Jasmine Shum
Outside hitter Jasmine Shum (first year) recorded 20 digs and 20 kills for the volleyball team’s victory against Chapman Sep. 27. Shum also sealed the game with the final game-winning kill.
Shum said team spirit and personal enjoyment contribute to her success.
“What drives me is the love of the game and being able to compete with my teammates,” Shum said. “When I play, I try to be the best that I can for my team […] We win together and we lose together.”
Shum said her volleyball teammates are a close-knit group.
“One thing that’s really special about this team is how close we are,” Shum said. “We truly all love each other and we are a family. I can count on them if I need anything.”
Shum also said she has big dreams for the rest of the season.
“I’m looking forward to competing and getting to play against some other highly ranked teams in our conference, because I know a few of them are in the top NCAA rankings,” Shum said. “It’s going to be really fun and competitive to play them.”
Middle blocker Eliana Channell (senior) said Shum’s performance was admirable, especially for a first year.
“To see [Shum] adapt so well to how different the game is in college … to see her confidence on the court was very impressive to me,” Channell said. “You’re playing against girls who are three, four years older than you … she came to that game ready to play.”
Channell said Shum’s hard work and preparation are instrumental to the team.
“[During] practice, [Shum] is very intentional about every rep,” Channell said. “She puts in the work and she loves the game.”
Channell said Shum’s encouragement of her teammates contributes to everyone’s success.
“[Shum] celebrates everyone else’s wins 100 times more than she celebrates her own wins,” Channell said. “She’s a very selfless, encouraging, kind person … that brings a certain stability to the team, along with positive energy. Despite how talented she is, she’s still so down to earth and such a kind human.”
Owen Wolak
Golfer Owen Wolak (junior) led Occidental in scoring at the Chapman Quad tournament Sep. 20, shooting a six-under 64 to finish second overall individually in the tournament — one stroke off of first place.
Wolak said the feeling of winning is what drives him to play his best at the collegiate level.
“I love the idea of the solo aspect,” Wolak said. “I love all my teammates, but if you mess up it’s your fault, and if you succeed it’s all you […] I wanted to compete at the next level to have that feeling with more rigor.”
Wolak said he’s improved his golf skills mentally and physically since his college debut.
“I’ve definitely matured as a player,” Wolak said. “A lot of golf outside of the mechanics and the technique of the swing is maturity and course management, which is playing using strategy around the golf course. I’ve always wanted to hit it as far as I possibly could, but it doesn’t need to look and feel like the coolest shot to be good.”
Wolak said he had ambitious goals for himself at the Chapman Quad because of past success.
“This is our second year as a team playing [at the Chapman Quad] and I won it my freshman year,” Wolak said. “I was going into this tournament with pretty high expectations for myself. I know it’s a shorter course, and I do hit [the ball] far, which definitely helps.”
Wolak said he was trying to not think too much while in the heat of the moment.
“I just try to focus on hitting good shots, taking one shot at a time,” Wolak said. “I did know from one of my friends I was leading the tournament going into hole 16, and I got a little nervous and got focused on how to close it out and finish strong.”
Wolak said he was happy with his performance in retrospect.
“I played a great round of golf,” Wolak said. “Every aspect of my performance was firing that day. When I play well, I black out and I’m not focused on the mechanics of the golf swing… [I am] focused on how to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots.”
Joe Cano, the swing coach for the golf team, said Wolak is a well-rounded player mechanically.
“[Wolak] is very technical with his swing,” Cano said. “He tries to break down the finer points of prime fundamentals […] I’ve spent years teaching people how to do those things.”
Cano said Wolak is a good person as well as a talented golfer. Cano also said he’s always believed Wolak has great potential.
“[Wolak] is a good young man and I’m looking forward to seeing him get better,” Cano said. “I can’t wait to see how good he can be.”
Cano said Wolak works hard to be the player he is.
“When I see him at our practices, he stays late and works on his short game,” Cano said. “He’s usually one of the last players to leave.”
Contact Angus Kapstein Parkhill at parkhill@oxy.edu
