Monrovia Clinches Perfect League Record On Senior Night

Mia Groves (3) reads her dedication to Tsui. – Photos by Christian Romo

By Christian Romo

Monrovia junior Kaila Tagavilla spent much of warm-ups practicing handshakes with her teammates. They rehearsed chest bumps, shoulder bumps, dips, daps, and dabs, all of which needing to be perfected before the pre-match ceremony.

For the visiting San Marino Titans, who needed to win for a shot at a playoff spot, this game mattered. But for the Monrovia Wildcats, who last week clinched their first Rio Hondo League title, their final match of the regular season was of second importance to whom they were honoring.

So after Monrovia coach Wayne Teng announced the starting lineups, and after Tagavilla and company performed the requisite dips, daps, and dabs, the Wildcats began the match rotating only seven players: Harmony Tsui, Emily Ramirez, Vivian But, Riley Carius, Angie Castañeda, Madison Mayoralgo, and Stephanie Perez. All seniors. All champions.

But (15) receives her gift. – Photo by Christian Romo

“It’s amazing to be able to achieve this with my team…I’ll remember how close of a family we were,” said Mayoralgo, whose leadership helped the Wildcats to unprecedented success this season.

Castañeda, the team’s vocal leader, shared a similar sentiment: “We all worked as a team together, we all found our own niches and used them to play the game, and just played our hearts out.”

When asked about their favorite memories, Perez and Carius gave the same response. “[I’ll remember] practice, when we play around and we’re happy,” said Perez. Carius elaborated, saying: “I’m probably going to remember when we’re all dancing and being silly, and Coach Teng yelling at us for not being on task.”

It was a bittersweet moment for many of the girls. “It was really fun and exciting, and it’s emotional at the same time,” said Ramirez. But called the experience “awesome” and “nerve-wracking,” adding: “I wouldn’t have asked for a better team.” Perez said she was sad, but that she’ll always remember her “best friends, sisters, and teammates.”

The most vivid comment came from Tsui, whose favorite memory “…is when we get all those little digs and they go over and everyone gets so excited.” She smiled and paused before saying: “It’s the best feeling ever.”

After the match, the underclass players offered gifts and speeches to their senior teammates, often fighting tears and laughter while reminiscing about their friends. Each senior gave a flower necklace to a family member as well during the post-game ceremony, and the team spent over a half-hour taking pictures with friends and family after the ceremony.

Sydney Corazzelli (right) hugs Perez. – Photo by Christian Romo

Despite everyone else celebrating their achievements, all of the seniors deferred to their teammates before mentioning themselves, most often referring to one another as family. “There is no doubt that this group has that strong character,” said Teng, calling them all great citizens of the community.

Though the regular season is over, it was not the final home game for Monrovia’s seniors. After beating the Titans in four sets and clinching a perfect league record, the Wildcats will host a playoff game next week, and if they are fortunate, maybe a few more after that.

Teng this afternoon emphasized his team’s citizenship, education, and character, but he neglected to mention one important aspect: their on-court success. This group of seniors is the core of the best volleyball team Monrovia has seen in a generation, and they’re all hopeful they can bring a trophy back to campus. But however the season ends for the Wildcats, the fans will remember this season and this group of seniors as truly one of a kind.

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