2015-16 WIAC Women's Basketball Preview

MENOMONIE (November 6, 2015) - With six players returning from last year’s squad and 11 new players, the young UW-Stout women’s basketball team will have to pick up experience quickly.
 
Experience is a question mark, said 29th year coach Mark Thomas, but the WIAC’s longest tenured coach sees early indications that this team will adapt quickly to the rigors of one of the toughest NCAA Division III leagues in the country.
 
“We have a young, but mature group of players with a yearning to learn,” Thomas said. “We will be counting on a lot of inexperienced kids for us. How quickly will they adapt? Two, five, eight games? I don’t know, but this is a group that is not afraid to put in the extra time.”
 
The six returning players will need to form the foundation of the team early. Stout has four seniors, four juniors and three sophomores along with seven freshmen.
 
Out of that foundation return three starters – senior Kyleigh Hebert (Spencer) and juniors Jenna Goldsmith (St.  Anthony, Minn) and Sarah Schoch (Chippewa Falls).
 
Hebert is an “explosive player who can physically handle the grind,” Thomas said. Hebert last year played both point guard and on the wing, leading the team in assists and was second on the team in scoring.
 
“Kyleigh will probably be more wing than point this year,” Thomas said, “but we can’t take her away from the point completely. She can take that load in intense situations.”
 
Goldsmith earned first team all-conference honors, averaging a team-best 12.0 points per contest and led the WIAC in shooting percentage (.542).  Goldsmith’s sophomore year proved to be a break out year.
 
“There shouldn’t be too much that happens out there that Jenna can’t adjust to,” Thomas said.
 
Both Hebert and Goldsmith honed their skills this past summer, traveling to Costa Rica to participate in a program where their team from across the US faced the Costa Rican national team and some of the country’s top club teams.
 
After transferring to Stout, Schoch played her first year for the Blue Devils, starting 24-of-25 games and was the team’s leading 3-point shooter.  That experience will be key this year for the guard.
 
“We want to focus on using her size and physical ability more,” Thomas said. “We will need our guards to be more physical around the basket.”
 
Senior post player Stephanie Kastens (Wausau), sophomore post player Anna Brown (Wausau) and sophomore guard Haley Seifert (Ladysmith) round out the players returning from last year’s squad. 
 
Senior forward Maygan Mitchell (Ettrick) returns to the team after a year off, but a preseason injury will at least limit Mitchell, if not sideline her, for the season. Mitchell was looking good during the preseason and was creating her role inside the paint when the injury occurred.
 
“With Maygan’s injury, we must find that player off the bench,” Thomas said.
 
Kastens and Brown are primary contenders to fill that role, Thomas said.
 
“As a senior, we hope Stephanie understands the urgency out there,” Thomas said. “We need her to focus on the fundamentals of her position.
 
“Anna may not be as tall, but she is awfully strong and has good athleticism. She must use her body to keep opponents off the boards.”
 
With Hebert slated to work the wing, Seifert is a primary contender for the point guard spot. Seifert saw action in 21 games last year as a freshman.
 
“Haley needs to be a floor general and needs to play strong,” Thomas said. “It will be a matter of her processing things in real time.”
 
The Blue Devils are intending to return to a game plan that can be termed as “run and gun”, a system that requires group substitutions to happen more frequently.
 
Seifert will be part of a three-player rotation that includes freshmen Shannan Watkins (Hoover, Ala) and Kyncaide Diedrich (Athens).
 
“The attitude of our freshmen is awesome,” Thomas said. “I am not worried about turning our point guard over to three young kids.”
 
Stout’s roster also includes four transfers – three guards and a forward - that will work their way into the system.
 
Dana Karlstad (Strum) transfers as a senior from WIAC regular season champion UW-Superior. The Yellowjackets are no longer in the WIAC.
 
“Dana brings three years of WIAC experience and can keep pace with what is going on,” Thomas said.
 
Nicole Schaub (Jr, Minneapolis, Minn) transferred from Anoka-Ramsey Junior College, but was enrolled at Stout last year as she rehabbed an injury. Abby Notch (So, St. Cloud, Minn) transferred after one year of junior college in the St. Cloud, Minn., area.
 
Schaub and Notch will help out on the wing, Thomas said.
 
“Nicole is a great shooter and we will need her to knock down some shots,” Thomas said. “Abby is nifty with the ball.”
 
Danielle Adams (Jr, Byron, Minn) is the lone forward transfer, coming from Rochester Community Technical College.
 
