Photo Provided by Ava Fishman

Rosary Tennis Team poses for a pre-match photo at the “Gorilla Villa”

While most of the Rosary Royals were sleeping in, doing homework, or living it up, this past weekend, Rosary’s Varsity Tennis team embarked on a crazy quest of victory and challenge. The tennis team, fueled by an In-N-Out lunch, a Taylor Swift jam session, and plenty of naps along the two hour van ride, traveled to Palm Springs for one of Rosary’s first ever tennis overnight tournaments. Not deterred by both the threat of unknown competition and unknown territory, the girls were determined to conquer Palm Springs on the courts and bond as a team.

Upon arriving in Palm Springs, the team dropped their bags and spent some time unwinding in their rooms, which they dubbed their “Gorilla Villas,” according to Senior Captain Ava Fishman, due to the giant Gorilla statue guarding the front doors. When asked about the “Gorilla Villa,” Ava shared: “I would rate it a solid seven out of ten. It was really nice inside and Hannah Arcebal ’24 and I got our own room with a TV!”

Once everyone was rested and refueled with some snacks, the girls all took to the courts for their game against Xavier College Preparatory High School. Xavier’s team promised completely new and unexpected gameplay, as they are so far away from Fullerton, that Rosary didn’t have much information on them. Knowing this, the Rosary Coaches encouraged the Royals to be ready for anything. What they weren’t ready for, however, was the intense heat that followed them throughout the match. Despite it being an evening match, spanning from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m, the temperature remained at an unpleasant 104 degrees. When asked about this unexpected playing factor, Vianna Cabal ’25 added: “We played a night match, and it was really fun, but the heat was overwhelmingly different.”

Despite the heat, Rosary battled through each game, eventually coming out with a tie after several trying points and difficult rallies. To celebrate, the girls all returned to their “Gorilla Villas” for cold showers and the promise of a full night of sleep. And in the morning, as an extra reward, they stopped to get Dutch Bros coffee before beginning the long trek back to Fullerton. It was these little bonding moments in between the games that really made the overnight experience extra special, as Junior Kate Piper agreed: “My favorite part about the Palm Springs getaway was definitely getting to know the other girls on the team more, especially the girls that came up from JV.”

At the end of the day, the Rosary Palm Springs overnight was a great success, allowing for both a team challenge and team bonding opportunity. The Rosary Varsity Tennis team recommends the overnight experience to other curious Rosary Teams and hopes for more bonding opportunities in the future.