The energy at the palace yard full of passion as the spectators watching the turf await the arrival of the two teams, overlooking them from the veranda were the upper echelon of Squirabia, and standing out the most from that elite crew with a strong presence was none other than the host of this very gathering, Sultan Ruhtab. Forced to wear an endearing smile for his people as they call to him with adoration, he scoffed under his mask at the arrival of the two teams in spawn. The squad in Pink and Yellow who made an overhaul with their lineup replacing everyone but their captain-the fresh faces are Waheer, Dhaman, Samir, Isaac, and Saul; the changes were mostly due to this game mode being one that benefits the players but also because the starters looked physically and mentally exhausted following that bitter fourth round defeat. Azule certainly got the job done in dealing a major blow to Vulerby if he forced them to make changes so late in the match, but the job was far from completed as it's still a tied round. For the squad in Blue and Purple, some changes were implemented with Violet, Todd, and Parker all substituting out with Sky, Aaron, and Jory all stepping as the first wave of changes. A decision made mostly due to the exhaustion of the starters, it was also a tactical move since Jory was known for stepping it up in moments like these and Aaron defined consistency, and of course, Sky was the ultimate game-changer.
"We can...leave it to them." Parker wipes his face while resting on the bench, his chest heavy trying to control his breathing after that intense round.
"I'm glad Fuchsia made the pull when she did or else I don't think I could've lasted any longer." Todd slouches, so tired he couldn't even sit upright. "Hey Violet, you want to take a rest too? You deserve it..."
Violet stood up with her arms crossed watching the live feed, her attention given only to what's being displayed. She still had some fight left in her to keep pushing, but Fuchsia took her out with concern that she might overwork herself if she stayed in. Although she didn't disagree with the coach's decision, she would've loved to continue battling out there, but when she thought about who would be subbing in for her, she couldn't deny that she was curious about finally seeing how the two would work together on the turf. She wasn't the only one up on her feet either as the entire Squid Academy team aside from the exhausted duo were also at the edge of the sidelines anticipating how the pair would operate together in an official match. During the team practices, they'd seen the glimpses and flashes of something special from the pair but due to the varying circumstances their debut match together had been halted, and finally, they had a chance to play together!
Talk about a nightmare of a matchup: Substitutions made while keeping in their specialist roller user, and now they add a versatile weapon in that octoling and then that experienced third year. And of course, those siblings...Romaine catches his breath taking in the sight of the palace yard, the atmosphere quite stuffy from the tension brewing-he could feel the sultan's displeased gaze focusing on him that forced a cold sweat despite the blazing heat, but he couldn't think about that intimidating presence when he had a trio of troublesome opponents all sharing the same turf for the first time-and in their favorite game mode.
"What a treat this next round should be with it taking place at the sultan's own backyard and with it being the entertaining booyah ball, a game mode Squid Academy are no strangers to."
"It wouldn't be a surprise to say that this is the bread and butter of Squid Academy and expect them to play ferociously here. Their best victories and plenty of unforgettable moments that have shaped them into the team that they are were all found in this game mode, no doubt this will be a critical round for them. But likewise Vulerby aren't slouches either, and I expect their captain to take over like we know he can and swing the match back in their favor."
"Led by their star captain who won them the last round to tie up the series, they have a fresh lineup entering the fifth! With Azule remaining in as captain, they swap out Violet in favor of Sky Royale, Azule's older sister and the playmaker who made a massive impact in the latter half of the group stage! What do you think of her so far in this tournament."
"For a long time she was considered to be on par with the top players in the world but never got her due recognition because of her team failing to make it to Nationals, but this time she's showing what a third year of her caliber can do when she gets the opportunity. No doubt Romaine will have his hands full having to keep tabs on both her and her little brother, who has shown us he is elevating his ability to the next level."
