Aiden Cawley
Aiden Cawley (junior) said he began playing water polo when he was 10, having been inspired by his younger sister’s swimming lessons. Cawley said the sport stuck with him and the lessons learned from it have followed him for over a decade, including three years of his time at Occidental.
“I tried other sports when I was younger. I just never really felt the same way as I did with water polo,” Cawley said. “It’s such a small community and I just really fell in love with going to a pool and knowing everybody there.”
Cawley said he wasn’t always sure he’d be playing in college, and that it took convincing from water polo head coach Jack Stabenfeldt to ensure his position on the team. According to Cawley, his performance in last season’s Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) tournament qualifying match is his water polo career’s greatest achievement.
“I wasn’t a starter last season and I think that coming off the bench wasn’t something I was used to, but I’ve learned to embrace that role.” Cawley said. “Even though I only played half the game, I think that I contributed good minutes.”
Cawley said communication and planning with professors is key to maintaining a balance between academics and athletics and it helps when professors understand the challenges of being a student athlete.
“Always plan ahead, understanding that exams and midterms and papers are always going to be coming up make sure you know how to balance your time,” Cawley said.
Cawley’s teammate, Lars Schubert (first year), said he feels welcomed by Cawley’s presence on the team.
“The first days I was here I hung out with him. He was super kind, helpful and showed me how to get along with the team,” Schubert said.
Cawley said he considers a recent game against UCLA at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) tournament to be an impressive achievement for the team. According to the Oxy Athletics Website, the game was played Sept. 22, and Occidental was down 7-8 through two quarters against the Bruins, who were 10-0 and ranked second nationally on the date of play. Occidental lost the match 9-18. This season, Cawley said his goals and motivations include helping in qualifying for the SCIAC tournament. Cawley said he’s motivated by the toll of the team’s loss in the SCIAC playoffs last year.
“I was devastated after we lost, and I just never want to feel like that again,” Cawley said.
Leena Albelo
Late last Spring, Leena Albelo (junior) transferred from Pasadena City College and joined the Occidental women’s volleyball team as a setter. Albelo said she took a one-year break from volleyball to overcome challenges she faced within the sport.
“I just wasn’t getting the support from my coaches and my teammates, [but] here, I am,” Albelo said. “I just met these people, and they already trust me and my abilities as a volleyball player.”
According to Albelo, her mother played volleyball well into her pregnancy with her, and she jokes that she’s being playing since she was in the womb.
Teammate Skye Garcia (senior) said they got to know Albelo when they worked together at Occidental’s volleyball summer camp, which served as an opportunity for Albelo to bond with members of a new team. Garcia said that being a good team member means more than just skill.
“Another thing that’s important is setter-hitter connection […] we need to be on the same page about what we’re running, otherwise I’m hitting the ball into the net,” Garcia said. “I can confidently say that’s something we all have with Leena. A set from Leena is like a tender forehead kiss from a baby angel on Christmas morning.”
Head coach Heather Collins said she commends Albelo’s selflessness in fulfilling roles she doesn’t typically play, such as her current role as a setter. Collins said this is crucial for the team to function given the varying skill levels of all the athletes.
“They get along really well, there’s a good balance not only from upperclassmen and the first years but we’ve got people right in the middle like Leena,” Collins said. “It’s a good dynamic in that mixing of maturity levels.”
When she isn’t playing volleyball, you can find Albelo, a Biology major, in the lab working as an assistant to Professor Okumura on research into Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as strep throat. Albelo said she is motivated by the sense of competition and pride she gets from volleyball.
“I know I can do better, and I should be playing better so, like, what’s stopping me?” Albelo said.
Contact Sheilyn Salcedo at ssalcedo@oxy.edu
