Throughout the 17-year history of Diablo Valley College’s Men’s Lacrosse Club, there has been only one female player on the team — until now.

Abigail Cheun, who joined the squad this year alongside 30 male teammates, has become only the second female lacrosse player to compete on the club, which formed in 2008.

Now, in a world where lacrosse is often seen as a male-dominated sport, Cheun is turning heads and challenging her opponents and teammates alike.

“Scoring a goal and two assists in their first game in the sport of Men’s Lacrosse, which is different than the sport of Women’s Lacrosse, is an indicator of her skills,” Terry Armstrong, a former athletic academic counselor at DVC, said in commending Cheun’s abilities.

Armstrong mentioned that Cheun brings a unique dedication to her craft along with motivational encouragement for her teammates.

“She has a great energy and attitude when I have spoken with her,” he added. “According to Coach [Andrew] Welch, she has fit in well, and her teammates hold her in high regard.”

Cheun began playing lacrosse and field hockey at the age of seven. Over a decade later, she credits her athletic commitment to her mother, who decided it was a unique sport for her daughter to play. Throughout her youth, Cheun participated in various state and national competitions, from California to the East Coast.

“My mom forced me into it, when I was in sixth grade. I became obsessed with it and started going to the backyard saying ‘this is kinda fun,'” Cheun recalled.

“I actually hated it, but ended up really passionate about it.”

As a first-year DVC student, she explained how her attitude shifted, from initially playing lacrosse with less commitment to now turning it into a fulltime pursuit.

Prior to her experience at DVC, Cheun played for the Diablo Scorpion Lacrosse Club team in Danville, one of the largest lacrosse programs for men and women in Northern California.

She graduated in 2025 from Carondelet High School in Concord, after playing all four years on the varsity women’s lacrosse team. During her time at Carondelet, Cheun committed to a full ride scholarship at Rider University, a Division 1 private university in Lawrenceville, N.J.

However, she faced stumbling blocks on her journey to the NCAA.

“I was the only freshman on the varsity team [in high school], and all of my years I was looking forward to my senior year, that was going to be the pinnacle of my lacrosse career,” Cheun said.

Then, toward the end of her senior year, as captain of the team, Cheun suffered a serious injury in a car accident, which forced her to step back from the captain position and, ultimately, to turn down the offer from Rider.

“It was at the end of my junior year, I committed [to Rider], and I got a herniated disc from that. I had chronic pain for a whole year and ended up de-committing.”

Cheun soon began attending DVC and enrolled in general education classes. As she focused on her required courses, she reached out to Andrew Welch, head coach of the Men’s Lacrosse Club, but never received a response back.

However, Cheun said she was eventually able to connect with the team while shopping with her mother.

“A few days later, I was at the local lacrosse shop where the team captain worked,” she continued. “My mom and I were joking that I would join the men’s lacrosse team, and she set me up with Coach Drew.”

Though seemingly hesitant, Welch accepted her as a potential recruitment. He cordially stated that if she knew the rules of lacrosse and could participate in upcoming practices, she was welcome to play for the team.

“I was a little bit concerned on how she might fit” at the start, said Welch. But, “she’s been a great asset to the team, she can ball out with these boys, and I look forward to seeing her getting into NCAA Women’s Lacrosse.”

The Diablo Valley Men’s Lacrosse Club team faces a unique schedule playing against opponents from NCAA college club teams and local Northern California lacrosse club teams.

According to the coach, this level of competition may potentially catch the eyes of NCAA scouts, opening up transfer opportunities and a path for Cheun to play Division 1.

“I’d be shocked if she doesn’t make it there to that level in the next couple years,” said Welch.