HAYWARD, Calif. -- After enjoying a week off from competition, the Cal State East Bay water polo team is flying east for an important slate of games this weekend at the Hoosier Classic, hosted by Indiana University at Counsilman Billingsley Aquatics Center.

The Pioneers will take on a pair of nationally ranked squads, and they'll officially open their conference schedule as well, playing their first two designated Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) matches.

On Saturday, East Bay will begin the tournament against Salem, a newcomer to the WWPA. Later in the afternoon, they'll battle No. 23 ranked Cal State Northridge in a matchup that has resulted in some tight games in recent years.

The Pioneers have an early game on Sunday, hopping in the pool at 5 a.m. Pacific time to take on the No. 20 ranked tournament hosts. That contest will be streamed live by the Big Ten Network, which requires a subscription. CSUEB will wrap up the weekend with another WWPA match against Mercyhurst before flying home Sunday afternoon. 

Cal State East Bay is coming off a solid performance on their most recent road trip, winning three of their four matches at the Bulldog Classic hosted by Redlands University. The Pioneers recorded one-sided victories over Redlands and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and also defeated the University of Toronto, 9-8, in an exhibition game. CSUEB's only loss of the the weekend was a narrow defeat at the hands of Pomona-Pitzer, the top-ranked Division III program in the nation. 
Adrien Van Dyke led the way with 12 goals during the trip to Redlands. The sophomore scored half of those in one game, setting a season high with six goals against the host Bulldogs. She now leads the Pioneers with 19 goals for the season. 

Senior Brittany Smith also had a big week, notching her first two hat tricks of the year in back-to-back contests. She's third on the Pioneers with 12 total goals heading into this weekend's action. 

Junior Auriel Bill, the reigning WWPA Player of the Year, scored five goals and racked up a team-high eight assists at Redlands. She ranks second in the conference this season with 19 assists and leads the team with 33 total points.