A season to remember

Holding true to the team’s motto, it was definitely a season to remember. The Leopards were one game away from a national championship. And the Leopards did take it one step at a time.

In the end, on Nov. 22, however, Emory University proved to be the best team. Down 2-1, sophomore outside hitter Rebecca Villanueva hit an ace to make the game 22-21.

It was the last point the Leopards score the whole season, as Emory sketched out four more points and the title.

Months after the loss, the Leopards finished spring training and are ready to take another shot at the title. But they can now reflect on a stellar season, which saw the Leopards advance to the championship game for the first time since 2001.

“I thought it was a successful season,” senior outside hitter Brianna Gonzales said. “I’m proud of how we did, but I wish we would have won the last game.”

The Leopards started out the season with a perfect 4-0 record during the Puget Sound Premier Invitational. During the tournament, La Verne defeated regional foe Cal State East Bay and last year’s regional champions Puget Sound.

“We started off the season well,” sophomore libero Chelsea Sleight said. “We knew we wanted payback against Puget Sound.”

Continuing the season, the Leopards pounded visiting New York State in a non-league matchup. Then it was off to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

SCIAC play appeared easy for the Leopards. The Leopards only lost two games during SCIAC matches, going 42-2 during all the SCIAC matches.

“Some SCIAC opponents are not at the same level of play as we are,” Sleight said.

Sleight however mentioned that the conference does present some challenges.

Conference foe Cal Lutheran has been a rivalry that has increased in years. Also, Sleight said Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has also been competitive over the season.

“They give us a run for our money,” Sleight said.

However, La Verne was riding high in SCIAC play, but its hosted tournament was lurking ahead. The tournament brought together the top two teams in the nation: No. 1 Juanita and No. 2 Emory.

This was the first real test of the season for the Leopards. La Verne never played teams ranked ahead of them during the season up to this point. Gonzales said the tournament represented where the Leopards ranked among the best.

“The tournament gave us a chance to see where we were as a team,” Gonzales said. “ We fought hard in all the matches.”

La Verne faced Juanita in its first match of the tournament. But the Leopards could not overcome powerhouse Juanita during the match.

The next day it was time to face Emory. The Leopards were able to fight to the end, but their fighting was not enough, as they fell 3-2.

In the end, the losses were the only ones the Leopards suffered during the regular season.

“It kinda sucked,” Sleight said. “We played hard. It was such a close game and to lose on our home court twice was not fun.”

While the tournament was a low point for the team, the Leopards went back to SCIAC determined to win. The Leopards clinched the SCIAC championship after a win against Cal Tech on Nov. 1. The Leopards also were selected to host the NCAA Division III West Regional Championship tournament.

“It was cool that we got to host the tournament,” Sleight said. “It’s always fun to play in front of our fans in games like these.”

During the tournament, the Leopards passed Nebraska Wesleyan in the semifinals with a final score of 3-1. The win set up their third and final matchup against Cal Lu.

While the spirits of Cal Lu were high, the Leopards did not let that deter them. The Leopards won the match, 3-1 to advance.

Then it was off to the NCAA Championship tournament. The Leopards received an easy match against New Paltz State in the quarterfinals, sweeping the Hawks 3-0. But the Leopards knew a rematch against Juniata was ahead of them.

“Facing Juniata again, we knew we wanted revenge,” Gonzales said. “We knew we had to play our game and take it one step at a time.”

The Leopards played a heartfelt match. La Verne came out strong in the second game to tie the match 1-1. But at 25-13 slaughter game Juniata a 2-1 match lead. Down by four points in Game 4, the Leopards rallied back to win Game 4 after a service ace by Crista Jones.

Then it was on to Game 5. Tied 15-15 Gonzales kill gave the Leopards the lead. After a kill error by the Eagles, the Leopards sealed the victory.

The Leopard’s players all had the same goal. But many of them differ between each other.
Gonzales said she took more of a leadership role this year than last year.

“I was aware that I was the senior member,” Gonzales said. “Even though it’s selfish of me, I handled it the same way as other years. I led by example.”

Sleight looked to improve her freshman season to become an impact player.

Sleight, a product from Long Beach Wilson High School, enjoyed a great level of success during her second year.

Freshman Mika Chan saw the season as a rookie. Chan participated in her first season as a Leopard mostly on the sideline. She said she enjoyed the atmosphere of the program and her first year.

“It was a lot of fun,” Chan said. “There was no pressure of practice and lifting.”

Chan found out about the school while searching for athletic training programs. She submitted a video tape of her games, and Flora was impressed. Chan admits she did not know much about the program.

After submitting the video, she received a call from Flora.

During her rookie season, Chan played most of her minutes during SCIAC games. She said she was happy at the outcome of joining the team.

“As a freshman, it was a good experience,” Chan said. “I didn’t know what to expect going in.”

“All I knew is that we were a good solid team with a lot of returners,” Chan added.

Sleight, a product from Long Beach Wilson High School, also enjoyed a great level of success during her second year. Sleight made a strong case in her first season as a Leo.

While the Leopards are anxious to start next season, La Verne will be without some familiar people. Head coach Don Flora resigned on Mar. 27, accepting a position at New Mexico State.
The Leopards also will be without Gonzales. The two-time All American finished her career as the SCIAC Player of the Year.

“She’s a big loss, she was a huge aspect to our team,” Sleight said. “But we have other people ready to step up.

But now that her spring camp is over, the Leopards look to put last year behind them to advance to next season. But they will still take it one game at a time.