Columnist, Staff WriterFollow
Oct. 7, 2024 7:51 AM PT
When Gabriela Jaquez noticed three of her UCLA teammates passionately representing Serbia and Germany during Olympic qualifiers, she was motivated.
Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag qualified to make their Olympic debuts playing for Germany. UCLA teammate Angela Dugaliu0107, of Serbia, also qualified to compete during the Paris Games.
“I saw them and they inspired me,” said Jaquez, explaining why she decided to play for the Mexican national team.
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Jaquez, 20, then talked with her father and older brother about playing for Mexico during the summer in her first international tournament.