2026 Stanford University

VDA debaters were back in action at this weekend’s Stanford University Debate Tournament, bringing home trophies in both Worlds and Public Forum debate. The entire team delivered an extraordinary series of performances across every division, showcasing the remarkable skill, dedication, and teamwork of every single participant.

The results speak to the profound depth of talent on the team. In the top TOC division of World Schools debate, the team of Amanda Chen, Crystal Su, Eaton Li, Matthew Yip, and Norah Liu argued with masterful analysis and creativity, advancing all the way to the Top Eight before losing a close Quarterfinal round to Team USA.

Hot on their heels, the team of Anthony Fuliu, Devan Bhatt, Kalan Xie, and Nicolas Liu showcased equal prowess, reaching TOC Octofinals. These results in a format that rewards quick, critical thinking and dynamic delivery are incredibly impressive.

In the research- and analysis-heavy TOC Public Forum division, two teams – Flora Tu & Joshua Zhou and Angelina Guo & Nikki Zheng – powered through intense preliminary rounds to both achieve the impressive status of Triple Octofinalists. This double achievement highlights the strategic strength and persuasive power of our most experienced PF debaters.

The success continued in Junior Varsity Public Forum, where the team of Steven Shi & Shannon Zhu broke into elimination rounds and finished in the Top 16 as Octofinalists, a testament to their rapid development and competitive grit. Further amplifying this achievement, Miranda Le earned the outstanding distinction of 20th Speaker out of 184 debaters, showcasing her individual rhetorical excellence.

And finally, our future is clearly in good hands in Novice Public Forum, where Owen Liang announced his arrival on the national circuit with authority, securing the position of 26th Speaker out of 164 speakers. This early success is a preview of great things to come.

While these achievements certainly deserve celebration, the true victory lies in the journey of late-night research sessions, countless practice rounds, collaborative case writing, and the resilience to learn from every single ballot. Congratulations to each and every debater, who represented VDA with integrity, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering support for one another.

VDA will be looking for more success on both sides of the United States next weekend, with debaters competing at both UC Berkeley and Harvard University. Best of luck to everyone involved!

Let’s go VDA!!!