“Danielle has a good feel for the game in the low post,” Thomas said. “She will need to gain some experience. The game got one step faster.”
 
Bailey Diersen (Fr, Greenville), Hunter Hickey (Fr, Wisconsin Dells) and Nicole Gietzel (Fr, Fond du Lac) will compete for roles at the wing guard spots.
 
Carolyn Feddema (Fr, Hanover, Minn) comes into Stout as a 5-foot, 11-inch forward who played point guard for her high school team.
 
“Carolyn can handle the ball and is a good passer,” Thomas said.
 
Breanna Vyskocil (Fr, Phillips)will work the low post.
 
“When Breanna figures out strong she is, she will be pretty good,” Thomas said.
 
As young as the team is, Thomas sees his charges as ready to hit the regular season.
 
“We are going to throw them to the wolves because they are capable,” Thomas said.
 
About reclaiming the run-and-gun mentality, Thomas says his group is ready for that as well.
 
“We are committed to making it a 94-foot game,” Thomas said. “The more we can open the floor up, the more we can use our speed. This is one of the faster teams we have had in a while.”
 
The NCAA announced last spring changes in the women’s game, the most noticeable the shift to quarters rather than halves. Thomas is not concerned about the change.
 
“We are going to coach it the same way, then make any adjustments if we need to,” Thomas said. “Our only concern is that the other team will be getting an extra rest (between quarters).”
 
The Blue Devils will be tested early. With Superior leaving the conference making the WIAC an eight team conference, league games will not start until after January 1.
 
“This will give us an opportunity to work the kinks out before we play a conference game,” Thomas said.
 
The Blue Devils open by hosting the College of St. Benedict, Saturday, Nov. 14, then take on Gustavus Adolphus College and Simpson College on the road.

# # #


2014-15 UW-Stout Women’s Basketball Preview
 
MENOMONIE (November 12, 2014) – The UW-Stout women’s basketball team spent some time in the wilderness last season. But late in the season, something clicked and the Blue Devils put on some nice touches, running off a four game winning streak to end the regular season and draw a first round conference home playoff game.
 
With a team that includes six seniors, two juniors and six sophomores, long-time coach Mark Thomas is anticipating his charges are able to make the required adjustments earlier in the season.
 
“With six seniors back, we shouldn’t be surprised with how things happen,” Thomas, who begins his 28th year, said. “With the number of seniors and upperclassmen with experience, I expect this team to be more consistently competitive.”
 
Stout returns senior guards Haley Froehlich (Mondovi), Katelynne Folkers (Fall Creek), swing player Katie Nickles (Braham, Minn) and forwards Caitlin Coombs (Alma), Nicki Alexander (Wabasha, Minn) and Brea Boomer (Grand Portage, Minn).
 
Junior point guard Kyleigh Hebert (Spencer) started all but one game last season, and forward Stephanie Kastens (Wausau) saw action throughout the season.
 
Guard Sarah Schoch (So, Chippewa Falls) is a sophomore newcomer to the squad, but fellow sophomores Jenna Goldsmith (St. Anthony, Minn), Jasmyne Hazelton (Eau Claire), Jessica Kreitz (Breezy Point, Minn), McKayla Brunner (Arkansaw), and Becca Smith (Victoria, Minn) all saw varying degrees of participation last season.
 
“Our sophomores last year played a significant role,” Thomas said. “I could tell (this year) they are more comfortable with the college environment and have a better understanding of what it is to be a student-athlete.”
 
“We are excited to have so many juniors and seniors back,” Thomas said. “We should be able to adjust faster. You can watch all the film you want, but it comes down to making the adjustments in the game. We made those adjustments late last year. This year, we hope to make those adjustments in the early part of the season.”
 
Hebert and Smith are expected to run with the point guard spot.
 
Hebert was the team’s second leading scorer last year, and averaged more than 24 minutes per game, second on the team.
 
“Kyleigh has tons of experience and is a very skilled player,” Thomas said. “She can take you off the dribble, is a good passer and is a better shooter.”
 
Explosive to the basket, Hebert averaged 10.8 points per contest last year and 3.1 rebounds, while averaging just over two assists per contest. She was the team’s leading free throw shooter, canning 79-of-109 attempts.
 
Smith missed several games early last season due to illness, but has impressed Thomas and his staff ever since.
 
“We have been impressed with Becca’s growth as a player,” Thomas said. “She is physically stronger. We really like her on the offensive side.”
 