The teams got in position, and waited for the whistle to blow. The pink and yellow jerseys of Vulerby sparkling under the sun and the blue and purple jerseys of Squid Academy absorbing the rays, one of these two teams would be in control to win the match after this round. The opening serve will start with Squid Academy and the first one up is none other than the scary third year herself: Sky Royale. Back home, Mack and Cap'n Cuttlefish alike pay close attention to their screens almost coaching her under their breath, Maya, Julian, Lime, and Verde are all watching from their respective spaces proud to see her back on the screen once again, hoping that both her and Azule with have a monstrous performance in this round. Shiva has her fingers crossed watching the match, getting serious all of a sudden once she noticed Sky enter the turf, which made the pharaoh a bit jealous since she never saw the queen behave like that usually. On the Squid Academy sidelines and in the audience, everyone made some noise for her and cheered for a good serve. At the palace yard, the sun is blinding and the heat sizzling-a hellish condition to play a game of booyah ball since the ink they used wasn't even cold enough to cool them off. From where she stood, the backs of her teammates all looked poised as they kept their gazes ahead with focus on the enemy squadron that returned their intense stares.
Sky creates the ball…
"The person who does the opening serve has the most pressure on themselves than anybody else on the court. Before the match even starts, they control the fate of everything: a bad serve could set the tone for an enemy victory and an ace could set the tone for their team's victory. They control everything." Fuchsia said while watching a ball of blue swirl into form; Sky follows up with a toss. "If there is anyone I trust to be our guardian and bless us with victory, it'd be her." she states with conviction, a huge grin forming on her face as the whistle blew with the audience reacting wildly.
"It's a service ace!" the lead commentator called.
As if she had ice in her veins, Sky set the tone immediately with a strong serve just before the baseline to win the point for her squad and take a 1-0 lead in the first set. A serve that carried such power and accuracy, the entire Vulerby squad except for Romaine couldn't track it. And now, she gets to serve again. The hearts of the enemy sent a flutter but not with admiration but instead a tremble, they all prepared to defend against a lethal scorer right off the bat. The primary reason for such a lineup of Azule, Reice, Pastelle, Sky, Aaron, and Jory was all due to them all succeeding in scoring. Fuchsia and the coaches believed that the most important thing they needed to do was outscore Vulerby with this very game mode leaning in their favor. Unlike before where they played defensive, this was the time to be aggressive on offense and test their might. Sure, it's a war of attrition but they also needed to know when to strike on the very few opportunities that arose. Another high toss thrown, Sky's shot is on the money as this time instead of a power shot it was a mean floater-one that threw the opponent off guard since they braced for a power serve. A dip so deep it created a campfire and once again Sky tallied a point in Squid Academy's favor. Romaine quickly grabbed his squad together and reassured them that it'd be a long round and this start to the very first set didn't mean a thing, they just needed to focus on returning her serve. But he spoke too lightly of Squid Academy's queen bee, who banged in a couple more aces to make it a 4-0 start. An unhappy sultan watching from the balcony along with a silenced crowd stunned by the sudden development, Vulerby responded by finally returning her serve, the one at the helm? Romaine. The first rally a quick one after Reice got a kill breaking through their two man wall, Squid Academy followed up with Aaron on the serve. Although he didn't grab an ace, he managed to play a part in scoring the point when he made a key block along with Reice to deny Vulerby their chance to open up scoring-in turn stretching the lead to a 6-0 start. It was unheard of for a team to dominate Vulerby at any time in a contest and much less a team like Squid Academy and though it's early on in the first set, it was a telling message Squid Academy was sending to the giants.
"And that makes it 7-0 off the block from Azule!"
"They've scored from the serve, off a set play, and on defense with blocks! I'm impressed with how quickly they've established their rhythm early on while also setting the tone for the match and swept Vulerby off their feet. Romaine and his squad have to do something before it gets uglier."
Up to serve is Reice, who already was making an impact in other ways. Romaine watched him carefully, observing all the mannerisms Reice performed before going for the serve. Just like we watched on film, we expected as much from them. A team built differently from the rest, what made them so scary wasn't necessarily that lineup of dark horses and underrated talent, but the ability to be decisive. To tell when to strike. I was weary that they would've shown their true colors eventually, but to think they would wait this long… His vision locks on the ball as it ascends in the air; I applaud them for having such a strategy and following it well but…
"Here comes the serve!" the commentators announced in unison, excited to see more from Reice today.
