MILWAUKEE -- Alverno College is coming off of a record year in women's basketball, but a solid group of returners and a talented incoming class will heighten expectations this upcoming season.
"We hope last year was a step in the right direction," Alverno head coach Brad Duckworth said. "I thought last year's team did a nice job of setting a number of records, but to be honest, the bar wasn't set all that high."
Duckworth inherited the program in 2007, which was coming off its worst season on record at 2-23 and winless in the 13-member Northern Athletics Conference. The team improved to 5-20 (1-17 NAC) in his first season the helm, and then set a school-record for wins with an 11-14 overall mark last year.
"We were 11-14, which is a good year, but not what we think is a great year," Duckworth said. "At least it's not where we felt we belong. We have a lot of work to do to come off of last year, and I don't look at 11 wins as the ceiling; I look at it as a step."
The Inferno, picked fifth in the NAC South Division according to the coaches' preseason poll, finished fifth last season at 6-12 in conference. But Duckworth expects much more of his team.
"Preseason predictions don't mean anything, but it shows some respect. When I first came here we were picked last by quite a bit, the next year we were picked sixth, and this year picked fifth. I think we're going to let our play stand for itself. We have a great team, and fifth would not be good enough--we belong in the tournament. If that’s where the coaches pick us, we have to prove them wrong, again."
The Inferno lost three seniors, all starters, who are among the all-time leaders in many categories in the Alverno record book, but five returners who all saw extended playing time will lead the group of talented newcomers.
Lisa Sorgi and Gabby Allen should continue to lead the Inferno in scoring again this season and may even see improved numbers with the additional scoring threats on the team, taking some pressure off of the two.
Sorgi (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield), the team's leading scorer at 14.6 points per contest, is the team's lone senior on the roster. She was an honorable mention All-NAC selection in 2008, and will become the program's first 1,000 point scorer with 933 already in the books. Sorgi was also second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game in 2008-09.
"Everything we do starts with Lisa," Duckworth said. "Lisa has brought her personality to this year's team. We're a very hardworking, go 100-percent, want to win more than anything team, and that's what Lisa is. She's one of the hardest working people and best competitors I've ever coached."
Allen (Milwaukee, Wis./Bay View) is the team's second leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, and has surpassed the 500 point mark after two seasons with the Inferno. Her 18 blocks led the team and was also among league leaders.
"Time flies," Duckworth said. "Gabby was the first recruit we brought in when I took over in 2007, and now she's a junior. She's the fastest guard I've ever coached, and I look for big things from her. She started at the one position for two years and lived through the growth. For a junior there couldn't be anyone more experienced there."
Sophomore guard Alicia Kontowski (South Milwaukee, Wis.), who started in four games last season, will look to fill that role full-time in 2009-10. She was the team's top scoring threat from behind the arc, nailing 36 3-pointers at 30 percent accuracy. This summer Kontowski was fortunate enough to play on an American all-star team which toured Italy that Duckworth coached. The all-star team won the tournament championship game by two where she scored nine points and had the game saving defensive rebound with 7 seconds remaining.
"She grew up a little bit over there in terms of the basketball floor and she learned how to defend better," Duckworth said. "She's a great shooter and one of our best passers."
Juniors Ashley Dettman (Milwaukee, Wis./Thomas More) and Sherquila Riley (Milwaukee, Wis./Washington) round out the returners.
"Sherquila gave us big minutes at times off the bench," Duckworth said. "She's worked on her game this summer, and it has shown this preseason. She's more under control, a better shooter, and has really good speed, which she's always had.
"Ashley was named a co-captain along with Lisa and Gabby. You couldn't ask for somebody to do the right things more than Ashley does. She's always in the right spot and always does the things she needs to do and does them well."
Dettman started six times and was one of only three Inferno to play in every game last season (Kontowski and graduate Bre Miller). She averaged almost 19 minutes a game where she amassed 42 rebounds, 17 assists and 15 steals.
Two transfers, junior Shataya McComb (Kingston, N.Y.) and sophomore Amber Meka (Caledonia, Wis./Thomas More), lead a class of seven newcomers who will provide immediate impact to the team. Both players will play guard spots for the Inferno.
