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A look at the upcoming season

2002-03 season

Great Lakes Region teams

Mount Union
Mount Union returns a veteran group, including four starters and seven letterwinners overall from last year's squad (7-19, 4-14 OAC/9th).

The Purple Raiders will be led by sophomore/post Ashley Bourdeau (Perry), who earned Honorable-Mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference status in 2001-02.

Bourdeau (11.5 ppg/8.8 rpg) led the Raiders in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage (134-for-264/.508) last winter.

"Ashley (Bourdeau) had an outstanding freshman campaign," noted Jennifer Henley, who enters her third year in charge of Mount Union's women's basketball program. "She is already one of our conference's better post players. With continued hard work, there?s no limit to what she can accomplish."

Mount Union also features senior/wing Allie Graf (Poland), senior/guard Nikki Scarpitti (Sebring), senior/guard Dana Robinson (Youngstown/Wilson) and senior/post Julie Cerimele (Boardman).

Graf (12.8 ppg/2.6 rpg) started 12 games last season and was leading the team in scoring before an injury cut her season short. Scarpitti (10.4 ppg) played in all 26 games last season while earning 23 starts. She was third on the team in scoring while shooting a team-best .783 (36-of-86) from the charity stripe.

Robinson (6.6 ppg/4.8 rpg), who played in 26 games while earning 15 starts, led the Raiders in steals (55) last season and was third in rebounding. Cerimele (8.0 ppg/5.5 rpg) started all 26 games, finishing second in rebounding and fourth in scoring.

The Purple Raiders also return senior/point-guard Laura Thatcher (Ashley/Buckeye Valley) and sophomore/post Christene Benyak (Marblehead/Danbury).

Thatcher (2.8 ppg) and Benyak (3.0 ppg/3.2 rpg) are both expected to see significant playing time in '02-'03.

"Our returning letterwinners form a good base of talent from which to build from," added Henley. "We have five seniors and several other players who understand what playing in the OAC is all about. We're also expecting two or three newcomers to contribute as well. Last year, we were hit hard by injuries, losing our top two returning scorers. If we stay healthy, we should be a much-improved team this coming season."

Last season, the Raiders finished eighth in the OAC in scoring (59.0 ppg) and sixth defensively (63.4 ppg). Mount Union finished seventh in field goal percentage (.386) and ninth in field goal percentage defense (.425). The Purple Raiders were third in the conference in rebounding (+1.9) and ninth in turnover margin (-1.62).

Wooster
Despite last year's disappointing 9-16 record, much optimism surrounds Wooster's prospects for the 2002-03 season due to the fact that head coach Lisa Campanell Komara has 12 returning letterwinners at her disposal, including six seniors led by Nara DeJesus, along with a host of newcomers after a successful recruiting season.

DeJesus, a three-time All-NCAC selection and the conference's returning active leader in both points (1,061) and rebounds (794), and fellow frontcourt mate Kristen Rice are back to form a powerful 1-2 punch. The seniors were the top-two on the squad in scoring and rebounding last year, as DeJesus averaged 14.1 points and 11.6 rebounds and Rice, who came on very strong at the end of the season, contributed 8.8 points and 3.9 boards.

Adding solid depth to the Scots' post will be sophomore Alexis Louttit and some newcomers led by Michelle Hall.

Wooster's top returnees on the perimeter are Jen Flavin, Molly Rallo, and Lindsey Schaaf, as well as Courtney Davison, who is back following a knee injury that caused her to miss the second half of 2001-02. Rallo took over the starting point guard duties from Davison and flourished, averaging 6.1 points and 2.2 assists. Flavin and Schaaf are threats from the outside and scored 7.0 and 4.6 points, respectively, last year.

In addition, the Scots have several first-year guards, highlighted by Natalie Barone and Mary Bell, who should all challenge for significant court action this season.

Ohio Wesleyan
After taking a year-long sabbatical, Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball coach Nan Carney-DeBord will look to pick up where the Battling Bishops left off last year, putting together miraculous comebacks and making another run deep into the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Carney-DeBord welcomes back 10 returning letterwomen, including 2 All-NCAC selections, as Ohio Wesleyan goes for its fourth North Coast Athletic Conference championship in the last 5 years and its third straight NCAC tournament title.

Senior Mindy Hammond, an honorable mention All-NCAC selection last year, and junior Tiffany Barbee, who was named the Most Valuable Player at last seasons NCAC tournament, lead the returnees at the post positions. Hammond averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last year and recorded the second triple-double in Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball history, while Barbee sparked an amazing Bishop comeback in the championship game of the NCAC tournament.