A rocket of a shot over center line across the net, Isaac returns the powerful shot and sends it over to Dhaman, their main setter in this contest. Dhaman calls out Saul's name who was already on the break running parallel to the net away from his setter. Taking a leap and drawing the wall of Reice and Aaron to his location they are surprised to see the ball doesn't go his way and instead head in the opposite direction, one where someone was already at the apex of their jump with the gun locked on the ball toss right on target.
"Romaine is open! Nobody is near!" the commentator shouts.
...We're not ranked fourth in the world for nothing! A slam that sent splatters of pink everywhere as it connected with the ground dirtying the clothes of the nearby Pastelle who was covering the sideline where the shot landed in bounds, the shot in the arm Vulerby needed to get their offense going started with none other than their captain. A point that prompted the audience at the palace to roar to life, Vulerby followed up with an ace of their own and a couple rally wins to trim the lead to only a trio of points. On their next attempt for a serve, Vulerby failed to get the ace and instead allowed Squid Academy to trigger a rally. A swift attack with Jory's number called, his attack on them was nearly successful but he unfortunately sent the ball just a bit out of bounds-messing up his timing on the shot and his gun wasn't lined up properly. A failure on the counterattack that made it a 7-5 contest, Squid Academy tightened up their defenses and started yet another rally after Pastelle returned Waheer's serve. A quick setup with Sky passing the ball over to Aaron, the chemistry between the two was unmatched and the end result was a point for squid Academy; 8-5 in their favor. A three point lead was what Fuchsia believed they needed to maintain if they were going to survive the first set, finding that the slow start by Vulerby worked in their favor and that as the match continued they would warm up more and more so they ended to take advantage early on; the slip ups Vulerby were still making were also a telling sign that they had a realistic chance of taking this set.
A rally win and a couple service aces later and Squid Academy are back to a decent pace, but Vulerby followed up by winning four consecutive rally points to trim the lead back to just a couple points. An 11-9 score, the Squid Academy base were getting a little bit concerned at the improvement of Vulerby. While they didn't look quite stellar yet, it was clear that the team was finally heating up and finding their own rhythm-slowly wrestling the momentum away from Squid Academy in the process. Sultan Ruhtab saw this as an opportunity to get in the enemy's head and quickly he encouraged his guests to show their support for their team and build the momentum for their side. Squid Academy didn't let the noise faze them however as their emotional support came from Sky, who reassured them that there won't be any trouble once she's on the court, and who could deny that? After all, she's been the key proponent in this offense running the way it has. The next few points were full of trades as Squid Academy won their point, only to lose the next one off a serve that went out of bounds and awarded the point to Vulerby. Vulerby followed up with an ace to trim the lead to only a single point, but ended up messing up a serve that went too low and triggered a Squid Academy rally that quickly awarded them another point off a strong kill from Pastelle this time; the heavily anticipated connection of Sky and Azule had yet to happen at this point and the score is already 13-11. Up to serve is Jory, one of Squid Academy's best players for this very situation; Vulerby's on the edge of their seat, having already done their homework on how to contain the unpredictable wild card. A quick toss and serve, the same problem they faced earlier with Sky was once again reappearing with Jory's appearance.
They're too damn quick! Romaine shouts in his mind after Jory launched yet another vicious serve to score a point. It was frustrating to watch from his end. He could track the ball, but he was never in position to return them, and on the rallies, there was only so much he could do at once. His teammates weren't lacking by any means, but the coordination of Squid Academy was proving to be top notch. Even though those siblings hadn't yet connected on the score sheet, their presence together was already showing its impact.
The whistle blows to end the point but the ref awards the point to Vulerby and the reason why all stemmed from a great play by Saul, who did well in returning the ball over to Squid Academy and getting it just over the net to force the others to dive for it. 15-12, that brought the game back to within playing range. The goal for Squid Academy was to maintain that three point cushion or even extend it like they did earlier to four points looking for that fifth, whereas Vulerby were doing everything to keep it close and get warmed up for the long haul; they acknowledged Squid Academy surprised them early on but by no means were they folding to them. A few more points awarded toward Vulerby following a rally point win by Squid Academy, the score is now 16-14 in favor of the blues and although they had the lead, the trend of the match was quite the opposite…
"Since our seven point lead in the beginning of the set, Vulerby has outscored us 14-9. I don't like that trend at all." Cobalt frowned, noticing the change in attitude from Vulerby.
