After not playing a game since March 10, the ASU women's water polo team travels to California this weekend to take on No. 3 USC Saturday and No. 20 Cal State Sunday.
The two contests will be the 13th and 14th straight games where the No. 11 Sun Devils (4-8, 1-3 MPSF) have faced opponents ranked in the top 20 in the nation.
The USC game will also be the fifth time ASU has faced a team ranked in the nation's top five.
It will be the second time the teams have faced each other this season. The Sun Devils lost to the then-No.1 Trojans in their first game of the season on Feb. 3, 13-4.
"They're a really tough team and we respect them, but I think it's definitely a game that we're going to go in there and have an opportunity to win it in the fourth," coach Todd Clapper said.
"I think it's going to be a totally different game," junior goalie Caylinn Wallace said. "I think if we go in knowing we can beat them or make it a close game, they're going to be a little surprised and we have a great chance of upsetting."
Clapper said they have made improvements since the last time they faced the Trojans.
"Our defense is really picking up a lot," Clapper said. "Our transition defense is getting a lot better, and that's also coming from making better decisions when we're on offense."
"In the beginning, [defense] was one of our weakest things, and it's come a long way from where it was," Wallace said.
Wallace said he expects the conference game with Cal State Northridge to be physical, but a game the Sun Devils should win.
"That game always seems to be a blood battle," he said. "They're a pretty physical team, so we just have to go out there and play our game and not worry about anything they do or the physical part of the game that they bring.
"We just need to run our own stuff and I think we should be fine."
"Northridge has the potential to spoil," Clapper said. "If their team is clicking on all cylinders and they're finishing their shots, they can beat a lot of teams."
At Northridge, the Devils will also have to deal with a different type of pool; it is only 25 yards long.
"It neutralizes the counterattack a little bit, so it's a little bit of a different game," Clapper said.
Clapper said he believes this weekend can propel them into the rest of the season with a pair of wins.
"There's the potential here if we play well in every game, and we're determined to win and improve," Clapper said. "We could win a lot of games straight."
Reach the reporter at: gina.mizell@asu.edu.
