TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Assess your team’s performance in the exhibition against the Syracuse Action last Saturday.
I thought we did a really good job. Everybody saw a lot of playing time and contributed in a positive way for us. We are going to be a very deep team this year, which will help us out a lot.

How important is it to have the students and other fans in attendance for all the games at Alumni Arena?
Fan support is important because when we go to other schools and they have students out at the game, it can be distracting to us. Hopefully Alumni Arena will develop into that type of an atmosphere for our opposition when they come here.

Discuss moving into the role as a leader, now that you’re a junior.
I’ve definitely had to be more vocal with the younger players, but also with some of our older players. That’s something I’m not necessarily used to doing, but it’s something I’ve had to take on.

How much has the incoming freshman class added to your team, as well Trisha Hedges – who red-shirted last season.
Definitely there have been some big positives in that regard. Hollie Cook had an outstanding game last Saturday in the exhibition. Trisha has been doing very well as a post player.

What are some of the goals that you hope to achieve this season?
As a team, we definitely want to post a better record than we did last season. In the preseason poll we were picked to finish fifth out of six teams in our division, but we feel we are better than that. We’ll have to prove that this season.

There is a chance you could square off with Duke – the top team in the nation – in an early December tournament. UB also faces teams like St. John’s and Colorado at the start of the season. How much does it help to play a strong non-conference schedule?
All of our games are important. But to play quality teams prior to entering our Mid-American Conference schedule enables us to be better prepared. If we can succeed against some of the better teams in the country, then we should be ready for our difficult conference schedule.

Expand on the toughness of the MAC.
There are some really tough teams in the MAC. Basically though, we just have to focus on taking it one game at a time. You can’t afford to look ahead in this league, because each game is difficult and carries a significant level of importance.

How important is it to have a home playoff game when the MAC Tournament rolls around in March?
We definitely want to have a strong regular season to ensure that. It’s hard to travel and go to other team’s gyms as compared to playing at home. We’d also love to be in the position of receiving a bye, which would be even better yet.

Are than any rivalries that have developed for your team in the MAC?
There’s not anything quite like that yet – nothing huge. On a personal level, I’d like to beat Kent State. They’re a team we’ve never beaten, so it would feel good to get a win against them.

Talk about assistant coach Evelyn Thompson and what she helped to add to your frontcourt game.
It’s nice to have Evelyn as an addition to the staff. She’s definitely very knowledgeable with the post position. She’s done a great job working with us, teaching us and pushing us.

-The ’10 Questions with…’ feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.