ASU water polo will face its toughest test of the season as it matches up against the No. 1 water polo team in the country, the USC Trojans. USC is a familiar foe, the Sun Devils faced the Trojans in the UCSD Triton Invitational tournament a few weeks ago.
Playing USC earlier in the season has given the Sun Devils a chance to prepare for this weekend's Pac-12 showdown.
"Playing against them made us a little more familiar with them," head coach Todd Clapper said. "From that standpoint, we have been working on getting to know what they like to do so nothing comes as a surprise."
The Trojans are having an outstanding season, as its record shows. The Trojans boast a perfect record in the 2016 season, as well as first place finishes in both major tournaments, including the UCSD Triton Invitational and the UCI Invitational.
ASU is coming off a win streak of its own with three straight wins after the UCI tournament, and currently has a 7-3 record on the season.
A key point of the match to watch will be whether USC can keep ASU's offense in check like they were able to accomplish in the first matchup. The Sun Devils only scored three goals in the first contest, resulting in a 6-3 loss against USC, but the offensive production will most likely be different since Saturday's game is not a tournament matchup.
"I think the offense is a little bit different in a tournament because you have already played some games, and you are more tired than gearing up for one game," said Clapper.
With its biggest match of the season so far, the team has been diligently preparing for the game.
"We are able to look back on video and be like, 'Okay, this is what we did wrong then and this is how we can beat them,'" said freshman attacker Catherine Simko. "It is kind of like going into a test and having studied a lot for it and being really prepared."
Freshman center Rosie Huck also believes the early matchup has provided valuable insight into this game.
"When you are actually in the water, you know what they play like so you know what you are going to get," Huck said. "It helps us think back about what they tried last time and be able to be more prepared for that this time."
Catch this showdown between two Pac-12 rivals at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.
Related Links:
ASU water polo takes care of middle-tier teams in UCI Invitational
ASU water polo looks to UCI Tournament, could face No. 1 USC
Reach the reporter at Graham.Paul@asu.edu or follow @GrahamASUpress on Twitter.
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