After falling to Calvin and Kalamazoo, the Belles will attempt to rebound against Olivet on Saturday at the Rolfs Aquatic Center.
The Belles are looking for a strong performance in their final test before the MIAA championships that begin Feb. 13.
"This event is going to be very evenly matched and it is important that we close out the regular season strong in order to get ready for conference play," Belles coach Mark Benishek said.
One of the match's intriguing events will be the 50-yard freestyle. Belles sophomore Anna Nolan, coming off a pair of third-place finishes in the 50-free and the 100-yard backstroke, will face fellow sophomore Jazmin Johnson of Olivet. Both Nolan and Johnson are in the upper echelon of competitors in the MIAA.
As a team Saint Mary's excels in the 200-yard freestyle relay, the final event to close out the weekend. The quartet, which is led by Nolan and senior Ellie Watson, finished in the top five in Saint Mary's school history against Calvin and Kalamazoo.
Benishek said the Belles are concentrating on intense preparation in advance of the MIAA championships. If Saint Mary's is going to make a splash in that tournament, it will need to build momentum against Olivet, Benishek said.
"This is a great precursor for what is coming ahead," Benishek said. "We will try to earn some impressive times this weekend as we finalize our training for the last meet."
The Belles will swim against Olivet on Saturday at the Rolfs Aquatic Center beginning at 1 p.m.
Contact Rich Hidy at rhidy@nd.edu
