The Saugus boys volleyball community had a moment Tuesday night that went far beyond volleyball.

Before the Centurions’ matchup against Valencia, Saugus Sophomore Koby Hong stood at center court and shared life-changing news with teammates, opponents and fans: he is cancer-free after months of battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

 

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Hong was diagnosed in December and has spent the past several months undergoing chemotherapy, forcing him to sit out the current volleyball season.

 Despite not being able to compete, Hong has remained an active part of the Saugus program and stayed on the team’s roster throughout the process.

Saugus Head Coach Amy Suppes said the moment Hong announced the news was one she will never forget.

“I will never forget hearing ‘cancer free’ from Koby standing in the middle of the Saugus court in front of a community who has rallied around him this whole process,” Suppes said. “I just closed my eyes and soaked in the cheers for him. His smile was so incredibly authentic.”

According to Suppes, the goal of Tuesday night was to highlight the support Hong has received from across the Santa Clarita Valley volleyball community, including from players on the opposing side of the net.

“Last night the main goal was to show Koby just how much community he has in his corner from the volleyball world alone,” Suppes said. “We are a notoriously tight-knit community in Santa Clarita due to the closeness of the high schools and the amount of clubs to choose from in the offseason.”

That support was visible throughout the gym, including signs created by Valencia that read “We Are Team Koby.”

Image via Instagram @saugusboysvb

“It was bigger than volleyball last night,” Suppes said.

When Hong first shared his diagnosis with the team earlier this season, Suppes brought together all three levels of the Saugus boys’ volleyball program. She said the moment was heavy, but the players quickly turned their focus to supporting their teammate.

“Immediately after, I had varsity and JV boys asking about special apparel we could make, alterations to jerseys, shoelaces, pins, etc.,” Suppes said. “They immediately went into support planning mode for Koby.”

Since then, the team has organized numerous efforts to support Hong and his family. The program received donated shoelaces, pins, bracelets and stickers featuring a violet lymphoma ribbon alongside Hong’s jersey number, 16. Some teammates even ran 16 miles in his honor.

The team also created a special shirt with proceeds going directly to the Hong family.

When it came time to choose a game to celebrate him, Hong chose Tuesday’s matchup against Valencia.

“When I asked Koby what night he’d like to be honored at a game, he chose the Valencia game because he has friends on Valencia, too,” Suppes said.

After learning Hong was cancer-free last week, Suppes suggested that Hong be the one to deliver the news publicly.

“Something I offered to Koby’s family when hearing the news he was cancer-free was that Koby be the one to share the good news at this game,” Suppes said. “The family was on board and Koby was excited to do it.”

Suppes said Hong’s strength throughout the process has left a lasting impact on the entire program.

“Koby is a smart, ambitious, fun, loving and incredibly strong young man,” she said. “He dedicates himself to everything he does — including healing. I am so inspired by him and I know the boys are too.”

While Hong has reached the milestone of being cancer-free, his treatment journey is not finished. He still has four more rounds of treatment to ensure long-term remission.

Still, the Saugus community is already looking ahead to the day he returns to the court.

“We’re all with him through that, too,” Suppes said. “We just can’t wait to see No. 16 back on the court next year.”

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