Freshmen Haley Seifert (Ladysmith) and Ann Rysavy (Austin, Minn) will see some time in the point.
 
Folkers and Froehlich have been regulars at the off guard in the Blue Devil scheme since their freshmen seasons. Folkers has been getting the starts and Froehlich is solid coming off the bench.
 
Folkers averaged 7.5 points per contest in a team-high 26 minutes per game and was the team’s leading rebounder with 6.6 caroms per contest. Folkers, an honorable mention pick last season, led the team in steals with 75, almost three per game. Froehlich averaged 4.5 points in 14 minutes and had a huge game when she scored a career-high against Colorado College.
 
Both players have gathered valuable experience throughout their careers, Thomas said, and, with a good offseason, have taken more ownership of the team.
 
Schoch, a transfer who has been out of the competitive game for 18 months, will give the Blue Devils a good mid-range shooter.
 
“We are excited to get Sarah out there,” Thomas said. “We had to get her timing for the game back.”
 
Hazelton, along with Schoch, brings a physical presence to the game.
 
“When Jasmyne puts her nose down, she gets where she wants to,” Thomas said. “Her confidence is up and she will have to help us out right away.”
 
Thomas praised Brunner for her improvement over last year, and, with her hard-nose play, should play a role off the bench.
 
“We are hoping McKayla can go out there and wreak havoc,” Thomas said.
 
Nickles, a senior, and Sikora, a freshman, should be able to swing back and forth between guard and forward.
 
“Katie has a good knowledge of the game, and we need someone in that role,” Thomas said. “We will be able to slip her in during a finesse game,
“Laura gives us that long body with quick hands. If someone gets sloppy on her, she is going to get the ball.”
 
Thomas deems his forwards as a unique group.
 
“I am excited and nervous,” Thomas said. “Each of our forwards has a different twist to the game.”
 
Boomer, Coombs, Kreitz, Alexander, Goldsmith and Kastens return to play in the post.
 
Boomer, an all-WIAC honorable mention pick as a sophomore, averaged 8.4 points last year and 5.2 rebounds, while play about 23 minutes.
 
“Brea is that hybrid center,” Thomas said. “She doesn’t back down from anything. We use her all over.”
 
Coombs has improved her game defensively, “and we really needed that around the basket,” Thomas said.  Kreitz should see more floor time, and last year averaged nearly two rebounds a game in just over five minutes of play. Kasten will play a role down low, Thomas said.
 
Alexander has shown her strength away from the basket. Goldsmith has taken a step up from her freshman year where she averaged 2.9 rebounds and was second on the team in blocked shots. Thomas said Goldsmith’s offensive game has improved, as well.
 
As the season goes along, Thomas expects to see more from freshmen forwards Anna Brown and Anna Bunyan.
 
“It is nice to have a team with experience,” Thomas said. “I expect them to go out and play hard and play with authority. We will battle for 40 minutes. Our opponents will have to play well to beat us.”
 
The Blue Devils open the 2014-15 season at the St. Norbert Tournament, Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16. Stout opens with host St. Norbert at 7 p.m. Saturday and will play Carroll University, Sunday at 1 p.m.

2013-14 UW-STOUT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

MENOMONIE (November 14, 2013) - The UW-Stout women’s basketball team brings a huge roster to the 2013-14 season, a roster tallying 24 players.

But of those, 12 are newcomers to the program. On the flip side, 12 returners have seen time in a Blue Devil uniform.

Senior Sami Schoeder (Sr, Durand) returns to lead the Blue Devils and is back to 100 percent, according to 27th year coach Mark Thomas, since an injury kept her out half of her sophomore season.

Schoeder, a two-time honorable mention all-conference selection, last year averaged 8.7 points per game and 4.0 rebounds.

“Sami has logged a ton of minutes at a high level,” Thomas said. “She has to be our shooter and she must be the player when things are in disarray is the one to go out there and calm things down.”

Brea Boomer (Jr, Grand Portage, Minn) brings a tough mentality inside the paint. As a sophomore, Boomer averaged 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. She also earned all-WIAC honorable mention honors.

“Brea has quickly picked up where she left off,” said Thomas. “We want to get her back to where she was by the time the conference season begins.”

Katelynn Folkers (Jr, Fall Creek), who has played the point the past two years, will move to a wing as Kyleigh Hebert (So, Spencer), who joined the team after Christmas, gets more accustomed to the Blue Devil system. Folkers averaged 8.6 points and led the team in assists with 55. She was third on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.0 caroms. Hebert, who played in 12 games, averaged 5.6 points and dished off 21 assists.

