The rifle team awaits a challenge from a top-three team in the nation this weekend, the head coach said.Head coach Karen Monez’s team heads to West Point, N.Y., to face Army on Saturday in the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center. Army finished third in the nation last year.

Monez said the Horned Frogs want four solid individual scores that will lead to a high aggregate total, but that doesn’t have to result in a victory.

“What’s important is that we don’t necessarily go in there with the attitude that we’re looking for a win,” Monez said, “but what we’re looking for is a good performance, (and) a good score that will take us one step closer to making the NCAA championships.”

Army has been consistent with its scores all season, Monez said.

“The scores they’ve shot this year have been some of the best,” Monez said. “They probably have the highest average among all the NCAA teams this year.”

Saturday will mark the team’s first match in more than two weeks, the longest layoff so far this season.

Sophomore Lauren Sullivan said she felt the team needed the break.

“I think, actually, the break was nice because we’ve been getting a little run down,” Sullivan said.

Last year, the Horned Frogs finished second in a three-team match with the Black Knights in West Point by an aggregate score of 4,642-4,621. Only three points separated the teams in the air rifle competition.

Sullivan said she has even higher expectations for the team in Saturday’s match-up.

“I think this year, it will be even better because we know the range, and we know the conditions,” Sullivan said.

Sophomore Emily Paper said the fact that the Army squad is all male did not affect the team’s preparation for the match.

“We shoot (against) one or two teams that are all female,” Paper said. “Normally, it’s a mixed team or an all-boys team, so that’s nothing new.