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Red Hawks Prepare To Defend Their Title
Ripon's women's basketball team came out of nowhere last season to win the Midwest Conference Championship, after being picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches poll. The Red Hawks finished 17-9, including a 12-4 mark in the MWC, giving them more wins in the 2008-09 season than the previous two years combined.
This season, Ripon will look to repeat as conference champs for the second time in school history and win the program's fifth MWC title.
"We spent one day talking about the possibility of winning back-to-back championships and that was the end of the discussion," Ripon head coach Julie Johnson said. "We're going to concentrate on just getting better every day and focusing on the things that are within our control."
The main difference in this year's team is that the hunters have become the hunted. The Red Hawks may have flown under the radar of some teams a year ago, but that will not be the case this season, as teams will enter each game hoping to knock the champs off their pedestal.
"The players will have a little more pressure put on them this season because of where we ended last year, but as long as we stay focused on getting better, we'll have a successful year," said Johnson.
The Red Hawks have prided themselves on defense over the years, including last season when they finished third in the MWC in scoring defense, giving up 57.5 points per game. That will be key this season if Ripon is to be considered serious contenders again.
"In order to make the conference tournament, teams usually have to be among the top three or four defensive teams in the MWC. We'll have to rely on our defense and it should be consistent throughout the season," said Johnson.
Leading the defensive effort will be senior point guard Ashley Meister (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port), who had a breakout year in 2008-09 as one of Ripon's most complete players. She finished the season among the top 10 in the MWC in assists (3.0 apg), steals (2.0 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22). Her 52 steals is tied for the ninth-most for a single season in school history. She also added 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while starting 23 contests and appearing in all 26.
"Ashley brings natural leadership to the team and she has a mentality that coaches love," Johnson said. "She is a key player for how the season will turn out at the end of the year."
Another player that's been a staple for the Red Hawks during the past few years is senior forward Jessica DeHamer (Neenah, Wis./Neenah), who has played in all 72 games since stepping on campus as a freshman. Last season, DeHamer was third on the team in scoring (6.7 ppg), while finishing second in rebounding (6.3 rpg). She also averaged 1.9 steals per game, which was second on the team. DeHamer enters 2009-10 with the ninth most seals in Ripon history.
"DeHamer brings a tenacious attitude and mentality to the game," Johnson said. "In order to be where we want to be, DeHamer and Meister must show the consistency that they had last season."
Fellow senior Carissa Zuercher (Delafield, Wis./Waukesha West) will also see plenty of action, coming off a season where she played 20 minutes per game in a reserve role. She finished the season averaging 5.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, and 2.0 apg, while recording 1.6 steals per contest. She is one of the team's top shooters, ranking 10th in school history for 3-point field goals in a career (34).
"Carissa has played better early this season than she has in any year she's been here," Johnson said. "She's extremely focused defensively and she really knows the system well, so she's able to play on instinct and use her natural ability. She will have a breakout season."
The other two seniors that will be a big part of the team's plans will be Jessica Goudreau (New London, Wis./Shiocton) and Amanda Lindauer (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Southern Door), who will both provide some depth off the bench. Goudreau played very well down the stretch last season, finishing with 4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 1.1 apg. Lindauer was also a contributor, scoring 2.4 ppg and pulling down 1.8 rpg.
"Goudreau and Lindauer, along with the other three seniors have a lot of confidence and they know what it takes to be a champion," Johnson said. "They know where they finished in the standings during their first two years and where they ended up last year and they don't want to go back to the way they were."
Ripon will have a major advantage in every game, as they'll have more seniors with experience than most of the teams they'll face, which is an invaluable quality to have.
"We have five players that we know what they'll bring to every practice and game and that's huge for the success of this team," Johnson said. "They're all great leaders and that will help to bring the younger players along with them."
One of those younger players is sophomore Erin Lind (Ripon, Wis./Ripon), who burst onto the scene last year with an MWC First-Team All-Conference selection as a freshman. Lind led the Red Hawks and finished in the top 11 in the MWC in scoring (12.2 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and blocked shots (0.71). Her 17 blocks is the 10th most for a single season in school history.
"Other teams now know about Erin and what she's capable of doing, so she'll have to raise the bar again because she'll have better players guarding her and will have to face some double teams," said Johnson.
Joining Lind on last year's All-Conference team was Emily Meyer (Sherwood, Wis./St. Mary's Central), who was named to the Second Team after a season that saw her finish second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and third in rebounding (6.1 rpg). The junior was also one of the team's top shooters, making 44.8 percent of her shots, including a team-best 37.9 percent from 3-point range.
"Emily is a consistent player, but we're going to need more from her both in scoring and rebounding," Johnson said. "Defensively, she'll also have to give us a boost."
The Ripon bench will be bolstered by junior Staci Dieringer (Adell, Wis./Random Lake) and sophomore Skye Gonyo (Berlin, Wis./Berlin). Dieringer appeared in 16 games last season, while Gonyo's action was limited because of a knee injury, which will be fully healed by the start of the season.
"Staci is a versatile player who has great shooting range, but can also be effective in the paint because of her physical style of play," Johnson said. "Skye will be one of the surprises this season because no one really got the chance to see her play last year. She's a smart player that's very athletic, has a nice shot and can play both inside and outside."
That core group of returning players will have some help this season, as the Red Hawks brought in a trio of freshmen that could contribute at some point down the road. Korie and Kelly VanBerkel (Brillion, Wis./Kaukauna) are two of those players, but only Korie will see action this year, as Kelly will miss the entire season with an injury.
"Kelly and Korie are two of the most athletic players I've had in a while and having a double dose of them is nice. Korie is athletic and there's a lot of different things the team can do to utilize her athleticism," Johnson said. "There's not a quicker player on the floor, so she'll be an asset on the defensive end."
Fellow freshman Brittany Johnson (Glenview, Ill./Regina Dominican) will also battle for some playing time, as she will be expected to help the Red Hawk's interior defense and alter the opponent's shots.
The Red Hawks were an afterthought when last year's MWC preseason poll was released, only to shock the conference and win the MWC crown on regular season champion St. Norbert's home court. This year, they will have a target on their back beginning with their first game of the season. Only time will tell if they can repeat and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
"I know the team wants to get back to the MWC Tournament and prove themselves again and with five seniors on the team, there wouldn't be a better way for them to end their college careers than to win the whole thing for a second consecutive year."
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