By Bill Sheehan

Last fall, Emme Doube-MacLeod extended her gap year and traveled across Europe for two months. The 18-year-old Australian visited with relatives in her father's native Scotland. She explored beaches in Greece and mountains and lakes in Montenegro. But it was just before leaving on her trip that she had a life-changing epiphany.

"When I watched the Olympics, I thought, 'That's really cool that people get to that level,' " said Doube-MacLeod, a skilled water polo competitor from Sydney. "A lot of the Aussie girls had played overseas before becoming Olympians. They earned the silver medal. They obviously were doing something right."

"With the success the girls who had played at U.S. colleges were having, I thought, 'Why not me?' "

While Doube-MacLeod was on her European trip, her mother, Lali Doube, compiled digital footage of her daughter's aquatics achievements to be used in a video resume. A company was hired to distribute the video to water polo programs at selected U.S. colleges.

"We started this process in August, which is incredibly late in the cycle," said Doube-MacLeod, who played water polo on the club and junior national levels after graduating in 2023 from Meriden High School in Sydney. She said her goal was to find a collegiate program where she could play immediately and further develop her skills.

Doube-MacLeod, whose name is pronounced DOOB-MacLeod, was sold on Fullerton as soon as she heard head coach Kyle Witt's plans for the program. "In our first meeting on Zoom, it was clear he wants the program to be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years." After a series of online interviews in the fall, she accepted a scholarship and arrived January 16 for the spring semester.

"For me, it was so important to come in and quickly show my strengths. I didn't want to get here and be the third player in my position. And I wanted to get better," said Doube-MacLeod.

The 6-foot-2 freshman has made a big impact in her short time at Fullerton. She has become a regular starter. She leads the Titans in assists with 18 and is second in goals (26) and scoring (44).

Fullerton, which is 10-11, kicks off its Big West season against 10th -ranked UC Irvine (7-9) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Because of issues with the pool at the Titan Aquatics Center, the game will be played at Fullerton College, 321 E. Chapman Ave. The Fullerton College pool is at the southeast corner of the campus and on-site paid parking is available.

Eight of the Titans' losses this season have come against ranked teams, including No. 1 Stanford. "We've had solid scores against the best teams. The team is doing a good job, and the program has taken a giant step forward in a lot of different ways. The players want to learn and get better, and know success is coming soon. We are knocking on the door and will accomplish a top 10 or 15 ranking soon," said Witt, whose women's program is in its third year of existence.

"Hawaii, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and UC Irvine are the top four teams in the conference. We're not at their level yet, but we aren't light years behind them. Big West play will give us an opportunity to see where we truly stand and where we need to make improvements."

Something the Fullerton coaches told the team resonated with DoubeMacLeod. "When we are playing Stanford and other top-ranked teams, even if we are losing, we are learning," she said. "Of course, we would like to have more wins than losses. We are in a position where we could very well do that. If our team continue at this pace, you we will see exponential growth toward the end of the season."

Witt said he sensed after a few Zoom conversations with Doube-MacLeod that she would be "the right fit at this moment for the program."

"I could tell Emme was someone who would help us grow from day one. She is a complete two-way player with a strong competitive nature," he said.

Ileina Hatori, a Titans freshman from La Habra Heights, said DoubeMacLeod brings a competitive energy to the team, coupled with the spirit and drive to be a better player, teammate and person.

"She is very confident. For me personally, it rubs off on me. I want to play with her confidence. And she pushes teammates to speak up inside and out the pool. I love spending time with her. It's not that we have a lot in common, but I feel I can talk to her literally about anything."

Doube-MacLeod started her Titans carer as a center-defender but quickly shifted to become a left-side driver, or wing. "Technically, I'm a utility player who can play everywhere. I've been able to work with a couple girls on the left side and create two-man opportunities. I also love to occasionally go over to the strong, or right side, since I am right-handed."

Her intensity carries over to the other end of the pool. "Defense is everything. If a team can't score on you, they can't win," said DoubeMacLeod, whose arm length comes in handy blocking shots.

After sitting out the team's first four games while adjusting to her new environs, Doube-MacLeod made a splashy debut at the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego. In a four-team field that included national power Hawaii, she scored 10 goals and collected two assists in three matches.

"That was amazing. I knew that no one would know who I was, and they weren't going to expect anything from me." said Doube-MacLeod, who began playing the left side that weekend.

There are some differences between water polo in the U.S. and down under, she said. "Australia seems a year head of the U.S. in terms of rule reforms. Referees tend to call more fouls in the U.S. In Australia, there is more emphasis on speed and getting up and down the pool. There is more focus on set attacks in the U.S."

She hopes to become a team leader. "I'm a young freshman, but I've been playing at a high level at home. My goal is to be a good teammate and use my knowledge and experience to help our team."

She started swimming at 2 years old, said her mother. "She was a water baby. Emme was the kid in the class who would jump in the pool when the teacher was looking away."


Emme Doube-MacLeod began swimming at 2 years old. She competed for the Carlile Swimming team until she focused primarily on water polo.

