When the Ball State University and Illinois State University women's swimming and diving teams meet Saturday, it will be a chance to see which one has improved the most since the beginning of the season.
The Cardinals and Redbirds tied for second place at the Notre Dame Relays, the first meet of the season for both teams, Oct. 5. The teams now meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
Co-coach Bob Thomas said it will be a tough competition and the Cardinals will have their work cut out for them as Illinois State is a much-improved team.
"On paper they're as good as some of the teams that have beaten us," he said.
Ball State is also an improved team, Thomas said.
The Cardinals are coming off a sweep of the House of Champions Relay on Jan. 8 and a first-place finish Jan. 11 against IUPUI, Western Illinois University and St. Louis University.
Freshman Maria Gramelspacher said the confidence from the wins will have a big affect on Saturday's meet.
"We definitely get a lot of confidence to go out and do our best and perform at our top level," she said.
Thomas said he thinks the team has done everything it can so far this season. The team is ready physically, he said, and it now just needs to come out ready mentally.
"To me any true competitor looks at each competition as an opportunity to do their best."
Saturday's meet will be the second dual meet for the Cardinals since November. Ball State lost its last dual meet to Michigan State University on Dec. 8.
Freshman Joan Cullen said the head-to-head meet will not change the team's confidence, which that it gained in the meets with multiple teams, like last week.
"We just have a real strong team and that doesn't change, no matter what meet we go to," she said.
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