2020-21 Men's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Cavano, Jake

Jersey Number 4
Jake Cavano
- Position:
- Attacker/Utility
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 210
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Huntington Beach, Calif.
- High School:
- Huntington Beach HS
Bio
UCLA Career Highlights
โข 4-time ACWPCย All-American (Second Team - 2020, Third Team - 2018, 2019, Honorable Mention - 2021)
โข 4-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2020, Second Team - 2019, Honorable Mention - 2018,ย 2021)
โข 2-time NCAA All-Tournament Team (First Team - 2020, Second Team - 2021)
โข 2-time ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Excellent - 2019, 2020)
โข 3-time MPSF All-Academic Team (2019, 2020, 2021)
โข 7-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2022)
โข MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Sept. 17, 2018)
โข 2-time UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 18, 2018, Mar. 23, 2021)
โข 2-time Bruin Leadership Award (2021, 2022)
2021
Played in 23 of 24 gamesย โฆ earned the Bruin Leadership Award that is given to the student-athletes that have distinguished themselves, going above and beyond the call of duty to make a significant impact within the UCLA student-athlete experienceย โฆ was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals on 71 attempts, converting at a 43.7 percent rate โฆ was fourth on the team in total points (44) with 13 assistsย โฆ scored a season-high three goals three times on the year (in a loss at No. 3 Californiaย on Sept. 25, in a win over No. 9 Pepperdineย on Oct. 24 and in an overtime loss to No. 3 California on Dec. 4) โฆ he scored at least one goal in 19 of the 23 games he played, including nine multiple goal games, and three games with a hat trick โฆ scored at least one goal in a personal-best eight straight games to open the season (Sept. 4 to Sept. 17)ย โฆ was fourth on the team in steals (18) and in field blocks (six) โฆ also drew 14 exclusions.
2020
Played in 15 gamesย โฆ tallied a season-high and career-high-tying five goals (on five shots) in the NCAA First Round win overย No. 6 California Baptist University on Mar. 18ย โฆ scored the eventual game-winning goal in the Bruins' 7-6 win at USC to capture the program's 12th NCAA Championship on Mar. 21 and was named the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week (Mar. 23)ย โฆ finished third on the team in scoring with 22 goals on 53 shots, which ranked sixth in the MPSFย (1.5 goals per game)ย โฆ also finished the season with 30 points (eight assists) and added 13 steals, five exclusions drawn, and three field blocksย โฆ scored in 11 of the 15 contests he played โฆ logged goals in a season-high four consecutive games and registered eight multiple-goal contests.
2019
Played in 22 games, making one start โฆ tallied a season-high four goals three times, in a 12-9 win over No. 7 Cal on Sept. 28, in a 14-10 win over No. 3 Pacific on Oct. 18, and in a 27-4 win over Penn St. Behrend on Nov. 22 โฆ added a hat trick against Navy on Sept. 8 and another one against No. 14 UC Irvine on Oct. 27 โฆ scored the game-winning goal for No. 2 UCLA, defeating No. 8 Cal 10-9 on Nov. 2,ย giving the Bruins their seventh win in a row โฆ finished first on the team and tied for eighth in the MPSF in scoring with 42 goals (1.91 gpg) on 85 shots, converting at a 49.4 percent rate โฆ scored in 20 of the 22 contests he played โฆ logged goals in 11 consecutive games and registered a team-best 14 multiple-goal contests โฆ also recorded 16 steals, 11 assists, 10 exclusions drawn, and eight field blocks on the season.
