Kamala Harris welcomes Cal State LA volleyball team to White House
Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed the volleyball team from California State University, Los Angeles, after the program captured the university's first women's title in the NCAA era.
"We are just overwhelmed with emotions," said Head Coach Juan Figueroa. "We are all just thankful and blessed for the opportunity to come out here and be among the nation's best. It's a very overwhelming feeling of happiness and pride."
The White House invited the team, along with the national champions from the NCAA's Division I and Division III, to celebrate their athletic accomplishments as part of NCAA Sports Day.
Vice President Harris and NCAA senior Vice President of Championships Lynda Tealer praised the women for their tenacity through the season.
"In America, tens of millions of people play a sport as a child, and the best-of-the-best grow up to become national champions," Vice President Harris said. "When you play, you inspire people across our nation. You remind all of us what can be achieved with hard work and ambition."
In November, the American Volley Coaches Association dropped the team from its Top 25, a poll ranking the best programs in the country. Despite this, the women defeated six ranked teams and became the first program to win a national title after being unranked in the AVCA's final regular season poll.
"We take immense pride in our volleyball student-athletes," said Daryl Gross, executive director for intercollegiate athletics. "This experience embodies our mission to cultivate future impactful leaders. For the team, this moment was invaluable and serves as a lasting reminder that they will always be national champions."
Senior Shelby Grubbs, the team's captain, joined Harris on stage along with players from the other national championship teams.
"Getting to talk with people who play the same sport as you, but at different divisions, and all end up at the same place was really cool," said the middle blocker from Newhall. "To know that we have events like this where we can be recognized on this high of a level is crazy."
