In the 41-year history of the Big East swim and dive championships, only four schools have taken home the crown on the women’s side: Villanova, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. This UConn program, which has been trending upward in recent years under the direction of head coach Chris Maiello, will head to Indianapolis looking to change that statistic and take home the Big East prize for the first time in program history.
The Huskies come into this meet following their senior day exhibition against the Providence Friars. The program opened the season with two dominant wins over Southern Connecticut State and Georgetown to start 2-0. A mini two-match skid at the hands of Villanova and Northeastern dropped them to 2-2 before they rebounded with five wins over their last six meets. A four-game win streak that spanned from Nov. 11 to Jan. 13 saw head-to-head victories over Rhode Island, Bucknell, Vermont and Seton Hall before a loss to New Hampshire on Jan. 20.
All four of the swimmers who won gold medals for Connecticut in last season’s championship are back for this year’s event, looking to deliver similar results in the biggest meet of the season. Senior Niamh Hofland won a gold medal and three silver medals with a team-high 88 points in last year’s event. Junior Maggie Donlevy tallied gold, silver and bronze with 78 points while Julia Pioso and Ana Laura Faoro each claimed gold.
Villanova enters this meet as the favorite after wrapping up their decade of dominance in 2023 with their 10th consecutive Big East championship. Connecticut came up just short of snapping the Wildcats’ nine-peat last season, finishing second with 1,316 points, but impressive skill down the stretch have them looking like they can be one of the top teams once again. Georgetown is also among the favorites coming in as they lead the conference in the 200 medley, 400 free and 800 free relays.
The Big East Swimming and Diving Championships will take place Wednesday, Feb. 28 through Saturday, March 2 at IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis. More information on the meet including a full schedule of events can be found at the Championship Central page. Fans can also follow the team on X and Instagram at @uconnswimdive for all of the latest up-to-the-minute updates throughout the week.