Hoosiers go west for 2 matches against top-ranked foes

With spring break just around the corner, several IU students have plans of traveling to places far warmer than Bloomington, getting into their swimsuits and relaxing at the beach. The women’s water polo team is no different, as they head to California to take on two of the nation’s toughest teams in No. 9 San Jose State on Saturday and No. 7 California at Davis on Sunday.\n“We really want to play,” senior attacker Kristin Zernicke said. “It’s going to be good competition and fun.”\nAlthough excited to play, the Hoosiers (5-7) face many challenges this weekend, some physical and some mental. They haven’t played a game in three weeks, and while head coach Barry King said the long layover has had its advantages and disadvantages, he acknowledged that it probably is a week too long.\n“I think that it was too much time off,” senior center Melissa Soria said. “I like the rest physically but mentally it’s tough.” \nAnother potential challenge for the Hoosiers will be playing both games outdoors, something that they aren’t able to practice in Bloomington. \n“(Playing outdoors) does make a difference, even if you take away all of the environmental factors,” King said. “If there’s no background behind the goal it makes it look really small. It’s much tougher going from inside to outside, but (the other teams) have got to play there too.”\nWhile King expressed some concern about playing outside, Soria, a native of California and used to the atmosphere, is eager to play outdoors. \n“There are pros and cons,” Soria said. “But I love playing outside.” \nMentally preparing after a long hiatus to face two highly ranked teams may pose challenges for the Hoosiers. King said that the team’s attackers have practiced being more active on offense so that Soria and sophomore center Maggie Hannon have a better chance at scoring close to the goal. \n“We need to get some better goalie play,” King said. “And our ability to attack offensively consistently is going to be (a key to the games). Sometimes we’re consistent for a little bit but the momentum doesn’t always carry through. If we stay consistent it puts pressure on the other teams.”