Haley Froelich (Jr, Mondovi) will come off the bench and brings a veteran mentality and experience to her game, said Thomas.

Rachel Hanley (Sr, MInong) and Schoeder are the only seniors on the team. Hanley will come off the bench as a point guard.

“Anytime you bring a senior off the bench,” Thomas said, “you hope to bring something positive.”  And Thomas expects Hanley to bring that spark.

With a good mixture of young talent and wily returning veterans, Thomas expects his team to have more depth than the past several years, allowing the team to return to a more up-tempo game.

“Some of these kids had to play many minutes in a row last year,” Thomas said. “With the added depth, we should be able to play faster.”

Returners Shelby Sterba (Jr, Tony), Katie Nickles (Jr, Braham, Minn), Nicki Alexander (Jr, Wabasha, Minn), Maygan Mitchell (So, Ettrick), Caitlin Coombs (Jr, Alma) and Stephanie Kastens (So, Wausau) could all assume bigger roles this year.

Freshmen Tara Matter (Spencer), Jessica Kreitz (Breezy Point, Minn) and Jenna Goldsmith (St. Anthony, Minn) are expected to see time at the No. 2 and 3 positions, and all three are listed at 6-foot or better.  All three can handle the ball and all three are capable of blocking shots.

Becca Smith (Fr, Victoria, Minn) is recovering from an early season illness, but is expected to see time at the point guard. Sara Bedford (Fr, Chippewa Falls) and Courtney Tuura (Fr, Eau Claire) are both strong guards. Jasmyne Hazelton (Fr, Eau Claire) is a lefthanded guard that the coaching staff sees daily improvement in.

Rounding out the newcomers are McKayla Brunner (Fr, Arkansaw), Annie Herkenhoff (Fr, Freeport, Minn), Autumn Paulsen (Fr, Lodi), Hannah Schmitt (Fr, Stratford) and Hannah Schwahn (Konstanz, Germany).

“This team has to get passionate about playing in the open court,” Thomas said. “They also have to be aware that although they will give up a play, the rewards will pay off. We must have the mindset that we are going to stick with it (our game plan) for 40 minutes.”

“We will be more competitive and we will be fun to watch,” Thomas said.

The Blue Devils open Friday, Nov. 15 at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Tournament.
 

2012-13 UW-STOUT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

MENOMONIE (November 9, 2012) – To say the 2011-12 UW-Stout women’s basketball team was a young squad may be an understatement.

Stout had no seniors on last year’s squad and only a couple of juniors, with the majority of the squad made up of freshmen.

Even with a year under their belts, the make-up of the 2012-13 team is not drastically different from last year’s squad. All those freshmen made it around the block a couple of times in the tough Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and have the battle scars to prove it. They added a key element to their repertoire – experience.

Overall, the Blue Devils are still a young team, led by senior captains Kayla Windt (Pence) and Whitney Rawdon (Eau Claire), along with junior captain Sami Schoeder (Durand) and fellow junior Rachel Hanley (Minong).

Eight make up the sophomore class, of which four started at least three games at some point last season as freshmen. Six freshmen round out this year’s roster for coach Mark Thomas, who is in his 26th season with the Blue Devils.

“We were banking more on our freshman class last year being more ready than they were,” Thomas said. “But looking back, they gave us all they could. To put together wins at the end of the year like they did, that put some positives on the season. They could have quit, but they didn’t.”

The Blue Devils return 12 players from last year’s squad.  They return six of their top eight scorers, of which three are now sophomores, and seven players who started at least eight games.

Schoeder started off with a strong season, but was out after 13 games due to a leg injury. Schoeder returns, but not at full strength, Thomas said.

"I am proud of Sami for pushing herself in practice," Thomas said. "We will have to be careful with her as to where we will fit her in. She is doing everything, but just not at full speed. But Sami at three-quarter speed still helps us. She is such a smart player."

Schoeder averaged a team-best 9.8 points and pulled down 3.8 rebounds, second on the team.

Rawdon and Windt started all 25 games, the only players to hold that distinction last season.

Rawdon, a forward, averaged 9.4 points and was the team leader in rebounds with 5.8.

Windt, a guard, while not quite as prolific, was, and is, the glue, along with Rawdon, that holds the Blue Devils together.

"Whitney and Kayla have done a good job getting themselves ready to play," Thomas said, "but they are also able to challenge their teammates."