2018
Played in 18 games, making 17 starts โฆ missed 10 games due to injury โฆ after missing the first eight games of the season with an injury, he made a stellar collegiate debut the week of Sept. 10-16, leading the Bruins in scoring with 10 goals in three games as No. 2 UCLA improved to 11-0 on the year โฆ he scored his first collegiate goal in a win at No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 13 and then had a team-high five goals (on six shots) in a home win over No. 10 Pepperdine, followed by a team-best four scores (on four shots) in a home win over Loyola Marymount on Sept. 15 โฆ he shot 10-for-14 while recording three assists, three steals and one field block in the three games and was named the MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Sept. 17), and the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 18) โฆ finished 10th in the MPSF and tied for third on the team in scoring with 32 goals (1.78 gpg) on 87 shots, converting at a 36.8 percent rate โฆ scored in 17 of the 18 contests he played, including in a team-best 12 in a row, including seven multiple goal games โฆ scored a season- and career-high five goals in leading the team to a 16-10 win over Pepperdineย (Sept. 15)ย โฆ despite the missed contests, he finished third on the team in steals (18) โฆ also registered six assists, six field blocks and drew five exclusions.
Team USA
2019:ย Helped the USA Men's National Team earn silver at the 2019 World University Games following an 18-7 loss to Italy in the championship matchย โฆ the loss halted Team USA's undefeated run in Italy after going 6-0 in previous actionย โฆ scored two goals in the final match which featured Team USA's best finish since winning gold in 1993ย โฆ it also marked a return to the podium for the first time since 2015 when UCLA (playing as Team USA) earned bronzeย โฆ Team USA opened the tournament with a 30-3 win over the Republic of Korea with Cavano scoring four timesย โฆ the Americans then posted a 17-3 win over the United Kingdom with Cavanoย posting a game-high five goalsย โฆ Team USA then narrowly defeated France, 10-8, with Cavanoย scoring onceย โฆ the Americans concluded pool play with a 13-8 victory over Russia as Cavanoย scored twiceย โฆ after posting a 12-11 win over Croatia in the quarterfinals, Team USA defeated Hungary, 12-9, in the semifinals with Cavano tying for team-high honors with a hat trickย โฆ Cavano was one of seven Bruins with Team USA on the men's sideย โฆ he was second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, which ranked 11th among allย competitorsย โฆ he scored 12 goals in pool play and another five in the final roundsย โฆ eight of his goals came on power plays, which ranked fourth in the tournament.
High School/Club
Was a four-year varsityย letterwinnerย in water polo and swimming at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. for head coach Sasa Branisavljevic โฆ was named first-team All-CIF and first-team All-Sunset League in 2017 and 2016 as the Oilersย (17-11) finished second in the Sunset League and eighth in Division 1, advancing to the semifinals of the Regional Division 2 playoffs, falling to eventual champion Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Regional Division II semifinals in 2017ย โฆ HBHS also finished second in 2016ย at the CIF-SS Championships, the Oilers' first-ever appearance in the finalsย and third in 2014ย โฆ namedย first-team All-County in 2017ย by the OC Register and the Daily Pilot โฆ also named second-team All-County in 2016 by the Daily Pilot โฆ was a California/Hawaii second team All-American in 2017 โฆ also second in 2013 in assists with 25ย โฆ played his club ball for Vanguard Aquaticsย โฆ well-established in the U.S. national team pipeline system and is one of the top defensive players in Orange County and recently (August of 2017) was on the 2017 FINAย Men's Junior World Championship roster for Team USAย โฆ was an All-American in swimming in 2016.
Personal
Full name: Jacob Zachary Cavano, prefers Jakeย โฆ born in Fountain Valley, Calif. โฆ his parents are Tina and Dave Cavanoย โฆ has one sister, Sierraย โฆ says he chose UCLA because, "I liked the coaching staff and players and felt like it would be a good fit for me."ย โฆ lists his greatest athletic thrill as, "surviving a mountain of a wave while surfing in Hawaii."ย ... lists the late Kobe Bryant as the athlete he most admiresย โฆ lists surfing, spearfishing, ceramics and playing or watching other sports as his hobbiesย โฆ majoring in psychobiology.