Also returning are senior Jennifer Heil, junior Kristin Thompson and sophomores Shelby Larson and Elizabeth Newell. Sophomore Erica Brizendine, a transfer from Capital, will be looked on to contribute on the boards, and freshmen Libby Boles and Emma Rawls also will battle for playing time.

Sophomore Kelly Heil, who received first-team All-NCAC and conference Newcomer of the Year honors last year, and senior Callie Seiley return at the wing positions.

The guard spot will be up for grabs among freshmen Mary Hladky, Jenny Johnson, Amanda Nanney, Julie Schlenkerman, Jackie Sitko and Brittany Spain.
Junior Krystal Sensabaugh will take over at point guard after serving as a backup last year. Sophomore Angela Gibson, who made some valuable contributions when called upon last year, will push Sensabaugh for the starting spot.

The Battling Bishops open their season at the Defiance Invitational. The NCAC schedule begins Dec. 1 against Oberlin. Trips to Case Western, Thomas More and the Ohio Northern Invitational highlight the pre-holiday non-conference slate, and the NCAC schedule resumes in January.

Franklin
After posting a 21-6 mark and setting program records with 11 conference wins and a 76.8 scoring average (10th in the nation), Franklin is looking for even bigger things this winter. With the return of six key contributors, including two All-Conference picks from a year ago, Mike Jewett's squad should remain in the hunt for the Heartland championship.

The Grizzlies will build around the talented inside/outside duo of Sayra Hoskins and Jenny Cooper, two of the leagues best. Hoskins, a 5-11 forward, led the team with a 12.3 scoring average while claiming 6.8 rebounds as a junior. Cooper was one of the top newcomers in the nation last year, the only freshman in the Great Lakes Region to lead her team in assists (3.8), steals (1.4), and free throw shooting (83.9) while also averaging in double figures (10.0).

The third returning starter is 59 junior Jenny Cramer. An all-around contributor, Cramer averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while finishing second to Cooper in steals and assists. She forms a potent wing combo with fellow junior Kindra Moorman, who averaged 4.7 points off the bench on 50% shooting from the field. Moormans stats more than doubled at the end of the season after an injury to Cooper.

Two key senior subs who should have significant impact are Tiffany Ellis and Abby Carrigan. Ellis, a 5-10 senior post, averaged 7.6 points on 54.2% shooting off the bench as arguably the top sub in the HCAC. Carrigan added 3.8 points and could see increased minutes with the departure of starter Rachel Naugle. Others potentially in the mix are 5-7 senior Meredith Stevens and 5-11 sophomore Betsy Hummel, the first Grizzly to shoot 50% from the field and 90% from the line in the same season.

Any number of freshmen have the potential to contribute this season. Inside, Leslie Mehrlich led all of central Indiana in field goal percentage as a senior, while Becky Ballard was a key starter for Springboro High's No. 1 ranked team in Ohio last year. On the perimeter, Lindsey Roberson teamed with Cooper to help their AAU team to national tournament berths in 2001 and 2002, while Heather Caudill was regarded as one of the top guards in Indiana as the leading scorer for a 21-4 squad.

A challenging schedule includes potential matchups with two defending national champions, NAIA winner Hastings and Division III titleist UW-Stevens Point, both in December tournaments. In addition there are five contests against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago (Anderson, Millikin, Thomas More) as well as showdowns with perennial powers Alma and Defiance.

Calvin
Calvin will be looking to reverse its fortunes during the upcoming 2002-03 campaign after posting a 12-13 record a year ago that saw the Knights fail to reach the second round of the MIAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

In conference play, Calvin finished tied with Albion at 7-7 for fourth place in the league standings. Calvin finished with the fifth seed however and was forced to travel to Albion for a first round MIAA Tournament game which saw the Knights fall 64-54.

Calvin will build its hopes this year around seven returning letterwinners including three returning starters. Leading the list of returning starters is 5-6 senior point guard Tricia Dyk (Western Michigan Christian HS) who reaped second team All-MIAA accolades last winter after averaging 9.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals-per-game. In conference games, Dyk led the MIAA in assists per game (4.29) and steals per game (2.86). Also a standout on the Calvin soccer pitch, Dyk will be heading into her fourth year as a starter on the women's basketball team. Joining her as a returning backcourt starter is 5-7 junior Kim Wolthuis (South Christian HS) who has also seen time at a wing forward position. Wolthuis averaged 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last year and later received honorable mention recognition from the MIAA coaches. At the Grand Rapids Press Tournament in November, Wolthuis received all-tournament honors after helping lead Calvin to a third place finish.

