Lady Cavs rebound off last season

LIZ GARRETT STAFF WRITER EGG722@CABRINI EDU

The women’s basketball team at Cabrini is looking towards a productive and successful season. Between the players and their coach, there is a great deal of enthusiasm shown when discussing the upcoming events the team will be facing this season. This past season has given the team the experience they need to hold such high expectations for this season.

“We took a big step last year advancing to the PAC finals with a team of almost all sophomores. What they have to understand is that while that experience will benefit them, that achievement means nothing now,” Bobbi Morgan, head women’s basketball coach, said.

The women are at a point in which they can really obtain their goals because of the skills gained after last season. “They have to get after it like every other team. I am confident that if they play hard and if they play together and unselfishly, that they can beat every team in our conference. But it won’t be easy,” Morgan said.

The team lost after making it to the PAC championship this past season. However there is a definite positive outlook for this season because of the amount of talent they have acquired. The women’s basketball team is aiming to go beyond expectations in the NCAA tournament. The team consists of 18 players filled with potential in hopes of several wins. Prior to their first game at Penn State-Berks, there is a scrimmage scheduled with Catholic University and Delaware Valley College.

A certain amount of commitment is called for in order to make the upcoming season a memorable one. The players who make up the team consider it a priority which guarantees that they will do whatever it takes to perform well. “I have been lucky enough to coach some really talented, successful teams over the years, and the teams that did the best were ones with single-mindedness to them. I am challenging them this year to do that, to put the success of the team above all things,” Morgan said.

The eagerness to have a victorious season is present in the players who make up the women’s basketball team.

“We need to stay dedicated and motivated to be successful and I believe if we work hard and play harder we’ll make some big noise,” junior communication major Brittany McLeod said.

The feeling among teammates is mutual for the attitude on this season. “This season is going to be a very exciting season. We have everyone back from last year and we came back stronger then ever. We are looking forward to being a power house in the PAC and the team to beat. We hope to win PACs and make it to the NCAAs this year,” junior exercise science and health promotion major Kate Ryan said.

“I think this season is going to be a break out season for us,” sophomore early childhood elementary education major Alyssa Brady said.

Women’s basketball at Cabrini is eager to be the team people want to watch and they are intending on surprising their audiences this season. “I am excited. I think if they are willing to work at it good things will come.”

“We practice for three hours a day and have about two matches per week in season, so it’s a lot to handle,” Wilson explained when asked how she was able to uphold such an impressive GPA with the demands of a captain position on a winning tennis team. “Home matches are usually six hours long and away matches take at least nine. I put a lot of pressure on myself and think about a match all day at school. I still get so nervous that by the time I step on the court for warm ups I am already mentally exhausted.”

But Wilson’s performance on the court shows no signs of fatigue. She earned first team honors at the PAC Individual Championships on Saturday, Oct. 27 with both singles and doubles victories.

“I’m really proud of our undefeated record ,” Wilson said. “It shows how much depth we have as a team and how far we have come in just the four years I have played for Cabrini. We are all really close and motivate each other to do well, which leads to more wins as a team.”

Wilson will have one more opportunity to show her skills next spring when the Cavalier’s compete in the NCAA Championships in May 2008. This will be the second year the team attends the invitation only tournament, which is scheduled to take place in New York.