Windt led the team in assists last season and trailed only Rawdon in steals. Windt finished with 37 steals to Rawdon's 46.

As freshmen last year, Katelynne Folkers (So, Fall Creek), Brea Boomer (So, Grand Portage, Minn) and Shelby Sterba (So, Tony) each took on starting roles at different points in the season.

Folkers, a guard, started 16 games throughout the season and averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds after being thrust into Schoeder's role.

"Katelynne has gotten a lot stronger," Thomas said. "She is more prepared this year than what we forced her into last season."

Sterba earned 11 starts until injury forced her to the bench for several games midway through the season. A 6-foot forward, Sterba averaged 12 minutes per contest, averaging 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds.

Boomer came on at the end of the season, earning 10 starts at forward to close the season and averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Thomas has seen marked improvements in both Nicki Alexander (So, Wabasha, Minn) and Haley Froehlich (So, Mondovi). While neither notched a start last year, both came off the bench in nearly every game, Alexander in all 25 games and Froehlich in 23.

Rachel Hanley (Jr, Birchwood), one of only two juniors this season, saw considerable time at the point guard last year.

"We are counting on her to make good decisions with the ball," Thomas said. Hanley was second on the team in assists.

Freshman Ashley Deschamps (Duluth, Minn), while getting back to healthy, should see action at the point.

Katie Nickles (So, Braham, Minn), who saw the floor in about half the games last year at forward, is proving to be "more guard than forward" Thomas said.

Newcomers Emily Blaisius (Fr, River Falls) and Alex Fosse (Fr, Stillwater, Minn) look to work into the lineup.

Alexa Belanger (So, Hudson) and Caitlin Coombs (So, Alma) saw limited time last year, with Coombs earning three starts early in the season and looking to work in underneath.

With the assistance of several of the veterans, Thomas expects freshmen Maygan Mitchell (Ettrick) and Stephanie Kastens (Wausau) to come along and contribute quality minutes underneath.

"We are better than we were last year," Thomas said. "Does that mean we will win more games? We will have a better product on the floor.

"We will have our moments when you will wonder what sport we are playing, but we will have fewer of those moments."

"I think we will play harder, faster, longer," Thomas said. "We are more mature, more settled in, more ready."

2011-12 Season Preview | Leader-Telegram complete story

By Justin Harings Leader-Telegram staff

MENOMONIE (November 11, 2011) - This isn’t a surprise. But it will be a challenge.

For now, rebuilding continues within the UW-Stout women’s basketball program. Any forward movement must be made without seniors, expectedly absent from a team hoping to return to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

“We’re really, really young,” coach Mark Thomas said. “We’re going to have to try to overcome that lack of that class by bringing in a good freshman class. We really like what we’re seeing so far. It’s just — they’re really, really green.”

Thomas, entering his 25th season as the winningest coach in conference history, didn’t have any juniors on his roster last season. Now, he has added 13 freshmen to a team that returns three starters after finishing 10-15 overall and, at 5-11, missing the six-team conference tournament last season.

The Blue Devils, who open their season against Crown College on Tuesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse, are not bereft of experience. Still, some of those youngsters will be asked to make an immediate impact while the returning starters — Sami Schoeder, Whitney Rawdon and Kayla Windt — take the lead.

“They’re working hard for us,” Thomas said. “They’re learning. They’re trying everything we’re throwing at them.”

Schoeder, the team’s top returner, is poised to become one of the league’s biggest threats as a sophomore. The 5-foot-6 guard from Durand averaged 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds while starting all 25 games as a freshman last season.

Thomas said Schoeder, a versatile wing, got stronger in the offseason to keep from wearing down during the WIAC grind.

“Sami obviously has a great skill set,” Thomas said. “She’s a great competitor. She’s just fierce out there. Winning is the reason she plays, which you love about a kid. And then her basketball IQ is very good. She picks things up quick.”

Rawdon, an Eau Claire North graduate who averaged 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, will lead a group of forwards otherwise filled with newcomers. Likely on a by-committee approach, they’ll work to replace the production of leading scorer and rebounder Tricia VanVreede, who averaged 11.7 points and 6.1 boards last season.

The Blue Devils also will need a new point guard after Kimmy Keehr, a two-year starter, decided not to come out for her junior season. Rachel Hanley, a 5-foot-6 sophomore who backed up Keehr last season, could see those minutes.

