Strangers to Moscow might be the best way to describe this group of Vandals.
The University of Idaho swim and dive team spent the first three months of its season on the road, but the team is finally coming home.
The Vandals host Oregon State at 11 a.m. Saturday in their first home meet of the year at the UI Swim Center.
“It’s good to be home finally,” coach Mark Sowa said. “Gonna be nice to be in front of the home fans.”
Idaho comes to the meet with only one victory in the season, but as a group of women Sowa is confident is coming close to stringing together victories.
“We look to improve on everything we do, on any given day we can be competitive with any opponent,” he said. “We try not to get too ahead of ourselves. We try to take it one race a time.”
Sowa is in his first year at the helm of the program, and said he has confidence in the group of swimmers and divers on the team.
“I am pleasantly surprised with this group of girls,” he said. “They’re great in the classroom and great in the water. They’re a lot of fun to be around, and every day we progressed towards what we want to be.”Idaho will go in to the match led by WAC Swimmer of the Week Rachel Millet, who was honored for her performance against New Mexico State Jan. 21. Millet, a freshman from Spokane, won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events. She also swam a leg of the winning 400 free relay.
The match against Oregon State will be the teams’ second-to-last chance to prepare for the WAC Championship meet Feb. 22 in San Antonio. The Vandals will also host Washington State Feb. 4 at the UI Swim Center.
“It’d be nice to have the kids sleep in their own beds. That’ll be an advantage in-and-of itself,” Sowa said. “We’re just happy to be back in Moscow. We’re going to be great Vandals, and we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of people in the stands.”