Full Court Pressure
Women go vertical with record five 6-footers

By Leo D. Rommel

Things are about to get big for the women’s basketball team.

Really big.

Seeking frantically to turn everything around following a horrific 2005-2006 campaign in which the team went 3-25 overall and just 2-16 in the conference, the women’s team has inherited a care package equipped with an all-time record five 6-footers.

“This changes everything,” said Head Coach Tori Harrison, who led Louisiana Tech to the 1987 and 1988 NCAA Final Four as a 6-foot-7 three-time team MVP. “I have never been able to be the inside-oriented coach I have always wanted to be. Now I can with the size of the team.”

Freshman forward Ashley Anderson, freshman center Melissa Kowalczyk, freshman center Ilda Llamas, sophomore guard Shaunice Parker and freshman forward/center Stephanie Wisneski are the players who are at least 6 feet in height. In conjunction with the return of seven letterwinners, three of whom are projected starters, and the arrival of seven newcomers, the Broncs appear – at least on paper – vastly improved from last season, not to mention quicker, smarter and, of course, bigger.

“More than anything else, the 6-footers will allow us to create a distraction inside” said Assistant Coach Brian Johnson, who’s in his third season with the Broncs. “It will allow us to either feed the ball into the post or kick the ball out to the perimeter.”

Regardless of the apparent upgrades, much of the MAAC is seemingly not impressed. According to an Oct. 24 story on maacsports.com, a preseason coaches’ poll projected Rider to finish last among the 10 teams in the conference. Iona, which plays Rider on Dec. 7 and Feb. 3, was picked to finish first. Youth and inexperience, according to Johnson, likely played a significant role in the low expectations.

“We’re a very young team,” said Johnson following Tuesday’s morning practice. “We don’t have much experience yet. But the new height gives us optimism and it brings us into a different dimension.”

In spite of the criticism, much of the team professes that the rest of the conference is clueless as to what Rider has to offer, and it looks forward to using that ambiguity to its advantage.

“This year will be different from last year because we have all the elements,” said Llamas, who led her California high school team to the City Semi-Finals as a senior. “Every player perfectly fits the position they currently play, unlike last year, when we had forwards playing center.”

Many of the newcomers also stressed the significance of allowing the seniors on the team – guards Kara Borel and Monica Welborn – to “go out with a bang.”

“We have strong captains,” said Kowalczyk, who led her Jamestown, Va., high school team to the state AA championship as a senior. “They’re great leaders who will allow us freshmen to learn fast, and it’s important that they leave here with fond memories of us and the program.”

Borel, who has been Rider’s leading rebounder in each of the last three seasons, was fifth last year in the MAAC in steals, second on the team in assists and third in scoring. Likewise, she has also played several different positions, including center at one point, in spite of the fact that she is only 5-foot-9.

“Kara is a tremendous athlete,” said Harrison, who is 12-45 in two years at Rider. “She’s been an important part of the team for a number of years now, and it’s important that we begin winning for her.”

Welborn, meanwhile, had eight of her career 15 double-digit scoring games last season before a severe shoulder injury ended her season 21 games into the year.

The Broncs face several potent non-conference opponents this season, such as Princeton, Towson and Army, which qualified for the NCAA national tournament last season.
Moreover, the team also travels to Staten Island, N.Y., for the Wagner Christmas Tournament, where it will face Cornell, St. Bonaventure and the hometown Seahawks.

The season begins this Sunday, Nov. 12, at home against Rice at 2 p.m. Afterwards, the team will battle Monmouth on Nov. 17, Penn on Nov. 19 and Hofstra on Nov. 26.