The third returning starter is 6-0 senior center Emily (Southfield Christian HS) who averaged 7.5 rebounds, 7.3 rebounds and 1.36 blocks-per-game despite battling injury and illness throughout the 2001-02 season. In conference play, Beard led the MIAA in blocked shots per game (1.21) and was fifth in rebounds per game (6.9). Beard also received honorable mention recognition from the MIAA coaches. Sophomore guard Rita Ouwinga (McBain Christian HS) also has starting experience as she appeared in 23 games as a freshman, started in seven and averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds-per-game.

Other returning letterwinners include 5-6 sophomore point guard Kristen McDonald (West Catholic HS), 6-2 junior center Andrea MacDonald (Allendale HS) and 6-0 junior forward Kim Peterson (Ludington HS). Kristen McDonald proved to be Calvin's top outside shooter last year, connecting on 19 of 43 3-point attempts for a 44.2% 3-point clip while averaging 4.5 points-a-game off the bench. Andrea MacDonald proved to be one of Calvin's surprise stories last winter as she grew stronger as the year progressed. In a 48-45 victory against Albion in front of a Calvin homecoming crowd last February, MacDonald collected her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. She finished the year with averages of 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 points and 1.1 blocks per game while averaging just 8.5 minutes per game in a reserve role off the bench. Heading into the 2002-03 season, MacDonald could be Calvin's most improved player and could challenge for a starting position on its frontline with Beard.

Joining MacDonald in the Calvin frontcourt is Peterson and sophomores Lisa Nanninga (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Kara Kuipers (Unity Christian HS). Along with Beard, the group could make Calvin's frontcourt one of its deepest positions. Peterson appeared in just six varsity games as a sophomore but still managed to average 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 points a game. A good mid-range shooter, Peterson averaged 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. At 6-0, Nanninga has the ability to play either the power forward or center positions. Also a talented discus and shot put thrower on the Calvin women's track and field team, Nanninga averaged 9.2 points and 8.2 rebounds on the Calvin junior varsity last winter and was one of the team's top defensive players. Kuipers is also a talented two-sport athlete as she is a key member of the Calvin volleyball team as a middle hitter. At 6-1, Kuipers has good athleticism and runs the floor extremely well for a player of her size. Coming off the bench behind Peterson and Nanninga last year on the Calvin junior varsity, Kuipers still managed to post numbers of 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Another player moving up front the junior varsity ranks is 5-8 sophomore Lesa Holleman (Chandler, Minn.) who can play in either the backcourt or at a wing spot. An excellent playmaker and a strong mid-range shooter, Holleman averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game on a Calvin junior varsity team that went 11-3 last year. Another player who could see time on the varsity is 5-8 point guard Brittney DeRoos (Sheboygan, Wis.) who started on the junior varsity last year.

Freshmen Katherine Pettinga (South Christian HS), Lisa Jurgens (Calvin Christian HS) and Linda Heilman (South Christian HS) will also make up the varsity roster this year. Along with Wolthuis, Pettinga and Heilman will be part of three South Christian High School graduates on the Calvin varsity roster. A 5-7 point guard, Pettinga has quickness and good ball-handling skills. Heilman is a 5-10 forward who can play either the wing or power forward positions. Jurgens is a 5-8 slasher who can play either the shooting guard or small forward spots.

Calvin will open its season Nov. 22 and 23 at a tournament hosted by Carnegie Mellon that will include teams from Denison and Point Park. Calvin will host a pair of tournaments, welcoming Hope, Cornerstone and Aquinas for the Calvin Thanksgiving Tournament Nov. 28 and 29 and then hosting Case Western Reserve, Tri-State and Wittenberg in the Calvin Invitational Dec. 6 and 7. A highlight of the Calvin non-conference schedule will be a Christmas break trip to Southern California where the Knights will play three games against D-III opponents, facing Claremont-Mudd Scripps, Occidental and LaVerne. Calvin will open its MIAA schedule Jan. 8 when it travels to Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo must replace only one starter from last year's school-record setting team (21-7, 10-4 MIAA, 2nd place). That starter, however, was MIAA Most Valuable Player Niki Grubb. Grubb used her final year of eligibility last season and will join head coach Michelle Fortier and assistant coach Sheldon Faworski on the bench this season.