McComb, who just completed her career at Delhi State University of New York, will provide a spark of energy coming off the bench without any loss of production in terms of scoring, passing and intensity. She averaged 18.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.5 steals per game for Delhi State where she was named first team All-Mountain Valley Conference and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) second team All-Region.
"Shataya has a different role for us, but I look for her to do great things," Duckworth said. "We don't need 19 a game from her. She's a pure athlete, as her stats would show, and she has a good basketball mind. We have a lot of talent in our first five, which doesn't mean Shataya couldn't be there, she's just going to give us a spark off the bench.
"It's a tough transition. She's going from being 'Ms. Everything' and had to do everything, to fitting in with the chemistry of the team. She has a lot of good teammates around her now and she's working hard in that transition and is going to be a big impact for us."
Meka comes to Alverno after a season with conference foe Aurora University, the favorite to win the NAC South.
"She plays with great poise and I'm pleased to have Amber," Duckworth said. "It's nice to have someone who has seen the conference, and brings a different perspective to our program. Aurora was a conference tournament team, so she's seen what a tournament game feels like. They beat us twice last year, so she brings a different point of view of what it takes to beat our own team, which has been interesting. Amber's going to do a lot for us, though it may not always show in the stats."
This year's freshmen class brings something the program hasn't seen recently--size. Rachel Diedrich, a 6-3 center from Two Rivers, Wis., and Kaitlin Schaeren, a 6-1 post player from New Berlin, Wis. (West), give the Inferno a much needed presence in the post.
"Rachel is probably the best post player that has ever been recruited to play at Alverno College," Duckworth said. "She gives us an opportunity to score down low, and that's something we haven't had. She's a big presence, and if you look at the formula that's winning in the conference, you have to have a big post down low that can change shots, make shots and rebound.
"We call Kaitlin the 'Sponge.' The reason for that is she listens and takes in everything the coaching staff tells her. We haven't seen a bigger growth of a player in three weeks. She's been a really good surprise for us."
Three freshman guards round out the Inferno roster, Marissa Christjohn (Milwaukee, Wis./Thomas More), Kelsey Kochanowski (Oak Creek, Wis.), and Kayla Kennedy (Trempealeau, Wis./G-E-T). All three are also members of the soccer team, which just completed a record-setting season. Duckworth believes that their athleticism will aid in the team's pace change.
"They have changed the tempo of Alverno basketball. These three freshmen, who have played soccer, are so incredibly fast. Marissa is a smart, hardnosed player. She's a good defender with great instincts. Kayla has much speed, she can fly! It's scary sometimes how fast she is. She can get to the rim and is a good defender, but is really working hard to be a better jump shooter."
Kochanowski has quickly made her presence known, as she will crack the starting lineup in her first season.
"In 14 years of coaching, I'm not sure if I've coached a freshman this ready," Duckworth said. "Kelsey's already a leader, she's a great communicator, she's a great shooter and a great slasher. It feels like we have a junior guard out there next to Gabby."
Duckworth will certainly need the newcomers to be ready, as they play a tough nonconference schedule. Alverno has only two nonconference home games on the schedule, versus Lawrence University and Mount Mary College, and takes on really tough competition in four road games in two tournaments. Set games in the tournament are against hosts Lake Forest College and UW-La Crosse, Duckworth's alma mater, and UW-Superior. While potential opponents are Loras College and NAC foe Concordia University Wisconsin, the 2009 North Division and tournament champs.
"We have a tough schedule this year, but that's design, we have a tough team," Duckworth said. "We're not going to duck anybody. We believe our program is to a spot where we need to compete with these teams."
The season opens for the Inferno On Tuesday, Nov. 17, as they host Lawrence, with Duckworth's former assistant coach Marcus Heidorf leading the Vikings.
"Lawrence will be ready for us," Duckworth said. "Marcus will not roll over and give us a win. That's going to be a tough one."
Goals and expectations are set higher than ever before. Last season's success proves the returners can exceed expectations, but time will tell if the newcomers will have as big of an impact as expected.
"Our goal is to represent the South Division in the NAC tournament. We believe that we belong in the tournament, and we don't just belong there, we believe we should do some damage there."