ย
โข 4-time ACWPCย All-American (Second Team - 2020, Third Team - 2018, 2019, Honorable Mention - 2021)
โข 4-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2020, Second Team - 2019, Honorable Mention - 2018,ย 2021)
โข 2-time NCAA All-Tournament Team (First Team - 2020, Second Team - 2021)
โข 2-time ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Excellent - 2019, 2020)
โข 3-time MPSF All-Academic Team (2019, 2020, 2021)
โข 7-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Winter 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2022)
โข MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Sept. 17, 2018)
โข 2-time UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 18, 2018, Mar. 23, 2021)
โข 2-time Bruin Leadership Award (2021, 2022)
2021
Played in 23 of 24 gamesย โฆ earned the Bruin Leadership Award that is given to the student-athletes that have distinguished themselves, going above and beyond the call of duty to make a significant impact within the UCLA student-athlete experienceย โฆ was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals on 71 attempts, converting at a 43.7 percent rate โฆ was fourth on the team in total points (44) with 13 assistsย โฆ scored a season-high three goals three times on the year (in a loss at No. 3 Californiaย on Sept. 25, in a win over No. 9 Pepperdineย on Oct. 24 and in an overtime loss to No. 3 California on Dec. 4) โฆ he scored at least one goal in 19 of the 23 games he played, including nine multiple goal games, and three games with a hat trick โฆ scored at least one goal in a personal-best eight straight games to open the season (Sept. 4 to Sept. 17)ย โฆ was fourth on the team in steals (18) and in field blocks (six) โฆ also drew 14 exclusions.
2020
Played in 15 gamesย โฆ tallied a season-high and career-high-tying five goals (on five shots) in the NCAA First Round win overย No. 6 California Baptist University on Mar. 18ย โฆ scored the eventual game-winning goal in the Bruins' 7-6 win at USC to capture the program's 12th NCAA Championship on Mar. 21 and was named the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week (Mar. 23)ย โฆ finished third on the team in scoring with 22 goals on 53 shots, which ranked sixth in the MPSFย (1.5 goals per game)ย โฆ also finished the season with 30 points (eight assists) and added 13 steals, five exclusions drawn, and three field blocksย โฆ scored in 11 of the 15 contests he played โฆ logged goals in a season-high four consecutive games and registered eight multiple-goal contests.
2019
Played in 22 games, making one start โฆ tallied a season-high four goals three times, in a 12-9 win over No. 7 Cal on Sept. 28, in a 14-10 win over No. 3 Pacific on Oct. 18, and in a 27-4 win over Penn St. Behrend on Nov. 22 โฆ added a hat trick against Navy on Sept. 8 and another one against No. 14 UC Irvine on Oct. 27 โฆ scored the game-winning goal for No. 2 UCLA, defeating No. 8 Cal 10-9 on Nov. 2,ย giving the Bruins their seventh win in a row โฆ finished first on the team and tied for eighth in the MPSF in scoring with 42 goals (1.91 gpg) on 85 shots, converting at a 49.4 percent rate โฆ scored in 20 of the 22 contests he played โฆ logged goals in 11 consecutive games and registered a team-best 14 multiple-goal contests โฆ also recorded 16 steals, 11 assists, 10 exclusions drawn, and eight field blocks on the season.
2018
Played in 18 games, making 17 starts โฆ missed 10 games due to injury โฆ after missing the first eight games of the season with an injury, he made a stellar collegiate debut the week of Sept. 10-16, leading the Bruins in scoring with 10 goals in three games as No. 2 UCLA improved to 11-0 on the year โฆ he scored his first collegiate goal in a win at No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 13 and then had a team-high five goals (on six shots) in a home win over No. 10 Pepperdine, followed by a team-best four scores (on four shots) in a home win over Loyola Marymount on Sept. 15 โฆ he shot 10-for-14 while recording three assists, three steals and one field block in the three games and was named the MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Sept. 17), and the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 18) โฆ finished 10th in the MPSF and tied for third on the team in scoring with 32 goals (1.78 gpg) on 87 shots, converting at a 36.8 percent rate โฆ scored in 17 of the 18 contests he played, including in a team-best 12 in a row, including seven multiple goal games โฆ scored a season- and career-high five goals in leading the team to a 16-10 win over Pepperdineย (Sept. 15)ย โฆ despite the missed contests, he finished third on the team in steals (18) โฆ also registered six assists, six field blocks and drew five exclusions.