The four returning starters are all seniors, and that experience and talent will help the Hornets as they strive towards their first MIAA championship.

Guard Alissa Johnston, an All-MIAA second team selection, averaged 12.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. Johnston was second on the team in 3-point shooting at 37.9% (36-for-95), free-throw shooting at 86% (104-for-121), and steals (2.0 spg).

Guard Vanessa Larkin, an All-MIAA second team selection, averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Larkin led the team in 3-point shooting at 43.3% (45-for-104), free throw shooting at 86.2% (56-for-65), and tied a school record with 111 assists (4.0 apg).

Forward/center Amanda Weishuhn was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection after averaging 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Forward Sara Kellogg averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

The Hornets have no juniors on the roster, but a host of sophomores led by Angie Neu, Lindsay Basler, Megan Erskine, and Ashley Riley, each of which played in over 20 games last season.

Riley averaged 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while leading the team in blocked shots (17). Erskine had 10 blocks on the season. Neu and Basler contributed off the bench at point guard, with each gathering 26 assists on the season.

The Hornets open up the season in Kalamazoo on Nov. 22-23 with the Hornet Invitational. The Hornets will take a trip to California from Dec. 11-15 to face Redlands and Claremont-Mudd Scripps. Kalamazoo will also take part in the Hope Classic Jan. 3-4 prior to the start of league play.

Pitt-Greensburg
The 2002-2003 Pitt-Greensburg Lady Bobcats will have a tough act to follow as they try to improve on last season's AMCC runner-up finish. The Lady Bobcats surged to the finish winning 13 of their last 17 games and advanced to the AMCC championship game. This season UPG will look to build on last season's second half success and jump out of the gates early in hopes of claiming their first AMCC crown.

"We enjoyed our second half success last season. However with the experienced players that we have returning, we are expecting to get off to a much faster start this season," said fourth-year head coach Carol Gelet.

With the top eight players from last year's squad returning and the addition of a few impact players to the roster, Gelet certainly has reason to be optimistic. Included amongst the top eight returnees are three all-conference performers. Senior forward Erin Arnold (Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area HS) is the top returnee for the Lady Bobcats. A first team All-AMCC selection a year ago, Arnold led the Lady Bobcats in scoring (12.5 ppg), rebounding (6.9 rpg), and blocked shots (26). She is the school's all-time leading scorer with over 900 career points. Junior guard Annie Sral (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle HS) joined Arnold on the All-AMCC first team. Sral averaged 12.4 points per game, while leading the Lady Bobcats in three-point percentage (37%), field goal percentage (49%), and steals (63). Rounding out the "Big Three" is junior point guard Torey Auld (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley HS). A team leader on and off the court, Auld was selected as a Honorable Mention All-AMCC for the second consecutive season, leading the Lady Bobcats with a school record 168 assists.

"Those three certainly represent a strong nucleus for our team. Their experience and talents are hard to match, but fortunately for us we have many other returning players as well as several newcomers who will help add depth and competition for our squad," Gelet said.

The returnees include returning starters, Jordan Fox (New Stanton/Hempfield HS), a junior guard who led the team in three point field goals with 36, and sophomore forward Becky Joyce (Pittsburgh/Carrick HS) who averaged 6.1 rebounds per game. Other returning contributors include a trio of sophomores, guard Abbey Cunningham (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point HS) (8.7 ppg), forward Amy Ploskunak (Murrysville, Pa./Plum HS) (8.4 ppg), and guard Jen Sutlic (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford HS) (31 assists).

Among the additions for Pitt-Greensburg will be forward Jess Porter (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield HS), a transfer from conference rival Pitt-Bradford. In two seasons, Porter scored over 500 points and was twice named 2nd Team All-AMCC.

Freshman contributors should include guards Tish Hines (Clairton, Pa./Clairton HS), Jamie McCluskey (Pittsburgh/Baldwin HS), Jess Phillippi (Rockwood, Pa./Rockwood HS), and Jen Smith (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton HS), as well as forward Amy Bandzuch (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS).

"These freshmen come from solid programs that have been a part of District and State playoffs," Gelet commented.

Others looking to compete for playing time will be freshmen Carly Chmill (Pittsburgh/Carrick HS), Bria Dalpiaz (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellhamy HS), Jaymie Myers (Washington, Pa./McGuffey HS), Lindsay Rodgers (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin HS), and Blair Smith (Felton, Pa./Kennard-Dale HS).

Pitt Greensburg also welcomes a new status for their program. Following four seasons as a provisional member, they will start their first season as a full member of Division III. A charter member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, Pitt Greensburg will be eligible for the NCAA Tournament.

