By: Alex Scott
After falling to the University of Missouri- St. Louis in the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship, the Bellarmine women’s basketball team is focused on more goals for the 2018-2019 season.
“Our main goal is to win conference and get back to the NCAA tournament because we know we have the talent to do it,” junior Mikayla Berry said.
Coach Chancellor Dugan leaves it to the team to establish those goals, but she said she is looking to see how far the team can go in the NCAA tournament.
Last season, the team suffered from some injuries. Senior Ally Mayhaus had a knee injury early in the season that caused her to miss the remainder of the year. Mayhaus is focused on strengthening her knee and regaining confidence after not playing for a season.
The team wants to embrace positivity and strength this season that can be carried on throughout the games.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what this team is capable of because we have a lot of team chemistry and talent that could take us a long way if we utilize positivity,” Mayhaus said.
Dugan said she notices the chemistry among the team. She said the upperclassmen mentored the freshman and got to know them throughout the summer.
“The chemistry that the team has will really tell you how far you’re going to go,” Dugan said.
Freshmen had to adjust to a new school and new team. This can be struggle, but upperclassmen have focused on encouraging the group.
“You can tell they want to learn how to compete at this level, and you can see the frustration on their face when they don’t. We have faith in them, though, and we try to show them that every day and remind them that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day,’” Berry said.
Dugan said she is excited about the freshmen and looks forward to the season.
Dugan also said last season she could count on senior Raven Merriweather to score. With Merriweather graduated, she said she believes that scoring will be more even across the board.
The Knights continue to prepare for their upcoming season where five out of their first seven conference games will be on the road.
On Nov. 9, the Bellarmine women’s basketball team will be away facing Saginaw Valley State University for its first game of the season.