As the fest inches closer, the BOSM English Press sat down with Palak Manocha, the Captain of the girls’ volleyball team, to gain insight into their preparations. 

Palak explained that a match was divided into three sets, each set being 25 points. If a team won two sets, they won the match. If not, the game continued until there was a clear majority of sets won. She elaborated that the team had a set of six players and six substitutes, totalling twelve. There were six positions: setter, counter, middle attacker, back-row player, and defender. Each team got three passes once the ball arrived on their side of the court. The defender usually delivered the service of the volleyball and took the first pass of the ball once it returned to the team’s side of the court. The pass would be received by the setter, who set the ball up for the attacker, counter or middle to strike it to the opponents’ side. 

Speaking about the process of recruitments, Palak said that they were almost done for the year, but were open to recruiting later as well. She explained that they expected students to bring forth their enthusiasm and passion to play, and the team would teach them the rules and basics, checking if they grasped the game or not. 

Palak stated that the team practices had been strenuous, having stretched over a month, and that they had been conducting morning and evening practices daily for the past two weeks. She believed that they had practised well, and would be able to clutch the gold this time. She mentioned that in the week before BOSM , they practised for almost five hours daily but avoided special practices to prevent burnout. 

Recalling BOSM ‘24, Palak said that they had won the last edition and it had been an extremely proud moment for them. She added that they have had notable rivals in the past in the Christ University and IIT teams. She mentioned that the team had played at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology last year and had reached the finals, but unfortunately lost to the home team. 

Palak mentioned that she had been playing volleyball since her first year and greatly enjoyed the team culture and bond. The closeness of the team and the rush of adrenaline while playing drew her to the sport. She said that her experience as Captain was extremely hectic as two of her other commitments were highly active during BOSM, but the great support system and the team made it more manageable. She added that being Captain motivated her to play better, lead the team, and uplift her fellow teammates to reach their full potential.

Palak mentioned that her experience with the CoSSAc had been good and that they had been really receptive to their requests for better resources and the levelling of the ground. On a parting note, Palak encouraged the GBM to attend the matches and cheer for their team.