Brenda K. ColwellThe women’s basketball team has started its season this past month. This year’s team consists of 24 players, 10 of them being new freshmen, 13 returning sophomores and only one junior. The team has no seniors. They are one of the youngest teams in the division III league.
The team is coached by Bobbi Morgan. Morgan graduated from Richmond College in 1985. Morgan has five assistant coaches helping her out: Kate Pierangeli, third year; Jim McDonough, third year; George Trabosh, first year; Bridget DiCave, first year and Jackie Falson, first year. The team is also lead by the two captains, Kate Ryan and Sharae Middlebrook.
Ryan is one of the many sophomores, while Middlebrook is the only junior. Middlebrook earned her place as captain by being not only the oldest on the team but also the leader in scores from last year.
Last year, the team made it to the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. It placed third out of six teams in the PAC south. Then in the playoffs it lost immediately in the first round against Alvernia. The ending score was 55-35. For last year; the Cavs had an overall record of 11-15 and a PAC record of 10-16.
In the past years, the Cabrini Cavs have a total of three PAC championships and five National Colliegee Athletic Association titles. The years for the PAC championships were as followed, 1993, 1995 and 1999. And the years for the NCAA titles were, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999.
The team has have three of the five starters from last year returning. These starters are Rachel Caron, Nikki Duggan and Kate Ryan, all sophomores. The team also has many top newcomers. The three main freshmen are Deanne D’Amico, Kate Finfrock and Alyssa Brady.
So far this year, the lady Cavs have had two scrimmages. They played one against Catholic University and another against Ursinus last Saturday. “Catholic University is a very decent division III team and we played very well against them. We have been doing well,” sophomore elementary education major Katilyn Fetterman, said. The team also practices six out of the seven days of the week. The players work on everything that needs improvement, so they can make it far this season. The team’s first game is on Nov. 21st. They are playing against Penn State Burks at 5 p.m. at home in the Dixon Center.
Like many of Cabrini’s athletes, most of the basketball team wants the same thing.
“We want to not just make PAC but win and make it as far as possible in the NCAA,” Kayleen Smith, a sophomore said. The PAC is what most college teams fight for. It is a title that many teams should be proud to take home. “My goal as a player is to make sure this happens. This team has so much potential, even though we are one of the younger teams,” Smith said.
The freshmen of the team have the same goals for PAC and NCAA. They want their team to make it as far as their potential can take them. The freshmen, however, also have personal goals for themselves. Throughout the year, they want to be able to improve their skills and prove themselves to the Cabrini community.
“Even though we are a young team, we have high hopes and talents for this coming season,” Fetterman said.
