Shane EvansThe 49th season of women’s basketball is shaping up to be a great one, according to the Lady Cavaliers. Last season, the team finished 11-15 overall. This year, the team is hoping to beat last season’s record. The up coming season has been a source of excitement for coach Bobbi Morgan and the Lady Cavs.
The team’s season begins on Nov. 21 with a home game against Penn State Berks.
This season’s team is made up of seven freshmen, 10 sophomores and one junior. This serves as an advantage to the team. Sophomore excercise science and health promotion major Nina Williams said, “We are really excited because our first two weeks of practice aren’t devoted to new players learning the ropes. We’re jumping right into play.”
Morgan said, “This is the first time that we have had a solid core returning team in two years.” She also said the team is preparing with a long preseason. Morgan was excited to have a team made up of freshman and sophomores because it increases the learning curve.
The impending season has the women of the team highly motivated. Kayleen Smith, a sophomore English and communication major, said, “I’m super excited. We’re still getting used to some of the new players but we’ve set our goals high.” Her personal goals for the team are to win the Pennsylvania Athletic Championship and make it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, all while avoiding injury.
Williams said that the team is setting the bar high this season. “We have high expectations for ourselves both personally and as a team. We’re striving for excellence,” Williams said.
The team is working on strategies to improve their game. Brittany McLeod, a sophomore English and communication major, said, “We’re all really excited about this season. We’re involved with the returning members and our talent potential is at the max. Right now, we’re concentrating on running the ball more, being faster; just trying to up our game.” She also said that the addition of three new coaches to the team has been a great help.
The preseason practice is focusing on improving the skills the team already has. Coach Morgan hopes for the team to develop a quicker game pace and improve their outside shooting. Smith said, “We know what is expected of us. Now we just have to confirm those expectations.”
