By Bill Sheehan
Kyle Witt was looking for building blocks as he created Cal State Fullerton's water polo program from scratch last year. He found a cornerstone in Mia Solorzano.
The redshirt freshman has become an indispensable member of the school's inaugural women's team. Solorzano is the Titans' premier defender and second-leading goal-scorer. She takes teammates under her wing and even ran practices last fall when Witt, who hadn't yet hired assistants, was tied up with meetings and calls.
"She has worn a multitude of hats: No. 1 defender, top scorer, life-skills coach," said Witt. "Mia is a good person, a hard worker and strong communicator. Everyone appreciates all that she has done."
Witt, the former longtime women's coach at Loyola Marymount University, was hired in July to lead Fullerton's nascent men's and women's water polo teams. Within days, Solorzano -- who had completed her first year at LMU – hopped into the transfer portal to follow her coach.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Solorzano. She had competed for MidValley Water Polo in Fullerton and attended Rosary Academy, a Catholic all-girls high school just west of the college campus.
Mia Solorzano is feted on Senior Day for the Rosary Academy's water polo team. Joining her are her mother Amparo, brothers Adam Jr. and Jacob, and her father Adam Sr.
"I liked attending LMU, but Fullerton is a better place for me in the long run," said Solorzano, who was born in Downey and raised in Commerce. "Kyle is a great coach, and this was an opportunity to come here and help make history.
"Kyle tries to develop you as a player and always has your back. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of player I can become," Solorzano said, adding that Witt emphasizes academics as the team's top priority. "His wants us to succeed in life."
Witt, who left his alma mater in coming to Fullerton, was excited to have Solorzano on board. "Having recruited her to LMU, I know what a quality person she is. She has a great work ethic and a strong desire to improve. Mia shared my vision of building things from the ground up and growing Fullerton into an elite program."
The Titans, who are 12-17 overall and 0-5 in the Big West, will attempt to get their first conference win when they host UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The 1 p.m. game is at Fullerton's campus pool, which opened last fall.
A skeleton squad of six players, including Solorzano, worked out in the fall. The remainder of transfers and newcomers arrived during winter break, giving the team just two weeks to jell before the season opener. "We quickly learned to play together and became a dynamic team that is really close," said Solorzano. "It was a matter of trusting the process. And we have stuck with it."
The 19-year-old Solorzano scored seven goals in the Titans' debut game in January, a 24-3 win over UC Merced at the UC Santa Barbara Invite. She has scored 56 goals this season, despite missing six games with a concussion.
Her presence is keenly felt on the defensive side too. Witt praised her as a "matchup defender" who can track any opponent in the pool. "I've had a pretty good year on defense, guarding centers and making field blocks," said Solorzano, who also takes pride in her offensive skills and ability to draw ejections.
What makes her accomplishments even more impressive is that Solorzano is just 5-foot-3. She credits her quickness, strength and endurance for allowing her to compete against taller opponents, some who are 6-footers.
"I get a lot of my conditioning done through lap swimming and weightlifting. We swim about 2,500 to 3,000 yards or do sprints at the start of practice before working on passing, shooting and scrimmaging," she said. "
Solorzano, who is the Titans captain, has helped the team stay focused throughout the season, said Gabrielle Zaretskiy, who leads the Titans with 60 goals. "Mia is a well-rounded player who helps motivate the team through all the ups and downs," she said.
Zaretskiy, a freshman from Huntington Beach, said Solorzano has supported her in multiple ways. "Mia is a great friend. When I arrived at Fullerton, she took me around the campus and answered all my questions. In the pool, she helped me sharpen my center skills and taught me how to use my left hand to score more goals."
A psychology major, Solorzano envisions a career as a primary or high school counselor, or possible a paramedic. "I like helping people," she said.
Solorzano first began playing water polo at age 7 at the Brenda Villa Aquatics Center in Commerce. "I had played football, baseball and soccer, but I saw some girls playing water polo one day and it looked fun." She soon became hooked.
Mia Solorzano started playing water polo at age 7. She competed for Commerce Aquatics for 10 years.
She was a member of Commerce Aquatics for 10 years before switching to MidValley Water Polo in Fullerton for her final season of club competition in 2022.
Solorzano was a four-year starter at Rosary Academy. She was a two-time All-CIF and three-time All-Trinity League honoree, and she was named team MVP her last three seasons.
She led the Royals to the CIF Small Schools Division 3 championship in 2020 as a junior, scoring three goals in a 9-7 victory in the finals against Riverside's M.L. King High.
Her parents, Adam Sr. and Amparo, played important roles in her water polo development. They transported Mia back and forth to MidValley and Rosary Academy, often making the 40-mile round trip twice a day.
"It was hard to say no to her. If she was willing to make a big commitment, how could we say no?" said Amparo.
Adam Sr. is a partial owner of Club db Lounge, a popular nightclub in Downey. Amparo is a senior instructional assistant for early childhood development/special needs for the Downey Unified School District.
Solorzano isn't the only athlete in the family. Adam Sr. played high school football and excelled in rifle shooting, while Amparo competed in softball. Solorzano has two younger brothers. Adam Jr. is a school thespian, and Jacob plays water polo.
"Mia wasn't always the best player. But she has always been determined and had a big heart," said Amparo. "She worked and worked and did more than anyone else so that she could master her skills. Her motto was, 'Be so good that they can't ignore you.' "
"Her teammates might have been laughing and joking around in the pool, but Mia would remind them, 'We are here to play, we are here to win," recalled Amparo, who said Solorzano helped recruit friends to join her on Rosary's water polo team.
"There's been a pattern for her – to get girls to love the sport as she does," said Amparo. "She has always been nurturing to the younger girls. Being a September baby, she was always younger than most of them. But she loved to teach them and show them how to do things," said Amparo.
"Mia is our captain and team mom," said Zaretskiy, her teammate. "A lot of the girls go to Mia for advice."
Called "Mama Mia" by her teammates, Solorzano frequently holds gatherings at her campus apartment. She enjoys cooking Mexican food and Italian pasta dishes, Afterward, the women play board games and watch movies.
"The whole team gets into it. It's a great way for us to bond," she said.
Kyle Witt Feature Story: https://www.fullertontitans.com/general/2021-22/releases/20220711ljvj29
WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.
FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (@FullertonTitans). In addition, the water polo teams have established their own Twitter (@Fullerton_WP) and Instagram accounts (@Fullerton_WP).