Women's Basketball Set to Kick Off 2009/10 Season

The Sewanee Tigers and head coach Dickie McCarthy are looking for a renewed sense of competitiveness in 2009-10 after last season's 4-20 record. The upcoming season will mark a change in the style of play for the Tigers. Coach McCarthy plans to install a new system which will include an up-tempo, quick scoring offense and a high pressure defense.

The Tigers must replace two dependable seniors, Rachel Miller and Anne Wills. Miller played in all 100 games during her four-year career at Sewanee. A season ending knee injury against Oglethorpe in January halted Wills' 87-game streak.

Sewanee returns three starters from last year's team. Senior Jamie Robinson, junior Lauren Gulley and sophomore Dani Kabbes are expected to take on major roles this season as the Tigers push to return to the upper echelon of the SCAC standings.

Last season's leader in steals (52), senior guard Jamie Robinson will be expected to provide the spark for the newly installed full-court pressure defense. Besides her obvious statistical impact on the court, her ability to lead the team, her presence on the court and her passion for the game make her an all-around threat for Tiger opponents. Along with Robinson, fellow senior Kelly Morrison will be counted on to provide leadership for the young Tiger team, which includes five sophomores and four freshmen. The up-tempo style offense should play in the favor of the much-improved Morrison.

Lauren Gulley, the only junior on the squad, returns as a force in the low post. Last season's second leading scorer, Gulley possesses great three-point range on her jump shot which provides serious defensive match-up problems for opponents.

The sophomore class returns five players, all of whom will be counted on heavily this season. Post player Dani Kabbes, selected honorable mention All-SCAC in 2008-09, established herself as a player to be reckoned with for some time with her play as a freshman. Returning to campus this fall in much better physical condition, Kabbes is expected to again be a force in the paint. Claire Elliott and Alex Ginsburg are expected to share time at the point guard position. Elliott got playing time there last season, but it will be a new assignment for Ginsburg.  Sharpshooting guard Logan Miller will be counted on to carry a much bigger scoring load this season in an offense that will rely heavily on the 3-point shot.  Virginia Zakas, a relentless defender, returns to play a key role in Sewanee's pressing defense. Zakas is also a member of the Sewanee women's soccer team.

Four newcomers are expected to compete for playing time early for the Tigers. Dee Bradford, Christina Johnson, Juliene Joyner and Emily Rhodes all come to Sewanee with impressive high school credentials and should add much-needed depth to the team.

The challenging 2009-10 schedule features five games against three oppponents that advanced to the NCAA tournament. SCAC rivals DePauw University and Oglethorpe University and non-conference foe Maryville College all competed in the 2009 Division III national tournament. Two games against long-time rivals Rhodes College and Centre College highlight the always difficult 16-game SCAC schedule. The Tigers open the season in Huntsville, Ala. on November 16 against Division II opponent, University of Alabama-Huntsville.

Overall Coach McCarthy is very optimistic. “Not much is expected of us this season throughout the SCAC,” says Coach McCarthy. “That's not all bad. We like being the underdog. The players are very excited about the changes we are making and have been working very hard in the offseason. I believe this team will play to its potential and be very competitive in SCAC play.”