“Is there really one?” Bishop said. “I’d like to think there wasn’t. I’ve never heard of one; hopefully that doesn’t happen.”

Bishop accumulated a 26-5 record as a freshman with a 1.22 earned run average and struck out 224 batters, holding teams to a .198 batting average. She was named MIAA player of the week three times, MIAA Freshman of the Year and was named First Team All-MIAA after the season. She threw two no hitters, including one in the first ever game played at the Spring Sports Complex. Coach Jen Bagley expects her super-sophomore to build on the great start to her Missouri Western career.

“I need Jackie to do at the very minimum what she did last year,” Bagley said. “It’s difficult being a freshman and coming back for your sophomore year as a pitcher because now everybody in our conference has a scouting report on what she throws. Everybody is trying to figure out how to pick her lock.”

Bishop’s strongest pitches are her rise ball and curve ball, but she has been focusing on adding pitches to her repertoire to make sure that she isn’t predictable to hitters that she saw last season. She knows that she won’t surprise anyone this season.

“Since everyone faced me last year, I’m going to have to mix my pitches up better and throw some extra pitches, throw lower since I threw a lot of high stuff last year,” Bishop said. “Just a better pitch selection.”

The Griffons lost senior starting pitcher Jonnelle Belger off last season’s team. Belger played a big role in showing Bishop the ropes and countering her on the mound.

“She is probably one of the best mentors a person could have coming into their freshman year,” Bishop said. “She really is one of my best friends; she was a great pitcher and a great leader. She helped me out a lot.”

Despite the loss of Belger, Bagley expects the additions of junior college transfers Emily Moe and Annalee Rubio to help take the pressure off of Bishop.

“I think she feels more pressure. I don’t feel like we need to put more pressure on her because she is surrounded by two other strong pitchers,” Bagley said. “I hope she feels some comfort in that and doesn’t feel like the needs to be the one. We don’t need her to be the one, we need her to be Jackie, and we will make sure we do our job on the other side of the ball and score enough runs. “

Bishop’s team goals for the season are for the team to win the MIAA conference and make regionals.

“For myself, I just want to stay positive out on the field and help my team get as many wins as we can get,” Bishop said.

Dance is a foreign student, but there is nothing foreign about her game. She is the softball team’s leading home run hitter this year with 11. She also leads the team in RBI’s. Her hitting skills started to develop at a young age, when she was introduced to the game.

“I was introduced to the game at 11,” Dance said. “My teacher, by the name of Peter Kenny, was the one who did.”

Dance relocated to the U.S. in the year 2007 because they did not offer softball in Australia like they do in the United States. She originally went to Iowa Western Community College before transferring to Missouri Western.

Her hitting there was like a coming out party because she hit 22 home runs her sophomore season at the college. This good season gave her the extra boost to be able to join the Western softball team.

Toni Dance is a senior starter for the softball team. She has 11 home runs for the team this season.

Dance has a lot of different experiences in her life because she can say that she has lived in two countries her lifetime.

There are differences in the way Australia does things compared the United States. Some of the different things are how they do healthcare, how the people are and the price of living.

“College here is easier compared to back at home,” Dance said. “The assignments are easier and the grading is easier too, here.”

The relationships with people are stronger in the U.S., according to Dance, and that is what she likes about being here. Friends mean a lot to her and she is thankful for her strong friendships. Dance said that the people are nicer though back home in Australia. The scenery is also another advantage of her home country. However, Dance said that there are things that she likes about both countries, so her decision is even about her thoughts on which country is better.

Dance is a senior this year and her time at Missouri Western is coming to an end. What makes matter worse is that she is currently out with an injury that has kept her sidelined for weeks. The injury is a strain of the medius muscliet. This injury happened when she attempted to catch a fly ball. She is very disappointed of her injury, but is not letting it stop her from helping her teammates.

“I have never sat out a game until this year throughout my whole career and it was heart breaking,” Dance said. “Even though I’m out I still help them with their swings, collect balls when they are doing hitting practice and catch for coach.”

The Griffons improved to 27-8 on the season and 7-1 in MIAA conference play.

Coach Jen Bagley stressed offense to her team before the game.

“We talked before the game that we needed to really take our offense seriously and make sure that we are having good at bats.” Bagley said. “We needed to start building as we are going into the more weighty party of our conference schedule.

Kim Robinson throws a ball in from the outfield.

Coming fresh off of a no hitter, freshman Jackie Bishop took the mound in
game one and started right where she left off by striking out three in the first inning.

