SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Women's water polo will make the short trek down to the Sullivan Aquatics Center to take on No. 11 Indiana and host Santa Clara on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Hoosiers will be the sixth nationally ranked Division I program the Pioneers face through the first 10 games this season.
Indiana (4-5) is coming off three straight victories two weeks prior at the Princeton Invite. The Hoosiers knocked off then No. 9 ranked Princeton in overtime and took their spot in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) polls the following Wednesday.
Indiana won the previous meeting between these two squads 8-5 back on March 4, 2012.
Cal State East Bay will be the third Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) team Santa Clara (5-4) has faced this season. The Broncos defeated Cal State Monterey Bay 10-3 on Jan. 31, and Sonoma State by a 12-9 final on Feb. 15.
The Pioneer roster currently has three players scoring in double figures led by 11 goals from
Taylor Cross. She is tied with
Olivia Mackell for the team lead with 21 drawn exclusions, and the pair has combined to earn nearly 57 percent of the team's kick outs this season.
Casey Rushforth is tops on the squad with 10 assists and 19 steals. In the team's most recent win over Cal Lutheran she contributed three assists and 10 steals.
The last three meetings between the Pioneers and Broncos have been decided by two goals or less. Santa Clara won last year's meeting 12-10 after splitting the 2013 matchups. Both games were decided by 9-8 final scores with East Bay taking the latter of the pair.
Â