The 9th ranked men's and 18th ranked women's swimming and diving teams return home this weekend to face Pittsburgh in their last home meet before the ACC tournament.
Pittsburgh, whose men are No. 16 in the country, has markedly improved its swimming programs in the past few years. The men's team is the defending Big East Champion and the women finished in the top 40 last year at the NCAA championships.
Despite the Cavaliers' higher national rankings, Virginia coach Mark Bernardino isn't counting on smooth sailing for Sunday's match.
"We expect a tough meet this weekend," Bernardino said. "They're one of the upgrades we made to our schedule five or six years ago. It's a big time swimming program and a big time swimming state. Our goal is to continue to swim well and hopefully be victorious when the weekend's over."
The diving events will be crucial matchups for both teams Sunday. Pittsburgh always has had a strong diving program, but if the Cavaliers dive well, it help ensure a Virginia triumph.
"Our divers are really improving this year," Virginia assistant coach Bill Smyth said. "I think with the rapid improvement of our divers versus their divers, that's a key match to watch. If we can win the relays and provide a lot of depth in the individual races, we're going to be a tough team to beat this weekend."
The Cavaliers are coming off strong performances last weekend at North Carolina and Duke. The men won both meets, while the women defeated the Blue Devils but fell to the No. 15 Tar Heels.
Junior captain Michael Raab, who swept both butterfly events in Chapel Hill, said he sees no reason why the Panthers should pose much of a threat this weekend.
"I think the way we look and the way Pittsburgh looks right now, we should have a real easy victory," Raab said. "We've been swimming real well lately, and I see no reason why that shouldn't carry into Sunday."
A strong performance at home versus Pittsburgh could also help generate some momentum before the team returns to Charlottesville for the conference tournament.
"I think everybody is just trying to see how fast we can get going into ACC's," said freshman Kimi Kelly, who won three individual events in last Sunday's match versus the Tar Heels.
Many swimmers are looking at this meet as one of their last opportunities to fine tune their technique before the playoff run.
"We want to have our little things down pat," Raab said. "It's our last home dress rehearsal before the championships. It's going to be important to have your last routine down."
One variable that could contribute to a Cavalier victory is that the team will be swimming in friendly waters.
"Every time we're at the AFC, I think we have a huge advantage just because of the crowd support and we don't have to worry about traveling," Raab said.
Bernardino also said the strong community presence can have a huge impact.
"This is a small and loud building. It's been over time a very uncomfortable building for opponents to come into," Bernardino said. "We want it packed, we want it enthusiastic and we believe that can really help put a team and athletes forward individually to help us win again."
This atmosphere may help explain the record of the teams during home matches. The men are 30-5 all-time in the AFC and have won 28 out of their last 29. The women are 30-3 overall in home meets.
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