With their first two wins under their belt, the Irish look to carry their momentum into the weekend during matchups with Valparaiso on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
Last weekend, the Irish defeated Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech in an ACC tri-meet. Junior Emma Reaney and senior Kelly Ryan each claimed the top spot in three events. Freshman Katie Miller won the 500-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke and finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle.
Reaney said the Irish plan on keeping their energy up with two more meets this weekend.
"We just have to remember how good it felt to finally get those wins, how much we had to fight until the end of the longest dual meet we'd ever had to get them," Reaney said.
After such a dominant weekend, the Irish are looking forward to relaxing as they take on Valparaiso. Reaney said she's looking forward to the meet as a chance to bond with her teammates.
"I think Valparaiso will be more of a fun meet than an intense, tiring one," Reaney said. "It will be a good chance for us to get to swim our off events and still get a win."
On Saturday, the Badgers will be coming off of a Friday dual meet with Northwestern. Most recently, Wisconsin dropped a dual meet to Stanford, 201-85.
Reaney said the battle against Wisconsin should prove to be more challenging for Notre Dame. If the Irish keep their minds focused, Reaney said they have a good chance at a win.
"We've been working on the details," Reaney said. "Finishes and relay starts are a big thing."
Reaney said the amount of training the Irish have been doing has made them realize they have the skill to fight through exhaustion.
"We are working hard again this week, but we have to realize that we can still swim fast in meets even when we are tired," Reaney said.
The Irish face Valparaiso on Friday at 5 p.m. before welcoming Wisconsin to Rolfs Aquatic Center on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu
