Lady ‘Hounds open season with victories
Fourth in the nation.
That’s where the Lady ‘Hounds begin their 2009-10 campaign according to the NCAA Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll. Indianapolis earned the high ranking by returning nine players from a 2008-09 team that went 24-10.
Additionally, UIndy made the NCAA Tournament’s “Sweet Sixteen” for the first time in program history.
This success earned the Lady ‘Hounds the No. 24 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Final Poll.
Indianapolis traveled to University Center, Mich. on Nov. 21, defeating the Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State by a score of 77-59. The win improved UIndy’s record to 2-0 on the young season and saw first-team All-GLVC junior forward Samantha Meissel and senior guard Jessica Canary surpass 1,000 points for their career. Meissel led all scorers with 28.
Senior forward Sarah Fenneman battles agaist her Xavier opponent. The 'Hounds were ranked as fourth in the nation in a pre-season poll
Though only two games into the 2009-2010 campaign, the benefits of continuity played a vital role in the Lady ‘Hounds high ranking to begin the season.
“It started us off with a good team chemistry right from the beginning,” said junior guard Hillary Wenning. “Nine players have had three years of experience under [head coach LeAnn Freeland].”
Freeland understands that such accolades mean little now that the season has begun.
“It’s nice to be ranked. It’s nice for the players to have earned the national recognition. But the preseason poll is based on what you’ve done in the past; it’s not what the program is currently doing,” Freeland said. “It is a respect thing and I’m excited the players have earned the national recognition in that fashion.”
Wenning echoed the thoughts of her head coach.
“It’s nice to see that people are beginning to recognize us as a potential threat, but it doesn’t make us work any less in practice. If anything, it makes us work harder because we know that the target is on our back,” she said.
The 2009 season began Nov. 15 as the ‘Hounds defeated the Patriots of St. Catharine College by a score 66-50. UIndy pushed the pace at every opportunity and utilized a balanced offensive attack to earn the win. Meissel led the ‘Hounds with 22 points.
Moving forward, Freeland believes improvements must be made from the neck up.
“I felt that we went into the game against St. Catharine not as focused as we needed to be in order to play well. We won the game, but we didn’t necessarily play well or play together,” Freeland said. “That’s one thing we’ve really focused on and to instill a little more discipline throughout 40 minutes of basketball.”
However, continuity plus experienced senior leadership prove to be important intangibles.
“I think we have great senior leaders-Katie Dewey, Jessica Canary and Sarah Fenneman. They’ve done a great job staying focused and keeping the team focused each and every day,” Freeland said. “They’re all four-year players. They know what this team can do and what this team can be.”
The Lady ‘Hounds return to action at home tonight, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. against the Central State University Marauders.
By Micah McVicker | Editorial Assistant
