In August 2023, senior Kenya Cassidy committed to play Division I water polo at UCLA.
Cassidy was drawn to both UCLA’s highly competitive water polo program and their student-athlete experience as a whole. “It was my top choice by far,” she said. “Even besides the water polo program, as a school, I’ve always loved UCLA for their academics, campus, and student life.” Once Cassidy went on her official visit, where she could meet the girls on the team and observe the team dynamic, she was convinced the university was the right fit for her.
Cassidy has been playing for Stanford Water Polo Club since the age of eight and was also a four-year Menlo varsity girls water polo member. Cassidy’s older brother began playing first, so her parents introduced the sport to her on the off chance she would enjoy it too. Cassidy certainly did follow in her brother’s footsteps. “I truly came to love [water polo],” Cassidy said.
Cassidy considers Menlo water polo a valuable experience and appreciates the bonds she’s made on the team, but it’s been her club team who has supported her the most through her water polo career and the recruiting process. This is largely due to the tight-knit team dynamic. “We’re all really close and we really push ourselves to compete, which I love,” she said. “We play together really nicely and my team has been one of the factors that has really driven me to get better.”
The summer before her junior year, Cassidy’s club team placed ninth in the USA Junior Olympics, the nationwide water polo tournament that takes place at the end of each summer. It was a much higher ranking than she and her team had anticipated, and this impressive feat was one of the best finishes for her club in a while. “It definitely made for an amazing summer for all of us,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy anticipates an exciting water polo experience at UCLA. “It’ll be a big step up but I’m really excited for how much I’ll get to improve,” she said. Her future, whether it involves playing professionally or internationally, is yet to be decided, but for now you can find Cassidy in the pool with her teammates training hard in hopes of finding success during their last Junior Olympics together this summer.
