Ariana Carranza
At the Pacific Coast Classic in Claremont, Occidental’s volleyball team came home with a 2–1 record Aug. 30-31. Outside hitter and team captain Ariana Carranza (junior) led the way with a 16 kill performance against Skidmore College.
“I was locked in,” Carranza said. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I wasn’t stressed about anything else.”
Carranza said she had played in high school but hesitated about continuing her career into college.
“I’ve had coaches that have made me consider not playing the sport,”Carranza said. “Luckily, last minute, I got this opportunity to play at Oxy and I was like, ‘You know what? I feel like it’s a sign.'”
Since then, Carranza said her favorite moments are when she gets to compete, as she gets to let go of the stress of school life and focus solely on her sport.
“When I get in the gym, my mind flips, and I’m in volleyball mode,” Carranza said. “I forget about every issue that I was thinking about before, which is the best thing. It’s basically an outlet for me which is why I love it so much.”
Although she loves the sport, Carranza has experienced challenges, including taking on the role of captain last spring with her fellow teammate Georgia Schmitt (senior) while not having a head coach.
“We had to run our own practices, set up the nets, figure out the scheduling of the gym,” Carranza said. “It was super hard.”
However, Carranza said her fears were greatly alleviated when new head volleyball coach Emily Foster joined the team in the final two weeks of last season.
“It took a lot of weight off of mine and Georgia’s shoulders,” Carranza said.
While still new to Occidental, Carranza’s range of skills have impressed Foster who said Carranza has played the three rotations outside in the past and is currently playing the six rotations outside, which means she is always on the court.
“She’s had to take on a lot more in terms of what her position means to the team and she has to impact so many different parts of the game,” Foster said.“I think she’s taken that on with grace and determination.”
According to Foster, Carranza’s leadership abilities are shown through her love for her team.
“She’s really motivated to make our team better. Whether it’s getting a freshman their ID cards, picking up the lunches for us or doing extra reps,” Foster said. “She’s a wonderful, wonderful leader.”
As she looks back on her time as a student athlete at Occidental, Carranza said she hopes to encourage student athletes at Occidental, especially those on her team, to take the time to truly enjoy the sport.
“It’s so important to appreciate the time that you have and really take advantage of it, because not a lot of people have the opportunity to be astudent-athlete in college, and it’s such a blessing,” Carranza said.
Aiden Cawley
Aiden Cawley (senior), attacker and team captain of the men’s water polo team, dominated in the pool last week Sept. 7-8 at the four-game slate at theUnited States Naval Academy Open, scoring six out of the team’s eight goals against Navy.
Although the team did not secure a victory against Navy, Cawley’s performance earned him a new career high, and it cemented him as one of three Tigers to score six or more goals in a game since 2021. Cawley said this accomplishment came from being determined to give it his all and motivate his team to do the same.
“I remember going into the halftime huddle and [saying to the team], ‘We didn’t come all the way out here to get embarrassed like this,’ and I think that sparked something in the whole team,” Cawley said.
Cawley is now entering his final year on the team. According to Joe Cox ’22, assistant coach for men’s water polo, his role on the team has left an impression on many.
“I first met Aiden as a fellow teammate, and now getting to watch him grow from a freshman to a senior captain has been really, really awesome,” Cox said. “He’s an unorthodox captain at times, but he’s someone who makes our team better.”
Oliver Wilkins (senior), an attacker on the team, said Cawley is a fierce competitor that comes to win, regardless of an opposing team’s rank.
“He takes our mentality going into the game very seriously,” Wilkins said. “He wants everyone to come into the game thinking we’re going to win and we’re going to compete.”
Off the pool deck, Wilkins said Cawley uplifts his teammates with a vibrant, welcoming prescence.
“He’s kind of the entertainment of the team,” Wilkins said. “When everyone’s eating a meal or hanging out, he’s often the center of attention, because he likes to joke around and he’s a very energetic guy.”
Apart from the competitive aspect, Cawley said he treasures the community that water polo has provided for him.
“The community is one of my favorite things,” Cawley said. “It’s nice showing up to a pool deck [and] seeing your friends every time you play.”
Cox said he hopes to see Cawley make a lasting impact on the team that goes beyond his current time as a player.
“I would want to impress upon him the kind of importance and significant impact you can make as a leader,” Cox said. “My hope is that he helps the culture grow and proliferate […] and really helps leave the program in a better spot than when he joined us in Fall 2021.”
As he approaches the end of his collegiate career, Cawley said he wants his team to remember the importance of determination and hard work in the face of adversity.
“Just remember, even when things get tough, they’re going to get better if we put in the work,” Cawley said.
Contact Isabella Villagomez at ivillagomez@oxy.edu
