VMI Water Polo Team Opens 2020 Season at Laker Invite this Weekend
LEXINGTON, Va. - For the fourth-straight season, the VMI women's water polo team will open its season at the Laker Invitational, hosted by Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa.
The Keydets are scheduled for four matches Feb. 15-16 in the Cathedral Prep Event Center. VMI will face McKendree and Salem Universities Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., respectively and follow with Gannon University (11:45 a.m.) and the host school (3:30 p.m.) on Sunday.
We caught up with head coach
Ryan Pryor about this year's team.
Who are this year's team captains? What kind of leadership will they provide?
This year's captains are our three seniors, Issi French,
Emma Noble, &
Emma Perez. All three of them have been a huge part of the athletic and cultural growth of the program throughout their time here. They have a firm understanding of our program expectations and values, and they do a great job instilling that in our younger players.
Can you talk about the strengths of this year's squad?
A couple of our strengths this year are our balance and our versatility. I expect the scoring load to be spread throughout the team without having to rely too heavily and any one or two players. Almost everyone on the team can also play multiple positions and it will allow us to play almost "positionless" water polo. I believe that will really help the flow of our offense.
How do you see the freshmen fitting in this spring?
I expect all four of our freshmen to contribute this year. All four come from strong clubs and, as a result, have high level experience. That has allowed them to transition to the college game smoothly. Their intelligence, versatility, and game savvy will enable them to make an immediate contribution.
How do you feel about the non-conference schedule?
I believe our non-conference schedule will prepare us well for MAAC play. I expect a lot of competitive games which will be a great preview of what to expect in the MAAC. There is very little separation in our league this year and how teams execute small details will often make the difference. Our non-conference schedule will provide a great opportunity to sharpen that execution.
The conference schedule has changed significantly this year. Can you explain the need for this and what it means for VMI?
We moved from a double round robin schedule to a single round robin. The second change is that conference games will no longer be played at neutral sites. Our league has grown from seven to nine in the last six years and, with the increased size, a double round robin schedule became very difficult logistically. I believe both changes will lead to more exciting games. Not only will all games be played in front of a home crowd but there is an increased sense of urgency when you only play each team once. For us, six of our eight conference games will be at home. The corps has always provided a great atmosphere here and I look forward to getting to compete at home more frequently.
How much would it mean for the program to earn another berth into the MAAC Tournament?
Winning a MAAC Championship is the ultimate goal for our program, so the first goal is to get into the tournament (top 4 in the league). That would be a great accomplishment. That being said, with as competitive as the league will be this year, it's important not to get too far ahead of ourselves. The crucial thing for us will be taking it one practice, one game at time. If we can stay in the moment and stayed focused on the details, I believe the results will take care of themselves.
