my blogging so you awesome people can stay updated with my free and easy August. I spent a weekend volunteering for the Toronto organizers who played host to the 68th Annual North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Overwhelmed would be an understatement!

I think the volleyball sport gets overlooked because of the lack of media coverage it deserves. It’s the only sport that I can say I actually play decently well because I played competitively on my high school team. (I joined because I wanted to make friends at a new school, hahah) However this tournament is very unique to North America as most people have not heard of 9-Man Volleyball.

In regards to history, I would probably call this Chinatown Volleyball (you can read more about it here) which is where it all started. From exclusionary acts to persecution and discrimination, laundry workers in Boston played volleyball in the streets of Chinatown and shared this with the neighbouring cities of New York and New Jersey. 68 years later and now 7 cities have followed in this trend, with a strong Chinese comradery and love for the volleyball sport. The skills are the same but the rules are a little different: bigger court, more players, and no rotation. There’s also a strict rule about each team having more than 65% being Chinese.

I guess it has gone full circle, from being shunned by outsiders, they are now shunning those who are not ethnically Chinese.

(The army of blue that is Connex)

I had a great time watching the Gold matches in both the Women’s (6-Man) and the Men’s (9-Man). The home court advantage led both Men’s and Women’s Connex teams to victory!! Go Toronto!!

Final Men’s Game: San Francisco Paai Kau Smash (Yellow) vs Toronto Connex A

It was such a cool experience (sooo many chinese boys!) and I got to meet lots of awesome people in the process, I’d probably volunteer if I’m free again! Guess it’ll be another 7 years then! Congrats to CCYAA and Jenny/Ed/Terry who pulled off an amazing event. Pssst — Vancouver you need to represent!!

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Citrus hosted the NACVIT After-Party and it was a SMASHING success! We crammed in lotta people at are awesome venue This is London and it was a great way to end off the whole event. Even though some teams had to play the next day. Here are a few of the pics I snapped up!

Photo bombed!

Reunited with “Team Dim Sum King”!

Your humble Citrus hosts!