By: Robert Hampton
The season for Bellarmine’s women basketball team has started, and the Knights look forward to the return of center Ally Mayhaus who missed all of last season.
“The one thing that we’re most excited about is our team chemistry,” junior guard Mikayla Berry said. “I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people because we know our roles and know exactly what we’re going to do.”
Mayhaus, a 6-2 starter from Louisville’s Holy Cross High School, has been a central part of this team since her arrival. Her list of accolades includes selection to the All-Academic Great Lakes Valley Conference team for three years, as well as leading the team in blocks and being the second highest rebounder in her first two years.
An ACL injury sidelined her and she described her time on the bench as a learning experience.
“It was really hard for me to see the girls through their struggles and triumphs, but not actually being able to be a part of it,” Mayhaus said. “Obviously, I was still there experiencing it, but it wasn’t the same when I wasn’t on the court.”
Mayhaus said she hopes not only to leave her mark on the stat sheet, but also to leave her mark as a team leader and mentor to the incoming freshmen.
“She’s always been outspoken. She’s always said her mind,” coach Chancellor Dugan said. “She can be a leader out there because she’s a senior and she’s been there. She knows that the game looks and feels like.”
Despite some pains lingering in her leg from the ACL injury, Mayhaus has made no effort to slow her game down. When she is out on the court, her teammates have described her as a very physical player who is usually the first one to dive for the ball when it’s loose.
Her teammates and her coach are not worried about her injury.
“When she puts her mind to it, there’s nothing she can’t do,” Berry said. “We’re not worried about it at all. We know what she can do, and she knows what she can do.”