Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Water Polo Ready for 2021 Season
2/2/2021 10:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
By Jared Rigdon
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – All but four members of the Indiana University women's water polo team come from California. It's the biggest recruiting ground for the sport in the United States. But it means that nearly every player on the roster is coming to the Midwest for school.
The snow and cold weather of Bloomington is a far cry from the warm temperatures of California, but head coach Taylor Dodson believes it's one of the unique aspects of having a collegiate water polo program here in Indiana. The first snowfall of the year is always an exciting day for her program.
This program, which has been through so much since the nation shutdown in March, is slated to open the 2021 season with a full schedule of games on the opening weekend of February.
"We're really excited," Dodson said. "It's a very cautiously optimistic feeling. They know things can change at any minute, but they've been super adaptable and very optimistic. They're really working really hard every day knowing that the opportunity to play will come and to be best prepared when it does."
It's been a whirlwind ten months for this team since they played their last game. Many were sent back to California, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. When school resumed in August, they came back, but have been shut down at times due to COVID-19 protocol.
At the beginning of the calendar year, they were getting tested twice a week, doing their best to social distance and stay safe as much as you can in the water. Now as they approach their start date, they're tested daily and preparing for a grueling season.
"My athletes and our staff have sacrificed so much to make sure our practices get underway, let alone competition," Dodson said.
Of the 24 sports in the athletic department at IU, the water polo program is unique. They're the only team that doesn't compete in the traditional Big Ten conference.
Due to a lack of teams in the midwest, IU is a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. It's a conference filled with some of the sports' traditional powerhouses such as USC and UCLA. Like many other sports, IU will spend a majority of its season playing teams in its conference.
That means long road trips and tough competition, a challenge that Dodson is anticipating.
"It's definitely daunting, but I think that it makes the grind worth it," Dodson said. "I know the girls take pride in being in such a competitive conference and our goal is to get better every day and make sure we're giving those teams our best game."
IU will have to go into this season with a rather young roster. There isn't a single senior on the team and many have never even played a conference matchup.
But with junior center Izzy Mandema, junior goalkeeper Mary Askew and junior attacker Tina Doherty all returning, IU has a strong core of veteran players that have the ability to be a strong force in the conference season.
Sophomore utility Zoe Crouch spearheads a young group of underclassmen that will be asked to make an immediate impact in the water. With an extra year of eligibility for every player, experience will be extra special this year as IU navigates conference play.
"They're really motivated," Dodson said. "We didn't get to play all of our marquee matches that season. We didn't play our conference matches or Michigan and that's the bulk of our season this year. It feels like we're picking up where we left off. They're just excited and ready to compete."
IU knows to take each day one at a time. Things will happen that are out of their control, it's been the case with every sport trying to start during a pandemic. But they're taking it in stride. There's lots to be learned and many games to be played.
More than all, a chance to prove a water polo team in the Midwest can play with the best of them.
"Last year, we came out of the gates strong and started to chip away," Dodson said. "We began to prove that we're a team you need to take seriously and the girls are battling for that every day. That's something we wear with pride."
#GoIU
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – All but four members of the Indiana University women's water polo team come from California. It's the biggest recruiting ground for the sport in the United States. But it means that nearly every player on the roster is coming to the Midwest for school.
The snow and cold weather of Bloomington is a far cry from the warm temperatures of California, but head coach Taylor Dodson believes it's one of the unique aspects of having a collegiate water polo program here in Indiana. The first snowfall of the year is always an exciting day for her program.
This program, which has been through so much since the nation shutdown in March, is slated to open the 2021 season with a full schedule of games on the opening weekend of February.
"We're really excited," Dodson said. "It's a very cautiously optimistic feeling. They know things can change at any minute, but they've been super adaptable and very optimistic. They're really working really hard every day knowing that the opportunity to play will come and to be best prepared when it does."
It's been a whirlwind ten months for this team since they played their last game. Many were sent back to California, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. When school resumed in August, they came back, but have been shut down at times due to COVID-19 protocol.
At the beginning of the calendar year, they were getting tested twice a week, doing their best to social distance and stay safe as much as you can in the water. Now as they approach their start date, they're tested daily and preparing for a grueling season.
"My athletes and our staff have sacrificed so much to make sure our practices get underway, let alone competition," Dodson said.
Of the 24 sports in the athletic department at IU, the water polo program is unique. They're the only team that doesn't compete in the traditional Big Ten conference.
Due to a lack of teams in the midwest, IU is a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. It's a conference filled with some of the sports' traditional powerhouses such as USC and UCLA. Like many other sports, IU will spend a majority of its season playing teams in its conference.
That means long road trips and tough competition, a challenge that Dodson is anticipating.
"It's definitely daunting, but I think that it makes the grind worth it," Dodson said. "I know the girls take pride in being in such a competitive conference and our goal is to get better every day and make sure we're giving those teams our best game."
IU will have to go into this season with a rather young roster. There isn't a single senior on the team and many have never even played a conference matchup.
But with junior center Izzy Mandema, junior goalkeeper Mary Askew and junior attacker Tina Doherty all returning, IU has a strong core of veteran players that have the ability to be a strong force in the conference season.
Sophomore utility Zoe Crouch spearheads a young group of underclassmen that will be asked to make an immediate impact in the water. With an extra year of eligibility for every player, experience will be extra special this year as IU navigates conference play.
"They're really motivated," Dodson said. "We didn't get to play all of our marquee matches that season. We didn't play our conference matches or Michigan and that's the bulk of our season this year. It feels like we're picking up where we left off. They're just excited and ready to compete."
IU knows to take each day one at a time. Things will happen that are out of their control, it's been the case with every sport trying to start during a pandemic. But they're taking it in stride. There's lots to be learned and many games to be played.
More than all, a chance to prove a water polo team in the Midwest can play with the best of them.
"Last year, we came out of the gates strong and started to chip away," Dodson said. "We began to prove that we're a team you need to take seriously and the girls are battling for that every day. That's something we wear with pride."
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Utility
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Utility
/ Women's Water PoloFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16