Hoosiers on the prowl in Auburn

The IU women's swimming and diving team will begin its season in dramatic fashion as the Hoosiers face off against one of the nation's most elite teams: the Tigers of Auburn University. IU will make its first splash of the season and hopes to continue its tradition of excellence at 6:30 p.m. today at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala. \nThe Hoosiers developed a tie with the Tigers when former IU head coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker left the program to co-head coach at Auburn this year after leading the Hoosiers for seven years. In response to this sudden void, head coach Ray Looze has assumed the duties of leading the newly-combined men's and women's squads. He remains optimistic amid the increased responsibility and pressure demanded by the merger.\n"It's been fun," he said. "The kids have been adapting great ... I couldn't be more pleased with how smooth things have gone."\nWith the departure of NCAA and Big Ten Champion Cassandra Cardinell, the Hoosiers will look to their upperclassmen to compensate for the huge loss. IU's enormous incoming freshman class of 18 women should provide a substantial base of reserves to fall back on as their addition raises the team's total to a school record of 38 swimmers.\nBut an abundance of freshmen translates into an urgency for leadership, a void that senior second team All-Big Ten swimmer Kristen Bradley is ready to fill. \n"I think being a senior and since I've traveled a lot with the team ... now I have more of a feel of what it's like," she said. \nBradley said she aspires to help the team by improving her placement this year in the NCAA Championships and by winning another Big Ten Championship. \nAs if coaching a combined swimming and diving team and replacing a tremendous athlete in Cardinell isn't enough, Looze said the Hoosiers have been suffering from a lack of overall depth, specifically in natural breaststrokers in recent years. The true breaststrokers in the group of newcomers will be expected to alleviate this weakness in the team, Looze said.\nJunior All-Big Ten swimmer Leila Vaziri said she is thrilled to watch the freshmen in today. \n"Our returning upperclassmen are still the strength of the team, and it will be interesting to see if the freshmen girls can turn that weakness (breaststroke) into a strength as well," she said. \nThe Hoosiers' weaknesses will have to be corrected quickly against the Tigers, the defending national runners-up. But the strength of Auburn didn't stop Looze from scheduling IU's first meet in Tiger territory. \n"This was the only time we could duel them, and I felt it was important to increase the difficulty of the schedule," he said. "We definitely need increased percentage of meets against teams in the top 10, top 20."\nThe fact that the competition will be held at an away venue actually has a positive influence on the team, Bradley said. \n"I think that it just brings us more together and it's so exciting racing at places you've never been before," she said.\nVaziri also couldn't contain her enthusiasm about the challenge awaiting in Auburn. \n"I get pumped up for away meets ... just traveling with the team, staying overnight with each other at the hotel ... I just get really excited," she said.