Forget sideline cheers and slam dunks. This spring, the fiercest competition wasn’t in a gym, but in classrooms-turned-competition rooms. In a sea of suits, with slices of Domino’s pizzas in hand and the occasional umbrellas over heads, the Bishop’s Speech & Debate team braved three grueling weekends of the State Qualifying Tournaments. They practiced their speeches in cars, to brick walls, and in front of their friends — all in pursuit of something far more meaningful than plastic trophies and medals: growth. 

From the first round on Friday, February 21st to the final debate on Saturday, March 15th, the team competed in the San Diego Imperial Valley Speech League’s (SDIVSL) State Qualifiers. The result: a record-breaking 26 students advanced to the States tournament hosted by the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA) — the most in Bishop’s history. 

Even Mr. Valji, the Speech & Debate Coach and winner of Coach of the Year this season, felt the impact of that team spirit. He was surprised when he won Coach of the Year — mostly because he was onstage helping hand out awards. “I didn’t expect it,” he said. “But warmed my heart was how excited the Bishop’s crowd was… After 12 years of being excited for students, that was the first time they were excited for me.” 

Overall, Bishop’s clinched Second Place Overall Sweepstakes and First Place Debate Sweepstakes (an award given to the teams that earn the highest overall points in a category by adding up the school’s individual records)  — a direct reflection of the dedication that defined this season. “You all make me so proud to have been part of such a talented team for the past four years,” wrote Audrey Lin (‘25), team captain and four-year veteran, in an email to the team, “I am constantly amazed by the resilience, dedication, and passion this team shows.” 

For Audrey, the final weekend — State Qualifiers C, featuring events Lincoln-Douglas (LD), Policy, and Congress — “was simply the best time ever.” Reflecting on her last speech in a San Diego Congress round and last time going up to the stage during the award ceremony, she described it as “bittersweet,” and added: “I still find [the ‘last’s] to be the most rewarding thing of all — it’s such a privilege to be able to look back on an activity in high school and say that I really did love every minute of it and that I’m truly going to miss it so much.” 

Audrey placed sixth in Congress, qualifying for the state tournament directly. But she wasn’t the only one who enjoyed every minute of the season.

Livia Li (‘28), the only freshman to qualify for States, placed seventh in Declamation (DEC) and qualified through dropdowns. She grounds her performance in a small ritual: “Before every speech, I tell myself, ‘This might be the last time I give this. So do it the best I can.’” 

To her, qualifying for States this year was validation. “It showed me that I had the potential to achieve great things in Speech & Debate,” she said. “I felt really proud of myself… It showed me that I was capable.” 

Thomas Kenney (‘26) agreed. Unlike Livia, however, his road had been longer. As someone who didn’t qualify for states as a freshman or sophomore, he said that qualifying for States this year “has really made me feel like my effort has paid off — it increased my confidence.”

Sophie Arrowsmith (‘26), a leadership member and triple-qualifier for Congress, Impromptu, and National Extemporaneous (NX), described her States qualifications as both personal and collective wins. “I was definitely proud of myself,” she said. “But I was also really proud of our entire team… It reflects how close and tight-knit we are, especially for being such a small high school.” 

Sophie also captured what many other Bishop’s debaters echoed: the “debate rush”. “Sometimes the night before a tournament, it feels like there’s nothing I would rather do than just sleep in,” she admitted. “But the second I get to the tournament, I get so excited and hyper… It’s that feeling of being with my teammates, making new friends from other schools, and feeling proud of yourself.” 

Behind the team’s performance was more than adrenaline. As Bishop’s competitors scribbled last-minute edits on cafeteria tables and huddled in damp blazers between rounds, their success was forged in the grind long before tournament day. Whether it was rewriting rebuttals deep into the night or, as leadership member Caleb Tang (‘26) who qualified for Impromptu this year recalled, “staying at an IEs tournament until midnight,” the work rarely stopped. 

