Zach Dalby competes in the 200 yard butterfly event. Dalby finished 5th in this event with a time of 1:53.805. (Photo by Dominic Valente)The No. 20 ASU women's swim team will be back in the water for its third competition in just two weekends when it welcomes NAU.
It will be the second time the two programs have faced off this year, with the first meet being a “scrimmage” at the beginning of the season.
In that meet, the Sun Devils lost to the Lumberjacks 57-49 in Flagstaff. ASU coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker said her team was just not ready for the meet. The trip was meant to work out the athletes in a high altitude setting to prepare for the long season ahead.
With almost two-thirds of the season and tougher competition under their belts, ASU looks to get revenge against NAU.
NAU is coming off a dominating win over Colorado State, 177-120. The Lumberjacks hope to ride that momentum to a win over the Sun Devils.
This is going to be the last home meet for the women this season, and the last time the seniors will swim competitively at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe.
Tierney-Walker praised her seniors for their leadership and how they have mentored the underclassmen.
“The senior women, a lot of them have been to the NCAA championships,” Tierney-Walker said. “(They are) really paying attention to every thing you’re doing, all of the little things that make such a big difference at the championship level.”
The swimmers currently have their eyes set on qualifying for the NCAA championships as well as training extensively for the Pac-12 championships.
Tierney-Walker stressed one aspect above all others for the last couple of weeks to her swimmers, the small details.
“We’re kind of in that time of season where every week is attention to detail, and we are training at a very high level," she said. "Really doing nothing different."
The meet is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe.
Reach the reporter at ross.dunham@asu.edu
