
Staying Afloat (Or Treading Water) in the MSDS Residential Program

The collaborative focus of the University of Virginia's residential master's program demands strong communication and teamwork skills from each student. For Michael Vaden, a recent graduate and member of the 2024 master’s cohort, these skills were honed on the UVA men’s club water polo team.
Vaden pursued a major in computer science with a minor in data science during his time as an undergrad at UVA and was immediately drawn to the club water polo team upon arriving on Grounds. Hailing from Southern California, one of the world’s premier water polo hot spots, he had played the sport throughout high school. Little did he know his decision to join the club team would significantly shape his UVA experience.
After a promising first-year season in 2019, Vaden was elected as one of the captains for the following year, with high expectations for the 2020 season. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was unable to compete in the fall of 2020, and the demoralizing effects of the pandemic threatened to disband the team entirely.
Facing these challenges as captain during the 2021 season, Vaden worked hard to keep the team together and motivated after a year of uncertainty, while also leveraging the immense talent of both the new players and established veterans to propel the club to new heights. Implementing a rigorous practice schedule, setting common goals, and fostering accountability among the entire team, the club achieved an average 9-goal margin of victory in the fall of 2021 and secured a national championship berth.

In the 42-year history of the program, the team had only once before qualified for the national championship, and that was in 2003. The 2021 team went on to win its final match at nationals against Oregon State, placing 13th in the nation and etching its name in the UVA record books by winning a game at the national tournament for the first time in school history.
Although Vaden underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder and had to sit out the 2022 season, the competitive, collaborative, and disciplined culture of the team under the guidance of new captain Willem Palmer resulted in another national tournament visit and a 13th-place finish.
The UVA residential data science program offered Vaden a unique opportunity to pursue a topic within a cohort with a similar discipline and focus on the kind of collaboration that he had come to know on the water polo team — as well as participate in one final season of the sport.
In fall 2023, the UVA men’s water polo team once again qualified for the national tournament, winning three out of four games and finishing ninth in the country, marking the new best finish in program history.
As for what’s next for Vaden, he is excited to have more free time and knows that the skill of balancing academic rigor with commitment to an intense sport like water polo will serve him well in the future. Although he will miss playing water polo at UVA, the master’s program’s focus on group work and collaboration made him feel right at home on a new team and well prepared for his future.