Doube-MacLeod began competing for Carlile Swimming Team. Eventually, she focused on distance swimming, racing in the 400 intermediate relay and the 200 backstroke. Perhaps her greatest achievement was anchoring a 5-kilometer relay that that finished third nationally.


Emme Doube-MacLeod celebrates with her mother, Lali Doube, after a race. Her father, Euan MacLeod, said her speed and versatility have boosted her water polo career.

Meanwhile, as a sixth grader, she was invited to try out for a school water polo team. "I failed miserably at first and didn't make the team. I didn't know the rules, didn't know you can't touch the ball with two hands. But I still wanted to participate, so my mum signed me up with the Drummoyne Devils," a local water polo club. She later competed for the Balmain Tigers and Adelaide Jets.

Doube-MacLeod, who grew up in the Sydney neighborhood of Gladesville, decided at age 15 to focus primarily on water polo.

"I think she was over swimming when she quit," said her father, Euan MacLeod, who explained that his daughter was at a disadvantage because her April 1 birthday meant she was always going to be among the youngest in her age group.

"She had just finished swimming in the nationals and had a personal best in one of her races. Emme had a week off and concluded that swimming required a lot of effort with little return. She decided that water polo offered more of an upside going forward," he said


Emme-Doube MacLeod, top row center, won a Under 22 championship with the Balmain Tigers water polo club last year

She attended Domremy College for her first two years of high school. Then Lorenzo Uda, her longtime water polo coach, helped Doube-MacLeod land a scholarship to Meriden High School, where he serves as an assistant coach

"It has a very prestigious water polo program with a really fantastic group of academic and athletic advisories," she said of Meriden, an all-girls Anglican school. "I can't understate how beneficial that was to how I played. And the school really prepared me for college."

Her Meriden team won the 2023 Independent Girls' Schools Association championship in 2023 and was runner-up in 2022. During her gap year, Doube-MacLeod earned a spot on the Australian junior national team. She represented her country at a tournament in New Zealand, where the Aussies captured a bronze medal.


As a member of the Australian junior national team, Emme Doube MacLeod competes in a tournament in New Zealand. Her team won a bronze medal.

"Emme is very tall and long-limbed, and she is a fast swimmer, so it was easy to spot her potential right away," said Uda. "She is very determined and has a lot of willpower. Her move to the Balmain Tigers was a turning point. That team always wants to compete for top medals. From that moment on, she was super-determined.

"She always wanted to make an Australian junior national team, and she did late her in junior career. She has amazing talents. I think she needed a change of environment and a place that could believe in her, so I think the move to America was a good one."

Euan said the family earlier had talked about the possibility of her attending college in the U.S. but that she wasn't keen to the idea. But that changed after Doube-MacLeod saw familiar faces winning an Olympic silver medal

It basically became a last-minute sprint to get Doube-MacLeod to Fullerton on time. Her U.S. student visa wasn't issued until 9 p.m. on the eve of her trans-Pacific flight. She then purchased a ticket online around midnight. After a few hours of sleep, she picked up the visa en route to Sydney Airport – her mom was driving – and attended a Titans team dinner later the same day. "If people thought I was anti-social that night, I apologize," she joked.


Emme Doube-MacLeod prepares to depart Australia in January. DoubeMacLeod said she was sold on head coach Kyle Witt's vision for the future.

Her father was a competitive swimmer growing up in Scotland. He owns a financial consulting company. Her mother played basketball growing up in Australia. She is a photographer who specializes in family portraits and retail products.

Lali also was a caregiver for Doube-MacLeod's brother, Hamish, who suffered from juvenile arthritis when he was younger. The 14-year-old is "absolutely fine now" and playing water polo, said his sister. "That's the one thing I would never let him beat me in. He also swims and plays every sport under the sun, including Australian rules football, cricket and tennis."

Doube-MacLeod has not yet declared a major but is interested in communications and journalism. "Even though I want to be incredibly successful at water polo, the same goes for academics. It's important to me that I keep getting good grades and stay on top of that."

Ultimately, she envisions a career in a communications-related field. "I've always done well in English, writing and public speaking" she said. "But I wouldn't rule out high-level coaching, perhaps dealing with biomechanics." She has worked as a swimming instructor and volunteer water polo coach the past few years.

Her gap-year overseas trip also included stops in Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy. In Scotland, she visited her father's hometown of Largs, which is about 30 miles west of Glasgow, as well as the Isle of Skye and Edinburgh.

Besides travel, she enjoys listening to music – currently jazz. She has played bass guitar in a rock band. However, she didn't have room to bring the bass to college.

Doube-MacLeod is still adjusting to life in Southern California. "I hope by the end of the year I can do a really good American accent," she said. "People tell me I sound like a Valley girl. I need to pronounce my Rs a bit more."

One of her favorite foods is pavlova, a beloved treat down under. Named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, it is a meringue-based dessert with a crisp crust and a soft marshmallow-like inside, usually topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It is served during celebratory and Christmastime gatherings.

"I haven't got any cooking utensils yet," she said. "But when I do, I will make pavlova for my teammates."

SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday. 

FOLLOW THE TITANS
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own Twitter (@Fullerton_WP) and Instagram accounts (Fullerton_WP). 

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference game