After posting an 11-17 overall record and finishing tied for eighth place in the highly-competitive American Mideast Conference South Division with a 4-14 mark, the Lady Cougars are cautiously optimistic about the new season with the mix of experienced returning players and talented newcomers filling out the lineup in what could be a very promising season.

"We enter this season with a lot of new faces yet some very talented, experienced players also return for what we believe to be a very bright outlook to this season,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory, who enters his 10th season at his alma mater with a 114-152 overall record. "We had a very good recruiting class. That, coupled that with three returning double-digit scorers with experience, has triggered a cautiously optimistic mood in practices.”

Junior Rachel Fiely (left) returns to lead the Lady Cougars from the point guard position after earning AMC South Division Honorable Mention status after averaging 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year while handing out a team-high 132 assists and registering a team-best 83 steals. After just two seasons, she already ranks ninth in school history with 254 career assists while also closing in on tenth place in career steals with 162.

"Rachel brings a lot to our program,” said Gregory. "Not only can she shoot the three and slash to the basket, she is also a very good offensive rebounder. She understands the game and plays with a ferociousness that is unmatched. She is also a tough, tough kid. She has got a very high pain tolerance and wants to win so badly. She is adept at finding the open player and still is a little too unselfish. With the graduation of (all-time leading scorer) Katie Keller, we have asked Rachel to step up her game and be more offensive-minded. She is also a shut-down defender, who is a playmaker at both ends of the floor.”

Junior Jessica Lynn (right) will begin the season at the starting shooting guard spot. Last year, Lynn played in all 28 games with nine starts and averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds while recording 29 steals and 51 assists.

"Jessica is a lock-down defender who plays with a lot of intensity,” said Gregory. "I expect her offense to improve from last season. Her defense has been really impressive to this point. She loves to challenge other guards and make plays with her feet and hands. She has gotten numerous transition opportunities because of her quick hands. She can also shoot the three and is not afraid to mix it up and do the dirty work.”

Amy Sebastian (left), the team’s lone senior, will begin the season as the starting No. 3 guard. She averaged 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds last year and became the 18th player in school history to top the 1,000-point mark. She ranks fourth in school history with 298 career free throws made, and she needs just 58 points to crack the program’s Top 10 in career scoring.

"Amy has shot the ball very well and handles it like a smaller guard,” said Gregory. "She is invaluable with all the tools that she brings to the table. She can handle it, shoot it, slash with it, pass fake and look off her passes. She has a lot of court savvy and is ready to make her last season her best season yet. She is also a strong rebounder and defender on both ends of the floor.”

Freshman Kellie Jokela, a member of the talented recruiting class, will begin the season as the starting power forward after helping Mentor High School to four league titles and district championships. "Kellie brings a lot to the table,” said Gregory. "She may be one of the fastest players on the floor and has a very good head on her shoulders. She is extremely unselfish and tries to keep everybody involved with what is going on. She changed her shot this summer and will share time inside and outside on the perimeter. She is intense for 40 minutes and is highly regarded by her teammates for her hustle and attitude.”

Rounding out the starters heading into the season is junior center Melissa Mastrodonato (right). Mastrodonato averaged 13.1 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds last year while leading the team with 43 blocked shots as she was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick. She also moved into a tie for eighth place in school history with 55 career blocks entering this year.

"Melissa had a very strong season last year in the post and we are expecting more of the same from her again this season,” said Gregory. "She has added a left-handed jump hook to go along with all of her other moves and this creates an even higher expectation for her this year. She is a strong rebounder, good free throw shooter, and a strong low block presence as well as bringing a wealth of experience to the position now.”

Freshman forward/center Amanda Himes will begin the year as one of the first subs off the bench. She averaged 15.9 points and 12.3 rebounds as a senior at Hilliard Darby High School on the way to earning All-Ohio Honorable Mention status. "After playing primarily in the post in high school, the coaching staff sees value in having her play out on the perimeter as well,” said Gregory. "She has changed her perimeter shot in the off-season and has added a jump hook to her post arsenal. She is also a very good athlete and is one of the fastest players on our team.”

Junior Bethany Hughes (left) and freshman Kelli Pollock begin the year as two of the first options at the shooting guard or small forward spots, while freshman Lauren Johnson will see plenty of action off the bench at the point guard and shooting guard spots. Hughes played in 24 games off the bench last year for the Lady Cougars and averaged 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Pollock was an All-Ohio First Team selection and the all-time leading scorer at Mogadore High School, and Johnson was an All-Ohio Honorable Mention selection at Miami Trace High School.

"Bethany changed her shot last spring and now shoots the ball much better with much more consistency,” said Gregory. "She gives us an offensive presence off our bench and is a kid who plays with intensity on both ends of the floor. She is not afraid to mix it up and get physical when she needs to be.”

"Kelli is a very versatile player who can shoot from anywhere on the floor,” said Gregory. "She has unbelievable range on her jumper. She scored over 1,700 points in high school, so we get instant offense when she comes into the game. Lauren has done a nice job of getting acclimated with all that is going on and is expected of her. She can shoot the ball, handle it, and slash with it. She is also a strong defender.”

Junior guard Ashley Brown (right) continues to battle back from neck problems that sidelined her after she started the first 18 games last year and averaged 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds. Sophomore Lindsay Stein and freshmen Kim BeVier and Kassy Workinger will also add depth at the guard position. Stein played at Dayton Christian High School before attending Indiana Wesleyan University as a freshman. BeVier was the all-time leading scorer at Licking County Christian Academy, and Workinger was an All-Conference Second Team pick as a senior at Orrville High School.

Freshman Jackie Albrecht and sophomore Amanda Thorne will add depth in the post for the Lady Cougars. Albrecht was an All-Ohio Honorable Mention selection as a junior at Mansfield Christian High School before missing nearly her entire senior season with a knee injury. She is currently a starter on the MVNU women’s volleyball team that is 35-2 and will join the basketball team once the volleyball season is over. Thorne, who is a Salem High School product, is in her first year on the team.

Following the Lady Cougars’ season-opener versus Trinity International, the team will play non-conference home and away contests against Ohio State University-Marion and the University of Northwestern Ohio. The team will also play single games against Daemen (N.Y.) College, Carlow (Pa.) University, Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) College, Houghton (N.Y.) College, and cross-county rival Kenyon College, who is the preseason favorite to win the North Coast Athletic Conference.

MVNU will also take part in two tournaments this season. On November 23-24, the Lady Cougars will play in the Tennessee Temple University Tournament with a first-round match-up against Montreat (N.C.) College and a second-round contest against either host Tennessee Temple or the University of the Ozarks (Ark.). MVNU will also take part in the Ohio Dominican University Classic on November 30-December 1 with games against Concordia (Mich.) University and Pikeville (Ky.) College.

In addition, the Lady Cougars will compete for the AMC South Division title with home and away games against seven teams in one of the most rugged conferences in NAIA Division II. Preseason conference favorite Ohio Dominican is ranked 19th in NAIA Division II, while Shawnee State University is ranked 21st and five-time defending champion Cedarville University received votes. MVNU, which was picked fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll, will also play Walsh University, Urbana University, Wilberforce University, and the University of Rio Grande in conference play.

"The AMC South Division will be tough as always,” said Gregory. "The fact that we were picked to finish fifth out of eight teams might seem disrespectful to some, but in a conference as talented as ours you have to earn respect. That is exactly what our players are wanting to do.”

"This team has done a really good job of not getting ahead of themselves,” added Gregory. "They come to practice focused each day and are eager to get their season under way. After our final tune-up scrimmage last weekend, we feel prepared to go into the season with this group of players.”