Getting to Know Indiana's Allison Silver

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana freshman water polo player Allison Silver talks about a wide range of topics as she enters her first season in the IU water polo program.

What was the determining factor in you deciding to attend IU?
"The team. When I came on my recruiting trip I had so much fun and everyone was so nice and welcoming. And the school is absolutely awesome, the entire campus and the pool are top notch."

Now that you have been here for a couple months, what is your favorite part about being a Hoosier?
"The school spirit and, in particular, the passion the other players on the team have for the sport. And everyone is so close and being part of such a close community is really cool."

What has the adjustment been like going from high school water polo to collegiate water polo?
"The level of play here is much higher than it was at high school. And the workouts require a lot more, physically and emotionally. You really have to push yourself to excel here, but it has been a lot of fun."

How have the older players helped you through the transition?
"They have been really nice and very helpful. They have explained everything to us and any questions we have had they have helped us out. They have encouraged us and really made us feel like a part of the team from day one."

What originally drew your interest to the sport of water polo?
"I swam my entire life, and it was my swim coach that held a water polo camp that I tried. And as soon as I did, I realized that I enjoyed it so much more than swimming so I kept with it and now I'm at Indiana playing water polo."

What is one thing that people who are not familiar with the sport might not know about water polo?
"It's played in the deep end of the pool and you cannot touch the bottom. You have to tread water the entire time."

Do you have a favorite game or moment from the past playing water polo that sticks out as the best?
"Not really an individual game, but any of the games where you know the whole team played together and played well. That's when you know you had a good game and you know everyone did well because spirits are up."

What are you looking forward to the most heading into the regular season?
"Seeing how everything plays out. We have worked so hard over the past two months with conditioning and everything else. So it will be fun to see how the games play out and how we do against some different competition."

Who has been the most influential person in your life to this point?
"Definitely my parents. They have been so supportive of me for as long as I can remember. My mom is my best friend and my dad is an awesome role model and I'm really lucky that I have them to help me through everything."

If you were not playing water polo, would you be able to compete at the college level in another sport? Or at least try another sport at the collegiate level?
"I would love to play basketball, that would be very cool. I played in high school but I realized it was too much running for me and decided to stick with water polo."

Article courtesy Indiana Athletic Communications