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News
New Era to Start for Lady Cougars with
2011-2012 Season Tip
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (11-4-2011) - The Mount
Vernon Nazarene University women's
basketball team will welcome a new head
coach and six new players into the fold when
the Lady Cougars open up the 2011-2012 hoops
campaign on November 5 against Alice Lloyd
(Ky.) College at noon.
Jason Foster will take over at the helm
for Steve Gregory, who chose to get out of
the coaching profession after guiding MVNU
to a 201-192 record over the previous 13
years. Most recently, Foster spent seasons
as the head coach at Bethany University, an
NAIA Division II school in Santa Cruz,
Calif. He inherits a team that has topped
the 20-win mark in each of the past three
years and went to the NAIA Division II
National Tournament for the first time in
school history last season as the Lady
Cougars finished the year 21-9 and ranked
No. 24 in the final NAIA Division II poll.
"I think the greatest challenges we face
this year is the amount of new things to
adjust to," said Foster. "There are going to
be some system and style changes that will
be different from last year. We also have a
group of six new players. Then, there is the
adjustment to a new conference with
different travel and teams that we are not
used to."
Helping with all the
transition is the return of two of the top
three scorers for the Lady Cougars from a
year ago in senior guard Sierra Fletcher and
senior forward Alexis Harkins, who were both
named to the American Mideast Conference
Second Team. In just two seasons since
transferring to MVNU, Fletcher has already
amassed 921 points and ranks eighth in
school history in steals (221), ninth in
three-pointers made (128), and eleventh in
assists (262). Meanwhile, Harkins has posted
a solid three-year career with 1,002 points
and 537 rebounds.
Joining Fletcher at
the guard position will be junior Melissa
Eickholt (3.6 ppg, 47 assists), senior
Ashley Jessie (who did not play last
season), and freshmen Courtney Christie
(Archbishop Alter H.S.) and Sarah Shirey
(Plymouth H.S.).
"We have good depth
and leadership in our guard corp," said
Foster. "We have a lot of experience and
leadership starting with Sierra, Melissa,
and Ashley. All of these guards can control
the floor on both side of the ball with
their scoring and defense."
Harkins
will lead the group of forwards that
includes juniors Emily Steveley (2.3 ppg and
2.6 rpg), Rachel Peelman (1.1 ppg and 0.8
rpg), and Camaranne Myles (2.8 ppg and 0.9
rpg) and freshmen Erica Cramer (Seneca East
H.S.) and Hannah Keller (Sissonville H.S.).
"We have a great mix of experience and
youth in our forwards," said Foster. "This
group can do a lot of things very well with
the ability to score inside and outside and
defend many different types of players. This
group will also help give us the versatility
to create potential matchup problems for our
opponents."
There will be big shoes
to fill at the center position with the
graduation of three-time NAIA Division II
All-American and all-time leading scorer and
rebounder Amanda Himes. Senior Whitney
Levering (5.6 ppg and 5.0 rpg) will lead the
way in 2011-2012 in the middle, while
sophomore transfer Amy Daniels (West
Virginia Wesleyan) adds depth to the
position. Junior Courtney Swart (1.1 ppg and
2.3 rpg), freshman Ainsleigh Krause
(Centerville H.S.), and sophomore Hailey
Little will also compete for time at the
position.
"Our front line players
have the ability to really create some
headaches for the teams we play," said
Foster. "Losing an All-American like Amanda
Himes can be a challenge in itself, but this
group has stepped into the gap. They are
quick, strong, and can do a lot that will
force defenses to figure ways to deal with
them."
"We have depth at all the
positions," said Foster of his team as a
whole. "I have inherited a strong group of
basketball players as well as good people.
There is a strong core of leadership that I
hope continues to rally this team."
The Lady Cougars will play 10 non-conference
games this year with home and away contests
with Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College, Point Park
(Pa.) University, and the University of
Cincinnati-Clermont as well as single games
against Wilberforce University and Bluefield
(Va.) College. MVNU will also compete in the
Trinity International (Ill.) University
Tournament including a game against the host
team, which received votes in the NAIA
Division II preseason poll.
The Lady
Cougars will also make the switch from the
AMC to the Mid-Central College Conference
this season with home and away games against
each of the nine other conference schools.
The MCC is well-represented in the NAIA
Division II preseason poll with No. 3.
Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 7
University of Saint Francis (Ind.), No. 13
Huntington (Ind.) University, No. 24 Grace
(Ind.) College, and Marian (Ind.) University
and Taylor (Ind.) University both receiving
votes. Goshen (Ind.) College, Spring Arbor
(Mich.) University, and Bethel (Ind.)
College round out the highly-competitive
conference slate.
"Looking at the
schedule, some of the non-conference teams
are familiar to MVNU and even some of the
conference teams," said Foster. "I think it
looks like a strong schedule from beginning
to end. The key will be to stay healthy and
to grow from each game. Ultimately, each
game will present a new and different
challenge we as a team must work to overcome
each night."
"Each season should be
one that improves on the previous one,"
Foster added. "Last season, the Lady Cougars
set the bar high with national rankings and
the first ever trip to the NAIA National
Tournament. My hope would be to continue
that tradition and build off of it. I think
that starts with simple goals. We need to
commit to getting better every day, show up
ready to work, and take advantage of every
possible opportunity. This group has a lot
of potential and the ability to do some very
exciting things."
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