Mia Villalpando made one of the most important decisions of her young career when she stuck with Tigres UANL Femenil and continued on her path as a professional soccer player, setting aside the option to play at UCLA despite having accepted a full scholarship.
Villalpando, 17, grew up in Bonita, Calif., and initially signed an Under-19 contract with Tigres that allowed her to retain her college eligibility. She trained in Mexico but committed to attend UCLA last fall. However, several factors tipped the scales against a move to Westwood, including the departure of Margueritte Aozasa, the Bruins coach who recruited her.