Team USA
2019:ย Helped the USA Men's National Team earn silver at the 2019 World University Games following an 18-7 loss to Italy in the championship matchย โฆ the loss halted Team USA's undefeated run in Italy after going 6-0 in previous actionย โฆ scored two goals in the final match which featured Team USA's best finish since winning gold in 1993ย โฆ it also marked a return to the podium for the first time since 2015 when UCLA (playing as Team USA) earned bronzeย โฆ Team USA opened the tournament with a 30-3 win over the Republic of Korea with Cavano scoring four timesย โฆ the Americans then posted a 17-3 win over the United Kingdom with Cavanoย posting a game-high five goalsย โฆ Team USA then narrowly defeated France, 10-8, with Cavanoย scoring onceย โฆ the Americans concluded pool play with a 13-8 victory over Russia as Cavanoย scored twiceย โฆ after posting a 12-11 win over Croatia in the quarterfinals, Team USA defeated Hungary, 12-9, in the semifinals with Cavano tying for team-high honors with a hat trickย โฆ Cavano was one of seven Bruins with Team USA on the men's sideย โฆ he was second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, which ranked 11th among allย competitorsย โฆ he scored 12 goals in pool play and another five in the final roundsย โฆ eight of his goals came on power plays, which ranked fourth in the tournament.
High School/Club
Was a four-year varsityย letterwinnerย in water polo and swimming at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. for head coach Sasa Branisavljevic โฆ was named first-team All-CIF and first-team All-Sunset League in 2017 and 2016 as the Oilersย (17-11) finished second in the Sunset League and eighth in Division 1, advancing to the semifinals of the Regional Division 2 playoffs, falling to eventual champion Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Regional Division II semifinals in 2017ย โฆ HBHS also finished second in 2016ย at the CIF-SS Championships, the Oilers' first-ever appearance in the finalsย and third in 2014ย โฆ namedย first-team All-County in 2017ย by the OC Register and the Daily Pilot โฆ also named second-team All-County in 2016 by the Daily Pilot โฆ was a California/Hawaii second team All-American in 2017 โฆ also second in 2013 in assists with 25ย โฆ played his club ball for Vanguard Aquaticsย โฆ well-established in the U.S. national team pipeline system and is one of the top defensive players in Orange County and recently (August of 2017) was on the 2017 FINAย Men's Junior World Championship roster for Team USAย โฆ was an All-American in swimming in 2016.
Personal
Full name: Jacob Zachary Cavano, prefers Jakeย โฆ born in Fountain Valley, Calif. โฆ his parents are Tina and Dave Cavanoย โฆ has one sister, Sierraย โฆ says he chose UCLA because, "I liked the coaching staff and players and felt like it would be a good fit for me."ย โฆ lists his greatest athletic thrill as, "surviving a mountain of a wave while surfing in Hawaii."ย ... lists the late Kobe Bryant as the athlete he most admiresย โฆ lists surfing, spearfishing, ceramics and playing or watching other sports as his hobbiesย โฆ majoring in psychobiology.
ย
Jake Cavano's Career Statistics | ||||||||
Year | GP | GOALS | SHOTS | PCT | AST | STL | FB | EE |
2018 | 18 | 32 | 87 | .368 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 5 |
2019 | 22 | 42 | 85 | .494 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 10 |
2020 | 15 | 22 | 53 | .415 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 5 |
2021 | 23 | 31 | 71 | .437 | 13 | 18 | 6 | 14 |
Totals | 78 | 127 | 296 | .429 | 38 | 65 | 23 | 34 |
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Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo vs. USC, NCAA Championship (Dec. 8, 2024)
Sunday, December 08