Monica Villasenor '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Monica Villasenor.  I am a junior at La Salle High School in Pasadena. I have been a swimmer since I was seven years old. I never thought about playing water polo until I interviewed at La Salle High School.  During my interview, I was encouraged to join the water polo team.  Being a small school, we only had a Varsity team and after the first practice, I knew that I wanted to be the goalie.  So far the highlight of my water polo journey has been winning the CIF Championship my freshman year in high school. Our team made history for our school because it was the first time the girls ever won CIF.  We were a small team with a lot of new and inexperienced players, but we learned to communicate and work together as a team to the very end.   I think I grew the most as a player when COVID hit.  I really missed playing.  I joined the Rose Bowl team just to be in the water and stay connected to the sport. During COVID, I had the opportunity to continue pushing through and staying focused even during the most challenging times. 

I have learned to value teamwork, communication, and empathy while playing water polo.  This year I am one of the captains of the varsity team, and I understand that communication and dedication are needed to play the game and to help the team to grow and move forward.  I make sure that my leadership skills, my personality, and determination are not only a part of my athletic success but also an important part of my academic success as well.  I am excited to play water polo in college, and I will make sure that the best for my team will be my number one priority.