Things started well for the Griffon offense when Lincoln walked Ashley Hudson, the
first batter.

Hudson advanced to second on a single by Maegan Roemmich and then stole third and scored on an error by the catcher. The Griffons led 1-0 after the first inning of play.

The score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Brittany Douglas singled with the bases loaded and score Leah Steele.

After a series of wild pitches that allowed the Griffons to add another run, Keri Lorbert singled and drove in Hudson and Roemmich.

The score was 5-0 Western after five.

Western added one run in the sixth off of a Robinson double that scored Taylor Anding and another in the seventh off of a Blair Stalder single that drove in Douglas, making the score 7-0.
Bishop continued her phenominal play by striking out eight batters and giving up two hits on the day. She improved her record to 16-2 with an earned run average of .88.

Jonnelle Belger took the mound in game two and the Lady Blue Dragons had no answer, failing to score their only run until the fifth inning and only getting four hits.

“When our hitters produce runs like that it makes the pitchers job really easy because you aren’t pitching tentatively.” Belger said.

Similar to game one, Hudson crossed home plate to put the Griffons up 1-0. Roemmich batted her in with a single to right field.

“The team is starting to hit a lot better and everyone had a lot more confidence at the plate.” Roemmich said. “We played really well as a team so it was nice to bring it all together.”

Western scored three runs in the third inning. Douglas scored on a wild pitch and then Leah Steele singled to center field to drive in Anding and Lorbert.

The Griffon lead was 5-0 after three.
Hudson’s home seventh run of the year started off the scoring for Western in the fourth inning. The Griffons scored three more runs off of a three run homer by Lorbert..

Bishop dominated the game from start to finish, going seven strong innings and striking out 11 on her way to her no-hitter.

“I didn’t even know that I had one going; it’s probably a good thing I didn’t know though,” Bishop said.

Western’s offense was not as potent as it has been in the past few weeks, but the Griffons were able to find just enough offense from a few key players to get the win.
Leah Steele started the scoring when she batted in a run in the second inning. Steele belted an RBI single to bring Adelaide Quaney, who was pinch running for Keri Lorbert, across the plate and give Bishop an insurance run.

The Griffon infield huddle around pitcher Jonelle Belger before the inning starts.

The second run of the contest scored when Michelle Stevenson singled home Blair Stalder after a leadoff double in the fourth inning.

“We faced some slower pitching in the game and was throwing our hitters off on their timing a little bit,” head coach Jen Bagley said.

Keri Lorbert was able to deliver the first hit in Spring Sports Complex history for softball as she singled in the second inning to lead things off.

“It feels good to get the hit, at the time I wasn’t really thinking about it.” Lorbert said. “Now that I think about it, it is pretty cool.”

Game 2

The Griffon softball team took on Southwest Baptist Bearcats in game two of a double header Monday at the Spring Sports Complex.

Jonnelle Belger improved her record to 10-5 on the year by pitching a complete game and only allowing only one hit for the entire game as the Griffons came away with a 4-0 win.

“Today I was able to focus on the things that I needed to work on,” said Belger.

The Griffons scored two runs in the first inning off of four walks and a wild pitch.  Maegan Roemmich and Ashley Hudson scored the runs.

The game stayed at 2-0 all the way until the bottom of the sixth inning when Michelle Stevenson singled to center field, driving in two runs and giving the Griffons a 4-0 lead.
Pitching saved the day for the Griffons, as the offense was only able to come up with three hits.

“Our bats did not come out like they needed to,” Bagley said. “They were throwing a lot of balls that kept us off balance.”

Belger said that she wasn’t concerned with the Griffons lack of run support.

“I think we will always produce runs,” Belger said.  “I just focus on doing my job because I know they will do theirs.”

With the win the Griffons improve to 5-1 in conference play, something that Bagley says is important.

“There is not a lot of room for error with all the good teams in this conference,” Bagley said. “The loss at Washburn was tough, but we got our momentum back and Hays and kept it going today.”
Western improved their record to 25-8 on the season.

The Griffons continue to stay consistent, playing inspired softball. Western played two games against Southern Arkansas and then two games against Henderson State, winning them all in great fashion. The team stays determined to play great defense and to keep improving offensively. Western has now won six straight games and has been playing as team. Western has had plenty of help from their talented outfielder, Toni Dance.

“The games this weekend were a great show of team work,” Dance said. “We hit the ball as a team, which showed with the high scoring outcomes.”

