Last season, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team achieved a program-high 20 wins and reached the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals. But with the loss of Alicia Glasser, the second-ever 1,000-point scorer in the program's history, the team will look to a host of new faces in 2010-2011 to complement the returners from last year.

"A lot of people look at Alicia's offensive output, but you can't replace her intangibles and her understanding for the game," said head coach Donna Kling, who is entering her sixth year of coaching the Lady Lions. "I hope that the returners who played with her learned those things and will get the chance to step up for their teammates this year."

Penn State Altoona has six players remaining from its roster last year, five of which are guards. Last year's starting guards Courtney Carroll, an All-AMCC selection last season who is entering her senior year, and sophomore Janelle Nardozza will be expected to lead a back court unit that is one of the deepest in the conference. Sophomore guards Kathryn Geriak and Tiffany Seasoltz, who each saw time off of the bench a year ago, will be expected to provide a spark this season, too. The guards will be counted on not only to score, but to play solid defense and crash the boards.

"We think we have one of the premier back courts in the conference," said Kling. "They are going to really have to help offensively, on the boards, and all around."

The squad returns just one forward from last season: Tamara Thomas. Thomas will be counted on to be an anchor in the paint for the Lady Lions, as well as teach the newcomers how to play beneath the basket.

"Tamara is our key in the paint, and she's done a really good job in practice of getting the other players to a level of comfort," said Kling. "She always responds to a challenge, and she can beat you with her mind as much as she can beat you with her physical skill."

While the seven new additions to the team are largely still learning what it means to play at the collegiate level, they bring a balanced skill set that will prove invaluable once they become more comfortable playing in the Penn State Altoona system.

"The newcomers are shooters, they run the court very well, they have good ball handling, and they are quick," said Kling. "Now they have to learn how to utilize their individual talents in a team framework."

Kling sees offensive skill as being one of the team's definite strengths heading into the regular season.

"Ball handling ability and shooting are some overall strengths, and our interior passing has developed nicely in the preseason," she said. "We aren't a tall team, but that means that the bigger teams will have to match our quickness and ability to put the ball on the floor."

While Kling is concentrated on winning this season, she also keeps the big picture in mind. The strides that the program has taken since her first year as head coach in 2005-2006 are no coincidence; the team went from six wins that year to a women's basketball school-record 20 wins last season, while showing steady improvement in between. Kling and her assistant coaches Kristen Baker and Pat Nagle are proud of what they and their players have accomplished, but she knows the work is not yet complete.

"Over the past six years, we have gone from a non-respected participant in the conference to a program that is now sometimes envied by fellow coaches and schools," said Kling. "But our ultimate goal is to win an AMCC championship."

Kling attributes the local flavor on her team with building a tradition of success. Her rosters annually feature former high school standouts from the region.

"Our program is built on local girls because of their fundamental skill set," said Kling. "They come here and experience success, and we can keep them together. Players who were once rivals are now teammates, and they help each other develop."

Despite the obstacles that her team faces this year compared to last season, she is optimistic that her players will come together and meet the challenges presented to them.

"Last year's group set the bar high with 20 wins, so this year's team knows they have a big challenge ahead of them," said Kling. "But they are tough-minded, and that should carry them through."