NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The College of New Rochelle President Judith Huntington hosted a reception in the College’s historic Castle Parlors on Friday, February 20, honoring the Blue Angels volleyball team that won the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) regular season and tournament championships this fall.
President Huntington congratulated this group of hard working, intelligent and dedicated women for their outstanding achievements and successes, and commended them on their ability to juggle very demanding academic schedules with the rigors of intercollegiate competition.
Volleyball team captain Meghan King SAS ’15 thanked President Huntington and attending administrators for their unwavering support and spoke about their memorable season while showing appreciation to her coaches and teammates.
CNRAthletics.com spent some time with four-year letter-winner King and first-year player Fabiola Padilla Rios SAS ’18, and reminisced about the season personally and as a team, and, of course, the unforgettable championship moments.
CNRAthletics.com: What does an event (like the celebration event) mean to you and the team?
Meghan King: The celebration event with President Huntington means a great deal to the team and I because it is such a nice feeling to know that all of our hard work is appreciated. It is very exciting for all of us to be honored at this special event as it marks the official end to a very memorable season.
CNRAthletics.com: What was your experience like this season (stepping in to a team that was looking to win a second straight championship)?
Fabiola Padilla Rios: My experience this season was amazing. I learned and grew as a person and as a player. I won a family and many memories that I will never forget. Stepping into a team that was looking to win a second straight championship at the beginning sounded stressful. But the support and confidence our coach and my team gave me really made that go away. I worked hard to help my team win that second straight championship.
CNRAthletics.com: How did this year’s championship compare to last year’s?
Meghan King: This year’s championship was just as exciting as last year’s because as all sports fans know, you can never count on the win until the last point is scored and the game is over. So, even though we had a better record and we were the regular season champions this year, we could not be sure that we would actually win the HVIAC Championship Tournament. This year’s championship was different for me because it not only marked the official end of the season, but it was the end of my collegiate volleyball career as a Blue Angel at CNR.
CNRAthletics.com: What did the new players learn from the returning players like Meghan?
Fabiola Padilla Rios: The new players learned from the returning players that a united team can overcome everything and that working hard is the key to success. Since the beginning of the season we focused not only on training and skills, but in making a united team, a family. Also, we learned from them skills and tips from their previous experiences that helped us in our performance in the court.
CNRAthletics.com: What was your favorite on court memory from this season?
Meghan King: My favorite on court memory this season was winning our second HVIAC Tournament Championship in two years, and being named the Tournament MVP for the second time. I remember looking at my family after we won the title and seeing their big smiles and also the tears in my mother’s eyes. I realized at that moment that even though this was the end of a wonderful ten years of playing volleyball it was the best feeling in the world and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
CNRAthletics.com: What was your favorite on court memory from this season?
Fabiola Padilla Rios: My favorite on court memory for this season was the last point and the celebration on the court after winning the championship. That was the moment when I realized that all the hard work during the season paid off. The mix of feelings I felt in that moment was incredible. Seeing how everyone on the team reacted in their own way was incredible. That game showed that a united team is the key for success when both teams’ talent is equal.
CNRAthletics.com: What was your favorite off court memory from this season?
Meghan King: My favorite off court memory from his season took place on our way to Rutgers-Newark for the ECAC Conference quarter finals. Coach encouraged us all to sing on the bus on the way to the game and it was a great way to bond and relieve the stress that we were feeling prior to the game. We were really pumped for the game by the time we arrived.
CNRAthletics.com: What was your favorite off court memory from the season?
Fabiola Padilla Rios: There are many awesome off court memories, but the first one that came to my mind was that night after playing at Keystone. We finished really late that night and we stopped at Wendy’s to buy food, but the restaurant was closed already and only the drive thru was open. And for our luck the bus couldn’t fit in the drive thru. Therefore we ordered and wait for our food in the window of the drive thru. It was so funny, cold, and a priceless memory.
CNRAthletics.com: What legacy has your volleyball class left at CNR?
Meghan King: I feel that the legacy that my class has left is the fact that we are now defending champions for two years in a row. We have proven that with dedication and hard work anything is possible. It took my volleyball class our first two years to bring back the banner and it is now up to the classes behind us to continue the hard work so that the CNR Blue Angels can continue the reign as HVIAC Volleyball champions.
CNRAthletics.com: What do you expect next season?
Fabiola Padilla Rios: Next season I expect a really different team, because we lost six players, but a united one that will work hard to look for another championship. I expect good attitudes from everyone to keep creating this family. Personally I expect to come more prepared with more skills, conditioning and confidence to keep improving on the court and as a teammate. I expect a great season with hard work, but great results.