"It is an exciting time to be a part of women's basketball at Pitt-Greensburg," Gelet boasted.

The Lady Bobcats will open against Russell Sage at the St. John Fisher Tournament on Nov. 22. Besides the AMCC schedule, UPG's schedule will be highlighted with games against NCAA qualifier Bethany and Division II Clarion.

Defiance
Ten letter winners and three key newcomers have Defiance positioned for a run at a Heartland Conference title for the 2002-2003 season.

Defiance welcomes back three of last season's top four scorers in senior Mandy Eberle (Ottoville, Ohio/Ottoville), junior Anna Fretz (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian), and senior Renee Brickner (Fostoria, Ohio/Lakota). The Lady Jackets return 71% of their scoring from last season's squad, which went 21-6 overall and 10-4 in the HCAC while finishing third in the regular season standings and second in the conference tournament.

After defeating Franklin in the tournament semifinals and losing to Anderson on bucket in the final seconds of the championship game, Defiance proved that it could compete for the conference title last season. This season, the Jackets will utilize two all-conference selections in Eberle and Fretz to propel them to the top.

In her first year at Defiance after transferring from Malone, Eberle led DC in scoring with 15.2 points per game during 2001-02. Her 76 3-point field goals made easily surpassed the single-season best of 45 successful treys, previously recorded on three occasions. Her 411 total points from last season are 10th on the single-season list.

A first-team All-Conference selection, Eberle finished fourth in the conference in overall scoring. She was 13th nationally with 2.8 3-point field goals made per game.

She also made an impact defensively, finishing second for DC with 40 steals and fourth with 3.6 rebounds per game. Eberle led DC in field goals made and attempted and 3-pointers made and attempted while handing out 63 assists, second on the team.

With her Second Team selection, Fretz joined Eberle as an All-HCAC honoree and was second in scoring at 10.0 points per game. She shot 51.6% from the floor and collected 4.3 rebounds per game.

Fretz finished behind Eberle in field goals made and attempted, going 110 of 213. She also had 90 defensive boards, tops on the team, and 31 steals, third among the Lady Jackets.

As Defiance's top low-post threat, Brickner led the team in shooting (54.2%) and rebounding (5.1 rpg) while contributing 8.8 points per game. She was particularly effective on the offensive glass, where she collected a team high 54 boards.

Brickner's importance was felt in the HCAC tournament last season, when she hit all seven of her field goal attempts while scoring 20 points and leading Defiance to an upset of second seed Franklin in the semifinals. With the potential of Brickner, Fretz, and others, head coach Tom Barnes is upbeat about the upcoming season.

"In general, I am excited about this group from the standpoint that we virtually have everyone back from last year, and I think that we have added three pretty talented players to that group with one being senior Kristin Helvey, two being Meghann Savard, a freshman, and then Jill Evans, freshman."

However, the Jackets face several question marks entering the season. Brickner has been sidelined for much of the preseason with injury, and with the graduation of Kelly Jones and Jenny Pitson, Barnes believes the Jackets may be thin in the post.

“We are not very big. At the college level, when you are talking about starting 5-9 and 5-10post players, it makes me worry a little bit. Renee Brickner has got to play. We just absolutely have got to have her play. I think any success we have this year is going to be linked to if we can get her on the floor.”

The Jackets will turn to Fretz and fellow 5-11 junior Sarah Kuhn (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) to fill in during Brickner’s absence. Kuhn contributed 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds during her sophomore campaign. She also had 10 blocks, good for second on the team, while shooting 92.7% from the free-throw line.

With Brickner the only true center for Defiance, the Lady Jackets may utilize the athleticism of junior Tamra Wenning (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater), sophomore Kelly VanderHorst (Celina, Ohio/Celina), and freshman Meghann Savard (St. Ignace, Mich./St. Ignace LaSalle), all three 5-11 tall, to compensate for their size. Wenning started three games last season but was sidelined by a knee injury early in the year and averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 18 appearances.

VanderHorst saw action in 24 games last year, contributing 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Savard comes to DC after being a key contributor to two state championship teams at St. Ignace and compiling a 77-3 record during her career.

Others in the mix at forward will include junior Tera Robinson (Elida, Ohio/Elida) and freshman Jill Evans (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold). Robinson averaged 2.1 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Evans led her Archbold High School team to the state tournament last season and was named First Team All-Ohio in both volleyball and basketball.

