SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - The Shippensburg University women's basketball team opens its 2010-11 schedule on Saturday with a 3 p.m. tip-off at Shepherd from the Butcher Athletic Center. Head coach Kristy Trn is 7-2 all-time against the Rams, including last season's 72-63 victory.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Shippensburg women's basketball has entered a new era.

There's no way to single-handedly replace an All-American, especially one of the highest caliber such as Lauren Beckley – the PSAC's all-time leading scorer. Despite losing a player of that stature, Shippensburg enters the 2010-11 campaign armed with a variety of talent and more depth at each key position.

The team returns nine letterwinners to this year's squad, including Shippensburg's lone senior, All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team selection and Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Second Team selection Kasey Gardner. After finishing third in the league in scoring last season and totaling 1,268 points through three years of play, Gardner was picked to the Preseason All-PSAC Eastern Division Team.

Gardner will also be one of three team captains this season along with junior guard Erin Varley and redshirt sophomore forward Caitlin Bamberger.

Head coach Kristy Trn returns for her 12th season at the helm of the Lady Raider program and has compiled 195 career victories. She was instrumental this offseason in constructing a recruiting class that features eight newcomers: five true freshman and three skilled transfer players.

“Our practices have been extremely competitive in terms of the pressure that we are putting on each other,” Trn said. “I think what will be the biggest change for us this season is that we will have a little bit more balance in our scoring. Every person that steps out on the floor has a strength that fits into a  different spot, so I think that we've addressed some of our needs.”

Overall, the squad features 17 players. Competition for playing time is fierce, as only five players can be on the floor at any given time.

“The thing that we've seen in workouts and practices is that competition has really been there,” Trn said. “It will certainly help to make us a better team.”

One of the team's primary goals this season involves its desire to reach the PSAC Tournament. SU has come up just short in each of the past two seasons but will be seeking to use its balanced offense and increased speed to rise well above the fifth-place prediction affixed to the team by the league's coaches in the preseason poll.

BACKCOURT

The team will miss Sheila Wasser – a smart and loyal point guard that avoided mistakes and had 51 assists in 18 starts as a senior. She is finishing her schooling at Shippensburg after receiving a degree completion award from the NCAA.

Varley – one of the aforementioned captains of the team - has an unparalleled work ethic and has recovered from an illness that slowed her as a sophomore. She has appeared in 53 of the team's 57 games in two years and compiled a positive assist-to-turnover ratio during that span, averaging 65 assists per season.

Sophomore Morgan Taylor was making a solid impression at point guard during her debut season before an injury limited her play in the second half. Through 15 games, Taylor made
12 starts, averaging nearly five points and three assists per game.

Fellow sophomore Kerry Conroy made an immediate impact last season, starting 29 of the team's 30 games. She averaged 5.2 points per game and led the team with 91 assists, including 11 in the final home game of the year versus West Chester that marked the most assists in one game by an SU player since 2004.

The team is excited to see what redshirt freshman Raediah Lyles can do this season. Lyles had her debut season end after just five minutes due to injury. She is an athletic guard who can provide defensive pressure along with assistance on the offensive end of the floor.

Two impact sophomore transfers from Georgian Court – twin sisters Dana Wert and Shawna Wert – bring instant playmaking ability to the backcourt. Shawna ranked 12th in the CACC for scoring as a freshman with 13.7 points per game while leading the team with 47 steals. Dana averaged 10.2 points per game herself and led her squad with 86 assists.

Perhaps most importantly, both players are tenacious defenders. They will help Shippensburg improve  their press breakout while also looking to force turnovers on the defensive end.

Several true freshmen will also be seeking to make an immediate impact. Brianna Forde has earned praise in the preseason and has the ability to play any of the three guard positions. Codi McMaster boasts great speed and a knack for driving to the basket. Sarah Strybuc could be an impact defensive player for Shippensburg with her quickness and strength. Jazmine Hall was a solid player for Central High School in downtown Philadelphia.

FRONTCOURT

Gardner has scored 1,268 points through her first three seasons of competition and has been an outstanding presence for the Lady Raider basketball team. Through 85 career games, Gardner has averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

She is one of just 17 players in school history to achieve 1,000 career points. Last season, she was third in the PSAC in scoring behind Beckley and Cal's Brooque Williams while ranking 15th in rebounding and playing the second-most minutes of any player in the league.

Junior Kaitlin Capriccio has great potential but has battled injuries during her two years with the team. She appeared in 24 games during her debut season and 21 games as a sophomore – flashing signs of greatness on both ends of the floor.

Bamberger is coming off a solid breakthrough season – a campaign in which she ranked third on the team in scoring during conference games. She averaged 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game against PSAC East opponents - including two double-doubles and four games in which she scored 10 or more points.

Junior Lindsay Howard continues to make strides as a post player and has appeared in 39 games over the course of two seasons. She will add depth at the forward position.

Sophomore Isabel Scott appeared in 28 games last season – the second-highest total of any freshman – averaging 10 minutes per contest. She was one of the first players off the bench during PSAC East play last season and finished her debut campaign averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

Perhaps the most significant addition to the post will be junior Monae Baker, who joins the squad after two years at UPJ. Baker averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game last season with the Mountain Cats and immediately becomes a viable option down low for the Lady Raiders. Her size and strength
should produce similarities to the impact that former Lady Raider Shanna Oaddams had for Shippensburg.

Freshman Ashley Giedemann is a native of Washington Township, New Jersey – coach Grassel's hometown. She is a 5-10 forward who hopes to provide a solid scoring touch this season.

SCHEDULE

Shippensburg opens its season on the road at Shepherd before hitting the hardwood inside Heiges Field House for two tough regional games against Wheeling Jesuit and West Liberty in the annual Wolf's Bus Lines Classic.

Before January, the Lady Raiders will have also faced UDC – an NCAA tournament team two years ago – along with PSAC West powerhouses IUP and California (Pa.). West Virginia Wesleyan, always among the WVIAC's elite, comes calling in December along with Merrimack from the NE-10.

The mandated PSAC crossover schedule features road trips to Edinboro and Lock Haven in the first week of 2011. Clarion and Gannon visit Heiges Field House the next weekend. The Golden Knights reached the Final Four last season.

Shippensburg is in its third season as a member of the PSAC Eastern Division after spending 21 seasons in the PSAC West. Since joining the Western Division prior to the 1987-88 season, the Lady Raiders won six PSAC West titles, the most of any current Western Division team. The team's divisional opener will be on January 12 against Kutztown.