2025 UKSO

VDA debaters were back in action over the last weekend at the National Speech & Debate Season Opener Tournament.  VDA made their mark against almost 300 of the best teams from around the world. In the Varsity division, Apollin Lu & Finn Ye broke through to the Double Octofinals, while teammates Flora Tu & Joshua Zhou advanced even further, reaching the top 16 before narrowly losing on a split decision to a team from Taipei American who went on to reach the semifinals. Both results reflect the team’s resilience and skill in one of the most competitive fields on the global debate calendar.

We are tremendously proud of all our debaters who represented VDA with excellence, courage, and determination. These strong results set the tone for an exciting season ahead, with our next stop coming up in two weeks at Yale University. Let’s go VDA!