Evans and Robinson both hope to fill the void left by the loss of Amy Koenn. After joining the team for her junior campaign, Koenn moved into the starting lineup for 23 games last season, pitching in 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while making more free throws (84) than any other Lady Jacket attempted. Koenn was third on the team in assists (53) and steals (27).

Leading the offense will be two experienced guards in seniors Kristin Helvey (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) and Michelle Bauer (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance). Both will look to replace last year’s starter in Veronica Sharp, who led DC in both assists (80) and steals (42) while averaging 5.1 points per game in 27 starts.

Helvey, a transfer from Bluffton, was named Freshman of the Year in the HCAC in 1999-2000 and moved into BC’s top eight in career three-pointers, assists, and steals in just two seasons of play. After a slow start, Bauer came on strong in the last 12 games of the season, averaging 8.2 points and shooting 58.2% from the field in the last five weeks of 2001-02. Overall, she contributed 4.7 points while shooting 47.0% from the field.

With the addition of Helvey, Evans, and Savard and the growth of Bauer and other returnees to help pick up for the loss of Koenn and Sharp, head coach Tom Barnes sees his team as being more mature and more athletic this season.

“We’ve got nine kids that have been around for a year with some being here for their third or fourth year. For our system, it makes a whole lot of difference. In addition, we are definitely more athletic this year. One of our neon lights about last year’s team was that our team speed was not very good. This group can run the floor better than what we did a year ago.”

Barnes will look to his entire roster, including senior Krista Oberlander (New Knoxville, Ohio/New Knoxville) and sophomores Molly Kemmerer (Indianapolis/Perry Meridian) and Meta Gerding (Ottoville, Ohio/Ottoville), as the Jackets face one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

“DePauw is ninth in the preseason poll. Williams won like 25 or 26 games last year. Albion has everyone back, and they beat Hope, the No. 2 or 3 team in the country, twice last year,” stated Barnes. “Thomas More made the NCAA tournament and beat Anderson at Anderson last year, and we have them twice. Then throw in Anderson and the conference schedule, and we are going to have to step it up early in the season.”

The Jackets will open the season with the first-ever Defiance Clinic Women’s Collegiate Invitational, hosting Milwaukee School of Engineering, Seton Hill, and Ohio Wesleyan, who reached the Final Four two years ago and the Sweet 16 last year. Defiance enters conference play on December 4, hosting defending champion Anderson. DC will travel to the Cruzin Classic in West Palm Beach on Dec. 17 and 18 to face Final Four team DePauw and Williams.

Wittenberg
The Wittenberg Tigers, winners of eight regular season North Coast Athletic Conference titles since 1989, figure to be back to their winning ways again in the 2002-03 season. Coming off a 21-6 overall record and an outright regular season conference title in 2001-02, the Tigers return 10 letterwinners and three starters this year in hopes of building on those accomplishments this year.

Five outstanding seniors, all of whom will play an important role on this year's team, lead the long list of letterwinners in 2002-03. Senior guards Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) lead the charge for a third consecutive season starting together in the backcourt. Rolf paced the Tigers in scoring, rebounding and assists each of the last two years while earning All-NCAC honors twice. Campbell ranked second on the team in scoring and rebounding and led the Tigers in steals each of the last two years.

The third returning starter is forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who always joins the team late due to time commitments as one of the top volleyball players in the Great Lakes Region. Keller started the last 19 games of the 2001-02 season and ranked among the team's leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocks and shooting percentage after earning NCAC Volleyball Player of the Year honors during the fall season.

The other starting spots are up in the air, with two other seniors figuring prominently in the mix. Senior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Fenwick) came on strong last year after seeing limited playing time her first two seasons in Springfield. She is a strong post player who averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2001-02. The other senior is post Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline), who has appeared in every game the last two years, primarily off the bench. Last year, she averaged 4.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per outing.

Other returning letterwinners include junior guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/Cincinnati St. Ursula), junior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Cincinnati Indian Hill), junior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) and sophomore guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who will join the team after the conclusion of Wittenberg's run in the volleyball NCAA Tournament. The other returner is junior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), who is sidelined until February with a knee injury suffered during soccer season this fall.

Wittenberg has its usual difficult schedule, including three teams with winning records involved in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic Nov. 22-23 at the HPER Center. Among the other heavyweights the Tigers will face this year: perennial national title contenders Baldwin-Wallace, Capital, DePauw and Calvin. In addition, the NCAC appears to be very balanced, making a repeat 14-2 regular season record that much more of a challenge.

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