Nov. 5, 2014

Watch on ESPN3

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team heads to Kansas this weekend for its second double dual meet of the season. The Orange and Blue will face Kansas and Tabor College on ESPN3 Saturday at 1 p.m. CT in Lawrence.

"It's going to be very important for us to continue to have total team competition with everybody contributing because this meet on paper is very tight," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "On paper it's coming down to a couple points and if we have a swing in either direction by either team it could really shift the momentum of the meet."

The Illini are riding high after taking home victories against Illinois State, 197-102, and Southern Illinois, 207.5-91.5, this past weekend. With the weekend's wins the Orange and Blue are now 2-1 on the season. Kansas enters Saturday's meet with a 4-1 record this season and a 9-2 all-time record against Illinois. The Illini took last year's contest against the Jayhawks by a score of 186-114. This will be the first time that Illinois will face Tabor College in the pool.

"We set some pretty high goals for ourselves this past weekend to continue growing as a team," Novitsky said. "Now it's time to maintain, but also build upon that foundation we keep building from week to week with each meet."

Last time out the Illini claimed 11 first-place finishes, with senior Alison Meng and freshman Samantha Stratford combining to take seven of those victories. Meng swam a leg for Illinois' winning 200 freestyle relay and touched the wall first in both the 100 back and 200 back while Stratford finished first in the 200 free, 100 fly and 200 IM. Both swimmers also swam a leg for the Orange and Blue's winning 200 medley relay.

"It's going to be a meet that comes down to everybody racing their hearts out and diving as well as they can on the boards," Novitsky said. "For us, we're going in and setting the tone right away and trying to gain that momentum from the start, hang on to it and not give it back."


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