Women's basketball expects younger players to contribute
The women’s basketball team closed last season at 11-13 (8-8 HCAC) and lost to Hanover College in the first round of the HCAC tournament.
While the team is young – it has just one senior in Stephanie Radtke – head coach Kim Eiler still believes it has enough experience to be strong. Since all three of last year’s seniors were injured at one point, she says the younger players were able to get some valuable minutes.
“Even though we’re so young, they don’t feel that,” Eiler said.
“[Radtke] is a great person and motivator, but we still have the juniors and sophomores that know how to encourage the freshmen,” junior Heather Harper said. “Plus, it doesn’t matter what grade you are in as long as you work hard and encourage the team.”
Even so, Franklin enters the season ranked fifth in the preseason HCAC poll.
“You’ve got to be careful not to take [preseason polls] too seriously, but yet then you want to also look at it as going ‘OK, maybe people are underestimating what we can do,’” Eiler said.
“[Preseason polls are] something to kind of fuel us, in a way, like when we get into conference stuff, always have it in the back of our heads. And so it kind of pushes us to get up there to be first and not fifth,” junior Heather Lahrman said.
Lahrman, like Eiler, believes the team can achieve its goal of winning the HCAC. She said the strength of the guard play, in addition to quickness and solid fundamentals will be a key to Franklin’s success.
“We need to have… a good team chemistry,” Radtke said. “Just get along on and off the court and just have some fun while we’re trying to win.”
Eiler said she relies on returning players like sophomore captains Jennifer Kelly, Monica Planalp; Harper and junior Traci Lippold for experience, but says leadership is a team effort.
Lahrman agrees. “Everyone steps in whether you have the captain title or not.”
“All the freshmen are going to be valuable for us this year,” Eiler said. They’re all going to see playing time and I think they’re all going to be a key for our success.”
The freshmen include Tyla Warner, Kasey Dollens, Monica Schwab and Brittany Bowers.
The team runs a fast transition offense, which moves to a set motion offense. They begin their season tonight in the Tri-State Tip-Off tournament.
