By Lindsey Wiseman
On Jan. 12, 2004 Yosleyder Cala decided he''d had enough. Enough oppression under a communist regime, enough deception from a corrupt government, enough of life in a country without change.
The day he defected from Cuba, Cala walked out of his team''s hotel, got in a car with his friends and drove away; he hasn''t seen his family in three years.
'Cuba was very different,' Cala said. 'I just decided it would be best to leave, there were better things for me. I just decided to stay in Puerto Rico and live a better life.'
So he did. He didn''t board the plane bound for Cuba with his teammates and that simple act has changed his existence. Today, Cala is enjoying life as a typical college student. Well, maybe not that typical.
The 6-foot-8 outside hitter has already made a lasting mark on the BYU men''s volleyball team both on and off the court.
'BYU has always been good, but we never really have premiere big gun guys like him,' teammate Taylor Evans said. 'BYU will probably never have another 6-8 outside hitter again. He has so much talent that it''s not about what he''s good at playing, its about what gap he fills best.'
In only ten games this season, Cala has already set a career and season-team-high 32 kills in a single match when the Cougars lost to No. 1 UC Irvine.
'The guy is just so talented,' libero Andy Pompei said. 'He''s one of the best in the country, and brings so much energy to the court. Some of the stuff he does is amazing.'
In January, the NCAA cleared Cala to compete in the first game of his collegiate career, but it was no typical game. It was Pepperdine, the No. 1 team in the country at the time.
With over 5,000 fans crammed into the Smith Fieldhouse, a loss in Game 1, and the score tied at 28, head coach Tom Peterson made the call. And Cala answered in a big way. He pounded two back-to-back kills to seal the Cougars'' victory and give them momentum heading into Game 3.
'It just seemed like the time to put him in,' Peterson said. 'He made some big plays and his presence was definitely felt. The moment I heard the cheering, I knew this was going to be huge either way.'
The Cougars went on to win the match 3-1 and give the Waves their first loss of the season.
'It felt so good, it was such a big game,' Cala said. 'I was just ready for my opportunity. Having been on the bench half the year, I was so ready to get in there.'
His teammates are quick to point out that Cala has not let his instant success go to his head.
'He''s really down to earth,' freshman outside hitter Shaun Muiana said. 'He''s a great guy, and fun to hang around with.'
Growing up in Ciego, Avila, Cuba with his two sisters and one brother, Cala always excelled in sports. He played on the Cuban Junior National team while still attending high school and went on to play on the national team, leading Cuba to a second-place finish in the Pan American games in 2003.
So how did he end up in Provo? Former BYU players Ossie Antonetti, Hector Lebron and Joaquin Acosta of the Puerto Rican National team helped convince Cala that BYU was where he belonged.
'BYU has a really good program,' Cala said. 'One of the best in the country and the education is very good.'
Life in Provo has been drastically different for the computer science major.
'I knew nothing about Mormons before coming here. In Cuba, I had done a lot of the same things, the right things. I really like the people here; they are happy, nice people. I''m Mormon now, I converted.'
Far from the oppression of the Cuban government, Cala is making the most of his opportunities. Opportunities that may never have been possible had he not had the courage to walk out of the hotel that day and into a whole new life, a better life.