For Jennifer Scully, April 16 cannot come any sooner.
To the four-year starter and president of the MSU women's water polo team, it's the date she's been waiting for since she came to MSU four years ago. MSU will host the three-day 2004 Big Ten Championships for the first time since 1999. The championships will be held at IM Sports-West.
"To have this huge tournament in front of our friends and families and have them watch our final games in tournament play will be exciting," Scully said. "It's my last tournament, so it's kind of bittersweet. But it will be pretty exciting."
Since Scully's freshman season in 2000, the team has enjoyed much success. That year, it made it to the National Collegiate Club Championship - for the first time in team history - and finished second. The following two years, MSU won the championship.
Last year, the three-time conference champions returned to the championship, making them the only team other than UCLA to make it to the national championship game for four consecutive years.
Much of the team's success has come from the tight bond it has formed through hardship, said Catherine Ochalek, who plays two-meter offense.
"A lot of it has to do with the team being such great friends," she said. "If someone's hurt, we know they need to take a break."
The team now boasts a 13-2 club record after taking third in the Miami (Ohio) tournament this weekend. Ochalek, who has played for three years, said she can't wait to play in front of family and friends.
"A lot of people that we're friends with have no idea what water polo is, and it's really nice to give them a chance to come see the game we love so much," she said.
If the team places first in the Big Ten Championship, it will progress to the National Collegiate Club Championship for the fifth consecutive year. The 12-team tournament is comprised of the winners of each of the 12 club divisions and begins April 30 at California Polytechnic State in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Last year, the team placed second overall in the national championship.
"That loss has served as a motivating factor this season to get back to the championship and win it," said head coach Erika Cooper, who played for MSU from 1994 to 1999.
Scully said she's optimistic about the team's prospects for the rest of the season, but remains realistic in her hopes.
"We expect the hard work to pay off in Big Tens and to bring home the championship," Scully said. "It's something we know we can't take lightly just because we've beaten these teams before. We're not taking anything for granted."