Windt, also a two-year starter at guard, returns as one of three juniors. Beyond that, Thomas is working in three freshmen at the point — Altoona’s Bethany Reyzer, Courtney Hayford and Fall Creek’s Katelynne Folkers. Reyzer won a WIAA Division 3 state title at Altoona. Folkers, who’s 5-foot-8 and also plays on the wing, gives the Blue Devils a taller option.

“All three of them will be on the floor a lot,” said Thomas, whose career record stands at 414-227.

Eleva native Ronnie Moltzau, a transfer guard with freshman eligibility, could handle the ball and help out on the perimeter. Jill Tichy, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, should contribute as a swing player who can rebound. Haley Froehlich, a Mondovi native, and Shannon Campbell — both freshmen — are expected to be in the mix as the season progresses.

When it’s over, Thomas hopes his team can snag one of those six spots in the WIAC tournament.

“If we can muster up a fourth-place finish, I think that’d be a great accomplishment for this group,” he said. “That five-, six-hole is something we can realistically hang our hat on and go after. By the end of the year, if we can get into the tournament, you just never know.”
BLUE DEVILS FEATURE A YOUNG TEAM IN 2010-11

When veteran UW-Stout women’s basketball coach Mark Thomas calls his 2010-11 team green, he is not talking about the eco system.

“We have got a group that is pretty green, pretty inexperienced,” said Thomas, who is entering his 24th season at the helm of the Blue Devils. “We are very inexperienced, but we hope to gain valuable experience by Christmas time. We can sneak out a few wins, then get tougher after Christmas. I want to build for the end of the season.”

The Blue Devils, which finished last year at 16-11 overall and 10-6 in the WIAC, good for a third place tie, have a preseason roster that consists of four seniors, no juniors, nine sophomores and eight freshmen.

Stout lost to graduation four seniors that were named to the 2009-10 all-WIAC team, including WIAC player of the year and two-time All-American Julia Hirssig. Along with Megan Maslowski, Kim Stokke and Danielle DeWitt, Hirssig and her fellow seniors accounted for 72 percent of the team’s scoring and 65 percent of the team’s rebounding.

“We lost four players that pretty much dominated the statistical categories, including minutes played,” Thomas said. “When we lost those four, I thought who is going to score for us, how will we handle the boards and who will be the stopper on defense?”

The Blue Devils return starting guard Kayla Windt (So, Pence) and Kimmy Keehr (So, Spring Valley). Windt started 26 of the 27 games last year at the No. 3 guard spot and Keehr started 23 games as the point guard.

“These two have lots of experience,” Thomas said. “You can tell that both Kayla and Kimmy have a year of experience behind them. They both know what it takes to play in this league.”

“Kayla will have to be our defensive stopper,” Thomas said, “and Kimmy is going to go more to the basket.”

Four seniors will look to leave an impression on the program during their final year of collegiate basketball.

Tricia VanVreede (Sr, Little Chute), Brittany Gerber (Sr, Bruce) and Alisha Todd (Sr, Farmington, Minn) return to the Blue Devils, while Gretta Layman (Sr, Chippewa Falls) transferred from NCAA Division II Minnesota State, Mankato.

VanVreede has played in every game the past two years and the majority of games her freshman year. Thomas believes VanVreede will step up her game this season.

“Tricia has worked hard at her game and is coming back in great shape,” Thomas said. “She has always been behind the spotlight. Now, she it is her turn to be in the spotlight.”

The 6-foot VanVreede averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds last season and will combine with the 6-foot, 2-inch Layman in the post.

“We will need Gretta to get up to speed,” Thomas said, “and it will take her a few games to get there, but together with Tricia, we should be okay.”

Gerber, a 1000-point scorer in high school, has been hampered throughout her college career by injury and illness, but is healthy, Thomas said.

“Brittany has worked hard over the summer and has improved her quickness and strength,” Thomas said.

Todd is recovering from a preseason injury and is expected to be ready to go after Christmas.

Sami Schoeder (Fr, Durand) is expected to play at the No. 2 guard spot and appears to be ready to step into the role, Thomas said.

“Sami is college-ready to play, physically, emotionally, mentally,” Thomas said. “She has not been intimidated by us (the coaching staff) challenging her to play like a junior.”

Whitney Rawdon (So, Eau Claire) and Heather Byl (So, Amery) join Layman as one of three transfers that will don the navy and white this year.

Rawdon is a forward who played at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State and will have a presence in the outside game as well as underneath.

