New-Look Blazers Set To Take The Court In 2010-11

The 2010-11 version of the womens' basketball team will feature 11 newcomers (10 of whom are freshmen) as the Blazers embark on their quest for a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship.

Elms takes the court following a 9-7 mark in conference play during the 2009-10 season that saw the Blazers earn the fourth seed in the conference championship tournament and post wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The run was highlighted by a four-point win over the tournament's top seed in the semifinals which allowed the Blazers to punch their ticket to the championship contest.

With the automatic qualifier for the NECC in place for the 2010-11 season, ninth-year head coach Laura Habacker and the Blazers are poised to make a run at the league title and earn the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Championship tournament.

BACKCOURT

Elms returns three players to its backcourt including junior guards Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and Brooke Miller (Warwick, R.I.) as well as sophomore Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.).

In her debut season at Elms, Normandie provided stellar play that saw her score a second-best 238 points and haul in 143 rebounds in 26 games played.

Condon averaged 7.9 points primarily off the bench last season, making 11 starts in 28 games for the Blazers, while Miller added 21 points off the bench during the 2009-10 campaign.

Elms' backcourt will feature eight freshman players this season, including Jennifer Belanger (Chicopee, Mass.), Emily Boucher (Ashburnham, Mass.), Erin Broughton (Essex Junction, Vt.), Taylor Darby (Bristol, Conn.), Ellen Donohue (Southington, Conn.), Nicolette Martin (Colchester, Conn.), Mariah Petty (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) and Marisabel Santiago (Springfield, Mass.) giving the Blazers tremendous depth.

FRONT COURT

Elms' front court will be anchored by a group of three newcomers and the return of junior Maryanne Overmyer (Mattapoisett, Mass.) who hopes to be back in action following a foot injury that has sidelined her since the 2008-09 season.

Newcomer Erika Murphy (Torrington, Conn.) is the other junior in the front court as freshmen Allyson Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) will make their collegiate debuts on the hardwood.

Question and Answer with Coach Habacker
Q.) Talk about the depth of this squad heading into the 2010-11 season?
A.) The depth is definitely going to be a good thing for us. We're going to be able to play a good number of people and that will be key for us to get a lot of players involved.

Q.) Which newcomers will play an immediate role in the success of the team?
A.) In order for us to succeed all of our newcomers are going to have step up and play a key role and are going to have to be ready to play right away.

Q.) Heading into the season, what phase of the game are you looking to improve upon from last season and what area that worked well last season are you looking to build upon?
A.) In years past, and last year was an exception, we have been a better rebounding team. Ironically, we're a smaller team this year, but we are going to have to do a better job of rebounding and that will be a huge area of emphasis for us at both ends of the court. An area that we have always been pretty good at is that our teams have always gotten along very well. Good team chemistry is going to be very important for us this year.

Q.) With 11 newcomers in the program and no seniors, comment on the leadership role that the four juniors will have to provide.
A.) What I see with that is not necessarily the four juniors developing into good leaders because I think they are already good leaders, but the newcomers becoming leaders. The returners are teaching the newcomers how to lead rather than just dictating that role which I think is very positive.

Q.) What will this team bring to the table in 2010-11 that other teams have not in the past? What makes this team unique?
A.) Once they get comfortable with the game and they get over the initial jitters of playing in college, they're going to be a lot of fun because they're all going to have to play a role. A lot of times when you have newcomers to a team they have to go through a waiting period but we can't afford to do that. Once everyone grasps the fact that every player is going to have to play a part in order for us to succeed, then it's going to be very exciting to watch and see how it develops day in and day out. Our philosophy won't be so much individually oriented but more team oriented.

Q.) What is one challenge that the team needs to overcome this year in order to be productive?
A.) With a lot of new people there is a lot of uncertainty of what's to come. They don't know how far away the members of our league are, they don't know how far away some of our other trips are. The day in and day out of being a college athlete is the first thing we have to overcome and that's just the business of basketball and I think that's easier to overcome. Once they overcome that part of it, they will be fine. We're home a lot in the beginning which is great. Once we hit the road we're not going far. Castleton, Vermont is. We're easing into it which is great and once we get past our non-conference schedule, we'll be very ready for our conference schedule.