"They've certainly come alive like we expected but it's not cause for concern yet." Tangie responded, still confident in her squad; "Azule and Sky haven't even gotten serious yet and they're already putting pressure on them. Once they click, it's a wrap for Vuelrby."
"That's a dangerous way of thinking." Apollo said.
"I agree. While it could be a matter that they haven't had the need to show up as of yet, I'm starting to wonder if there might be something wrong between them that they aren't finding each other yet on offense. The reason why the trend is benefiting Vulerby despite the deficit could possibly be due to the lack of action from the pair." Kosami said, looking over at the coach who was starting to sweat with some concern; she was right on the money.
Though they maintained the lead for now, it wasn't a shock to see Vulerby were slowly in control of the match as of late and were only trailing due to their mistakes during play, which was attributed to the entire roster being fresh and yet to synergize. A solid pair of serves by Dhaman, the second serve fails to grab a point like the first which led to Squid Academy managing a good return, but Vulerby is quick on the pounce and snagged the point to tie up the score. The Vulerby supporters full of life once more after actively rooting their side to a comeback, they witness several trades of points between the two sides. It was a struggle for Squid Academy when it came to holding onto the lead, but they managed to win their points on each hard earned rally. Problem is, Vulerby continued to stump their momentum with rally points and aces. The exchange in that period started where Vulerby left off when they won the point that tied up the score gave Dhaman the chance to do yet another serve and once again, he failed to get the ace. A beautiful return from Pastelle of the greatest difficulty, she started the counterattack led by Sky, who saw the rest of the team rush the attack line: Azule sprinted away from the rest while the trio rushed forward with every intention to score. Sky wanted nothing more than to set up her little brother to finally score the big points this late into the set but she couldn't ignore the higher percentage play if she sent it to the trio instead. Trusting her instincts, she sent it over to the leaping trio. Reice misses. Jory misses. But the ball reaches its intended target. A thunderous cross court shot that rips through the defense, Squid Academy won the point and retook the lead. But on the ensuing possession, Vulerby lashed back on a rally point win off a block to tie up the once more. Following the serve from Isaac that landed straight into the range of Jory, Squid Academy fired back with a kill from Reice to get the lead yet again. And unlike before, they capitalized off a lucky ace serve from Azule that barely stayed inbounds along the sidelines running to the baseline. After he followed up with a second ace, Azule messed up on his timing and in turn opened up a can of worms: Romaine was up to serve. Down by three points, Romaine cut the deficit to a single point off of a pair of aces and on the third serve, though he failed to get the ace, his team denied Squid Academy a chance to extend their lead.
"The score is all tied up here at twenty and it's Vulerby's serve here with Romaine. Squid Academy has struggled lately and one has to wonder how they'll hold up moving forward. It's clear Vulerby has no intentions of slowing down and Squid Academy will need to make adjustments or fail to prevent the inevitable." the commentator said as the two teams catch their breath before this next serve. Azule and his squad didn't look fazed by the pressure Vulerby was applying but neither did they look comfortable with how the situation had unfolded in giving up the lead the way they did, especially with Romaine at the helm for another serve. The goal for them was to get him off the line as swiftly as possible.
"And he sinks another ace! Vulerby has overtaken Squid Academy for the first time in the round and what a time to come alive!"
The audience at the yard roared to life, rumbling the setting while up above them on the balcony stood a pleased sultan grinning from ear to ear. To everyone watching this match, it was the beginning of the end. Squid Academy's desperate attempt to survive and maintain the lead finally ran out of steam, and all that was left was to stop the bleeding before it got worse. Romaine's eyes shined like jewels after scoring that point, familiar with how Squid Academy's previous appearances in this game mode turned out. He wouldn't give them a chance to catch their breath, he wouldn't allow them the opportunity to have hope. He'll crush them here and finalize everything in the next set. On the following toss, Romaine delivered yet another strong serve to win the point, now on the verge of winning the set. The score is 23-20 in favor of Vulerby and their supporters are making noise from multiple venues, the hearts of the Squid Academy supporters are sinking and their stomachs in knots as they watch their beloved team hang by a thread onto some form of hope. The set wasn't over yet, but they needed a spark. From someone, anyone.
