This swim and dive season has been a test for the Cyclones as they prepare for the Big 12 Championship, but they still have to hit the road one more time to get ready. 

Iowa State will travel to Morgantown, W.V., to take on West Virginia and Villanova in a double-dual meet this weekend.

Villanova was a toss-up this season as to whether the team would play against them.

“We never swam against Villanova in a dual meet,” said swim coach Duane Sorenson. “It will be a great opportunity for our women to compete against a team from the East coast to see what they’re all about. They really know how to race.”

The ISU swim team doesn’t compete against every Big 12 team each year because it isn’t a requirement, and money in the team’s budget doesn’t allow the team to travel to a lot of the conference’s universities. Teams are not ranked after every win or loss like other sports in the Big 12.

The Cyclones have had a lot of home-pool advantages this season, only traveling to two other universities for regular season meets. This will be the last regular season road meet for Iowa State this season.

In the two road meets for the 2015-2016 season, the Cyclones are 1-1, taking an early loss in Nebraska, but winning against in-state rival UNI.

“Two years ago, we were called the ‘road dogs’, because we won everything on the road,” Sorenson said.

The excitement of the travel, of flying to Pittsburg and driving down to the university will be a whole new experience for the team. The Cyclones have only been to West Virginia’s natatorium once, taking home a 200-93 victory.

In regards to how the Cyclones will do against the Mountaineers, Sorenson thinks it will be a competitive meet. 

“We match up really well in almost all the races,” Sorenson said. “200 [yard butter]fly , and the 200 [yard] free[style] looks like it will be a toss-up race”.

Time between all three teams this season are all close.

“Last year it went right down to the wire in the last couple of events, so we’re thinking it’s going to go right down to the wire again,” Sorenson said.

Despite the mess ups in the last meet against UNI, the team is right on schedule for the Big 12 Championships.

The meet will start 4 p.m. Friday in Morgantown, W.V.