By Katelynn Luu
In the water, senior Jessica Jang is fierce, strong and relentless in her objective: drive in and attack in the set position. Just as she travels from her central position at the 6 meter to the 2 meter distance in an offensive play, Jang’s water polo journey is one of movement and growth.
Her current destination? California Baptist University (CBU), where Jang recently signed to play Division I water polo.
“I’m very excited, but it also feels surreal to me that it’s happening because I didn’t think that I was going to play [water polo] in college,” Jang said. “The whole recruitment process … was so exciting.”
It was at a club tournament in Riverside where Jang first encountered the Lancer Nation. There, the CBU coach watched Jang’s team (Los Alamitos Aquatics Foundation) play and exchanged contacts with Jang. After observing more of her games, CBU invited Jang for an official visit.
“When I went on my official visit, the campus was beautiful… it’s so gorgeous, the buildings are all new and their food and dorms are so nice,” Jang said. “I just fell in love with the campus, and the coaches were super sweet … and [the team was] really nice, supportive and welcoming.”
At CBU, Jang hopes to expand herself in her education and social life. She looks forward to meeting new people, working with new coaches and a new team and doing better in school.
Jang’s love story with CBU may have begun only recently, but her water polo journey is a long one of perseverance.
After more than ten years of swimming, Jang was inspired to switch to water polo after growing bored of swimming and seeing her older sister join the water polo team during her time at Fountain Valley High School.
“I started [water polo in] eighth or seventh grade, and I joined [the] club United at Goldenwest,” Jang said. “It was really fun … but I was so bad — all I could do was swim — but I kept training and pushing myself.”
She attributes most of her success in high school water polo to her early start in the sport and the aid of her coaches from both club and high school. Her experience with various teams has afforded her many opportunities to learn and grow.
However, Jang also recognizes her leadership and communication skills as key points in her water polo prowess.
“You have to communicate a lot in water polo, especially on defense … telling [teammates] where [they] need to go, what [they] need to do,” Jang said. “We have a lot of new players this year, so I’d help them out [by] leading by example [through] scoring a goal, going on drives, playing good defense and never giving up.”
Jang’s hardworking attitude is clearly demonstrated by looking at her schedule, packed with not just one, but two sports. After she finishes the winter girls’ water polo season, Jang dives straight into the spring swim season. This packed schedule presents her with the challenge of time management.
“I would just be so tired after practices or games … I just wouldn’t want to do anything,” Jang said. “Something that helped was getting my work done before so that I have time after to chill. Or, I’ll talk to my teachers and [ask for an extension on game days] and teachers are pretty chill with it.”
When reflecting back on the impact of water polo on her life, Jang expresses her gratitude for the opportunities and connections that the sport has granted her.
“Water polo changed my life for sure. It’s helped me grow in my friendships,” Jang said. “I didn’t think I was going to go play in college, [and] now I’m going to play for four years in college as a [Division] I athlete.”
As the girls’ water polo season approaches this winter, be sure to look out for Jang’s drive, both in and out of the water.
