Water polo, as a sport, demands much of its celebrants. The constant swimming up and down the pool is unavoidable. An athlete must be hardy and display great fortitude yet show flexibility. He cannot be lax in his operations. A Division I scholar-athlete exists under the same current. The time for rest is virtually nonexistent. Bucknell's men's water polo player Aleksa Stefanovic exemplifies those traits—the Bison forward's success both on and off the pool comes from his dogged attitude.

We are all products of our environment, and Stefanovic, growing up in fiercely proud and independent Serbia, does not buck that trend. Serbia excels at water polo, and its natural bent led Stefanovic in that direction. He played soccer (Serbia's other pastime) but modestly proclaimed his lack of skill at the beautiful game as the reason for not continuing.

"I grew up in a country where water polo is one of the top national sports. I watched the Serbian national team compete in the Olympics and on the world stage. Their success encouraged me to start playing at the age of nine."

Stefanovic gravitated to the attacker position. His current status on the right side, like many athletic endeavors, came about when a Serbian coach noticed his skill set worked better for that section of the pool.

"I switched to the right side and honestly, like first couple of months, I like found myself adjusting to the new position. I couldn't play at my best, but when that time passed, I just was getting better and better."

To the water polo novice, switching from the left side to the right side and vice versa sounds pedestrian. What is the difference? NFL wide receivers motion and rotate all the time without noticeable impact. Since Stefanovic is right-handed, playing on the right side requires more body movements to pass and shoot properly.

Whatever the hurdles were, Stefanovic vanquished them and has become one of Bucknell's most prolific goal-collectors. The senior has tallied 253 goals and counting in his Orange & Blue career. Last year, he finished the season with 99 goals - agonizingly close to triple digits - and through seven games this season (six contests featuring ranked foes), he has tallied 18 cage-finders. His best output so far in 2025 was five goals against #1 UCLA - a team many experts project to finish undefeated.

235 goals are not a product of accidental fortune. Stefanovic has harnessed the art of the goal. He does not fire blindly at the goalkeeper, but studies and watches how the goalie and defenders position themselves before exploiting any opening.

"I would say a goal comes as an award for hard work that you put both in on offense and defense. My philosophy of sports and water polo is that good offense comes from good defense. And I think if you put yourself in the right position and if you get a chance, the goal comes naturally."

The national water polo scene has taken notice of Stefanovic's abilities. He has earned Honorable Mention All-American honors the last three seasons and should repeat the laurel this season. Of course, Bison fans are hoping he deserves to be a team member. Stefanovic humbly acknowledged the designation.

"I think that is just a reward for the hard work I put in the last three years here at Bucknell. And last but not least, it wouldn't be possible without support from the team and coaching staff."

Stefanovic has an ace head coach in John McBride. The long-term veteran leader carries water polo, like his American patriotism, in his veins. His expertise has earned him a spot on the US Men's National Team coaching staff, where he and America medaled during the 2024 Paris Olympics. A genie could not conjure up a better coach and mentor for a collegiate player. The partnership has been well-served. Stefanovic spoke glowingly about his head coach.

"Playing him for interesting especially in terms of competitiveness. Coach McBride and what he has gone through in his life, he has always aimed to be the best as possible and he is always on the line and ready to push his players to their limits both in the pool and in life. I can only say he is the best."

Stefanovic landed at Bucknell without taking a single step on campus. He considered playing water polo in the United States during his high school career. He left nothing to chance and contacted nearly every Division I coach in America. Coach McBride displayed the most interest in Stefanovic when he sent his recruiting profile. That sealed the proverbial deal for Stefanovic, and he pursued acceptance to Bucknell.

The term culture shock is carelessly thrown around. Still, for Stefanovic, who did envision Bucknell as a small liberal arts university, the contrast between his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia (a massive city which has witnessed many notable sieges in history) and Lewisburg shocked him. He freely admitted that adjusting required some time. Stefanovic noted that Serbia and the United States are different in positive ways.

"In Serbia, people are more community and tradition oriented. While in the United States, I found here is more fast-paced community and more individualism. Over my three and a half years here at Bucknell, I adjusted myself to being an independent and adaptable person."

His adaptability displayed itself in his major selection. After spending a year and a half as undeclared, Stefanovic selected Economics. His reasoning? The basis the major provides for forays into other fields and the broader background.

He parlayed the major into a summer internship with Deloitte Financial Services in Belgrade with their financial diligence team. He reviewed financial statements, discounted cash flows, and other aspects of companies' financials, and was involved with two or three projects. The internship has inspired him to consider a career in the banking or consulting industry.

His experiences in Australia and Singapore further demonstrated his adaptability. Having already traveled thousands of miles for school, Stefanovic added more stickers to his briefcase by enrolling in Bucknell's Asia-Pacific program and spending a spring semester enjoying the Eastern Hemisphere.

"Most of my friends said, "why did you choose to go abroad while you were already abroad?"

A fair question, indeed. The answer resided in Stefanovic's passion for experiencing new cultures. He couldn't miss this shot to see another part of the world.

"Seeing and interacting with new cultures is my biggest passion outside of academics and Water Polo. I could explore new cultures, visited new places, and also learn more about economics in those two countries."

He spent two months in Australia and two months in Singapore. While in Australia, he saw the sights and had the obligatory koala bear and kangaroo encounters. It wasn't all tourist activities and petting zoos; he also passed corporate and international finance classes. He especially enjoyed Singapore, a pearl that blends innovative technology and strict policies into a fascinating bucket list country. Unsurprisingly, Stefanovic adapted to the apples and oranges country.

"Singapore is the place which is the most innovated in the world, in terms of technology and skyscrapers. I would say that they have implemented a lot of Western habits. And definitely it was a huge experience for me. I would say that Singaporean policies are more strict. And a couple of my friends didn't enjoy it so much. But I found it fun. And I adjusted myself surprisingly well."