Teams: UC Davis at Sonoma State, vs. Olympic Club (exhibition)
Records: Aggies, 9-5; Seawolves, 4-15;
Where: Dr. G Edward Rudloff Pool – Rohnert Park, Calif.
When: Saturday at 10:30 a.m., at 11:45 a.m.
Who to watch: Alicia Began’s two hat tricks last weekend gave proof that production can still come from an injured center corps.
The junior from Camarillo, Calif. has seen most of her action and successes on the defensive side of the pool, but saw playing time up front last weekend due to injuries. Began took advantage, helping the Aggies to a perfect 4-0 homestand.
It is her speed that gives her the edge on defense as well as on the attack. Last season, she won five of six sprints taken.
Did you know? UC Davis will play the USA Senior Women’s National Team Saturday.
Preview: The Aggies’ six-game winning streak isn’t so much about them improving, but instead showing what they’re capable of.
A lot of the successes on the impressive run can be attributed to getting significant portions of the team back into the fold.
Seniors Heidi Kucera and Ashely Chandler have rejoined after a grueling swimming and diving season, much to the dismay of UC Davis’ last opponents.
“We kind of did a week of review [for Chandler and Kucera] and we wanted to get them integrated into that mindset,” said coach Jamey Wright. “There is not another Division I water polo team that has just added 50 percent of a conference-champion 400 relay team.”
The Aggies have a rematch against Sonoma State on Saturday. Later that day, UC Davis will get to see just how far it’s come when it faces off against the USA Senior Women’s National Team. These matches will be a great test for the Aggies due to the dimensions of Dr. G Edward Rudloff Pool.
“[Rudloff Pool] is much smaller than [Schaal’s],” Wright said. “It kind of forces us to play half-court offense and defense the entire time. It is a difficult venue, spacing is a challenge and we’re going to have to be aggressive.”
– Matt Wang
