Saint Mary's may have lost its all-time assist leader, Bridget Lipke, but it returns four starters and welcomes six freshmen for its season opener tonight against Wheaton College in the Wheaton College Tournament.
Coming off one of the best seasons in school history, the Belles return senior shooting guard Alison Kessler, who last season became the seventh player in Saint Mary's history to score more than 1,000 points. Junior Erin Newsom, the team's third leading scorer and top rebounder last season, will be on the court to help lead the Belles. The team is counting on both Kessler and Newsom to help with scoring.
Jordan Cronin, Becky Newsom, Katie Pappa, Stephanie Parshall, Grace Sawowski, and Liz Wade are the newest Belles on the court. Saint Mary's freshmen - forward Jordan Cronin, forward Becky Newsom, guard Katie Pappa, forward Stephanie Parshall, guard Grace Sawowski, and guard Liz Wade - come from four different states and six different high schools.
The Belles are ranked fourth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, their highest ranking ever.
