2026 UBC Summer HST

The UBC Summer HST brought together more than 70 debate teams and 130 speakers, creating another highly competitive tournament filled with strong talent from across the region. Once again, VDA students rose to the challenge, delivering outstanding performances in both the Team and Speaker categories.

Leading the way was Alexander (Lex) Hsiao, whose exceptional performances earned him the title of Open Finalist after breaking as the 2nd-ranked Open Team. His consistent debating and strategic excellence throughout the tournament showcased the high standard VDA students continue to achieve.

VDA also celebrated another remarkable result from Nicolas Liu and Luella Zhang, who broke into the Open elimination rounds as the 4th-ranked Open Team, advanced to the Open Semifinals, and were recognized as the Top Junior Team of the tournament. Their achievement demonstrated not only impressive debating skills but also their ability to compete successfully against older and more experienced opponents.

Strong preliminary-round performances were also delivered by Kalan Xie, who finished 11th in the Open Team rankings, as well as Ryan Zhang and Matthew Yip, who secured 19th place among a field of more than 70 teams.

The success continued in the individual speaker rankings. Alexander Hsiao finished as the 9th Open Speaker, while Luella Zhang was named 16th Open Speaker and 7th Junior Speaker. Kalan Xie earned 18th Open Speaker, and Nicolas Liu placed 21st Open Speaker while also finishing as the 10th Junior Speaker.

Reflecting on the tournament, VDA once again demonstrated the depth and consistency of its debate program. From advancing to elimination rounds and reaching the Open Final to earning multiple Top Speaker awards, our students showed resilience, preparation, and confidence on every stage.

Congratulations to all of our debaters on an outstanding tournament. We are incredibly proud of your hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship, and we look forward to seeing even greater achievements in the competitions ahead.

Let’s go VDA!!!