Looking spiffy in their specially designed pink warmup shirts and sneaker laces, the Monroe Mustangs women’s volleyball team dedicated the evening to fighting breast cancer. Then they did what they do best, win volleyball games. They beat a good Harcum team, 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-16) to improve their season record to 21-2 and extend their winning streak to 18.
But after the match, the lasting image of the Mustangs dressed in pink in an effort to help fight breast cancer was the most memorable. The Monroe game staff,lines people, ball boys and girls,and medical staff were also dressed in pink shirts.
“Being a champion is about more than just winning your games,” said head coach Nephtali Delgado Reyes. “Using your talent and skill to do good for others says alot about your commitment to more than just your team. It means you have a broad vision of the world. I’m proud of my players for a lot of reasons.”
In fact, the entire Monroe athletic program is dedicating this week’s games to Breast Cancer Awareness. The pink t-shirts worn by the Mustangs during the volleyball game were sold at the Monroe Athletic Complex (MAC) through the evening and they’ll also be sold at tomorrow’s men’s basketball scrimmage game, the Monroe women’s soccer game on Friday evening, and the men’s soccer game on Saturday night.
Last Sunday, Monroe athletes from a variety of teams marched in the “Making Strides Toward a World With More Birthdays” Breast Cancer Walk which took place at Orchard Beach,the Bronx. and there they donate all the proceeds from the sales and other monies collected to the NY Cancer Research Foundation.
“The athletes made it clear that they wanted to do something to give back,” said head trainer Jessica Rayford, who helped coordinate the week of events. “So in the best spirit of teamwork we worked to put together something meaningful.”
Stats from match:
Leina Braga – 9 kills, 6 aces,17 digs
Eli Rojas – 6 kills, 1 ace, 1 block and 5 digs.
Debbie Okeke – 2 kills and 4 blocks
Jessica Hilton – 5 kills,1 ace and 9 digs.
Wintress Page – 6 kills and 6 blocks
Melaynie Domenech – 3 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks, 33 assists and 7 digs.
Bria Christian – 1 ace and 28 digs.
Monroe moved up two places in the NJCAA Division II rankings to #17.
