UCSB’s women’s swim and dive team will hit the road this weekend to compete against UC Davis on Saturday in Fresno. UC Davis will also compete against Fresno State, while the Gauchos will be matched exclusively against the Aggies.

Due to a scheduling conf lict, UC Davis was forced to reschedule its trip to Santa Barbara, which was supposed to take place this weekend. To keep schedule continuity and reach a compromise, Head Coach Gregg Wilson agreed to meet the Aggies in Fresno, where Davis’ other meet was scheduled.

“We lose the advantage of our home pool, but I think it was a fair compromise,” Wilson said. “We both have to take long bus rides, and they have to compete in two events at once.”

UCSB is looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat last weekend against UNLV that brought the women’s record to 5-2 on the season. The Gauh took an injury-plagued roster and came back from 20 and 30-point deficits to get within .05 seconds of tying the meet, only to fall just short with final scores of 155-143 (men’s team) and 155-145 (women’s team).

“Both teams competed with so much heart, and everyone should be proud of their efforts,” Wilson said. “It’s so heartbreaking to come back like that and lose by four or five hundredths of a second in the events that would have tied the meet for the men and the women (both in the 100-yard butterf ly).”

Six women missed the trip to UNLV due to various physical ailments.

“Recovering from injury and illness is key against a former top-25 opponent like UNLV and will continue to be key against Davis,” Wilson said. “We’re also focusing on improving our backstroke and freestyle events, specifically middle distance and sprints.”

Santa Barbara will look to juniors Sophia Yamauchi and Andrea Ward to continue their recent dominance. Ward won the women’s 200 butterfly at UNLV with a time of 2:04.13. Yamauchi took home multiple victories in Vegas, as she won the 100 freestyle (51.49) and the 200 IM (2:03.82).

Another impressive performer this season is sophomore Heren Alanis, whose most recent win came in the 500-yard freestyle competition at UNLV. Alanis has performed well all season after missing most of last season with mononucleosis.

“We should be stronger in the medley and in the butterfly,” Wilson said. “UC Davis is very strong swimming middle distance, and in the end it will come down to the close events, which will probably be diving and the breaststroke.”

Saturday’s contest at Fresno is scheduled to begin at noon.

A version of this article appeared on page 5 of January 25th, 2013’s print edition of the Nexus.