5 Things to Watch

1. Senior moments

The V-Hawks' young roster - eight freshmen and three sophomores - will be balanced out by two accomplished seniors in post players Katina Mandylaris (13.5 points, 11.6 rebounds per game in 2008-09) and Joni Stanek (13.8, 5.4), who played in just 13 games last winter before suffering an ankle injury.

"We expect them to produce on the court," coach Bobbi Vandenberg said. "They're certainly capable of scoring, rebounding, and defending some tough kids."

The 6-foot Mandylaris was the MCC's only player to average a double-double last season as Viterbo finished 9-22.

"I'm hoping Katina will pick up where she left off last year," Vandenberg said. "She's such a high-energy player that it takes her a while to find the speed and intensity level that's going to make her effective. She'll figure it out; she always does."

Mandylaris averaged 32 minutes per game last season as Viterbo had just eight players on its roster for the first semester. Stanek averaged 24.5 minutes.

"I'm hoping we're going to be a little bit more balanced," Vandenberg said. "I don't see (Mandylaris) playing more than 30 minutes a game, and that's going to be better for the whole team as the season progresses."

2. Youth movement

Vandenberg has high expectations for her eight freshmen. This won't be a watch-and-learn season; it will be a learn-while-you-play situation.

"I just would like to see them improve, understand what we're doing and work well as a group with all the returning kids," Vandenberg said. "If (the freshmen) can learn to work as a team, I think we're going to be a force in the conference, maybe this year. They don't play well together yet, but they are capable. It's just that they're not used to each other."

Dani Templin, a 6-foot guard/forward from Richland Center, Wis., has emerged as the first college-ready player of the freshman class and has started all four games, averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Freshmen Jada Straub and Laquita Becker will share point guard duties the rest of the season after starter Brooke Anderson went down with a season-ending right knee injury in the Nov. 5 opener.

3. Go outsideViterbo finished last in the MCC in 3-pointers (109) in 2008-09. Their inside scoring should be taken care of with Mandylaris and Stanek, but Vandenberg knows everything would open up with some long-distance shooting.

 

"I think we're going to need to get a little more contribution scoring from the perimeter," Vandenberg said. "I know we're strong inside, and teams are really collapsing on us."

Vandenberg said Templin, Straub, and freshman guard Sami Weaver appear capable of hitting threes. Straub is 4-for-10 on 3-pointers this season.

4. Waiting game

Vandenberg would prefer not to wait too long for the mix of young and veteran players to figure things out.

"We play our first conference game December 5th, and it would be nice if we've put it together by then," she said. "It would be nice to go into that game with a good sense of who we are and be developing confidence."

5. Stay healthySure, it's the motto of every team, but the V-Hawks have had more than their share of injuries recently.

 

Stanek and forward Sally Colby (knee) were out by mid-season last year, paring down an already small roster, and this season Anderson and freshman Kenzie Kolb (knee) are already out.

"We need to try the best we can to stay healthy," Vandenberg said. "But we don't have that much control. With ACLs, I've tried everything and they still happen. It's just a matter of a little bit of luck."