Julie Stauffer

2003-04 Season Outlook

It will be tough for the Lady Jackets to match their 2002-03 experience, but they'll give it their best shot. Head coach Kirk Martin, 54-13 after his first two seasons at the helm, is confident and upbeat about the possibilities for the upcoming season.

"We have pushed hard our first two seasons to reach some lofty goals and we're excited to see how this group of women responds to the pressures that lie ahead," stated Martin. "Last year we may have surprised some people. This year we will go in as defending AMC champions so the target will be on our backs. But, our goal remains the same - win the AMC and get back to the NAIA national tournament."

The squad achieved a lengthy list of "firsts" in the 2002-03 campaign - an American Mideast Conference title, a No. 3 ranking in NAIA Division II, an NAIA national appearance, and a 31-3 record that included a 21-game winning streak.

Molly Earley

The biggest question mark on everyone's mind heading into the season focuses on the loss of two-time NAIA Division II All-American center Kirsten Rossotti, who graduated as CU's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Martin is concerned, but is approaching the situation upbeat and optimistic. "One of the keys to the season will be the continued development of our inside game but our returning players have all come back better and excited about the potential to have another successful season," commented Martin.

Three-year starting guard Julie Stauffer already has 1,272 career points to her credit while backcourt mate Kari Flunker, an NAIA Division II Second Team All-American last year as a sophomore, set school records for assists and three-point field goals. Molly Earley, a three-year starter on the front line, is back as well as Emily Delimpo, who earned a spot on the All-AMC South Division Freshmen Team.

Kari Flunker

Martin mentioned four keys that will be important for the Lady Jackets to accomplish. The list includes the continued development of the role players from last season, learning to enjoy making the extra pass, rebounding the basketball, and defending with an urgency.

Joining the team are five freshmen who have the potential to make significant contributions. Headlining the list are all-state performers Brittany Smart - the leading scorer in the state of Ohio last season - and Karah Walton, a 5-11 point guard who set 10 school records at Worthington Christian.

The 2003-04 schedule will be a challenge for the Lady Jackets. It currently features nine games against teams who were, at one time or another, ranked in the NAIA Top 25 last season. The line-up also includes two games each against AMC South Division powers Shawnee State and Ohio Dominican, who were both NAIA ranked and played in the Division II national tournament.