Many also pointed to the often-unseen sacrifices behind the scenes — from editing speeches to coaching teammates. “There’s a lot people don’t see,” said Audrey. She explained that leadership members often give up their own practice time to support others. Sometimes, they even forgo competing in their first-choice events to make room for more teammates. “All we want to see is the success and happiness of the team,” Audrey said. 

Ariadne Georgiou (‘26) — who Audrey called the “IEs Queen,” qualified for States directly by placing second in Original Advocacy (OA) and first in Original Prose and Poetry (OPP). Her OPP piece — a raw and emotional speech about the language of conquest she’s been revising for about a year — required what she calls “a lot of self-assurance and love… to give it over and over, to rooms of people who may love it or may judge you.” 

But she remembers that at her final round at State Qualifiers B consisting of the speech events, “Everyone was cheering each other on, screaming and clapping as speakers went up,” Ariadne said. “One of my speech friends from another school spectated that round, and she started crying at the end of [my speech]… I think that describes the culture of my [speech event] really well — we all really enjoy being in those rooms.” 

That sense of awe also extends to the team’s overall growth. Sabrina Feldman (‘26), now in her first year of team leadership, said, “From freshman year to now, the number of people in different events — especially in the speech realm — is crazy.” The leadership team, she says, are always trying to revise practice, talking about what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve. “People might think it’s the same routine, but it’s not.” 

One of her favorite memories? Convincing novice Sarah Balfour (‘28) to try National Extemporaneous (NX) for the first time — a 10-minute speech about a domestic issue with only 30 minutes to prepare. “She was nervous,” Sabrina recalled. “I never did extemp as a novice… But she went, and she got second place. She was so happy and proud. I was just proud that I got to help her try something new.” 

So what’s the secret behind the team’s success? 

According to Mr. Valji, it was diversity. “Instead of focusing on one or two events in particular, we had a greater variety of both speech and debate styles,” he said. “Having greater diversity meant that there were more opportunities for students to shine.” 

However, there was another word every student mentioned: camaraderie. 

Policy partners Nelson Qin (‘27) and Emma Baluja (‘27) had a goal heading into States: “Past Octofinals,” Nelson said. “No one’s ever made it past that for Policy before, so we are hoping [we achieve that].” 

But beyond placements, their friendship, built on mutual respect, has shaped their success. “I think Emma is an amazing speaker. Her cross-ex is so good,” Nelson said. “She knows exactly what she’s doing… She knows the [affirmative] Policy case front and back.” Emma smiled back: “Nelson always comes up with arguments I can never think of… The notes he takes during rounds are incredible.” 

Their best moment? “There was a team and they were one of the really good ones in the county,” Emma said, describing a debate where she and Nelson dismantled a case from a team that had previously gone undefeated. “We thought of everything [they would say],” she said. 

But for both of them, the real joy was in what came after the tournament. “[In] the drives back from the tournaments, we debrief with our friends, laugh, gossip,” Nelson said. Emma agreed: “Love my Starbucks trips.” 

That shared joy — in victory, loss, or late-night prep — defines the Bishop’s team. “Anytime I’m tired, someone brings the energy back,” said Thomas. “It’s infectious.” 

Jack Jin (‘26), a qualifier for International Extemporaneous (IX), echoed this sentiment. His biggest motivations were “winning and being with friends.” “We build each other up,” he said. “We give each other genuine advice.” “It’s also satisfying to beat [my friend] Caleb Tang in tournaments,” he joked. 

At the States Tournament from May 2-4 in Culver City, CA, the team excelled once again. In Policy, Nelson and Emma got to Octofinals — the best in Bishop’s history, just like they hoped. Audrey, Emmie Kao (‘25), Sophie, and Ariadne made it to Semifinals in Congress, Impromptu, NX, and OPP, respectively; and Yina Shate (‘26) placed fourth in Original Oratory (OO). 

In the end, the season closed with scores and rankings — but the stories they told were their own.