This weekend, the No. 15 IU water polo team will try to win the CWPA Eastern Conference Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. If the Hoosiers win, they will clinch a spot in the NCAA Championship tournament in May for the third time in school history. The two other such occasions occurred in 2003 and 2011.
After winning the CWPA Western Division Championships two weekends ago, IU will go into Easterns as the No. 1 seed. Following a first-round bye, IU will face the winner of Bucknell and Mercyhurst at 3:20 p.m. Friday. The Hoosiers will then play once Saturday and once Sunday to determine their final placement within the conference.
Here are the thoughts of IU Coach Barry King, freshman center Candyce Schroeder and sophomore Alexis Jones on the upcoming tournament.
On the emotions of the team heading into the weekend:
King: I think they're ready to go, ready to play, understand that this is gonna require their best play, their highest attention to detail. You know, last weekend's win was encouraging. They're prepared and ready to give that kind of effort.
Schroeder: I think we're really excited to play, especially at Michigan. It would be nice to beat them up at their own pool.
Jones: After last year, we had a big upset with our first game, so this year we're hoping to come back show how good we know we are and just prove ourselves to CWPA and all of water polo.
On what it takes to win a three-games-in-three-days tournament:
King: Again, attention to detail, to working the things we've been doing at practice the last two weeks, working the game plan and understanding the matchups and things like that. I think we did that really well last weekend. It's about remaining focused on the task at hand. When it's only one game a day, there's a lot of down time that they're not used to having, because we're used to playing two a day, and they can get kind of lost in that down time sometimes. It's about being compartmentalized and knowing what to focus on.
Schroeder: We play one game a day, so we really have to take each game on its own and just prepare for that one game.
Jones: A lot of practice and being able to come back every day starting fresh, building off the day before and just working hard.
On the possibility of facing Michigan yet again:
King: That's the nature of the beast, with the way our league is set up and with the nature of that rivalry. This would be the third time this year, but there have been years where we've played four, five times with the way things shook out. I think those are the kind of games that everyone wants to play in. They want to play in meaningful, high-energy contests. Every one of those Michigan games are exactly like that.
Schroeder: I love playing Michigan. I love beating them. I can't wait to sing our fight song at their pool.
Jones: I'm really excited to face them in their own pool. I think it's gonna be a great game.
On if playing in Ann Arbor will give Michigan an advantage:
King: On its face, maybe, certainly not big, though. We play in that pool more often than we play in our own pool to tell you the truth. The trip and the routine up there is very familiar. Certainly the competition is familiar, so I don't see it being out of the ordinary for us.
Schroeder: I'd rather embarrass them at their pool.
Jones: Every time that we've played them at their pool since I've been here, we've beaten them. I think that when we play them in our own pool we get more distracted, so I think that'll be better for us to play them at their pool.
On if going on a run like this seemed possible after losing the last three games in California a month ago:
King: Sure. The No. 1 thing coming into any season is to win the conference and making the NCAA tournament, so proving to be the best in conference is always at the top of the list. We also want to prove that we're one of the best teams in the country, and that's how you do it. That's why we do that, in those trips out to California. Everything we do competition-wise out in California is all about doing exactly this.
Schroeder: California was definitely building time getting to know how each of your players work, gaining chemistry.
Jones: Yeah, I think it's definitely possible. It's kind of a new team this year, so we were going through a building process. Those losses in California were unfortunate, but I think it's been part of the process getting where we are now.
On what it would mean to make the NCAA tournament:
Schroeder: It would mean a lot. I think we've worked really hard this year and came together as a team in the end, so I think it would be great to win.
Jones: Yeah, what she said.
On how this year would stack up against 2003 and 2011 if this year's team wins Easterns:
King: I'll be honest, I think we're the best team out here, so it would be a disappointment if we don't go. It will be exciting and everything if we do win it and go, but there's an element of, 'This is what we came to do, and this is what we thought we were capable of in the beginning.' So, all those trips are special. I'll be particularly pleased for this group because the amount of physical work that they've done this year has been higher than any other group that we've had.
