One word is looming over Arizona State’s wrestling team: revenge. 

After a tough season last year, the Sun Devils travel throughout the country to avenge their losses. In fact, with six duals left, the Devils tackle some familiar foes like Missouri, Lehigh, and North Carolina.

The wrestlers eagerly watch the time tick until they have the shot to take teams down. Diving in deeper, Anthony Valencia realizes that this squad can avenge the last team’s faults.

“We would like to get everybody back,” Anthony Valencia said. “We’re a much better team this year than what we were last year or any other year.”

With the Sun Devils favored in nearly every dual left, 197-pound Kordell Norfleet hungrily awaits stepping in the revenge duals as well. Despite the team’s struggles last season, Norfleet sat out due to injuries. However, his return means more than just a match.

“I’ve been excited about being back since the first one,” Norfleet said. “Ever since I’ve been back I’m just relishing every opportunity.”

Since Norfleet began absorbing his opportunities, he embodies the high confidence levels on the team.

“We’re always super confident,” Norfleet said. “I feel like we feel better prepared because our training at times have been crazy-tough, but the same time we see later on in matches that we all able to last longer and outlast our opponents based on what we do in here.”

The training does not prepare for road duals, but the Sun Devils thrive under pressure. The 2-5 road record from the last two seasons may not prove a point. But a win over Penn State, a third-place finish at Cliff Keen, and a one-point loss to Ohio State prove determination.

This determination proves that ASU should not be overlooked as they thrive under pressure. As a matter of fact, head coach Zeke Jones believes he doesn’t have to worry about his team’s mental game on the month-long tour.

“I don’t think there is anything we need to be focused on because they are a group of professionals,” Jones said. “They know what they’re doing and they’ve been in away environments; they’ve been in tough environments and be able to compete because of that.”

The first environment may not set vengeance; however, it is meaningful for the future. The Sun Devils’ first foe is newly acquired PAC-12 rival Little Rock. Although not the toughest challenge, the Devils must utilize this dual for seeding in the PAC-12 and NCAAs. 

Despite the seeding, this is a stepping stone for the momentum to keep rolling. Yet, how can the Devils keep the momentum actually roll?

It’s all about scoring bonus points and knowing that you can compete against anybody in the country, according to Valencia.

The momentum starts against Little Rock on February 7 and ends with a top-10 vindication dual against North Carolina on February 23.

Nick Zeller-Singh is a student at Arizona State studying Sports Journalism. In addition to writing for FloWrestling, he appears on his college radio station, does play-by-play, and covers a variety of sports as a beat writer. Follow him on Twitter.