IU divers to compete in USA Winter Diving Nationals, swimmers head to Louisville

Nineteen days separate the IU women’s swimming team from the Big Ten Championships.

However, they have just one meet to tie up all loose ends and finalize some little things. Both the IU men and women travel to Louisville to face Louisville and Virginia Tech on Saturday.

Coach Ray Looze said he wants to see an improvement in the women’s energy from last week when the women were defeated at Purdue.

“We went in there thinking it would be pretty easy for us to win, and we obviously didn’t,” senior Ashley Jones said. “It was a little bit of a surprise for us, so I think this week, we’re going to be a little more focused, be ready for anything and go out from the beginning ready to race.”

The men are looking to bounce back after falling to Tennessee and Georgia last weekend. They are also looking to avenge a Jan. 29 loss in Louisville last year.
For the Hoosiers, personnel is different this time around, with multiple players returning from redshirt status last year.

“I think people are really hungry this year,” sophomore Jim Barbiere said.  “People have been working really hard and going fast this week in practice, so I think that the biggest difference is that our confidence level is going to be much higher than it was last year.”

While the swimmers focus on Louisville and Virginia Tech, the diving team will travel to Iowa to compete in the USA Winter Diving Nationals from Sunday through the rest of the week. High marks in the competition could mean a spot in the World University Games or in the World Championship.

This year, the meet is not taking place during Spring Break, so not as many players can travel with the team. But this does not seem to faze the team.

“It’s going to be a little bit different because we’re going to have a little bit of a smaller team,” sophomore Zac Nees said. “But I think all the guys who are going are just going to rally together, and it’s going to be like having the whole team there.”