The players all seemed to come together as if they had something to prove. Their last loss was against the University of Arkansas-Monticello who was ranked 13th in the nation. The Griffons got plenty of help from the pitchers, only allowing four runs in the four game span. Ashley Hudson has noticed the consistent play of teammates that the team has used that as motivation to continue winning and playing great softball.

“It was a group effort; there wasn’t just one or a few key players,” Hudson said. “We worked really hard, worked together and sought out the rewards for it and I am proud of the team work this weekend and group effort that allowed us to be successful.”

The Griffons were highly motivated to play well and Hudson said head coach Jen Bagley provided a little extra motivation or the players.
“We don’t get dessert unless we play well or win,” Hudson said. “We’re very motivated by that.”

Toni Dance added to Bagley’s unique motivation by saying, “Coach said she wouldn’t feed us.”

The entire Western team has really stepped it up as of late and the team has taken an emphasis on batting. The players have really stepped up to the challenge and players like Blair Stalder have really taken it on themselves to work hard and get better.

“Our goals were of course to win but also to string together hits. At times we’ll have good hits but they’re really only worth it if they score runs,” said Stalder “Coach Bagley also wanted to work on good at bats and not focus on getting a hit exactly. Good at bats will lead to hits.”

The Griffons (24-21) took on the Northwest Bearcats (21-18) on a very stormy Saturday afternoon, trying to payback for the 15-8 loss earlier in the season..

The first game was a story of simply getting the ball on the bat. The Griffons had a tough time getting hits, and when they did get hits they went right to the defense. The Griffons actually made contact 4 times compared to the Bearcats 2. Yet Northwest was able to capitalize and score their only run, which was the run to decide the game.
In the top of the fifth inning, two Griffons, Senior Becky Diehl and Junior Brittany Douglas collided, giving Diehl a concussion and Douglas a broken leg.

Carla Anderson pitches the ball during Western’s softball game last weekend. Photo | Sara Baum

Senior Allison Jones was also pitching a great game with no walks, four strike-outs, and two hits, on her way to her 69th complete game in her career.

All was going well for Missouri Western, until it had to rain on the seniors’ parade. The rest of the game was cancelled due to the rain causing the field to be un-playable and will be rescheduled.

After losing their first game of the double header, having two fellow team mates injured in a collision trying to make a play and having their second game rescheduled, senior Allison Jones didn’t let it ruin her senior day.

“The weather was pretty frustrating, but it being senior day it makes you realize how few games you have left,” Jones said.

The season isn’t over though. The Griffons are confident coming into the last stretch of games before conference play begins and hope to play their best softball during that time.

“I think we are very confident going into the last few games,” Jones said. “We have started to play one out at a time, one inning at a time, one game at a time. We are starting fresh and conference tourney is the perfect time to show everyone how we really play.”

Western knew coming into the game that they were going to have to shut down one of the best offenses in the conference in two games and were simply not able to. Errors and missed opportunities plagued the Griffons in both games of the double header.

After two first inning errors, the Griffons found themselves in an early 2-0 hole and were able to bounce back to load the bases in the bottom half of the inning.

Western left the bases loaded and weren’t able to push a run across until the fourth inning, but the Hornets already had a commanding 6-1 lead.

The lone bright spot of the first game for Western was Toni Dance blasting her sixth homerun of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning. Allison Jones was the losing pitcher in game one as she falls to 8-6 on the season.

Game two was another verse of the same song for Western, as they committed six errors that the Hornets never hesitated to jump on and take a 3-0 lead. After scoring a run in the second and third inning, the Griffons were able to cut the lead to one, but the errors hurt them again when two more errors allowed Emporia to extend their lead to 7-2 and eventually win the game 13-2.

Jonnelle Belger took the loss in the game, falling to 10-8 after giving up 11 hits and six earned runs as she struck out one batter.

“We were definitely hoping for more from JB in the second game, but we also have to be able to make plays behind her,” head coach Jen Bagley said.

The Griffons were never in the second game because of all the errors committed. Several were committed on routine ground balls.

“I think we just need to believe that we can play with the best of them and stop making so many mental mistakes in the field,” catcher Keri Lorbert said.

Western struggled with getting runners in to score also as they left 12 runners on base in the first game but they can take away a positive from the game. Western managed 11 hits against the 7th ranked Hornets.

“We just need to get stronger defensively and we will be just fine,” pitcher Jonnelle Belger said.

Western will need to improve their defense if they hope to make the regional tournament. The latest rankings showed the Griffons ranked ninth and they will need to finish strong their last 10 games to have a chance to make the tournament.

