Girls basketball team aims for a season of improvement

It happens long before the warm ups come off and before the national anthem screeches through the speakers. It starts before the sweat begins to beam off foreheads and before the starting lineup is announced. It happens before the first whistle is blown or the jump ball is thrown. It begins as soon as the girls basketball team enters the gym, they are constantly striving to get better.

That’s the motto for the girls basketball team as they enter the season. After going 7-15 and 2-7 in the O-K Red conference last year, the girls got nothing left to do but improve.

“I don’t think that there’s any targets on our back,” head coach Katie Kowalczyk-Fulmer said. “We don’t have any championships to defend, coming off of last year. It’s a new year.”

Only returning four players from last year’s squad, the team looks to gel while working towards becoming a better team than last year.

“I’m confident,” junior post Lynn Olthoff said. “ We’ve been working really well together and have good chemistry.”

Olthoff returns to the court after an injury laden sophomore season. Also returning for the Bucs is seniors Lauren Strong and Courtney Hylok who look to bring intensity and leadership to this youthful team as well as senior Hanna Rinkevicz who Kowalczyk commented as, “a rebound waiting to happen”.

Last year the Bucs lost ten games by four points or less.

“We’re in every game,” Kowalczyk said. “We just couldn’t get over that hump.”

The team is hopeful that the addition of new players as well as strong returning players will change that. Newcomers include; freshman Allison Keyser, who will take over the reigns at point guard after the graduation of current Davenport player, Amanda Merz. Sophomores Alexia Bowhuis, Autumn Buikema and Sophia Mariani will also be valuable players along with junior Andrea Shumaker, who was a district call-up from last year, adds energy to the team offensively and defensively.

But with a youthful team also comes inexperience. A tough conference and district stand in the team’s way of a successful season.

“Our biggest challenge is that our conference is hard,” Shumaker said, “We have a young team.”

The OK-Red will be the toughest challenge this season for the developing Bucs. Hudsonville, who won the conference last year, returns almost their entire roster, while East Kentwood, who started three freshman last year, will continue to be a physical opponent. And Rockford, well, Rockford’s always tough.

“Hudsonville returns a three year varsity center,” Kowalczyk said, “You know we don’t have that, we’re just young.

The Bucs started their season off strong with a 46-32 win over Traverse City West. Kowalczyk is confident that their team’s ability to work together will give them an advantage over the tough experienced teams.

“I really like this group of kids thus far,” Kowalczyk said. “They seem to have chemistry. Good chemistry helps win games.”