Another powerful serve delivered beyond the net, Pastelle springs to action and returns it with a pass to Sky, doing a roll backwards after angling her gun and just the right degree to send it over to Sky without error. Sky was already at the attacking line prepared to pass the ball: Reice looked ready to rejuvenate the team, Aaron had the best look from where he started his and gained momentum, and Jory was known for rising to the occasion on big moments, but Sky already had her decision made from the start. When a team found themselves down badly in a match in need of a light to reignite their team, that when the leader of the team stepped up the most to guide them to the right path. Since the beginning, that role was reserved for one talent who had the blessing of youth and leadership on his side. He wasn't a third year who was well established, but he wasn't so inexperienced that he'd shrink in these moments. The wise older sister didn't even need to look his way to know who she would entrust to revitalize the offense. His leap so high it appeared like he'd earned his wings, Azule's cap blew off as he rocketed strike through the wall and between the legs of Saul, the ball moving so fast that only the splat of the ball on the ground was what could be seen after that. A quick attack to cut off the flow of Vulerby's attack, Squid Academy trimmed the score to a 23-21 contest, still needing a couple more points to equalize. The Squid Academy fans aren't making any noise just yet, but their hope is restored. Up to take her serve with everyone watching closely, Pastelle steps up to the line…
"C'mon girl, punch it in!" Parker cheered, standing up once he noticed it was her turn; Todd was also up on his feet to watch the end of the first set.
The crowd of the palace yard got louder and louder in hopes to distract her, wanting to prevent Squid Academy's resurgence by any means. Unfortunately they knew deep down that this set got a lot harder with her at the helm, and the Vulerby players recognized as much too, shifting their formation and bracing for a monstrous serve to come at them. All of them yelling at her to bring on as she tosses the ball, to their surprise, it's the opposite of what they expected. A jump floater with delicacy on the touch, Pastelle placed her focus on firing her gun with just the right amount of power to give it that soar through the air, Pastelle had Waheer questioning his judgment as the ball veered towards out of bounds along the sidelines..
"Out!" he called, motioning with his arms and shaking his head, sure that he was correct on the call. But the ball made a last ditch drop just before where he intended.
Point awarded-Squid Academy.
A huge point that cut the lead down to a single point, the voices of Squid Academy raised, and the dissatisfaction from Vulerby grew. But even among the sea of boos sent her way, Pastelle looked as clear headed as possible. Sky came in when she did and gave us a shot in the arm, and Azule has done everything to reassure us that he is here to lead us. There's no way I'm letting some other team beat us down. If anyone is going to beat us, it's ourselves!
A thunderous shot that carried a violet spin, Pastelle secured another point for her side, and with that, made it game again. The drums are banging, the brass band is playing, and the Squid Academy supporters are chanting for another point. The set at its end on these final plays, everything rests in Pastelle's hands. The reliable vice captain who's watched the two siblings do everything in their power to make this a reality now had the chance to capitalize off their efforts, and as she peered at her opponents across the net her resolve strengthened. Yet another serve of a variety, it was sent up high. Vulerby scrambled into position to begin their counterattack as the ball descended but when they were hoping for a strike that'd give them a chance to retake the lead, they're met by the one man wall in Reice. His roller lifted with just enough height, Reice rejected the attempt and in turn scored the point for his squad. 24-23 in Squid Academy's favor, it's a set point and once again ready to take up the serve is Pastelle, who looked possessed.
Get this next point. Get this next point. Get this next point. Her head empty, and her body light, Pastelle delivered a statement to Vulerby. It didn't matter how many times they flaunted their status and strength nor did it matter of how "serious" Romaine could get, as it stood right now, their fate rested in her hands and she foresaw their demise. A serve that seemed unstoppable with its spin and speed, Pastelle poured everything into ensuring the ball was unreturnable. A bullet that shot across the court and curled off to the sidelines, Romaine noticed the drop and tried to contest it before it touched the ground but couldn't get his shot off in time-only hitting the target partially. A surprise ending to the first set that left the audience speechless, Squid Academy survived Vulerby's hot run to take a 1-0 lead in the round.
