The 2025 MCB Rhino League Championship was almost washed out before it began, as a storm rolled through just as games were set to start. Fortunately, the skies cleared, and both matches went on as scheduled— the 3:00 pm Third Place Match, and the 5:00 pm Championship Finals.
In the title match, Gio’s Angels—winners of the past two seasons—faced Rhino What You Did Last Summer (RWYDLS). With a clear goal to topple the reigning champs, RWYDLS delivered on their mission, winning decisively 15–13 and 15–6.
“This is my third Rhino with the Engert lab,” said William Chen, RWYDLS captain. “I was inspired by the Engert lab’s championship win three years ago when I first arrived on campus to pick up volleyball. They graciously accepted me into their team the following year even though I came from a different lab (Lee Rubin), in SCRB.”
Chen explained that the team has evolved over the years, merging with the 4th Floor Giants in 2023 as “The Last Dance” and falling just short against Gio’s Angels in last year’s finals. “We played well, but ultimately were defeated in the third set finals last year versus Gio, which really motivated us to rebuild and come back strong,” he said. “For many of us, winning the Rhino League was one of those Harvard bucket list items, and we were so close!”
This year, RWYDLS pulled players from across Harvard—representing the Divinity School, HMS, Kennedy School, Engineering, History of Science, Linguistics, FAS (MCB, OEB, Chemistry, SCRB, Anthropology, Psychology), and even college staff. “We created a team with incredible chemistry and motivation to take the cup home,” Chen said. While some teammates followed the finals remotely from around the world, the squad rallied behind a running team joke: that their winning formula requires co-captain Gregor Schuhknecht to play during the regular season and leave before the finals.
RWYDLS players included: William Chen (Captain, SCRB, Rubin Lab), Gregor Schuhknecht (co-captain, MCB, Engert Lab), Kumaresh Krishnan (co-captain, MCB, Eddy Lab), Adam Carte (HMS, Perrimon Lab), Maša Josipović (HMS, Liberles Lab), Louis Zekowski (Harvard College), Ana Luiza Nicolae (History of Science), Adam Lee (Engineering, Pehlevan Lab), Malcolm Campbell (MCB, Uchida Lab), Ivan Mobley (Kennedy School), Elisa Tamburo (Anthropology), Alessio Caruso (Chemistry, Kahne Lab), Hanna Shine (Linguistics, Snedeker Lab), Liam Kenney (Divinity School).
“Victory felt surreal,” Chen added. “We wanted to win the cup since last year, and to finally achieve victory was something special. For many of us, the most fun we had was during the actual match. The incredible rallies and competitive spirit was a thrill, and victory was the cherry on top!”
The team’s success also reflected individual dedication. Kumaresh Krishnan, for instance, spent seven hours sifting stones out of the volleyball court with a sieve he purchased, even arranging for fresh sand to be delivered the day before the finals.
the proof is in the picture
Meanwhile, league commissioner Marc Ramirez tuned in from Spain, streaming the event and providing commentary in Central European Time—six hours ahead of the action. Whether that counts as unmatched dedication or questionable vacation timing is up for debate, but his commitment to the league is undeniable.
“It was a fun year and very competitive,” Ramirez said. Looking ahead, he plans to return as commissioner next year—his last as coordinator—though he hopes to recruit at least one co-organizer. Possible changes include adding a 2v2 tournament or extending the regular season. “We will listen to what the community wants and try to make changes accordingly,” he added, extending an open invitation to anyone interested in helping.
After another spirited season capped with dramatic upsets, the Rhino League once again proved its ability to bring together competition, camaraderie, and just a little bit of chaos.
