Water polo uses week off to prepare

IU women’s water polo (2-0) didn’t have a match last weekend but still used the week to its advantage.

The time off was used to prepare for the Brown Invitational in Providence, R.I.. The Hoosiers will face Brown and Hartwick on Saturday, followed by Wagner and Pacific on Sunday.

“We focused this past week on tactics, in particular frontcourt and power play and getting everyone on the same page,” IU Assistant Coach Zach White said.

The Hoosiers paid attention to skill work and conditioning before competing against the Iona Gaels and Michigan Wolverines.

“While still maintaining that conditioning and skill work, we have been able to improve upon what we do as a team both offensively and defensively,” White said. “As a result, our team has been really able to get a feel for what each other is really capable of doing as an individual player and collectively as a team.”

With no matches, the team’s focus could waver, but the Hoosiers are attempting to keep their focus.

On paper, Brown is the toughest team the Hoosiers will face, but the team has a policy that the next game is always the toughest.

“Hartwick is always a tough divisional opponent and has some high stakes attached to it due to it being a conference game,” White said.

Saturday’s match will be an important one for both teams.

White said the team must finish their possessions, as they had a lot of scoring opportunities in the Michigan game they didn’t capitalize on.

In a closer game, these mistakes could have cost the team a win.

Senior attacker Allison Campbell, who led the Hoosiers with five goals at the Michigan Kick-Off, said she is just happy to be playing water polo again. She transferred from the University of Maryland after the 2012 season.

Campbell has played with three fellow Hoosiers on previous teams, and said everyone on this team has helped her adapt to the new team and new style of play.

The two weeks in between matches are giving the Hoosiers a chance to evaluate what they need to work on and to rest for their four matches on Saturday and Sunday.

Campbell said she has noticed there is something special about this team.

“We’ve got a solid group of ladies that are really committed to accomplishing our goals,” Campbell said.

Follow reporter Jaylen Johnson on Twitter @neylaJohnsonIDS.