The Griffons will be in action again this weekend against Northwest and Nebraska-Omaha.

Senior Samantha Buchanan slides into the base but is just out. Western swept Lincoln in a double header this past weekend. Photo | Matt Fowler

“We got our legs under us this game and played well,” head coach Jen Bagley said.

The Griffons had 14 hits in the game and only three starters went without a hit. Left Fielder Toni Dance led the team with four runs batted in, as she went 2-3 on the day. On the mound, pitcher Allison Jones went five strong innings, giving up only three hits, zero walks and three strikeouts. Jones improved to (6-5) on the season.

In the other dugout pitcher Olivia Durrell had one of her worst games of the season, pitching four innings and surrendering 15 runs. She gave up four walks and managed to get three strikeouts and fell to (1-12) on the season. Left fielder Karen Plaster led Lincoln with two hits and third basemen Brenda Siegler had their only other hit. After this loss, Lincoln fell to (3-21) on the season and Missouri Western improved to (17-14).

In game two of the double-header Lincoln was able to keep it close, but still came up short and lost 3-0. The Griffons had five hits in this game, but once again were led by strong pitching. Lincoln managed one hit in this one from shortstop Jessica Moore.

Leading the way again was left fielder Toni Dance. She went 2-3 with one run batted in. Shortstop Ashley Hudson also had two hits in the game and second baseman Shannon Pivovar had Western’s only other hit.

“We are getting better at not leaving too many runners on base,” Bagley said.

The star of this game though was pitcher Carla Anderson. Anderson pitched all seven innings, giving up the one hit, with no walks and striking out one. Anderson improved her record to (3-3) on the year. Missouri Western improved to (18-14) on the season and Lincoln fell to (3-22).

Later on in the week Missouri Western won both games of a double header with Southwest Baptist, winning the first game 4-2 and the second game 7-2. Then on Saturday the Griffons split a double header with Central Missouri, winning the first game 12-2, but fell short in the second game 5-1. After a week full of games the Griffons now stand at (21-15) overall and (7-3) in the MIAA.

In the first game, the Griffons had no trouble runs as they beat Washburn 9-0 in five innings.

The Griffons had twelve hits in the game. Left fielder Toni Dance had three of them, which improved her batting average to .333.

Samantha Hudson and Toni Dance lead the team each driving in two runs. The Lady Blues just couldn’t figure out pitcher Jonnelle Belger, as they managed only hits in her complete game shutout.

Senior Sam Buchanan bunts the ball during Western’s double header against Washburn. The Griffons split the games 1-1. Photo Sara Baum

The Griffons started out on fire, scoring four runs in the first inning and then carried that momentum for the rest of the game. Jonnelle Belger improved to (6-6) on the year and lowered her era to 3.37. She was also able to get four strikeouts and gave up two walks. The Griffons improved to 13-10 and 1-0 in the MIAA.

Extra innings were needed in the second game of the double header, but the Griffons weren’t so lucky in this one, falling 3-1 to the Washburn Lady Blues.
The hot bats that the Griffons had in the first game fell cold in the second, as they were only able to come up with five hits.

Washburn pitcher Kayla Long pitched strong in this game, going seven innings, giving up the one earned run, with two walks and a strikeout. The one run came on a Toni Dance bomb over the left field wall.

“It’s just pretty much about having fun,” Dance said. “Sure, sometimes you’re just not seeing the ball, but if you’re not having fun then it doesn’t really work for you.”

There was very little action in the in the first three and a half innings of the game, as the two teams combined for just five hits and no runs. Western starter Allison Jones pitched strong, going seven innings but gave up the three runs over the last two innings.

“I felt like I pitched a lot better today,” Jones said. “I’ve been struggling and I felt like today was just a stepping stone to work my way back to the top.”

But Jones’s effort fell a little short. According to head coach Jen Bagley, the team’s inconsistent play was part of the reason for the loss.

“When you go out and beat a team 9-0 and then come back and lose 3-1 that speaks a lot to your team’s consistency,” Bagley said.

After this loss, the Griffons move to 13-11 and 1-1 in the MIAA. The Griffons will be back in action this Friday, April 2, in a double header against Fort Hays at 4 p.m.

This is the highest honor a student athlete can achieve at Missouri Western. It stands for leadership and having special qualities that most people only dream to possess.

