No. 13 IU water polo is in the middle of its preparation for matches against No. 16 San Jose State University this weekend in San Jose, California.
While the Hoosiers will be on the road for the remainder of the season, this could be one of their best chances to win since February. SJSU holds a record of 1-11 on the year.
The Spartans are also 0-4 in home competition, an area of play IU water polo head coach Taylor Dodson said she’d love to take advantage of.
“Part of our identity is that we are road warriors,” Dodson said Tuesday. “We’re back to a little bit of our bread and butter of being back on the road.”
Another advantage the Hoosiers have is their contributions from the entire lineup. With the exception of Sarah Greeven and Haley Hunter, who are both goalkeepers, every Hoosier player who is eligible to play this season has scored at least three goals for the team.
“The majority of their goals are coming from a handful of players,” Dodson said. “It’s going to be about reading those players' tendencies and trying to create as many of their game type situations in practice.”
One of the most notable advantages the Hoosiers may have against SJSU is the similarities in rosters. Compared to IU’s 16-player roster, the average depth chart for their competitors so far this season is 22 players. SJSU has 18 players on their roster.
IU’s record against teams with depth charts lower than 20 members this season is 8-2.
Even with the losing streak, the Hoosiers are more confident than ever heading into Saturday, Dodson said.
“We are building our momentum throughout the season, and we are building up our confidence,” Dodson said. “Everytime that we confuse another team or we score on them or we make a big stop, it’s fueling our fire more and more.”
IU’s first match against SJSU will be at 4 p.m. April 17 in San Jose, California, with the second matchup at 2 p.m. April 18.