“Whitney brings a very solid presence to the team with some experience and excellent skills both inside and out and has a very good feel for the game,” Thomas said. “She is strong, so she can withstand the physical nature of the game around the basket. Whitney is very nifty with the ball and plays with confidence.”

A guard, Byl played a year at Hamline University. Byl was a 1000-point scorer in high school and four-time all-conference player.

Other returners include: Amanda Daleiden (So, Plum City), Jessika Smith (So, Onalaska), Miranda Speckel (So, Buffalo, Minn), Amy Van Hulzen (So, Brooklyn Park, Minn) and Janice Reeves (So, Stratford).

Daleiden will play at the 2 or 3 guard spot, Thomas said. The coach said the staff is pushing Daleiden hard.

“Amanda is a good rebounder with a nose for the ball,” Thomas said. “She has been scoring well in practice.”

Smith, a member of the UW-Stout track team as a sprinter and jumper, will work her way into a defensive role and will be especially involved when the game opens up. Van Hulzen is a very good finisher around the basket, Thomas said, and will back up Rawdon. Speckel saw limited action last year and Reeves will return to the lineup second semester.

Thomas expects to see progress out of his freshman class of Rachel Hanley (Minong), Alexa Herasimchuk (Whitefish Bay), Jill Tichy (Excelsior, Minn), Keyanna Mirbaghri (Champlin, Minn), Aspen Marleau (Deer River, Minn), and Hayley Pirsig (Blue Earth, Minn).

Hanley is expected to back up Keehr at point guard. Herasimchuk and Tichy bring size to the perimeter and are very athletic, Thomas said. Mirbaghri will play at the point and the other guard spots and will continue to get stronger.

“We are trying to throw them at our front line players to get them some experience,” Thomas said.

While this team is more than 50 percent first year Blue Devils, Thomas is pleased with the chemistry he sees in the team.

“While this group is young, I do like what I see,” said Thomas, “and what I like is they are all good friends. They hang out together. We have something to build with.”

Thomas also likes what he sees on the court.

“I like the versatility we have to move people around,” Thomas said. “We have lots of options. With the number of guards we have, we will be able to match up with the type of game we are in.”

After six straight seasons with at least one All-American (Julia Hirssig and Kelsey Duoss) on the roster, the Blue Devils face the year with no superstar returning. Thomas is starting to see how this team will respond.

“This team will try to create their own identity,” Thomas said. “Right now, we have 11 to 12 players that are equal in ability. If all 11 to 12 players play at their highest ability, we will have a good team.

“I like the unselfishness in this team. I don’t think we will have too many people who will be high on the individual WIAC statistics lists. But we want to fill up the team stats categories.”

“We will see after 25 games where we are at,” Thomas said.

The Blue Devils open the season when they host NCAA Division II St. Cloud State, Monday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Stout will then travel to the Ripon College Tournament to play host Ripon College and Edgewood College, Nov. 19-20.
 



2009-10: Blue Devils to benefit from senior leadership

In terms of experience, the 2009-10 UW-Stout’s women’s basketball team is shaped like an hour glass.

The Blue Devils, who finished last season at 16-11 overall, 10-6 in the WIAC, have five seniors and 13 freshmen. In the middle classes, Stout is sporting three juniors and one sophomore.

Coach Mark Thomas sits on the top in terms of experience. Entering his 23rd year as the Blue Devils’ head coach, Thomas is very pleased with the senior class and is looking for some good things from his freshman class.

Four of the seniors have either been starting or receiving a good deal of playing time since their freshmen seasons.

“These are four experienced players,” Thomas said, “and they are where I was hoping they were going to be with their game. They are everything we expect out of our experienced players.”

In the senior class, the Blue Devils return two-time all-conference and second team All-America forward Julia Hirssig (Rochester, Minn), forward Megan Maslowski (Marshfield), swing player Danielle DeWitt (Green Bay) and guard Kim Stokke (Menomonie). Stacy Bush (Hills, Minn) rounds out the senior class.

Hirssig, Stokke and Maslowski started just about every game last season and played more than 20 minutes per game. DeWitt came off the bench to provide a spark and averaged 16 minutes.

“These four are motivated,” Thomas said. “They were freshman on that 2007 team that won the conference championship. They not only were freshmen, but they played and contributed. They know what it takes.

“These four kids are championship quality players.”