Lindsey Predovich, a pitcher and infielder for the softball team here at Missouri Western was the winner of the female athlete of the year award. She leads her team in batting average hitting .366, is one of the best pitchers in the conference with a 2.32 earned run average and strikes out almost eight batters a game, which is good enough for second in the conference.

Leon Douglas was the male athlete of the year for Missouri Western. His accomplishments include being named to the MIAA All-Conference team, starting Academic All-American team and many others that he has received in the past few months that have nothing to do with sports.

“It’s an honor to win this award,” said Leon Douglas. “I remember the first Athlete of the Year awards banquet I went to as a freshman. I wanted to be that person who wins the award and represents the school and athletic program in a good way.”

Both of the recipients do excalty that and are keeping the tradition of great student athletes alive at Missouri Western.

They started out the week by splitting with Nebraska- Omaha. They struggled in the first game falling 6-0. They bounced back nicely in the nightcap winning the ballgame 7-5.

Missouri Western scored five runs in the bottom of the second. They were in control throughout the whole game.

They followed that performance up by sweeping Missouri Southern. In the first game Missouri Western won 2-0. They scored their lone two runs in the bottom off the second.

In the second game Missouri Western again shutout Missouri Southern, but this time the final score was 4-0.

The team had a balanced offense attack piling up seven hits. They also showed patience at the plate collecting four walks.

In the final two games of the home stand Missouri Western split with Southwest Baptist. In the first game Missouri Western fell 4-1. Missouri Western had trouble manufacturing runs. They left seven runners on base hurting their chances of producing runs.

In the second game the offense was again lacking. Missouri Western still managed to grind out the victory 2-0.

Missouri Western will look to build off the momentum of these victories. Their record is 24-17 and 8-4 in conference games.

The women were 40-20 at the end of last season and this year, with the season not quite over, they are 15-13.

You may wonder why that is only half the games they played last season. Part of the reason for the sub par record is the amount of games that have been canceled due to bad weather. There have been 19 games canceled this season and only four of them are able to be made up.

“The weather has affected everyone in our region; not just us,” said head coach Jen Bagley. “Weather is hurting everyone from snow in Minnesota to rain in Missouri,” said Bagley.

The weather has been a major part of the difference between this year and last year. It has to be frustrating to be a player wondering if the game will be canceled when you see a few clouds in the sky. Perhaps you’re ready to play and the game gets canceled or vice versa. “Despite the weather, we always need to come prepared,” said Bagley.

However, weather is only half the reason for the struggles of this season. “The biggest thing is we need to have all components of our game showing up every day,” said assistant coach Amy Beverly. A common problem for any sports team is putting everything together when it matters.

“We haven’t been playing all parts of the game,” said Bagley, “we either have good offense and bad defense or we have bad offense and good defense.” This must be frustrating to the team as their season comes down to the wire.

As the season draws to a close, the softball team still has a chance to end on a strong note. There is one key aspect that can guide them to a good finish.

“We just need to be passionate about fourteen innings,” said Bagley.

The game started out with promise when Lindsey Predovich hit a long double to center field that drove in one run. She then scored later in the inning for the team to take the lead 2-0.

However, that was the end of exciting action in that game until the sixth inning came around. Lindsey Predovich was pitching for Western and was striking batters out, as well
as walking several. She only gave up four hits in the game but offset that by giving up six walks.

The offense was spread out throughout the team, but third basemen Amanda Nocita had a standout performance. She had one run with two hits, and she also had a key play late in the game defensively.

When the sixth inning rolled around, the action began to heat up as both pitchers began to fatigue. With one out, Predovich gave up a long hit to left that drove in a run and brought the Bearcats within one run.

With a runner in scoring position, the Bearcats smacked a hard grounder to third base, which was stabbed by Nocita. who threw the Bearcat out at first. Predovich then struck out the next batter to end the inning and get out of a jam.

The Griffons loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and had a great opportunity to extend the lead. Kelsey Wells hit a line drive destined for the outfield when the second basemen made a diving catch and a double play to end the inning.

The Bearcats had runners on base in the seventh until Predovich struck out the final batter to end the game.

The game on paper was a defensive struggle. However, it was more of just a poor offensive performance by both teams. The Griffons did not play as well as they wanted to, but a win is a win.

They lost the second half of the double header 1-0.

The team is filled with talent and experience this season. Those two things are why Head Coach Jen Bagley is not worried. “We have not been on a regular routine and that makes it hard to go right from the gym to the field,” said Bagley. The always confusing Missouri weather made it hard for the women to get outside and practice.

