BEREA, Ohio – Four returning starters along with a deep bench will help propel the Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team to the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2018-19.
Beginning her 29th season in Berea, veteran head coach Cheri Harrer has compiled a 564-213 career record with the Yellow Jackets. She returns 10 letterwinners and those four starters from last year's squad that posted a 15-11 record and an 11-7 mark in the conference, advancing to the OAC tournament for the fifth consecutive season before falling in the quarterfinals to Otterbein University.
"I like the work ethic and the competitiveness of this group," Harrer commented. "In our practices so far, they are getting on the floor and trying hard to do the right things. The question will be, can we continue to do that for the entire season? The talent is there but it's a matter of how much they are willing to play as a true team."
The four returning starters include senior two-time All-OAC guard/forward Hannah Fecht (Hilliard/Davidson), junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Riley Schill (Sheffield Lake/Elyria Catholic), junior Academic All-OAC guard Kasey Hughes (Springboro) and senior Academic All-OAC forward Rachel Womeldorf (Lewis Center/Olentangy).
Fecht led the team in scoring and rebounding with career-high marks of 11.4 points and 5.8 boards per game en route to a first-team All-OAC selection last year. Schill received her first career All-OAC accolade after posting career-high numbers of 10.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest while also dishing out a team-leading 99 assists. Womeldorf and Hughes finished third and fifth in scoring with career bests of 7.4 and 6.3 points per game, respectively, while Womeldorf led the team with a 53.9 field goal percentage.
Appearing off the bench in over 20 games apiece last season were senior Academic All-OAC guard MacKenzi Matthews (North Royalton), junior Academic All-OAC guard/forward Kara Marshall (Copley/Akron Archbishop Hoban), junior Academic All-OAC guard/forward Mary Schentur (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights), junior guard Tiffany Bentler (North Canton/Hoover), sophomore forward Sydney Diedrich (Chardon/Gilmour Academy) and sophomore guard Gabby Garrett (Columbus/Bishop Watterson). Each will battle to fill the vacancy in the starting lineup while providing additional depth in the rotations.
Seven new faces will join the court this season in forward Lilly Edwards (Dublin/Coffman), forward Megan Scheibelhut (Avon Lake/Elyria Catholic), guard Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky), guard Sydney Snyder (Kirtland), forward Katie Cochran (Sunbury/Big Walnut), guard Emily Lyon (Medina/Highland) and forward Maighread Laliberte (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills). Each will bring length, athleticism, step-out range and physicality around the rim to the team.
BW opens up the 2018-19 campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 13, when the Yellow Jackets travel to take on St. Vincent (Pa.) College. OAC action also opens up on the road on Wednesday, Nov. 28, with a game against Heidelberg University.