Since playing under the shadow of two-time All-American Kelsey Duoss during her freshman year, Hirssig has earned a larger role each season and has made her presence known more each season. As a freshman, she averaged 7.4 points. She emerged from relative obscurity during her sophomore year, averaging 16.1 points. Hiding no longer, Hirssig upped the ante last season by averaging 18.9 points and 10.7 rebounds.

“I don’t know how she is going to improve off last season,” Thomas said, “but Julia is physically stronger, faster, quicker and in great shape. She has not lost her nose for the ball and wants to grab every rebound in the gym.”

In addition, Thomas believes Hirssig has improved her mental game.
“Julia is not satisfied where she is at,” Thomas said. “She is the hardest worker in the gym. She just plain hustles. She is really focused and making sure her last year is her best year.”

Maslowski is classified by Thomas as “the team rock.”

“Megan is all business when she steps on the floor,” Thomas said. “She is intense, but she has a calming influence on the team. Megan is a good passer and can feed the ball to the post. She doesn’t try to do everything herself.”

Stokke is in her second year as a starter and her attitude can carry the Blue Devils a long ways.

“Kim has a great, competitive spirit,” Thomas said. “We depend on Kim out on the perimeter. She must help us to handle the ball when we are pressed.

“She has been working so hard. I hope that she can get recognized for that when the season is over.”

DeWitt has been the Blue Devils’ sixth player for the past couple of years, able to swing between guard and forward.

“Danielle likes to mix it up,” Thomas said. “We don’t always know what will happen. She brings a lot to the table. She can shoot the 3-pointer or she can go to the rim.”

DeWitt is the team’s top returning 3-point shooter. Last season she drained 20-of-52 long range bombs for 38.5 percent.

Bush, the Blue Devils’ fifth senior, didn’t see a lot of minutes, but was an experienced player from her two years at Minnesota West Community College, earning all league honors.

Tricia VanVreede (Jr, Little Chute) has returned as a more focused player, Thomas said. VanVreede came off the bench last year to average 6.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.

“We need Tricia to keep progressing,” Thomas said. “She has enough game in her to knock down the 16-foot shot and take it to the rim.”

Guards Alisha Todd (Jr, Farmington, Minn), Brittney Gerber (Jr, Exeland) and Cody VanDenHeuvel (So, Cadott) have seen the ins-and-outs of the WIAC.

All three returning underclass guards will figure somewhere into the mix with a slew of freshmen guards – Kayla Windt (Pence), Kayla Crowley (McFarland), Kimmy Keehr (Spring Valley), Lauren Demski (Waukesha), Janice Reeves (Stratford), Amanda Daleiden (Maiden Rock), Jessika Smith (Onalaska), Miranda Speckel (Buffalo, Minn), and Brittany Myers (Glenwood City).

“It’s been a while since we have had this big a freshman class,” Thomas said.

Early in the preseason, Thomas still wasn’t sure who his point guard would be, but he was looking at Crowley, Keehr, Demski and Todd. The variety gives Thomas more options.

“Some can fly around, and some are more, true quarterback-type point guards,” Thomas said. “I really like that situation.”

Windt, Reeves, Deleiden, VanDenHuevel, Bush, Gerber and Smith give Thomas another chance at variety at the No. 2 guard opposite Stokke.

“One night it will be one player, the other night, a different one,” Thomas said. “It all depends on the pace of the game. That will dictate who gets in.”

The perimeter game can also open up with the use of Henning, Myers and Speckel.

With the senior post players performing at a higher level, the younger post players will get a chance to observe, but will also see playing time.

Amy Van Hulzen (Fr, Brooklyn Park, Minn), Lizzy Slovensky (Fr, Wisconsin Rapids) and Carlyse Fuhrer (Fr, Kenosha) will all see action on the floor.

“I hope these three can learn a lot from the older girls,” Thomas said.

The Blue Devils don’t get a lot of time to sort through things in practice. Just over two weeks after practice officially started, Stout travels to Marquette University in Milwaukee in an exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 31. The NCAA Division I Golden Eagles went to the third round of the WNIT last season and two years ago won the tournament.

While the Marquette game does not count in the standings, their opener will when they travel to NCAA Division II St. Cloud State on Sunday, Nov. 15. Stout will play either St Benedict or Wartburg College in their own tournament over Thanksgiving weekend and will play highly rated Trinity University of Texas and Mary-Hardin Baylor at the Trinity Tournament a few days after Christmas.

Then, of course, there are the always tough Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) schools.

“If you want success in our league,” Thomas said, “you have to play at a high level, and our schedule is really challenging.”