The team’s play was attributed to the lack of practice in real circumstances. “Picking up a grounder on a gym floor is so much different than picking one up in the infield,” said Bagley.

The team needs the weather to warm up so they can get some practices outside.

There are still many reasons to be hopeful for the rest of the season. First of all, Western was playing in Arizona and Arkansas to start off the season.

“We haven’t played any regional games yet so the losses aren’t a big deal,” said Bagley.

The team will be ready when the regional games come around.

Despite the lackluster record, the team has had some outstanding individual performances. There are four players hitting .290 or better as well as many players shining in other categories.

Starting pitchers Lindsey Predovich and Kristi Warneke have good strikeout to walk ratios as well. These stats will only get better and more players will add to them.

There is no reason to fret for the upcoming games. “We are very optimistic about the season,” said Bagley. “The rough start will only leave us focused and motivated.” You can bet the team will work hard and get better from here on out. “From a coach’s standpoint, I’m disappointed. But am I worried? Not at all,” said Bagley.

Senior Lindsey Predovich is one of the key players on Missouri Western’s women’s softball team. Predovich holds many single season records for the team and has been an important part of their success over the last few years. As she returns for her final season, her hopes and expectations are high.

When you look at the list of things Predovich has done in her years at Western, it is hard to keep your jaw from hitting the floor. She has been the MIAA freshman of the year. Playing with an injury her junior year, she was still an honorable mention, All MIAA selection. Last year, she was a first team All MIAA selection. She will also be looking to make some career record lists after this season.

Bottom line: She’s good.

As a senior this season, she will play a huge leadership role on the team.

“I lead by example on the field,” said Predovich. The keys to her motivation are quite basic and simple as well.

“I’m expected to do well by everyone else so it motivates me to play my best,” said Predovich. There is no doubt that Predovich will play her leadership role well in her senior season.

Predovich led Western in many categories last season. She was tied for the team lead with a batting average of .337, as well as leading the team in hits, runs batted in and doubles. Not to mention, she started all 60 of the team’s games last year, too.

However, offense is not all she does. She was mainly a relief pitcher last season but will be stepping up to be a starter this year.

She had an outrageous 1.82 earned run average last year, along with the most saves and being second on the team in strikeouts. She pitched 73 innings last year, and by  becoming a starter this year, that number should almost double.

So fans, get your K signs ready. One change Predovich is getting accustomed to this year is playing first base. That is something she has not done for a while.

“The hardest thing is learning where I’m supposed to be, but I’m getting more comfortable as time goes on,” Predovich said.

The time is almost here and the practice will pay off. As the season begins, Predovich is ready and motivated to lead Western to success. She is one of the eight seniors who are hungry to play well in their final season. Predovich wants to end her career on a good note and you can bet she will do all she can to help the team do the same.

The Missouri Western women’s softball season began on Feb. 15. The team is coming off a good season last year, finishing with a 40-20 record. The players and coaches are looking forward to getting this season started off well. Western will have a wealth of experience on the team with eight seniors returning as seasoned veterans. You can bet the seniors will play their best, as it will be their last season.

“We all want to end our careers on a good note,” senior Lindsey Predovich said.

The team has worked hard to become even better this season, and they believe they have new additions which should make them stronger.

“Our offense, defense and pitching has gotten a lot stronger, and we are a more well-rounded team this year,” assistant coach Amy Beverly said.

The team has also become stronger with their overall attitude. “We are older than last year, and we have more intensity,” senior Dana Wertz said.

It seems quite obvious Western is focused and confident as the season is about to begin. There is also some new talent on the team this year with two freshmen. The type of attitude they bring to the team should be a useful tool.

“They will play as well as they can regardless of the opponent because they don’t necessarily know the rivalries,” said Beverly.

There are two sophomores and two juniors on the team as well who will use their experience to help the team. The underclassmen should develop into leaders for the future. Leadership will be a key aspect this year with the eight seniors.

“The seniors have developed a good chemistry and they know when to push each other and when to praise each other,” said Beverly.

There are different styles of leadership on the team this year which should mesh together to create a strong core.

“I think I lead by staying positive and encouraging my teammates,” Wertz said. Western will be sure to bring a good leadership aspect into the season which should give them an edge on many teams.

The Western women are motivated coming into this season. They believe to have another good year and plan to go far. “If we’re running on all cylinders and communicate well, we could go all the way,” said Predovich.

The leadership and experience Western brings this year will make a tough challenge for every team they face. So how far can they go?

“As far as we want,” said Wertz.