The UConn swimming and diving team is preparing for its final meet of the 2021-22 season against Providence College this weekend in Storrs. The women have had a great season thus far and will look to finish it off with one more win before heading into the tournament season. This would push them over their win total from their last full season in 2019-20 when they finished the season 6-3.
UConn’s last meet, which was against the University of New Hampshire, ended disappointingly. Losing 142-158, there were many moments where it could have gone either way, as the Wildcats and the Huskies were neck-and-neck right up to the end. Regardless, there was still a positive to take away: the diving team impressed, taking the whole podium in every event they entered. Sophomore Analaura Faoro, freshman Julia Pioso, senior Marina Wilkins and sophomore Elizabeth Katz contributed to sweeps of the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. Without them, the match wouldn’t have been nearly as close.
The Providence Friars enter this meet with a dismal 1-8 overall record, having gone 0-1 in Big East Conference play. They began this season with an above-average third place out of seven in their first competition, the NE Catholic Invitational, but things have only gone downhill since. They spiraled with a five-meet losing streak and a much less impressive fifth place out of seven in the Harold Anderson Invitational, though the Friars briefly gained their footing with a 127-78 victory over Assumption College, they ultimately continued spiraling with three more losses. Their most recent two losses came last Friday when they were drubbed the entire afternoon, not only losing to the University of Maine 187-151, but also getting beaten down by the aforementioned University of New Hampshire 227-109. In a lost season, perhaps the Friars are looking to play spoiler and rattle the Huskies’ cage before they turn their focus to March.
Though these teams haven’t faced each other since at least the 2008-09 season, it’s expected both teams will fight hard, going down swinging before they surrender.
This matchup certainly proves interesting, as both teams have drastically different records. While under normal circumstances some might say this should be a tune-up match for UConn as it looks towards the Big East Championships, don’t be surprised if Providence makes this one tougher than the stats might imply. Even though these teams are on opposite ends of the conference standings, they will still be looking to win this meet and sweeten the ends of their regular seasons.
